Why I Prefer This Android-Based E Ink Reader Over Kindle and ReMarkable

Over the past few years, I have used and reviewed various E Ink products, including the Kindle e-readers and the ReMarkable 2. Although they are very different, they share a common limitation: restricted functionality. I enjoy reading a variety of formats, not only e-books, but also blogs and online articles.

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I love my Kindle for its simplicity, but it’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. This is where the Onyx box page between.

I mainly enjoyed using the Boox page because it runs on Android. This is a simplified version of the operating system, but expands the capabilities of an e-reader just enough. For example, when I’m reading a book or blog and an idea comes to mind, I can add a note to Google Keep or Docs on the tablet and search for it later on my phone or laptop.

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

I understand that the Kindle and ReMarkable 2 are intended for a distraction-free reading and note-taking experience, but being able to run Android apps on my reading tablet improves my productivity. If you don’t need all the extra apps and features, consider them free bonuses.

Running on Android also means that, theoretically, you can use Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and more on the Boox page, but as David Pierce from The edge mentioned in his story about Boox Palma, there is just the right amount of friction. I used YouTube when I reviewed the Boox Tab Ultra C last year, and the app experience was terrible; E Ink screens simply don’t refresh fast enough for videos. As a result, I don’t end up scrolling through Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, nor do I find myself reading hot versions of X.

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I have Kindle, Flipboard and Chrome installed on my Boox page. The first two are for reading books and stories online, while Chrome lets me browse the internet for research and ideation. I consider this to be the perfect amount of expanded capabilities.

The Boox Page comes with a flip case, which offers good protection, but the magnets are on the stronger side, so they pull with confidence to flip the cover over the screen.

The user interface is unsurprisingly full of customizations. You can adjust the functionality of the two side buttons on the right frame, including page switching via volume controls, swipe gestures, display settings, refresh modes, and more. The ease of doing this means I’ve adjusted the refresh rate per app and I’m not complaining.

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

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

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The seven-inch E Ink display has an anti-glare layer on top, making it a joy to read. Plus, the form factor lets you rotate the tablet to see websites better with wider margins. It’s a sharp screen and I like it. Unfortunately, there’s no way to automatically adjust the light temperature based on your surroundings, a feature available on devices like the Kindle Oasis.

The Boox page is designed to last up to six weeks if you read for an hour each day. Based on my testing, the tablet lasts about two weeks per charge, including running the Kindle and Chrome apps. Base storage is 32GB and I’ve filled almost 20GB in my four months of use. Luckily, if you’re short on storage, you can always expand it with the microSD card slot.

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THE Onyx box page expands the capabilities of traditional e-readers just enough, so it fits my workflow without causing distractions. At $220, it’s an easy recommendation, with a light and slim form factor that’s portable and durable enough to be my travel companion.

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While the Boox Page is still running Android 11, the e-reader has also received several smaller updates since it was first released, with the latest patch adding an AI assistant (because why not?), powered by ChatGPT. It would have been cooler if Onyx had integrated AI a little more creatively, such as generating character voices in fictional audiobooks, but for now, the chatbot is there if you ever need it.