Paper tablets 2024 in comparison: 5 models for drawings and notes

When we think of a tablet, most people probably think of Apple’s iPad. As practical as it is, it has one major disadvantage: its surface is smooth, which makes writing on normal tablets seem unnatural. There are also films for iPad & Co. that are supposed to create a paper feel, but unfortunately these wear out the tip of the Apple Pencil more quickly and never come close to the matte surface of a paper tablet.

Compared to conventional tablets, their screens are usually a little rougher, which creates a more pleasant writing experience. The display technologies also differ. Normally, screens produce colors by illuminating crystals, which requires a lot of power. Accordingly, most tablets are empty after eight to ten hours and need to be recharged. Paper tablets, on the other hand, rely on E-Ink screens, which work without backlighting because they contain an organic material. The screens only consume power when the displayed image changes. However, switching creates unsightly trailing effects, which is why an E-Ink display is never suitable for watching films or surfing the Internet comfortably.

However, the displays are ideal for reading e-books or taking handwritten notes. Also because they do not contain blue light and are supposed to be gentler on our eyes. In addition, the battery life of a paper tablet is phenomenal: Because they don’t need a backlight, they offer a significantly longer battery life of up to two weeks despite the similar battery size. And that without exception, which is why we won’t go into the battery life in the comparison. They still have one major drawback up their sleeve: Most apps for normal tablets may run on an E Ink screen, but that is more than suboptimal because they were programmed for normal screens.

So why use a paper tablet? Because it saves paper. Paper tablets are aimed primarily at people who want to create handwritten notes, sketches and drawings without using tons of paper. They also offer longer battery life than regular tablets, making them ideal travel companions and some models make excellent e-book readers. If you want to stream series, edit films, play games or edit pictures, you should use a tablet or laptop.

Lenovo SmartPaper

Last year Lenovo released its Smart paper on the market. Lenovo encloses its Paper tablet in a metal frame, making it a robust travel companion. Curious: It doesn’t have any speakers, but it does have two microphones. If necessary, they record the surroundings while you take notes. Practical if you are taking the minutes and want to hear again what was said in the meeting. To do this, you have to connect the Smart Paper to a Bluetooth speaker or headphones. Android 11 works as the operating system on the tablet. However, without Google Play support.

Apps can be installed via the Android store, but they’re not really fun to use because of the e-ink display. As one of the few paper tablets, the Smart Paper offers a backlight that can also automatically adapt to the lighting conditions. You can manage your books in the e-book library. However, the operation is not really intuitive. The same applies if you want to edit PDF files. The Smart Paper does not offer simple functions such as zooming into the PDF. After all, it offers email software so you can receive and send files. Otherwise, data can be transferred to your PC via a cable connection.

Paper tablet: Remarkable 2

The Remarkable 2 is probably the best-known paper tablet on the market. And its range of functions is limited to the essentials, because you can’t do much more than receive emails, write notes, read e-books and draw with the paper tablet. The bitter thing in advance: In order to be able to use the tablet to its full extent, you need a monthly subscription of 3 euros. This includes unlimited cloud storage, an extended warranty and use of the Remarkable desktop app. The tablet is housed in an aluminum frame. However, the manufacturer uses matt glass on the display and on the back.

The Remarkable does not have a backlight like the Lenovo model offers. However, its battery lasts up to two weeks before it needs to be charged again. Cover and pen are not included. Remarkable charges a whopping 79 euros for the normal version of the pen. If you want an eraser at the end of the pen, you pay 129 euros. The Book Folio without keyboard costs another 159. At a price of 349 just for the Remarkable 2, you pay 637 euros with a better pen and cover. For comparison: A normal 10th generation iPad costs 579 euros with 64 gigabytes of storage space on the official Apple homepage.

Amazon Kindle Scribe

Amazon also has a paper tablet on offer: Amazon Kindle Scribe, which is particularly suitable for people who have previously only bought their e-books from the mail order giant and intend to hold on to their notes. Compared to the Remarkable 2, the Kindle offers three decisive advantages: It is cheaper because a pen is included in the delivery, it has a backlight and Amazon waives any subscription models in order to be able to use its paper tablet. This means that the Kindle Scribe is very similar to the Lenovo Smart Paper. However, the Kindle Scribe lacks microphones, so you can’t record conversations while you take notes. A pity.

A pen is included. However, you can choose between a standard and a premium version. The premium version of the pen offers you an erasing function and costs 30 euros more. The same applies to storage: you can choose from 16, 32 and 64 gigabytes of storage space, with you shelling out 30 euros per upgrade. Of course, the Kindle Scribe can also connect to the WLAN and offers a browser out of the box. Because of the E-Ink display, surfing the Internet isn’t much fun. Amazon uses its own version of Linux for the operating system. Unfortunately, a cover is not included.

Boox Note Tab X

This is the most expensive paper tablet in comparison Boox Note Tab X. This is partly due to its size of 13.3 inches, which corresponds exactly to a DIN A4 sheet in terms of image area. No other tablet in comparison is larger. But it’s not just the screen diagonal that makes the Boox Note Tab And if that wasn’t enough, you can also create widgets on the Tab X, just like you can on a normal tablet or smartphone. Nice: The manufacturer does not offer any subscription models. A pen with eraser function is also included. However, you have to purchase the cover separately.

The Tab X also connects to a keyboard via Bluetooth. Nice: Like Lenovo’s Smart Paper, the Tab X also offers microphones for recording meetings. To play these, you have to reconnect the tablet to headphones or speakers via Bluetooth or USB-C. You also don’t miss the background light if the lighting conditions aren’t right enough to work properly on the paper tablet. Is all of this worth the high price? Difficult question to answer. If you want to write on a DIN A4 tablet, you’ll have to dig deep into your pockets. After all, the Boox Tab X’s software is one of the most sophisticated because the manufacturer already has several years of experience.

Boox Note Air 3C Plus

The second tablet from Boox in this comparison is also unique Boox Note Air 3C Plus. It is one of the few paper tablets to offer an e-ink display with color. However, you can’t expect colors that are as true to the original as with an OLED display. The colors are rather low-contrast, similar to what you remember from your childhood with your Gameboy Color. The tablet once again runs a version of Android 11 adapted for paper tablets. In comparison, the 10.3-inch tablet is smaller than the Boox Tab X, but is otherwise on par with the other paper tablets.

A pen is again included in the scope of delivery, but you have to buy a cover separately. And of course, you can re-record the meeting while taking notes to listen to the recording later. Attentive readers already know that you have to connect the tablet to headphones or speakers via Bluetooth. Nice: Thanks to lighting, you can use the tablet even in poor lighting conditions.

Sources: netzwelt.de, youtube.com/ChalidRaqami, youtube.com/BradColbow, chip.de

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