It's a great tablet, Steve. I've had one for a while. I have the native ereader, the Kobo and Kindle apps. The native app allows you to sownload free stuff from Gutenberg etc. I have notifications turned off on it as per your suggestion.

​@@battybibliophile-Clarefor a while? Wait what happened?

@@CrazyAsianDude I'm not sure what you mean. I still have it.

How is it for highlighting and writing notes on Peer-reviewed journals? pdf and epub?

Absolutely - already planned to do the comparison!

It works alright. Just keep in mind, that E-Ink does have a delay. Even though the device is quick to respond, it doesn't show as fast as a regular LCD. I'd recommend using the AOSP keyboard, instead of the Boox keyboard. That generally works better for me.

Sry, I don't use iCloud, so I can't test it. But since it's Android it doesn't have the same functions as on an iOS device. But you should be able to access the data through the browser.

I have both official cases: The regular one and the keyboard case. And tbh, I don't like either one. The keyboard case is too clunky. And the regular case (same as for the Boox Tab Ultra) doesn't stay closed and for me already shows abrasions because of the sharp edges of the tablet. Unfortunately, I don't have an alternative...

I've been demoing the default Boox reading app in the video. But you can achieve almost the same ghosting-free result with the comixology app when switching from HD to "Regal". That one is basically the same quality-wise, but does one more flicker to refresh the page and is almost free of ghosting as a result.

I may go a similar route.

I suspect they will release a more streamlined version within the Note Air series down the line - without the camera and with better battery life, but without the ultra fast screen refresh. Wouldn't be surprised if Onyx released the Boox Note Air 3 C later this year. But that's just pure speculation, and it's unlikely to solve the issue of the darker screen.

Sorry to hear that - but just for the sake of completeness, there are options to disable various finger/hand inputs manually, if you have problems with palm rejection. It's not perfect, but does a good job for me overall. The Kindle Scribe has been the best device for me regarding palm rejection though. That works without the need to set up anything extra.

I have a comparison with E-Ink Carta 1200, Kaleido 3, Gallery 3 and a Reflective LCD lined up, where I also check those screens out in direct sunlight.

In theory, yes. But it's not very practical: To use TTS in the Kindle app you need to install the Accessibility Suite for Android for making the talkback function available. Usually you can activate it by pressing both volume buttons or by tapping the accessibility icon in the navigation bar. But since the Boox Tab Ultra C doesn't have volume buttons and Boox also implemented their own navigation bar where the icon doesn't show up, it's not really easy to set it up. It might work with virtual volume buttons, but I haven't tried it.

​@@ChalidRaqami Thanks! May I ask another question? In your opinion, what is the easiest eInk eBook reader for a child or teenager to use to read books WITH TEXT-TO-SPEECH? I believe it used to be the Kindle Keyboard, but it was discontinued. The Text-to-speech function of the Kindle paperwhite / kindle Oasis / Kindle Basic is NOT very easy to use. So, are the PocketBook Era and Pocketbook Inkpad the easiest options (as they have build in speaker, and easy to activate text-to-speech) for children to use text-to-speech in an eInk eBook reader? Thanks a lot! I really like your channel. If you could create a video about this topic (best ebook eInk reader for children to read with text-to-speech), I will share it widely. Maybe another video would be: comparing reading with text-to-speech on Kindle eInk readers versus Kindle Fire. (As I believe you know, it is easier to active the text-to-speech on Kindle fires, but the kindle fires have one big negative: bright screen that may disrupt children sleep). Thanks, Alex

No, that's pretty straight forward and can be done easily though the menu with a few taps. Just keep in mind that those folders created on the device in the library and the notes-section are virtual folders and not the file system's structure.

​@@ChalidRaqami: Thank you Chalid! Great job!

> does the built quality feel as sleek and solid? I'd have to say no. The Remarkable 2 is the more robust device in terms of build quality in my opinion. It's also lighter, thinner and lies much better in the hand, because the edges are rounded. The Remarkable 2 is generally the more refined device in terms of industrial design and user interface. I would recommend waiting for the Boox Note Air 3, which I can see happening in Q3/Q4 this year. If it follows the design of the previous Note Air models, it would be much closer to the Remarkable 2 in those aspects.

