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TCL's new tablet lineup includes an interesting 12.2-inch mid-ranger and an older acquaintance

Only the TCL Tab A1 Plus is entirely new, as the Note A1 NXTPAPER was first unveiled a few months ago.

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By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Mar 02, 2026, 8:44 AM

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This looks pretty good for what we expect to be a very affordable Android tablet. | Image by TCL

Not to be outdone by Lenovo's Legion Tab Gen 5 and Idea Tab Pro Gen 2 announcements, TCL has also taken the 2026 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona by storm to showcase two new iPad and Kindle alternatives with undoubtedly reasonable price points.

Curiously enough, said prices are kept under wraps for both the TCL Tab A1 Plus and Note A1 NXTPAPER, and what's even weirder is that the latter model actually received another announcement all the way back in December 2025... with pricing details included.

The Tab A1 Plus is no iPad Air killer

12.2-inch screen with 2400 x 1600 pixel resolution and 120Hz refresh rate technology;
Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor;
Android 16;
Guaranteed Android 17 update;
6GB RAM;
128GB internal storage space;
microSD card slot for up to 2TB storage expansion;
8MP rear-facing camera with autofocus;
5MP front-facing camera;
8,000mAh battery;
20W charging support;
Four speakers;
USB Type-C port;
Bluetooth 5.0;
IP54 water and dust resistance;
Metal unibody construction;
275.6 x 189.34 x 6.7mm dimensions;
542 grams weight;
Space Blue color.

I know some of you are going to take offense with my insistence to compare TCL's newest Android slate with Apple's industry-leading tablets, but that's (mainly) because a new iPad Air generation is also expected to be unveiled this week.

That's a pretty high-quality display with relatively thin bezels. | Image by TCL

Of course, there's nothing wrong with aiming lower than the iPad Air family and even the latest "regular" iPad in terms of raw power (and a few other things), as long as the TCL Tab A1 Plus will be priced accordingly (which I fully expect to be the case).

And no, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC inside this thing is not great (even by mid-range Android tablet standards), but that large, reasonably sharp, and smooth display (which is apparently powered by TCL CSOT rather than NXTPAPER technology), the "all-day" battery life, remarkably thin profile, and almost surprisingly premium design look like they could make the Tab A1 Plus worth... $200 or so.

The Note A1 NXTPAPER will smoke your Kindle

11.5-inch Canvas color display with 2200 x 1440 pixel resolution and 120Hz refresh rate support;
Anti-glare, anti-reflection, and anti-fingerprint technology;
T-Pen Pro with ultra-low latency and 8,192 pressure levels included in the box;
8GB RAM;
256GB internal storage space;
8,000mAh battery;
33W charging support;
Two speakers and eight microphones;
USB Type-C port;
Bluetooth 5.3;
Aerospace-grade aluminum build;
260.1 x 196.6 x 5.5mm dimensions;
500 grams weight.

If you've been thinking of buying one of Amazon's latest high-end Kindle e-readers but felt like they were not sophisticated, powerful, or versatile enough for you, it might be wise to wait a few more months and consider a TCL Note A1 NXTPAPER purchase instead.

This is way more powerful and sophisticated than your regular e-reader. | Image by TCL

Designed primarily with reading and writing in mind, this is even closer to a fully featured tablet than the newest Kindle Scribe and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft editions, lacking Android support but incredibly sporting a "paper-like" display with silky smooth 120Hz refresh rate technology and 16.7 million colors.

The 3A Crystal Shield Glass promises to protect your viewing experience from glare, reflection, and fingerprints, and with the help of AI (what else?), this 11.5-inch giant will make "complex tasks simpler" by "accelerating creation and expression." That sounds pompous, I know, but at the same time, the AI Meeting Transcription, Real-Time Translation, Summarization, Writing Assist, Audio-to-Text Transcription, Handwriting-to-Text Conversion, and Handwritten Formula Recognition legitimately feel like tools that could save you loads of time and effort with homework and various professional duties.

Do you have any interest in TCL's newest tablets?

As you can imagine, all of those things (not to mention the large battery squeezed into a remarkably thin body, the impressively premium construction, and the built-in stylus) won't come cheap, with the $549 price tag announced months ago looking very likely to hold up (or go even higher) when the TCL Note A1 NXTPAPER finally goes on sale... at some point in the next few months.

Should you wait for these?

Whether you're a TCL fan or... not very familiar with the brand, it's hard to deny that the Note A1 NXTPAPER looks like very few other products on the market today, while the Tab A1 Plus could certainly find an audience as well... at the right price.

For the time being, therefore, my advice would be to wait and see if these two devices are released soon and how affordable they'll be, at least if you're not completely sold on any of Amazon's Kindles around or any of Samsung or Lenovo's budget-friendly Android tablets with large screens and premium metal designs.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.

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