Onyx Boox Go 10.3 evaluation: A note-taking companion

I really like utilizing e-ink tablets as a distraction-free method to jot down notes, annotate PDFs, and particularly learn e-books. I’ve tried an honest number of e-ink tablets over the previous few years, and I exploit a number of in my day by day life as e-readers. Many e-ink tablets and e-readers have considerably locked down programs, all within the title of offering a ‘distraction free’ expertise, however this additionally means restricted file codecs and app compatibility. That is the place the Boox Go 10.3 is available in, an e-ink tablet that runs on Android 12.

Boox despatched me the Go 10.3 for evaluation, and I’ve spent the previous two weeks utilizing it to learn e-books, PDFs, in addition to note-take, and I’ve come away with some notes on the Go 10.3’s efficiency. It is a productiveness pill that contains a minimalist design and an all-around nice 300 ppi show. Personally, I believe the Boox Go 10.3 is likely one of the finest e-ink tablets available on the market for note-taking and e-reading.

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Boox Go 10.3

The Onyx Boox Go 10.3 is an excellent productivity-focused e-paper pill that handles a number of file codecs with ease. It comes bundled with the Boox Pen Plus stylus, and might run apps from the Google Play Retailer because of Android 12 assist.

Worth, specs, and availability

The Onyx Boox Go 10.3 was launched in the summertime of 2024 and is presently out there from Onyx and Amazon for $380. It comes with 4GB of onboard RAM and 64GB of flash storage, and solely is available in a monochromatic silver coloration scheme. The Go 10.3 is powered by Android 12, so along with the built-in note-taking app, you possibly can obtain any note-taking app of your selection from the Google Play Retailer. A purchase order of the Boox Go 10.3 does embody Onyx’s stylus, which is critical for the expertise, so I used to be blissful to see it included alongside a magnetic cowl case and the USB Sort-C charging cable.

I beloved the sensation of holding the Boox Go 10.3 whereas studying and annotating PDFs and e-books. It is extremely skinny, measuring simply 4.6mm in thickness, it weighs 375g, which I discovered so as to add a little bit of weight to the system, but in addition made it really feel safer. It feels very premium, and the Boox eco-leather backing of the Go 10.3 provides some extra grip and a cushty degree of texture to the design. The ten.3-inch show on the Go 10.3 is excellent, that includes a 2480×1860 decision coupled with 300 ppi that ensures that textual content on-screen at all times seems to be sharp and readable.

What I like concerning the Onyx Boox Go 10.3

Whether or not I used to be studying an e-book or engaged on a PDF, the standard of e-ink distinction was spectacular with detailed strains and nice fill sections, particularly in photographs. I attempted quite a lot of totally different file codecs utilizing the built-in Boox NeoReader software, and all the pieces seemed nice, from PDF recordsdata to .CBZ comedian strips. I discovered the built-in reader to be nice for all kinds of recordsdata — plus, you possibly can doodle or annotate pages with ease — and the built-in notes app has all the pieces I want. You possibly can, in fact, obtain any most popular note-taking or e-reading app by way of the Google Play Retailer, however take into account that not all note-taking apps are optimized for e-writers, even when they do assist tablets.

Whereas utilizing the Boox Go 10.3, I discovered a variety of similarities with the ReMarkable 2 e-writer, which additionally supplies an excellent studying and writing expertise, however is almost 4 years previous at this level. The Go 10.3 undoubtedly felt like a worthy refresh and enchancment upon ReMarkable’s e-ink pill, and I’ve almost converted to the Go 10.3 now as my day by day driver for note-taking and drafting. I additionally actually respect which you could entry your entire Boox ecosystem with the Go 10.3 all at no cost. Not like the ReMarkable 2, there is no subscription required to make use of any of the options of the built-in Boox apps. Aspect-loading recordsdata by way of BooxDrop is completely free and easy, so you possibly can switch recordsdata forwards and backwards very simply.

The writing expertise is totally unbelievable. Identical because the show, Boox bought the capacitive contact display completely right. It options the usual 4,096 layers of strain sensitivity that you will discover on some other high-quality e-writer, and I discovered it to be extremely responsive in my testing. Cursive handwriting is responsive, feeling and looking nice, and brush strokes really feel extremely pure. Among the many native Boox apps, there’s the built-in RSS reader, PushRead, together with the Boox NeoBrowser, which is an effective way to entry the web from the pill. As I discussed earlier, the built-in Notes app has all the pieces you want from sketch kinds, to-do lists, to day by day planning and calendar features.

