Tag Archives: e-ink

Onyx Boox Tab Ultra Review: Not Your Average Android Tablet

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PROS:


  • Eye-friendly E INK screen

  • Sleek and stylish design

  • Full access to Google Play Store

  • Support for stylus and keyboard input

CONS:


  • Heavier than typical e-readers

  • Old Android version


RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

Bringing together the best of both worlds, the Onyx Boox Tab Ultra delivers an eye-friendly e-book reader when you want it and a flexible Android tablet when you need it.

Our modern lives seem to be surrounded by screens, be it on the phones glued to faces, the computers we use at work, or the TVs we chill at night with. While vibrant and colorful, these screens have also proven to be harmful to our health, especially to our eyes, when overused. That might be unavoidable if you read a lot of digital content, but e-paper technologies like E INK have long offered a better alternative. There are plenty of e-readers these days, especially with Amazon and Kobo finally upgrading their devices with more features. Truth be told, however, these industry giants are quite behind the times, especially with the likes of Onyx, which has been pushing the boundaries of the e-reader market for years now. So while Amazon and Kobo play catch up, Onyx is venturing into new territory with the Boox Tab Ultra, and we take this rather novel tablet for a spin to verify that this is not your grandparents’ e-reader.

Designer: Onyx

Aesthetics

Forget what you know about even the most advanced e-book readers, even the ones running Android, because the Onyx Boox Tab Ultra is clearly a cut above the rest. Technically, it is more an Android tablet than an e-reader running Android, a distinction that makes more sense as we go through its various aspects. That said, even among Android tablets, it is quite special, and not just because of its E INK display.

The Boox Tab Ultra easily sets itself apart from other e-readers with its handsome design. Instead of rather cheap-looking slabs of plastic, Onyx applied a touch of aluminum to improve the tablet’s durability since it would see use outside of just reading books and PDFs. The form of the Boox Tab Ultra is boxier with sharp corners and flat edges, not that different from modern iPads. There is also a sizable camera bump on its back, though it is rightfully labeled as a “Smart Scanner” than a typical photography tool.

Contrary to standard tablet designs these days, there are large bezels surrounding the Boox Tab Ultra’s screen. Of course, that is typical for e-readers, so that wouldn’t surprise any Onyx customer. It also doesn’t detract from the device’s appearance since it is tastefully done. There is an extended part on the left side of the device that resembles the spine or margin of a book. In addition to providing a place for branding, it also offers a more convenient place to hold the device without your hand getting in the way. The back of this area has a peculiar strip of repeating icons that adds a bit of visual flair but is pretty much unnecessary.

The edges of the Boox Tab Ultra are also pretty bare. The only things that will catch your attention are the holes for the speakers, the USB-C port, a tray for a microSD card, and a row of pogo pin connectors. This last bit is critical for enabling the optional keyboard cover that truly transforms the E INK tablet from a content consumption device into a productivity tool.

Ergonomics

The biggest draw of an e-reader is its screen, and it is the defining feature that Onyx brings to the tablet world with the Boox Tab Ultra. Unlike a regular LCD or OLED display, E INK doesn’t emit light of its own and is gentler on the eyes. This is what makes these devices ideal for long periods of reading, even at night when blue light could have adverse effects on your sleeping patterns. E-paper displays also tend to be very energy-efficient, so they don’t require that much power to use.

Of course, such a display wouldn’t normally be usable if there is no light around, which is one of the biggest limitations of the early generations of e-readers. To solve this problem, modern e-readers have added some lights to the display. Rather than backlights directed towards the reader, however, the Boox Tab Ultra uses front lights that illuminate just the screen. There are also two kinds of lights available, white and warm, and you can mix the brightness of these lights to your taste and comfort.

The Amazon Kindle and early e-book readers created the expectation that these devices should be small and lightweight pieces of plastic that could even fit in some larger handbags. While there will always be a market for basic e-readers, some want a little bit more from their devices. The Boox Tab Ultra is definitely not your typical e-reader, even in size. The 10.3-inch E INK display, in addition to the bezels, make it already significantly larger than its peers, but that’s only half of it. It also has a 6,300 mAh battery, a giant by e-reader standards, that also gives it a substantial heft.

