Boox Observe Air4 C evaluation: Solely delicate upgrades

I am nonetheless a sucker for taking handwritten notes in lots of conditions. For some cause, it helps me focus extra on what I am taking notes on than if I have been to kind notes. Due to that, I actually loved the Boox Note Air3 C. It supplied an exquisite handwriting expertise with a flexible Android OS that was intuitive to me as a long-time Android phone consumer. So when Boox introduced the Observe Air4 C, I used to be excited. In any case, any enhancements to a tool I already like and advocate sound attractive.

Sadly, a few of my excited anticipation was unwarranted. To spoil the shock, the upgrades are, to place it mildly, delicate. It represents extra of a modest iteration than a considerably new product. That mentioned, it is nonetheless a superb system for a lot of causes and may be very gratifying to make use of.

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Editor’s Selection

Boox Observe Air4 C

The Boox Observe Air4 C is an E-Ink pill that can be utilized with a stylus to take handwritten notes. It runs on Android 13 for larger flexibility and flexibility. The ten-3-inch shade show makes it straightforward to see content material and presents loads of customization choices. 

Execs

• Implausible writing expertise
• Sharp, clear show
• Android OS supplies lots of flexibility and customization
• New UI helps widgets and acquainted tablet-like expertise
• Extra alternatives to make use of handwriting

Cons

• Not many important upgrades from the earlier mannequin

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Worth, availability, and specs

The Onyx Boox Observe Air4 C is offered from Amazon, Walmart, Boox’s web site, and the Onyx web site for $499.99. It is solely out there in a single shade and measurement and comes with the Boox Pen Plus. If you’d like a canopy or the Boox Pen Professional 2, you will have to buy these individually.

Bodily, the Observe Air4 C appears virtually equivalent to the Observe Air3 C. Boox modified its emblem placement on the entrance of the system (it is now extra delicate and within the backside left as a substitute), however in any other case, it is subsequent to unattainable to inform them aside simply by wanting. The brand new mannequin is one gram lighter than the Air3 C, however the thickness stays the identical. It additionally retains the identical Kaleido 3 Shade Display screen, adjustable entrance mild, microSD card slot, fingerprint lock, 3700mAh battery, and 64GB of reminiscence.

What I preferred in regards to the Onyx Boox Observe Air4 C

A tablet-like expertise on an e-reader

The Observe Air4 C shares an extended record of similarities with its predecessor. That is not a nasty factor for the reason that Observe Air3 C is a superb system. Firstly, just like the Observe Air3 C, the Observe Air4 C supplies a incredible writing expertise. It feels remarkably like writing on paper, because of the delicate texture of the glass. The stylus, which is identical because the earlier mannequin, is as snug to carry as a pen or pencil, and it glides easily throughout the floor of the system.

The C within the identify signifies that this can be a shade E-Ink system. Whereas you aren’t getting the colourful, saturated colours of tablets just like the Apple iPad, there may be sufficient of a variety to be useful when highlighting textual content or sketching designs. I’m an enormous fan of color-coding notes and charts, so I admire that I can proceed that behavior on this pill. It additionally makes for a nicer expertise when utilizing apps which might be wealthy with shade.

Past shade, the show is sharp and clear, making it very straightforward to learn textual content. Graphics will not look exceptionally detailed, because it’s extra like taking a look at a newspaper than a high-resolution pill, nevertheless it’s well-detailed for an E-Ink show. It presents the next decision for black and white content material (300 ppi) versus shade content material (150 ppi), so fundamental textual content appears fairly a bit higher than shade graphics, however shade supplies are in no way unhealthy for an E-Ink system.

The matte end on the show makes it straightforward to see in any mild, even vivid daylight. Not like other tablets with fancier shows, there are hardly any reflections or glare. You may go for no entrance mild or flip the entrance mild to very vivid for simple use in any lighting scenario. That entrance mild can also be shade temperature adjustable, all the best way to orange, saving your eyes (and circadian rhythm) at night time.

