Boox Observe Air4 C assessment: Solely refined upgrades

I am nonetheless a sucker for taking handwritten notes in numerous conditions. For some purpose, 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 offered an exquisite handwriting expertise with a flexible Android OS that was intuitive to me as a long-time Android phone person. 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, refined. 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 could be very fulfilling to make use of.

Your modifications have been saved

Comply with Adopted

Comply with with Notifications Comply with Unfollow

Editor’s Alternative

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 higher flexibility and flexibility. The ten-3-inch shade show makes it simple to see content material and provides loads of customization choices. 

Professionals

• Incredible writing expertise
• Sharp, clear show
• Android OS offers numerous 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

See our course of

How we test and review products at Pocket-lint

We do not do arm-chair analysis. We purchase and take a look at our personal merchandise, and we solely publish purchaser’s guides with merchandise we have really reviewed.

Value, 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 dimension and comes with the Boox Pen Plus. If you need a canopy or the Boox Pen Professional 2, you will must buy these individually.

Bodily, the Observe Air4 C appears to be like virtually equivalent to the Observe Air3 C. Boox modified its emblem placement on the entrance of the system (it is now extra refined and within the backside left as an alternative), however in any other case, it is subsequent to inconceivable to inform them aside simply by trying. 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, adjustable entrance mild, microSD card slot, fingerprint lock, 3700mAh battery, and 64GB of reminiscence.

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

A tablet-like expertise on an e-reader

The Observe Air4 C shares a protracted record of similarities with its predecessor. That is not a foul factor for the reason that Observe Air3 C is a good system. At the start, just like the Observe Air3 C, the Observe Air4 C offers a incredible writing expertise. It feels remarkably like writing on paper, due to the refined texture of the glass. The stylus, which is identical because the earlier mannequin, is as comfy to carry as a pen or pencil, and it glides easily throughout the floor of the system.

The C within the title signifies that it is a shade E-Ink system. Whereas you do not get the colourful, saturated colours of tablets just like the Apple iPad, there’s sufficient of a variety to be useful when highlighting textual content or sketching designs. I’m a giant fan of color-coding notes and charts, so I respect that I can proceed that behavior on this pill. It additionally makes for a nicer expertise when utilizing apps which can be wealthy with shade.

Past shade, the show is sharp and clear, making it very simple to learn textual content. Graphics will not look exceptionally detailed, because it’s extra like a newspaper than a high-resolution pill, nevertheless it’s well-detailed for an E-Ink show. It provides the next decision for black and white content material (300 ppi) versus shade content material (150 ppi), so primary textual content appears to be like fairly a bit higher than shade graphics, however shade supplies are not at all unhealthy for an E-Ink system.

The matte end on the show makes it simple to see in any mild, even vivid daylight. Not like other tablets with fancier shows, there are hardly any reflections or glare. You possibly can 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 way in which to orange, saving your eyes (and circadian rhythm) at night time.

Whereas there are numerous similarities with the earlier mannequin, there are just a few 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 newest model in an E-Ink pill, the Android 12 OS (which got here out in 2021) within the Observe Air3 C felt unnecessarily outdated. For sure, I used to be glad to see a step-up within the OS. As a part of that change, the brand new system provides an up to date UI that features like a well-recognized pill expertise. Now, widgets offer you faster entry to books, notes, or current apps. Sadly, the out there widgets are restricted to Boox apps particularly, however hopefully, these will ultimately broaden 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 once you flip in your cellphone or pill, you have got a house display screen the place the apps are entrance and heart (or no less than a web page away). General, it makes for a extra acquainted and intuitive expertise.

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

Now, although, you’ll be able to primarily write on something due to the Free Mark possibility and expanded handwriting instruments in apps like Google Docs. It would not work together completely with each app, however it’s good to see the handwriting characteristic expanded since that is among the predominant causes for getting this pill. It is price stating that Boox additionally prolonged this characteristic 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 refined improve from the earlier mannequin

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

On just a few 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 can not 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. Nonetheless, it could have been good to see extra of a rise in a brand new mannequin, no less than to the purpose the place it is noticeable. In any case, a lot of the modifications appear to be in software program, which may have merely been a software program replace as an alternative 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. Nonetheless, it’s a nice possibility if you would like a extra primary system with a long-lasting battery for taking notes.

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

Your modifications have been saved

Comply with Adopted

Comply with with Notifications Comply with Unfollow

Editor’s Alternative

Boox Observe Air4 C

The Boox Observe Air4 C represents a light 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.