Why I prefer this E Ink tablet that runs on Android over the Kindle and ReMarkable

I have used and tested various E Ink products in recent years, including Kindle eBooks And ReMarkable 2. Although they are very different, they have one limitation in common: limited functionality. I enjoy reading various formats, not only e-books, but also blogs and online articles.

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I love my Kindle for its simplicity, but that’s also its Achilles heel. Likewise, the ReMarkable 2 is primarily a note-taking device and doesn’t do much else. None of them have the ability to run apps like a smartphone. That’s where Onyx Books Page enters.

I mainly liked using the Boox page because it runs on Android. This is a simplified version of the OS, but it expands the capabilities of the e-reader to the desired extent. For example, when I’m reading a book or a blog and an idea comes to me, I can add a note to Google Keep or Docs on my tablet and study it later on my phone or laptop.

Also: I’ve been using ReMarkable’s new E Ink color tablet for two weeks – and I can’t go back to “real” paper.

I understand that the Kindle and ReMarkable 2 are designed for distraction-free reading and note-taking, but being able to run Android apps on the tablet for reading makes me more productive. If you don’t need all the extra apps and features, consider them free bonuses.

Running on Android also means you can theoretically use Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and more on the Boox page, but as David Pearce of Edge mentioned there’s just enough friction in his Books-Palma story. I launched YouTube when I reviewed the Boox Tab Ultra C last year and the app experience was terrible; E Ink displays simply don’t refresh fast enough for video. As a result, I don’t scroll through Instagram videos or YouTube Shorts or read hot takes on X.

Also: This E Ink tablet has a color display that has reignited my love for drawing, and it comes with a stylus.

My Boox page has Kindle, Flipboard and Chrome installed. The first two are for reading books and online stories, while Chrome allows me to browse the Internet for research and ideas. I think this is the perfect amount of advanced features.

The Boox Page comes with a flip cover that offers good protection, but the magnets are on the stronger side and require a firm tug to flip the cover back onto the display.

The user interface is, unsurprisingly, full of settings. You can customize the functionality of the two side buttons on the right panel, including page turning with volume controls, swipe gestures, display settings, update modes, and more. The simplicity of this means I’ve adjusted the refresh rate for each app and have no complaints.

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Swiping down from the top right corner will open the Control Panel, where you can toggle Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and more, just like on your device. Android phone or tablet.

The Boox page also features the brand’s Library and Store apps, filled with free books to download. Unlike the Kindle, you can download other e-book stores and download e-books or audiobooks by connecting the device to your computer. You can also listen to audiobooks by connecting Bluetooth headphones to your tablet.

Also: This E Ink reader, which has almost replaced my Android phone, is on sale at an all-time low.

The seven-inch E Ink display has an anti-glare coating on top for a pleasant reading experience. Additionally, the form factor allows the tablet to be rotated to better view websites with wider margins. It’s a clear screen and I like it. Unfortunately, there’s no way to automatically adjust the light temperature based on your environment, a feature available on devices like the Kindle Oasis.

The Boox page lasts up to six weeks if you read for one hour each day. In my tests, the tablet lasts about two weeks on a single charge, including running Kindle and Chrome apps. The base storage is 32GB, and in four months of use I’ve filled up almost 20GB. Luckily, if you run out of storage space, you can always expand it using the microSD card slot.

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Onyx Books Page extends the capabilities of traditional e-readers just right so it fits my workflow without being distracting. At $220, it’s an easy recommendation: it’s light and thin, portable, and durable enough to be my travel companion.

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While the Boox page is still running on Android 11, the e-reader has also received a few small updates since its initial release: the latest patch adds an AI assistant (and why not?) powered by ChatGPT. It would be cooler if Onyx built in artificial intelligence a little more creatively, like generating voices for characters in fictional audiobooks, but for now, the chatbot is here if you ever need it.