TCL unveiled several new products at CES, but the two standouts may be the Quantum Dot Mini LED TVs and Nxtpaper phones and tablets. Two very different products and categories, though equally eye-catching for different reasons.
I point them out because they are unique entries as well. TCL has pushed its Quantum Dot and Mini LED technologies to become one of the top TV brands in North America. It hasn’t been a similar story on the mobile side of things, but TCL’s Nxtpaper screen technology is an intriguing take on a common challenge with existing screens.
New TVs include a 115-inch monster
To avoid any confusion, it’s important to note that TCL segments its TV lineup into two lineups. The S Class is for smart TVs, while the Q Class is for QLED TVs. To briefly explain the difference, the S Class has more affordable options ranging from 43- to 85-inches that include 4K resolution and backlit panels, while the Q Class TVs are more premium QLED TVs going up to 98-inches, made with a combination of Mini LED and Quantum Dot technology.
Then there was the 115-inch monster (115QM89) the company showcased throughout the show, one it claims is the world’s largest QLED TV with Quantum Dot tech inside. Having all that size allows the TV to run on TCL’s new AIPQ Ultra processor to produce brighter and crisper picture quality with a whopping 20,000 dimming zones. Those zones are so small that they can deliver deeper blacks and more dynamic colours in more intricate ways for a vivid onscreen appearance. It even has a 6.2.2-channel audio system inside to boot.
The company’s QM8 and Q6-Pro lines also get some upgrades in the 50- to 85-inch range, which get a 33% boost in peak brightness at 600 nits. The QM8, in particular, has a very impressive 5,000 local dimming zones for excellent contrast. AI features will be part of the mix in optimizing onscreen quality and performance based on a number of parameters, including the time of day and the room the TV is in to adjust the picture accordingly. If you want something really bright, then the QM7 may be your ticket at 2,400 nits peak brightness and 1,500 zones of local dimming on panels ranging from 65- to 85-inches.
On the more affordable side, there’s the new S5 line from 43- to 85-inches, which all get a 25% bump in brightness and improved colour courtesy of the AI processor and support for HDR Pro+. All of them are 4K models, so you don’t lose out on resolution, either.
A phone/tablet screen or eReader?
TCL has released Nxtpaper devices in other markets before, but it is now going to bring them to North America. Nxtpaper is a technology that uses an LCD panel layered with blue light filtration and a paper-like texture to reduce the glare so often associated with phone and tablet screens. The company claims it can reduce blue light by up to 61% as well.
It looks like an E Ink display, only with full colour, though there is no E Ink technology here at all. The best way I can describe it is like you removed the plastic wrapping over an image, exposing a more matte finish. Or you can look at it like the difference between a glossy and matte photographic print.
TCL demoed its Nxtpaper 3.0 tech on a number of phones and tablets at CES, starting with the TCL 50 XL Nxtpaper and 50 XE Nxtpaper phones and 14 Pro Nxtpaper and Tab 10 Nxtpaper tablets. It figured out how to increase brightness with this technology, making it more vibrant than it’s ever been. For reading comics and graphic novels, I don’t see a better solution on mobile devices, but you can effectively turn any of these into eReaders as well, since the black and white mode emulates the look and feel of an eReader.
The tablets also come with a stylus pen, so there is a benefit for artists who want to draw without the glare of a standard screen. The cool part is you can use any of these devices in a standard mode, ensuring you have the best of both worlds.
Coming soon
TCL will be launching all of these products at different times of the year, though no exact dates have been confirmed yet. Check out all the current TCL product lineup available now.