I already have it here and will do full review and comparison between those two devices and also between the Tab Mini C and Bigme Galy. Still testing the Tab Mini C, so I can't answer the battery life aspect yet. But in terms of weight, once again something is off with Boox' official specs. They have it listed with 264 grams, but mine has 310 (!) grams. So while it's definitely more convenient in terms of portability compared to the Boox Tab Ultra C, it's still heavy.

@@ChalidRaqami Great thanks very much for the info. Looking forward to mini C review.

Hi, about your other question: The connection to the keyboard always worked fine for me - both on the Boox Tab Ultra and the Boox Tab Ultra C. Only had "re-connects" when I moved the device around for filming, but generally didn't have any problems otherwise. For making the auto-capitalization work, you need change the keyboard settings. Go into system settings, and search for "keyboard" with the search function. Go to Physical keyboard -> Keyboard layout -> Add keyboard layout -> English (US). Tap the back button twice to get back to the physical keyboard settings. The settings-search is still active at this point. You should also see ONYX Keyboard and Android Keyboard (AOSP) in the sidebar on the left side. Tap "Android Keyboard (AOSP) -> Current -> Select Android Keyboard (AOSP) -> OK. After making those changes, the system uses the default Android keyboard, which should make those small autocorrects you're looking for. Just tried it and it worked for me :)

@@ChalidRaqami I had returned my TUC in part over the keyboard connection issue. I may have had a bad case. I am now trying to use a BT keyboard on my older Boox tablet. I will try your suggestions. Thanks Chalid!

Thanks :D I'll do a video on rooting it soon. The Nota Air 2 Plus method works in principle, but the Tab Ultra devices only get partial updates, so finding the full update file is a problem. It's possible to root with the EDL method, which you can find a bit about on mobileread.com.

I built a sensor for checking PWM a couple of years ago, but after a while stopped checked, after manufacturers stopped using it. I think Kobo used PWM in the Forma ... no idea, why they switched to that again. I broke my DIY sensor a few months back, so can't check reliably right now. But at least checking it with my camera at different shutter speeds, the screen doesn't flicker.

The problem is in China. My impression of it is that the set up looks suspiciously like "man in the middle" attack vector. At least with Android, it goes directly to Google.

@@simpletongeeki agree with your concern. Do you have any proofs to back that? Or recommendations?

@Phoenygzus There's a note that account activation can take hours, which shouldn't happen in a fully automatic process. The only conclusion I can take is that the process is done manually by human hands. I have neither solution nor alternative. I still don't have an e-paper tablet. I will have to build one from scratch using Raspberry pi and HDMI Epaper. 🙁

Yeah, that's the E-Ink technology. Remarkable chose not to include a front light, so the actual pixels are closer to the front glass (E-Ink screen + touchscreen layer). With color E-Paper that display-components-stack is thicker (E-Ink screen + RGB filter + frontlight layer + touchscreen layer) so you definitely loose a bit of that effect. But I'd say it's still better than on a phone or iPad, because the display is still reflective (so it needs a frontlight instead of a backlight). Hope that helps!

ya, that bothers me too.

I suspect it's easier to implement, because RGB is in use in pretty much any modern display. But that's just me speculating ... ;)

This is an Arm device, there is no UEFI or any standard bootloader with ARM

Regarding eye health, it's a tough question to answer definitively. For outdoor reading an E-Ink tablet is much better in every way in my personal opinion. Even more so with regular black-and-white E-Ink screens, that have a much better reflectance than the Kaleido color E-Ink screens. Indoors it's not as clear. Some studies suggest, that E-Ink can be better, others don't see any difference, or even find LCD tablets to have an advantage. Personally, I think E-Ink is better/healthier for two reasons: 1. The brightness level of the frontlight (if you use it) is usually much lower than on an LCD tablet, which in turn typically means less blue light emissions. 2. There are hardly any reflections with E-Ink screens (depending on the device). So fatigue and eye strain are simply lower with E-Ink in my opinion, which is why I still love using it after 15 years - even though tablet screen got much better in the meantime.

