Best E Ink Tablets for 2023 Reading and Writing Devices

The Best E Ink Tablets for Reading, Writing, and Note-Taking

If you love taking handwritten notes, you know that carrying around a notebook, pen, pencil, and highlighter can be cumbersome. But fear not, because E Ink tablets offer a solution. Combining the digital handwriting and note-taking capabilities of a traditional tablet with the lightweight convenience of an e-reader, these devices are perfect for students, professionals, or anyone who wants to take notes on the go.

Unlike tablets from Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, and Amazon, which have bright LCD displays and superfast processors, E Ink tablets feature smooth and intuitive reading and writing experiences, thanks to their grayscale E Ink displays. These displays also provide longer battery life, making them ideal for students who don’t want to worry about running out of power during a lecture or study session.

While E Ink tablets won’t replace an iPad in terms of multimedia capabilities, they serve their purpose as dedicated reading and writing devices. They’re perfect for taking into the classroom without distracting your professor or classmates. Whether you’re looking for a top-of-the-line E Ink tablet or a budget-friendly option, we’ve got you covered.

Amazon Kindle Scribe – The New Kid on the Block

One of the newest E Ink tablets on the market is the Amazon Kindle Scribe. With its stylus and note-taking capabilities, the Kindle Scribe is perfect for annotating PDFs and taking handwritten notes. It even has a sticky-note application that allows you to pin your notes to the text of Kindle titles. The Scribe features a 300-dpi touchscreen and comes in various storage options, starting at $340 for the 16GB model.

ReMarkable 2 – The Best for Writing and Note-Taking

The ReMarkable 2 is the ideal E Ink tablet for students who love taking handwritten notes. With its sleek design, measuring just 0.19 inch thick and weighing only 0.88 pound, you can easily slip it into your backpack. The 10.3-inch tablet boasts a monochrome digital display with a resolution of 226 DPI, ensuring clear and sharp writing and text. It offers over 40 different page templates, including options for musical notation. The ReMarkable 2 has 8GB of internal storage and includes features like handwriting conversion and integration with Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. Previously, these services were part of the Connect subscription, but now they’re included for free with every device. The Connect subscription now costs $3 a month and offers a protection plan, unlimited cloud storage, and the ability to add notes across mobile and desktop devices.

Onyx Boox Note Air 2 – The Most Versatile E Ink Tablet

If you’re looking for versatility, the Onyx Boox Note Air 2 is the E Ink tablet for you. With its 10.3-inch display and resolution of 227 mph, it provides a tablet-like experience. It runs on a customized version of Android 11 and has its own app store, allowing you to download third-party apps optimized for the device. While accessing the full Google Play store is possible, it’s not recommended for anything other than e-reading apps due to the E Ink display’s limitations. The Boox Note Air 2 offers a great typing experience when used with its keyboard case, and its battery life is impressive. At $450, it’s a solid investment for those who want a versatile E Ink tablet.

Kobo Elipsa – The Best E Ink Tablet for Reading

While Amazon may be the king of e-readers, Kobo has been in the game for just as long. The Kobo Elipsa is the first 10.3-inch device from Kobo, featuring a touchscreen and stylus. This waterproof e-reader offers a great reading experience and is ideal for those who enjoy annotating and markups. Even though it may be a smaller company compared to Amazon, Kobo has proven itself in the e-reader market and delivers quality products.

These four E Ink tablets are among the best options available, each with its own strengths and unique features. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or an avid reader, there’s an E Ink tablet for you. With their lightweight design, intuitive displays, and extended battery life, these devices provide a distraction-free reading and note-taking experience.

Other E Ink Tablets We’ve Tested

In addition to the top picks mentioned above, we’ve also tested the Onyx Boox Tab Ultra. This tablet is an enhanced version of the Note Air 2, featuring 128GB of storage, a larger battery, and a built-in 16-megapixel rear camera for document scanning. It even comes with an optional keyboard case for typing on the go. Although it’s a great device, the Tab Ultra’s price tag of $600, coupled with the additional cost of the keyboard case, make it a less desirable option compared to the Note Air 2, which offers similar functionality for a lower price.

How We Test E Ink Tablets

Our extensive hands-on testing involved using each E Ink tablet for a week of rehearsal in a professional theatrical production. We evaluated the set-up process, loaded PDFs and books onto the devices, and used them along with the included stylus as scripts during full six-hour rehearsal days. Tasks included highlighting, note-taking in the margins, creating and organizing detailed notes in notebooks, and using the devices as recreational e-readers. We considered hardware design, stylus capabilities, ease of use, effective user interface layouts, notebook settings, E Ink settings, PDF markup capabilities, e-reading settings, app support and performance, and the overall speed and reliability of each system. Through this comprehensive testing process, we were able to determine the best E Ink tablets available.

E Ink Tablet FAQ

How is an E Ink tablet different from an e-reader? Both e-readers and E Ink tablets use E Ink technology to display text and images. They offer a distraction-free reading experience that is easier on the eyes compared to traditional LCD screens.
Who are E Ink tablets for? E Ink tablets are ideal for individuals who enjoy handwritten notes or sketches and need to read and annotate PDFs or DRM-free e-books. They are particularly well-suited for students, professionals, and anyone who prefers a digital, distraction-free note-taking device.

Whether you’re looking to enhance your note-taking capabilities, enjoy a distraction-free reading experience, or find a device that caters to both, E Ink tablets are a fantastic choice. With their impressive features, sleek designs, and intuitive user interfaces, they offer a unique combination of digital convenience and traditional writing experiences. So why not give them a try?

Best E Ink Tablets for 2023 Reading and Writing Devices