Remarkable Paper Pure e-ink tablet review: It’s a workhorse

What a difference an inch makes.

This was my first thought about using Paper Pure, Remarkable’s new entry-level e-ink tablet offering. And that’s what I’ve thought many times since, every time I caught myself using the Pure to write my daily journal when its more expensive cousins ​​were right there.

Remarkable is the Norwegian e-ink tablet manufacturer behind the A4-sized Remarkable Paper Pro (starting at $579) and the Journalists’ Notebook-sized Remarkable Paper Pro Move. Until now, the company offered the $399 Remarkable 2 (originally launched in 2020) as its entry-level e-ink tablet. And in some ways, the Paper Pure is a Remarkable 2 when it comes to new clothing.

Family portrait: the new Remarkable Paper Pure, center, flanked by the Paper Pro (L) and Paper Pro Move (R).
Credit: Chris Taylor / Mashable

The screen size itself, 11 inches, is the same as the Remarkable 2. As with the Remarkable 2, the Paper Pure doesn’t offer a backlight or color e-ink (if either is necessary for you, jump straight to our Paper Pro, Paper Pro Move, or Kindle Colorsoft Scribe reviews).

The included Marker pen priced at $399 is the upgraded version also used on Paper Pro models. You can pay more for one with a physical eraser on one end – the Marker Plus (which will cost you $40 more as part of a bundle that also includes a Sleeve Folio). But if you care about that rather than the on-screen eraser tool, you’re probably in the market for a more expensive e-ink tablet.

Likewise, while latency is important (that is, the gap between the pen hitting the screen and the ink appearing), the Paper Pure is a small step below its more expensive brethren – a gap of 21 milliseconds instead of 12 milliseconds on the Paper Pro models.

Want to learn more about how to get the most out of your technology? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories and Deals newsletters Today.

Paper Pure is lighter than air

The plastic back of the Remarkable Paper Pure: Not cheap, super light.
Credit: Remarkable

But what the Paper Pure lacks in features, it makes up for in simple usability. If you’re new to the concept of e-ink tablets – pen-on-paper-like notepads that are easy on the eyes, easy to use in the sun, and styled like a Kindle – then the Pure is the best place to start. If you’re a power user who can afford both, the Pure may be the one you feel comfortable throwing in your work bag while still keeping a Pro at home.

Part of that coziness is the weight difference. It’s no shame about the weight, but at 360 grams (0.79 lbs), the Paper Pure is 44 grams (1.55 ounces) lighter than the Remarkable 2 – even though the Remarkable 2 is a hair thinner than the Pure.

Does this make a difference? Hell, yes it does, and your wrist will thank you. There isn’t even the slightest twitch of the tendons in your forearm when your hand holds a Pure, like you might be accustomed to squeezing when you take a regular tablet. For comparison, the latest 11-inch iPad Air weighs 1.02 pounds (462 g). The Paper Pure is the kind of tablet for which the designation “air” Really makes sense.

Fortunately, you don’t have to sacrifice much in terms of performance. The new e-ink tablet actually has double the RAM and four times the storage of its admittedly aging predecessor (2GB and 32GB, respectively).

Side view: look at the nice rounded edges.
Credit: Chris Taylor / Mashable

How did Remarkable achieve this lightness? A lot of it is in housing; the Remarkable 2 used brushed aluminum for its back and the Paper Pure uses plastic. But the Paper Pure’s plastic back doesn’t feel cheap. In fact, it’s a little more welcoming. The metal backs of the Remarkable 2 and Paper Pro are both cool to the touch; the Pure is more like room temperature.

Further losing weight was the decision not to include a connector for the Folio Keyboard, which you could get as an extra for the Remarkable 2. In my opinion, this is not a great loss; I’ve had the Folio for years and can count on one hand the number of times I’ve used it, regardless of time. Typing is not the goal on an e-ink tablet; handwriting (which can be converted to text) and sketches are the main thing.

When you need to type – and it’s nice to have the option to go back and forth — I found the on-screen keyboard to be sufficient. If you type all the time, you may be looking for a laptop or iPad with a Magic Keyboard, rather than an e-ink tablet. The refresh rate of e-ink is a perpetual problem, and it will always make typing slower than we are used to.

The Paper Pure is a little shorter

Old versus new: the Remarkable 2 (left) and the Remarkable Paper Pure.
Credit: Chris Taylor / Mashable

Then there’s that other crucial difference in form factor: height. The Pure is like a Remarkable 2, but about an inch shorter (8.9 inches versus 9.7 inches, to be exact). It also has noticeably more rounded edges, which is the sort of thing that design nerds care about, but they combine with the difference in height and weight to make the Pure seem… well, in a nutshell, more user-friendly.

Battery life is also more user-friendly. Remarkable says a single charge lasts three weeks in the Paper Pure. That’s the kind of claim that’s hard to test in a launch day review, but I have no reason to doubt it. Granted, the Pure lasts longer than the Paper Pro and Paper Pro Move, but in my experience both tend to light up at the slightest jostle of the bag, burning through battery life with that backlight.

Do you still need a backlight? I thought I did it, for writing an end-of-day journal. But more and more research shows that any bright light at night (not just the blue light from regular LCD screens) can wake up our brains just when they’re supposed to be falling asleep. After a few bouts of insomnia coinciding with Paper Pro use, I decided that the Pure and a dimmable bedside lamp were all I really needed at the end of the day.

The Remarkable Paper Pure Folio – a good dust catcher
Credit: Chris Taylor / Mashable

And how does the Paper Pure compare to the even smaller Paper Pro Move that I wrote about last year? I still love my Move, especially the ability to fit it in almost any jacket pocket. When packing for a trip, when space is limited, the Move is the Remarkable I will choose. It’s also great for privacy, and it’s great to use on a plane with a nosy neighbor (or at a press conference).

Still, most of us aren’t exactly secret agents, and the Move proved a bit Also small for many real-world use cases. Over time, I noticed that my writing was much worse on the go, compared to Remarkable devices with larger screens, and that my posture deteriorated the more I used it, looking at the smaller screen.

But with the Paper Pure, you feel more like you’re carrying around some sort of short but cheerful paperweight. (For this reason, I’ve never seen the need to put the Pure in its Folio case.) I can also see doctors using it during their hospital rounds if, for example, they can’t afford to let their handwriting suffer on the go. Or I can imagine pulling it out during a regular conference room meeting, without derailing the meeting with questions about your sleek device (the downside of light and color on Pro devices: they often attract attention.)

The verdict: an impressive e-ink tablet at a great price

The Remarkable Paper Pure is your high-performance e-ink tablet. Or if you prefer a horse races By analogy, the Pure is a great jockey – a job where being a few ounces lighter and an inch shorter can make all the difference.

You can order the Remarkable Paper Pure starting May 6 for $399 at the Remarkable online store. You can purchase a Sleeve Folio case for $69.