My quest to find the perfect note-taking tablet led me to try the Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus. Unlike the better-known alternatives, the reMarkable 2 and the Kindle Scribe, the Onyx promises to deliver both a quality E Ink screen and a full Android experience. After testing it for about a month, I’m both impressed and wary.
Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus – Best Prices:
Amazon Marketplace499.99
Design and first impressions
The Note Air 2 Plus features a 10.3-inch e-ink display and blue light eliminating backlight functionality. Adjusting the color temperature is very useful, as it makes reading much more comfortable. During my air travels, I found myself preferring the Note Air II Plus over the reMarkable 2, purely because of the warm light backlight. I worked on the tablet for four hours during a recent flight and used around 25% of the battery, which is quite encouraging when it comes to battery life.
However, two small issues immediately caught my attention: first, the stylus. Although light and comfortable to hold, it does not have an eraser feature. Originally, the manufacturer offered an improved version of the stylus which had an eraser. Unfortunately, this accessory is now not found online, except at second-hand dealers. As a result, it is only possible to use the eraser function by pressing the dedicated button in the Notepad application.
Second, the pen tips need to be replaced when they get dull, but there are no replacement parts provided in the box. Less expensive devices, like the reMarkable 2, offer such accessories.
Image: Rebecca Isaacs/ZDNET
A mix of two worlds
The Note Air 2 Plus is powered by Android. So I was able to download most of my favorite apps like Gmail, Duolingo and even the Kindle app. The Google ecosystem is handy to have on hand so you don’t have to switch between devices as needed.
Having access to apps is one thing. That apps work properly is another. An app like Duolingo works, but much slower than on my Google Pixel 6 Pro.
I also don’t recommend using the tablet to write emails. The processor, an 8-core, 2GHz paired with 4GB of RAM, couldn’t keep up with my typing and the character detection feature had even greater latency. However, the mere possibility of using these applications is already a plus compared to competitors who offer less software diversity.
Image: Rebecca Isaacs/ZDNET
Made for artists
The real appeal of the Nova Air 2 Plus is its ability to offer tools for artistic creation. I admit that I would have liked to have had more talents to take advantage of what the tablet has to offer. For example, the Notepad app lets you choose from a plethora of templates and create layers to segment your work. The toolbar makes drawing shapes, lines, and more effortless, all with customizable brushes and pens. Designers or architects will be able to take full advantage of what the tablet has to offer.
At $499, it’s an expensive tablet, but for designers and artists, it’s worth it. Others may be more convinced by the reMarkable 2 tablet, or the Kindle Scribe.
Source: “ZDNet.com”