While it’s still lighter than a typical tablet of that size at around 480g, it’s bound to cause a bit of strain on your wrist or arm if you’ll be holding it up for a long period of time. The “spine” on the left side and its textured back do offer a better grip, but some might still find it uncomfortable to use for hours on end. Then again, that might also be a good time to take a break anyway.

Performance

At its core, the Onyx Boox Tab Ultra is an Android tablet that just happens to have an E INK screen similar to e-readers. It’s more akin to a mid-tier tablet with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage that you can expand up to 2TB more with a microSD card. At the same time, however, these specs also put it above almost every e-reader in the market, and its power definitely shows in its performance.

The Boox Tab Ultra runs smoothly and is very responsive. Even its E INK display at standard “HD” speed is quite fast, even if touch screen accuracy isn’t perfect. Of course, it’s not going to be as fast as even the slowest LCD panel, but it’s actually good enough for some games and videos, depending on your tolerance levels. You will still see clear signs of screen refreshing, especially when switching pages or zooming in and out, but those are on par with any e-paper display. There are different speed modes you can choose from, depending on what you need, but do know that faster refresh speeds come at the price of quality. Even at Ultrafast, however, the Boox Tab Ultra’s 1872×1404 E INK Carta panel produces crisp and clear text, and its 10.3-inch A5 screen size makes it perfect for documents and even manga.

Onyx ships this E INK tablet with a free Boox Pen 2 Pro stylus, which adds a whole new level of functionality to the device. In addition to annotating PDFs, this pen lets you jot down notes or even make some art. Of course, you won’t be able to see any colors, but they’re there and will be completely visible when you transfer the image or note to a computer or phone. Onyx also sells a keyboard cover accessory specifically designed to connect to the Boox Tab Ultra’s pogo pins. This means that the keyboard doesn’t require charging and has a more stable connection than, say, a Bluetooth keyboard. This cements the device’s nature as a tablet more than an e-reader because of its flexibility in typing documents and emails. Of course, you can also do that with Onyx’s more recent e-readers, but the Boox Tab Ultra makes it a lot easier with its large screen and keyboard accessory.

The tablet also has dual speakers, more for listening to audiobooks than music, as well as dual microphones that can help you record notes. There is no headphone jack, sadly, but you can connect wireless earbuds and speakers via Bluetooth. The Boox Tab Ultra surprisingly has a 16MP camera on its back which required putting a very noticeable but stylish bump there. You can use it to take photos, of course, but its main purpose is really to be a portable document scanner. The built-in camera app actually has an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) feature that lets you convert text in the image into text you can copy and edit, though your results will vary depending on the clarity of the photo and supported languages.

Orchestrating all of these features is Android 11 with a special “Boox OS” that gives the mobile platform a very unique user interface that’s more familiar to e-reader owners. Despite that, the Boox Tab Ultra actually comes with Google Play Store pre-installed, which is no trivial matter. This means that you can practically install any Android app or game, even ones that might not make sense on an E INK device. You have the entire library of Google Play content at your disposal, just like a regular Android tablet.

Sustainability

While the majority of e-readers today still bear their predecessors’ plastic DNA, a few have ventured outside the norm to use more premium materials. Fortunately, that means there is less use of plastic here, even if it isn’t completely free of them. The Boox Tab Ultra is no different and uses a moderate amount of aluminum for its case, which does contribute a bit to its heavier weight. Unfortunately, it is also no different when it comes to other materials, and Onyx as a company hasn’t made big announcements regarding sustainability, at least not yet.

It’s the same story for the tablet’s packaging, which is at least minimal and compact. Onyx doesn’t ship a charger with the device, but it does come with the appropriate USB-C charging cable. Instead, the Boox Tab Ultra comes with that free Boox Pen 2 Pro stylus and some extra nibs. The pen itself is made from aluminum, giving it both some necessary weight as well as a bit of longevity.