Whereas there are lots of similarities with the earlier mannequin, there are a number of appreciated updates. First, Boox upgraded the Observe Air4 C to Android 13. Android 15 is essentially the most present Android OS, and whereas I do not anticipate the most recent model in an E-Ink pill, the Android 12 OS (which got here out in 2021) within the Observe Air3 C felt unnecessarily outdated. Evidently, I used to be glad to see a step-up within the OS. As a part of that swap, the brand new system presents an up to date UI that features like a well-recognized pill expertise. Now, widgets offer you faster entry to books, notes, or latest apps. Sadly, the out there widgets are restricted to Boox apps particularly, however hopefully, these will finally increase so I can have my Google Calendar and Spotify widgets as properly.

Associated

4 reasons I’d buy the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 C over a reMarkable 2

Although lesser recognized, the Onyx Boox Observe Air 3 C has some important benefits over the reMarkable pill.

The brand new UI additionally makes it sooner to entry your apps. On the Observe Air3 C, you first needed to navigate to the Apps folder (or change the default startup web page to that). Now, similar to if you flip in your telephone or pill, you could have a house display screen the place the apps are entrance and heart (or at the very least a web page away). General, it makes for a extra acquainted and intuitive expertise.

That Android OS means you possibly can entry the total Google Play Retailer, which is one in every of my favourite issues about Boox E-Ink tablets. I can obtain no matter apps I would like or need, equivalent to Spotify, all of my Google apps, Libby, and extra. New this time round, although, is a slight repair to one in every of my complaints in regards to the Observe Air3 C. It was that handwriting was solely attainable within the Boox apps and was not appropriate with third-party apps.

Now, although, you possibly can basically write on something because of the Free Mark choice and expanded handwriting instruments in apps like Google Docs. It does not work together completely with each app, however it’s good to see the handwriting function expanded since that is likely one of the primary causes for getting this pill. It is value mentioning that Boox additionally prolonged this function to the Observe Air3 C, so it is not unique to the Observe Air4 C.

What I did not like in regards to the Onyx Boox Observe Air4 C

Solely a delicate improve from the earlier mannequin

Whereas there’s quite a bit to love in regards to the Boox Observe Air4 C, it does not signify a lot of an improve from the earlier mannequin. On paper, there may be 2GB extra RAM on the Observe Air4 C in comparison with the 3C, and Boox promised a 50% efficiency increase within the new mannequin. However in precise day by day use, it is practically unattainable to discern a distinction in efficiency between the 2.

On a number of events, I began up the 3C and 4C at the very same time, and so they each loaded inside a fraction of a second of one another (the 4C was forward by a hair every time). The identical is true when opening up apps or flipping by means of e-book pages. Even when paying shut consideration to observe for any distinction between the 2, I am unable to discover an actual distinction.

I loved utilizing the Observe Air3 C, so it is not essentially horrible that there is not a large efficiency leap. Nevertheless, it will have been good to see extra of a rise in a brand new mannequin, at the very least to the purpose the place it is noticeable. In any case, many of the modifications appear to be in software program, which may have merely been a software program replace as a substitute of a completely new system.

Must you purchase the Onyx Boox Observe Air4 C?

The Boox Observe Air4 C is a extremely succesful and versatile E-Ink pill that provides a incredible writing expertise. The E-Ink show has inherent lag and ghosting, so it is not a worthy system for graphic or color-focused applications like YouTube, Photoshop, and so forth. Nevertheless, it’s a nice choice if you’d like a extra fundamental system with a long-lasting battery for taking notes.

What about these with the Boox Observe Air3 C? Due to the very delicate and modest upgrades, it is not value upgrading. Apart from the UI, you will not discover any actual distinction between the 2 fashions, and it will not be value spending cash on. You are higher off ready for the subsequent iteration, which we hope introduces extra substantial modifications.

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Editor’s Selection

Boox Observe Air4 C

The Boox Observe Air4 C represents a gentle improve from the earlier mannequin. It now runs on Android 13, providing a well-recognized tablet-like UI, nevertheless it retains the identical incredible writing expertise.