Boox made customizing the Go 10.3 to tailor your individual wants simple, with accessible settings and pre-optimized refresh charges for the e-ink show which can be geared in direction of various kinds of content material. Boox has gone by means of the hassle to optimize lots of the hottest Android apps for the Go 10.3, and whereas Android 12 could really feel a bit dated, it features completely properly on the e-writer. Boox has constructed their very own custom-made model of Android 12 for the Boox Go collection tablets, and I discovered no points or frustrations with the OS in my time with each the Go 10.3 and the Boox Go Color 7 that I additionally reviewed. Android 12 has been streamlined on the Boox Go 10.3, and you will find all the pieces you want proper whenever you begin up the system for the primary time.

The Boox Go 10.3 contains a 3,700 mAh battery, however with no front-lighting, you possibly can rise up to per week’s price of cost with the Go 10.3. There’s a built-in microphone and audio system, and in case you use the audio system continuously you may drain the battery quicker. The microphone supplied surprisingly clear audio seize, however the audio system weren’t my favourite. Fortunately, there may be Bluetooth assist on the Go 10.3, so you possibly can pair your favourite wi-fi headphones with none fuss.

What I did not like concerning the Onyx Boox Go 10.3

No expandable storage and a weak pen

The Boox Go 10.3 solely comes with 64GB of inner storage, and in contrast to different Boox e-readers and writers, there is no expandable microSD card slot. It is a bit shocking that an e-ink pill geared toward productiveness would not embody an SD card reader, and whereas BooxDrop is a simple method to ship recordsdata forwards and backwards, it will be good to have expandable system storage. I additionally did not love the included stylus that Onyx ships with the Boox Go 10.3 — it is not a deal-breaker, however I did not discover it to be probably the most snug stylus once I in contrast it with the ReMarkable 2’s.

With all Boox units, you get entry to the Boox Retailer app, which is a little bit of a misnomer, as you possibly can’t really buy something from it. The Boox Retailer supplies you with free entry to public area titles, so it is an effective way to learn previous classics, but it surely’s not an actual retailer. Once more, with Android 12 assist, it is not an excessive amount of a difficulty as you possibly can obtain any e-book retailer of your selection, however it’s one thing to maintain be aware of when utilizing the Go 10.3.

Must you purchase the Onyx Boox Go 10.3?

The Onyx Boox Go 10.3 is an excellent e-ink productiveness pill, and it may be the primary e-writer that I’ve examined that has satisfied me to change over from the ReMarkable 2. I actually respect the extra performance that comes with having Android 12 on the Go 10.3, and its general design is nice, with probably the greatest e-ink shows I’ve examined. The note-taking expertise is great, and whereas I did not love the included stylus, you possibly can deliver your individual pen and nibs over to the Go 10.3, and there are a number of e-writer display protectors available on the market that can add an much more detailed paper really feel to the show.

At $380, there is no denying the Onyx Boox Go 10.3 is a premium e-ink pill, but it surely’s additionally in-line with — and cheaper — than lots of the e-ink tablets available on the market. I consider that the development of the Onyx Boox Go 10.3 and spectacular show justifies the price, and that is my new favourite productivity-focused pill. If you’re available in the market for a productiveness e-ink pill that is nice for note-taking and studying paperwork, I heartily advocate the Onyx Boox Go 10.3

Really useful

Boox Go 10.3

The Onyx Boox Go 10.3 is an excellent productivity-focused e-paper pill that handles a number of file codecs with ease. It comes bundled with the Boox Pen Plus stylus, and might run apps from the Google Play Retailer because of Android 12 assist.

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Kobo has launched two coloration e-readers, together with the Kobo Libra Color and Kobo Clara Color, including a touch of vibrancy to the usually grayscale world of digital guide readers. The hues are muted, however they nonetheless look nice, permitting you so as to add colourful notes, doodles, and revel in guide covers in all their coloured glory. Nonetheless, this makes the units costlier, and a variety of e-reader customers won’t care about coloration of their books and notes. Amazon nonetheless hasn’t launched its tackle a coloration e-reader, although the tech large is rumored to be engaged on a number of units. With all of this in thoughts, do you care about coloration e-readers? Or is it an addition you would like you did not have to pay for?