Value

For many people interested in one of Onyx’s newest devices, the price tag will be one of the most important deciding factors. At $599.99, the Boox Tab Ultra is definitely one of its most expensive products, and that doesn’t even come with accessories other than the stylus. Even among tablets with the same specs, that’s quite a steep price, especially if you consider that an E INK screen should be cheaper than an LCD panel, even if it includes touch support and a Wacom digitizer.

You can’t simply judge a product by its price, though, especially for a category-defining product such as this. Compared to other e-readers, the Boox Tab Ultra is definitely the cream of the crop, especially when it comes to performance and capabilities. It is admittedly heavier than some might be comfortable with, but that comes with the territory of having a large screen and a large battery. It is also quite the novel tablet, which is able to do anything a regular Android tablet can, with the exception of displaying any sort of color.

The problem, however, is whether the Boox Tab Ultra addresses a need that others in either category of devices can’t. It might not be the most comfortable e-reader, given its size and heft, and Onyx itself has plenty of competitive models to choose from. It might not even be the best Android tablet given its mid-range specs, and the fact that it can only display shades of gray make it impractical for enjoying videos and games. If, however, you have been dreaming of a battery-saving Android tablet that’s easy on the eyes, this device might be perfect for you.

Verdict

The Onyx Boox Tab Ultra is a wonderful device that pushes the boundaries of what an e-reader could potentially do. Its fast and responsive display, powerful and flexible software, and keyboard cover accessory add to the already convincing features of an E INK device that won’t strain your eyes while you enjoy that novel or pour over work documents for hours. It is a jack of all trades that has few flaws aside from its noticeably heavier body. Those who love reading but also need the apps only available on Android devices with Google Play will definitely feel at home with this spin on the typical tablet.

At the same time, however, it serves a very niche market with a price that might seem too high even for e-book lovers. It is an Android tablet, first and foremost, but the appeal of an E INK screen on such a type of device is still alien to all but seasoned e-reader users. At the same time, however, we are seeing a growing interest in standalone E INK monitors or even laptops with secondary E INK screens. It might only be a matter of time before something like the Boox Tab Ultra becomes a more common sight, but until then, it’s definitely in a league of its own, even if it’s the only one playing that game for now.

The post Onyx Boox Tab Ultra Review: Not Your Average Android Tablet first appeared on Yanko Design.

Philips 2-in-1 monitor adds an adjustable E-Ink display for your reading comfort

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We live in a world populated by screens, from the computers we use at work to the phones we glue our faces to all day. If display manufacturers and tech companies are to be believed, things will only get better or worse in the future, depending on whose side you’re on. Displays, particularly touch-enabled screens, will litter our surroundings unless the metaverse becomes so prevalent that we’ll be seeing windows and popups everywhere through our AR glasses. Despite our dependence on display technologies, the screens that we rely on so much day in and day out can be harmful to our eyes in the long run. While we wait for the perfectly harmless screen technology, we can only try to minimize the damaging effects of these screens with other technologies, like this unconventional two-in-one monitor that attaches an eye-friendlier E-Ink screen on the side.

Designer: Philips

E-paper display or EPD technology, especially the kind sold by the E-Ink brand, has long been hailed for its less harmful effects on the eyes. That is why this kind of screen has been used on ebook readers that will often be used for hours on end. The technology does have critical drawbacks that make it unsuitable for “normal” uses, like displaying rich colors like photos, fast-changing content like videos, and more. That, of course, hasn’t stopped people from spending hours on end in front of computer monitors and phones, especially when their work depends on these displays.

E-Ink monitors do exist, but they can’t really be used for all kinds of content, as mentioned earlier. Rather than having to make people choose, Philips got the idea to provide both kinds of displays on the same monitor. Or, to be more precise, it has put two kinds of monitors side-by-side in one. The Philips 24B1D5600 has a 23.3-inch 2560×1440 LCD monitor that you can use for regular stuff, and attached to its right side is a 13.3-inch E INK Carta HD display. This design is based on an award-winning iF Design Award 2021 entry and is now making its way to the market to appeal to people who need to stare at screens for long stretches of time each day.