You technically can with the Android app.. but it's not a smooth experience and it's hard to tell exactly what the colors are (if you are planning to display it to a class or send it to someone who is viewing it on the computer, they will be seeing the "true", bright colors but you will be seeing very different, muted colors - meaning it might look good on your screen but the colors may clash or look bad on traditional, full-color screens).

Yep, it's pretty expensive. I suspect the prices will come down over time as other manufacturers adopt Kaleido 3 and ditch the Ultrafast screen refresh.

Really depends on what you're doing. But I'd say don't expect more than 20 hours with just reading. Note taking with the pen needs much more energy, roughly cutting that 20 hours estimate in half. And with more dynamic content with the ultra fast refresh its even less. So long story short: expect somewhere between 6 and 20 hours of battery life.

Star Trek Picard: Countdown

It's not terrible, but not especially great. Even when primarily viewing static content, the faster screen refresh rate does have a noticeable impact. That's most likely also the reason why the battery capacity is so massive. So in other words: Most other 10.3 inch E-Ink tablets (except for the Boox Tab Ultra) will last longer on one charge.

@@ChalidRaqami thanks for the quick response, i am getting mine today and will follow your video for any tips. Any idea what I should expect for the duration of battery life duration after 1 full charge?

@@MizanurShuvraRidwan - Hey there, I reviewed this and included a chapter on battery drainage in a handful of scenarios if you are still interested. Also, you can increase battery life by putting the device into Airplane mode (or even disabling Wifi/Bluetooth) and putting yourself in balanced/fast mode.

The Note Air 2 Plus is a great device - good choice! 😃

Yea, it's pretty pricey - I noted that in my review as well.. and only 4GB of RAM on top of that. I'm not sure what they were thinking there when they deemed it a productivity tablet PC. All my apps get purged from the cache/background when I open a PDF+Notes to write and the device generally feels.. sluggish.

Only if you install the right app - but I haven't tried it myself.

@ChalidRaqami no I mean if you have the right application, can it handle such files .. does the processor and its memory capable of opening such demanding files? I searched for such videos on KZfaq, but I didn't find.

Yep, I'm already working on the review. It should be ready by the middle of next week, hopefully :)

@@ChalidRaqami I got one! I have grown to love it. I ordered a Bigme inknote plus now.

No - at least not the one I have here. It did get a bit warmer one time when I was charging it, but that was the only time I consciously noticed it. If I'm not mistaken, the Boox Note Air 2 Plus has the same SoC, so it should be the same (which it isn't), if that was the cause for the battery drain. I think the higher battery consumption has more to do with what Boox implemented to have that ultra-fast screen refresh available. The regular Boox Tab Ultra (b&w model) is more or less the same in regards to battery drain, as is the Boox Tab Mini C. Tbh, I hope Boox releases a Boox Note Air 3 C later this year, because I'd gladly trade better battery life for a slightly slower E-Ink screen.

@@ChalidRaqami I don't mind battery drain if you work a device hard, but I do not like devices that drain quickly on standby... thats just not acceptable.

Thanks for the chuckle... :D

Same. Was getting super excited until that part. Especially since it's not just a kobo/kindle device...as an Android device, it would function best logged in to my Google account which is linked to multiple devices. I absolutely don't want Chinese server communication involved anywhere in that process.

iPad doesn't have an e-ink screen.

Agreed, the official case is horrible. Doesn't stay closed and wears down quickly on the inside because of the edges of the device...

I bought all Boox devices I reviewed so far with my own money (including this one). But even if Onyx Boox provided a review sample, it wouldn't change how I assessed their devices. Disagree on your assessment, that it isn't much better than previous Kaleido screens: The reason I consider it a turning point is that the viewing experience of Kaleido 3 is *much* closer to typical E-Ink when you use the frontlight. In comparison, Kaleido 1 and Kaleido Plus appear worse due to their larger subpixels. Before getting the device I didn't think the 50% resolution boost of the color-layer would make a huge difference. But it really does. Having used all CFA color E-Ink screens, including E-Ink Triton many years ago, Kaleido 3 is the first one I can recommend. It certainly isn't perfect, but that's why I also mention the drawbacks you pointed out in my review as well.

