TCL Tab 8 NXTPAPER 5G leaks for Verizon

TCL appears to be shrinking its paperlike NXTPAPER display into a compact, 8 inch tablet aimed at Verizon customers, according to leaked images that surfaced this month. The device, reportedly called the TCL Tab 8 NXTPAPER 5G, was shown in diagrams that depict a slim slate with a USB-C port, stereo speakers, dual microphones, a combined SIM and microSD tray, a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack and a dedicated NXTPAPER shortcut key for toggling screen modes.

The leaks offer the clearest look yet at TCLs effort to place its multilayer matte LCD technology into a more portable form factor. NXTPAPER is designed to reduce glare and blue light, mimic the texture of paper for stylus use and switch between a full color display and an E Ink style monochrome mode at the push of a button. The shortcut key on the Tab 8 would let users change modes without navigating menus, the diagrams suggest.

The move would fill a gap in TCLs lineup. Until now the company has deployed NXTPAPER mainly on phones and large tablets, with the smallest widely available model measuring 10 inches. Industry observers say an 8 inch model could hit a sweet spot between portability and readability, making it useful for...