While an E-Ink display is great for reading ebooks, its purpose here isn’t exactly for leisure, though it can certainly be used that way, too. The idea is that you can put longer pieces of text on this slow-changing screen that you need to read, like documents or articles, while constantly changing content like videos, real-time graphs, and the like will occupy the main LCD screen. That way, you will be giving your eyes a bit of a break whenever you need to view more static content while still having access to YouTube or more productive sites.

The attached E-Ink display can apparently be tilted 45 degrees towards the viewer, which is a more ergonomic angle considering how far to the right it is. Unfortunately, it isn’t clear whether it can be removed and placed on the opposite side, which may be more comfortable for some people. The E-Ink display and the LCD screen are powered separately with separate cables, but you seldom need to charge the E-Ink side anyway.

The post Philips 2-in-1 monitor adds an adjustable E-Ink display for your reading comfort first appeared on Yanko Design.

Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus Review: e-Readers have grown up

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PROS:


  • Stylish, business-minded design

  • Runs Android 11 with Google Play Store

  • Responsive and accurate stylus with paper-like screen

  • Crisp and clear display for text and images

CONS:


  • A bit heavy to hold for long periods of time

  • No buttons for page-turning

  • Localization in some languages is incomplete

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The handsome Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus takes e-Readers from consumption to creation, giving book lovers the power to take what they read and put them into action.

E-Book readers, or e-Readers for short, have endeared themselves to book lovers for their simplicity and, to be honest, their dirt-cheap prices. Devices like the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble NOOK allowed them to take hundreds if not thousands of books, magazines, and work documents in a device that might even be lighter than some smartphones. But just as the audience that flocked to these pocket libraries has grown up, so have the devices themselves evolved through the years. Sure, Kindles have mostly remained unchanged through the years, and some might even see them as being stuck in the past. Other e-Readers, however, have changed drastically, for better or for worse, and have become something almost unrecognizable to long-time users of e-Book readers. The new Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus is one such creature, and we give it a closer look to see how much e-Readers have grown by now.

Designer: Onyx Boox

Aesthetics

Traditional e-Readers were designed to put the focus on text and get out of the way, pretty much like a normal paper book. Given the cost of E Ink displays back then and the product’s target price, a lot of compromises were made on the device’s design, both in terms of appearance and material. To put it bluntly, the earliest versions of e-Book readers were unappealing slabs of plastic meant to be cheap and functional but nothing more. While some might scoff at any attempt to make e-Readers pretty and premium, the mediocre form of the device only reinforces the perception that it is so far removed from an actual book. It doesn’t capture the joy of holding and seeing a well-made book, especially those with some gimmicks on materials and textures.

Fortunately, the new breed of e-Readers has started paying attention to good product design lessons, and the Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus is one of the shining examples of this new trend. For one, its body is made of an aluminum-magnesium alloy that gives it both durability as well as a degree of class. It also has an asymmetrical design with an extended band of metal to the left, looking like the margin of a notebook. The device’s straight edges and sharp corners give it an air of professionalism in contrast to the sometimes toy-like appearance of run-of-the-mill e-Readers.

There are a few other details that strengthen the visual and tactile association with books and notebooks. While the edges are all black, thin strips of color make it resemble the spine of a book. The official case that ships with the device has a felt surface almost similar in texture to some hardbound books or notebook covers. All in all, the Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus tries its best to actually look and feel like the next evolution of books rather than just a device for displaying text and whatnot.

Ergonomics

The Boox Note Air 2 Plus is admittedly larger than your typical Kindle or NOOK, with a 10.3-inch e-paper display and a 229.4×195.4×5.8 mm (9.03×7.69×0.23 in) frame. It also has a metal body that is naturally heavier than those traditional e-Readers at around 445g (0.98lbs). The design does distribute the weight evenly across the device, but there’s no going around the fact that it is going to tire your arm if you hold it up long enough. That might not make it a suitable bedtime companion, though its size would also let you stand it on your chest for support.

Given the wider left edge, the Boox Note Air 2 Plus is biased towards being held with the left hand and using the right hand to swipe on the screen to turn pages. That might be uncomfortable for those used to holding devices with their right hand instead. Additionally, there are no hardware buttons to help with page-turning, so faster readers might find their arms or wrists getting tired easily.