@@ChalidRaqami Thanks for clarifying on your thoughts. I was not referring to you as someone who get devices from vendors; but sharing a problem that is often associated with content creators being in a position where they need to balance the tone of their feedback, by giving as less negative press to a device, to not upset the vendors, and cut the comm channel. I agree to disagree on your statements about the better quality of Kaleido 3, in absolute terms. While it is a better iteration then the previous ones, it is still lackluster. You are still compromising and this is 2023, not 1980; so forgive me if I have low threshold for any technology that is not "retro", that give sub par results, when something better is available. For black and white screen, I praise eink progress and Boox efforts in wanting to make these screens something they are not meant to be (debatable statement, I know that). Eink are not the future of computer screen; that can replace LCD screen offering the same performances... They were not meant to do that by design, and it is OK to be used in certain applications. I can bear the idea to have 2 devices for doing different work, and many others can accept that too. For color; while it is getting marginally better, it still look like 1990; and I don't see a reason to praise those screen, compared to their black and white counterpart, as it only prolong their lifespan, as people buy these devices thinking they are more than what they are. Maybe it is OK for eink to be something on its own, and not be a full 60Hz refresh with brilliant colors; and if you look at that perspective, you may see that color advancement is really marginal, and as such should not be praised. The Tab ultra C is a tab ultra with a color layer on it that cut in half its resolution, when used with colors; it is like to praise a new car for giving you an alternative engine that when turned on give you bad performances and suck up twice the gas.

@@fcf8269 Those are definitely fair points. I just see it from a different perspective: I think the latest color layer tech adds to the paperlike viewing experience overall. I can live with the shortcomings the same way I can live with the shortcomings of E-Ink itself. There's obviously always some things you have to compromise on with this technology, but that's just a matter of prioritizing what's important to you personally. I've been reviewing E-Ink devices for roughly 13 years now (not on YT), and I've heard time and time again that this screen technology doesn't have a future for various reasons. And while the development came to a halt for a while and the momentum E-Ink and ereaders had also slowed down considerably, I feel like people are looking at ways to reduce their screen time more than ever and find E-Ink to be a good compromise to still enjoy digital flexibility while also removing themselves a bit from the digital world. I doubt E-Ink will solve the two main downsides of Kaleido (darker screen, washed out colors), but I do think those devices still have a space in the digital world and add to it.

@@ChalidRaqami I totally respect different opinions. My point is not in changing anyone's idea, but simply in point out that based on how a product is described, people run out the door to buy it and then eventually see that the frame of reference between the reviewer and the user is different, and are disappointed. If the reviews are pointing more at the pros and cons in a balanced way, the viewer can pick and choose. But if the review mention positive points and say "yeah, it is not perfect but it is better than the previous gen"; it is actually putting the viewer in a mode that push him/her to think that those are minor inconveniences... Which may not be the case for their needs. Again, not pointing the finger at you; simply saying that too many reviews bring too much the pros of devices, and make the cons very small. You may like a bad movie, that is objectively bad; and still enjoy it... Same goes for these devices. I am not an eink expert but I have been making software for 30+ years, and worked on GPU hardware, mobile devices and drivers for half of that time; so I understand the inner complexity of the topic at hand. I do not expect eink to come up with a new tech in few years, so I am prepared for compromises. I went through the progression of laptop LCD since the first portable computers, so I am familiar with the churn involved. I do not think that color eink is there yet, and compromise is just something we do to feel a bit better about something that is really not only niche, but borderline in the personal preference area. Beside saving paper and the planet and tell ourselves that in an ideal world, we can save our eyes by using eink display instead of LCD; there are very few reasons to get into eink devices. Kindle works as reader; no need to fast refresh; it is like a book... It takes 2 seconds to turn a page on a real book, so you can wait a bit for it to refresh. But this idea that eink should be mimicking LCD panels for games and movies is the futile part IMO. That is not what the tech was made for; and personally I would like for eink to become faster and with better resolution; but I don't see a world in 10-20 years from now, where people forget LCD and start using eink in color as only device, no matter how good the color is. Thanks for the chat; it was very interesting to exchange opinions, and great job on your videos.