The device ships with a stylus that magnetically latches onto its side to make sure it doesn’t get lost easily. The pen’s barrel has flat edges that not only prevent it from rolling off tables but also provide a more ergonomic grip. Given the size of that barrel and the length of the pen, the Onyx Pen Plus is very comfortable to hold and use, even for long stretches of time. The e-Reader’s paper-like screen texture makes it feel like you’re writing with a real pen on paper or at least a close approximation of the experience. It might surprise some to hear that the authenticity of that experience can be a major deciding factor for many people trying to cross the bridge from analog notebooks to digital ones.

Performance

The Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus’ specs, which include an octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage, might sound overkill for an e-Book reader, but that’s also where this new generation of devices break away from the fold. Rather than being simple e-Readers, they are pretty much full-blown tablets with E Ink displays and custom user experiences. This one, in fact, runs Android 11 and even comes with Google Play Store right out of the box. That means that the device has plenty of power to run many of the familiar apps you’d have on your phone or tablet if you’re fine with using them on a black and white screen.

That screen is, of course, a 10.3-inch 1872×1404 E Ink Carta that has a rather high 227 dpi, at least for an e-paper display. Text comes out clean and crisp, and images from magazines and comics or manga are also clear. Page-turning is fast under default settings, about half a second to redraw a manga page, but you can kick the refresh rate up a few notches by sacrificing image quality. You can even watch videos in a pinch, but don’t expect an enjoyable experience, of course. The device has speakers on its bottom edge to enable listening to audiobooks, but you might want to use your favorite Bluetooth speakers or headphones for better-quality audio.

The Boox Note Air 2 Plus goes beyond just reading books or even typing out notes on books. Where it really shines is in how it is pretty much an all-in-one learning and productivity device that barely crosses the line over into tablet territory. You can open almost any digital book format and install almost any Android app you want, but the display and hardware limitations will pretty much make sure you won’t go overboard and install distracting social media or games. You might, instead, focus on apps you can use to boost your productivity, both at home and at work.

Onyx’s Pen really shines in this regard, especially when used with the built-in app. Designers might miss the colors, but those who often scribble notes or rough sketches with pencils and paper will feel at home. The note app supports multiple layers and a variety of brushes that goes perfectly with the pen’s 4096 degrees of pressure sensitivity, so all that you’re really missing is the color palette. And if Onyx’s note app isn’t to your taste, you can also install your favorite Android note-taking app. And since it’s running Android 11, you can also turn the device on its side and split the screen between two apps to maximize your productivity.

Sustainability

The one area where all generations of e-Book readers haven’t yet grown out of is their impact on the environment. Most e-Readers still use environment-unfriendly materials like plastic, but some, like the Boox Note Air 2 Plus, have fortunately started incorporating more metal into their products. That said, these devices are all built to be as tightly closed as possible, making repairs and replacements difficult and costly, especially since service centers for these devices are far and few in between.

Very few e-Reader manufacturers have made any strong statement or commitment towards sustainability, such as in the materials they use, how they source those materials, and how they plan on making sure their devices are disposed of responsibly. Given how affordable many of these devices are, they almost seem like disposable electronics. The one thing going in favor of e-Readers, in general, is that they are more resilient and more long-lasting than more expensive tablets, so they are thrown away less often. They also consume significantly less power, decreasing their overall carbon footprint.

Value

Why would you spend $500 for an e-Book reader when you can get a Kindle for a fifth of that price? If reading plain text from Amazon’s library is all you ever want to do, then there is really no reason for you to break the bank. What the Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus offers, however, is the capability to do more, a lot more, without drowning you in the complexities and distractions that come with a smartphone or tablet. It is still an e-Reader at heart, but it also supports the activities and tasks related to reading, such as learning and taking action.

The Boox Note Air 2 Plus is technically an Android tablet, but one whose design and user experience have been distilled for a very specific purpose. It is a digital library and notebook in one, and it excels in both areas with very few problems. It might not be the most affordable e-Reader, but you’d be hard-pressed to find an e-Reader and digital notebook in a single device that performs as well as this. Especially one that can actually play games and videos in black and white if you ever want to go down that rabbit hole.

Verdict

Considering the very first commercial e-Reader, E Ink’s own Rocket Book, launched more than two decades ago, it is almost surprising how the device has practically remained unchanged to this day. It may be in Amazon’s and B&N’s best interests to keep devices cheap and basic in order to sell more e-Books, but the stagnation of the market and the device category doesn’t benefit anyone in the long run. Fortunately, companies like Onyx Boox are pushing the boundaries of e-Readers with much success, and the Boox Note Air 2 Plus is one shining example of that thrust.

Going beyond just consuming content, the Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus opens the doors to taking action on what you read, whether it involves annotating a work document, sketching a design for a new product, or scribbling ideas for your next novel. Using the Pen for that purpose is enjoyable thanks to the responsive stylus and the textured screen that feels almost like the real deal. The Note Air 2 Plus supports these use cases and then some, thanks to its decent hardware and support for Android and Google Play. And it looks good while doing it, too, throwing e-Reader design conventions outside the window. It does require you to make a bit of an investment, but it’s one that will last you quite a long, long time.

Hiromu Nakamura contributed to this review.

The post Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus Review: e-Readers have grown up first appeared on Yanko Design.

Lenovo’s updated ThinkBook Plus packs a more practical E Ink screen

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Pop quiz, hotshot: when's the last time you seriously thought about buying a laptop with a standard screen on one side and an E Ink display on the other? If you answered "never," well, fine -- that's probably true of most people. But that didn't stop...

Flexible color ePaper displays could soon adorn your clothes

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Whenever the runways of Paris, London, Milan and New York open back up, designers might be showing off looks adorned with flexible color ePaper displays. E Ink has teamed up with Plastic Logic to make the first such panels based on its Advanced Color...

E Ink shows off a foldable e-reader prototype you can take notes on

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As smartphones with folding screens becoming increasingly common, perhaps we’ll see e-readers head down the same path. The E Ink Corporation has shown off its latest foldable e-reader prototype (via GoodEReader), which has a huge 10.3-inch screen. We...

This zen alarm clock aids sleep, guides meditations and monitors air quality

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Not everyone is a morning person, and I admit I am so far removed from that audience that I could actually make friends with a bunch of owls instead of being included in their group. I am sure many of us here, including me, want to wake up in the morning but either we don’t hear our alarms because we choose a soft tune or we awaken with rage because we chose a super-upbeat loud song. What we need is a more natural wake up call, something aligned with the body’s circadian rhythms which the Mudita Bell calming alarm clock knows how to do.

Most of us scroll through our social media apps before bed and the blue light exposure keeps our brain alert even after we keep the phone down. This calming alarm clock wants to replace the screen-scrolling so we can get rest according to our natural sleep cycles – a key in waking up rested and relaxed. It has an E-Ink screen which means you aren’t actually looking at a screen but at the ink that is programmed to move to create visuals, thus reducing your exposure to blue light. Limiting screen time helps us fall us asleep sooner and also into a deeper slumber which is crucial if you want to stop waking up grumpy or tired. The minimalist design of the clock has a soothing effect on your eyes which is important considering it is the last thing you see before bed and the first thing you see when you wake up.

It all starts with “Let me just check the time” or “I’ll just check if my alarm is on” and we descend into the notifications rabbit hole. With this Mudita alarm clock and the E-Ink screen, you can track time and set your alarms without being lured into scrolling through your apps. The alarm wakes you up with gentle acoustic sounds that don’t make you want to smash it. It also includes a sensor to track the air quality in your room and sometimes making small changes like adding a humidifier (based on what the air quality is) can make our sleeping patterns healthier. To make it a well-rounded health and wellness product, this alarm clock also has a meditation timer that comes pre-set with different meditation lengths and simple instructions to guide you through them. Now we really have no reason to wake up groggy so let’s make 2020 the year of the morning people!

Designer: Mudita

Lenovo’s ThinkBook Plus is a laptop that doubles as a Kindle

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It wouldn't be CES if Lenovo didn't have a bevy of new laptops to announce, but I can't say we saw the company's new ThinkBook Plus coming. On one level, it's pretty prosaic -- it's available with a 13.3-inch matte, full HD IPS display, one USB-C...