Onyx Boox Note Air 2 reviews

Onyx Boox Note Air 2 reviews

THE BEST DEALS OF THE DAY

2 minute review

It may use the exact same AND Ink technology that became known on the Kindle, but the Note Air 2 is all about productivity. Of course, you can read books on it, in any one of seventeen different file formats, no less, and even through the Kindle app. However, this large screen of ten with three inches is designed for editing. It will not display A4 documents in their original size, but it will display them large enough for comfortable reading and editing.

Aside from its substantial size, the Note Air 2 has considerably more to love. Slim at just 2mm deep, it has a large ridge on the left side that makes the device simple to hold with one hand. It also has front lighting, so it can be used at night or in dimly lit airplane cabins. The Note Air XNUMX is natively set to a warm yellow color, which contrasts sharply with the bluish light emitted by most tablets and e-reader backlights.

However, the Note Air 2 has something in common with tablets. Remarkably, it comes with the Android XNUMX operating system on board, with which it can be loaded with a variety of apps from the Play Store. It's not as simple as it sounds, but some apps don't work as well on an e-ink screen (for example, anything with graphics or...emotion...video), but productivity apps on They generally work really well.

If you already have the original Note Air, is there any point in upgrading? Yes there are. For starters, there's its paper-like display, which has enough friction to truly feel like paper when used with the included Wacom stylus. Editing, writing and drawing are impressively natural.

Onyx Boox Note Air 2

(Image credit: LaComparacion)

The Note Air 2 is also very simple to use. There's a built-in BooxDrop home app that makes it easy to drag and drop files onto the Note Air 2 from a computer, while scribbled notes can be turned into text and/or emailed to other devices and in other productivity apps like PNG or PDF files.

Look at the basic specs and the Note Air 2 isn't very, very different from the now discounted Note Air, but the one big difference, the feel of writing on the screen, is significant. If you've ever wanted to move from writing lists and editing on paper to doing everything digitally, the arrival of the Note Air 2 provides a compelling reason to make the switch. The downside, of course, is that this high-quality product comes at a price to match.

Onyx Boox Note Air 2 price and release date

Originally released in October 2, the Note Air XNUMX is an update to the original Note Air. It is available in the US, UK and Australia for €XNUMX / €XNUMX / AU$XNUMX.

Those in the UK should be aware that it is possible to buy from a UK warehouse (rather than directly in Hong Kong), avoiding the Value Added Tax charge, but it costs an ancillary €XNUMX. . In the box is a protective sleeve and a Wacom pen with a selection of tips.

Integrated

Weighing 2g and measuring XNUMXxXNUMXxXNUMXmm, the Note Air XNUMX is virtually identical to its predecessor, the Note Air. It has exactly the same spine on the side to hold it with one hand (something that works really well) and in addition to this it lacks buttons.

While the included Wacom stylus, with a plurality of tips, is pretty impressive, it's supposed to magnetically attach to the Note Air 2's spine.

Onyx Boox Note Air 2

(Image credit: LaComparacion)

It does, but only in a very small specific area... we've dropped it on the ground multiple times after trying to secure it. A bigger, more powerful magnet would be a great addition to any future upgrade.

As well as a choice of finishes. Navy blue with orange logo is a nice look, but with a professional touch. It would be nice to have options.

Monitor

While e-ink screens are designed to look like paper, which the Note Air 2's anti-glare screen does, this device is also built to look like paper. Essentially, the Note Air 2 uses a XNUMX-inch Y Too Ink Carta HD display identical to the one used by the Note Air. It features Asahi protective glass and, most importantly, an auxiliary pen layer that adds a touch of friction.

Onyx Boox Note Air 2

(Image credit: LaComparacion)

A choice of Y Too Ink refresh rates are offered, from 'normal' mode infrequent page turns to ultra-fast video-capable X mode, although 'speed' and 'A2' are the ones used for clear images and succinct. look at the text without spectra (obvious in the "normal" perfect mood). You'll also find plenty of brightness and contrast settings.

Some LEDs around the edge of the screen create the Moon Light 2 backlight for using Note Air in low light and in the dark. Out of the box, it's tuned to produce a warm, yellowish light, ideal for reading and writing.

Reading, writing and audio.

Like most Y Ink devices, the Note Air 2's display has paper-like qualities that make it a joy to read. The screen looks largely clean, and proofreading and annotating remain a comfortable experience.

However, in contrast to most of Y Too Ink's contenders, the Note Air 2 also resembles paper. With the Home Appreciations app, you can write with paper-like friction in twelve shades of gray.

You can then save the files as PDFs or PNGs and upload them to cloud-based productivity applications. That's exactly what we've done with the Notion note-taking app, with speedy results. PDF editing offered a similarly very elegant experience.

Onyx Boox Note Air 2

(Image credit: LaComparacion)

The Note Air 2 can also be used for audio. Let's not pretend that it can deliver quality music, it can't, but the little speaker is fine for audiobooks. There's no headphone slot, and while you can connect via USB-C, the Note Air 2 uses Bluetooth fifty to connect headphones to listen to audiobooks or MP3s.

The Note Air 2 also has a microphone and its Recorder app, in case you want to record a meeting or conduct an interview. This fits well with the target market for this device.

There's a lot going on in the Note Air 2. Its Android 2 operating system is making headlines, meaning it can host apps from the Play Store. That includes apps like Kindle and Kobo, so you can still purchase e-books like you would on one of those service devices and read them seamlessly on the Note Air XNUMX.

Since Note Air 2 runs on Android 2 operating system, you really need to log into a Google account to take full advantage of it. Sure, you can use it without it, but if you use productivity apps like Evernote, OneNote, Dropbox, or Notion, you'll want to take advantage of the Note Air XNUMX's capabilities.

Onyx Boox Note Air 2

(Image credit: LaComparacion)

However, the Note Air 2 also has many other Onyx home apps that get better with each new product. They mix with apps you download. The best ones are NeoReader and BooxDrop, the latter allows you to drag and drop files through an internet browser.

Fortunately, everything goes quickly. Inside is a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 2 octa-core/XNUMXGHz processor and XNUMXGB of RAM, which is a slight improvement over the Note Air.

Battery duration

Devices with AND Ink screens are expected to last for multiple weeks, though that was not our experience with the Note Air 2. With Wi-Fi on all the time and the device under heavy use, it ran out of power after more or least one week. .

Onyx Boox Note Air 2

(Image credit: LaComparacion)

However, if you switch from annotating on, say, an iPad with Apple Pencil, keep in mind that you won't need to lug around the Wacom stylus that comes with the Note Air 2. That's a huge advantage, since the Apple Pencil seems useless to hold a charge for more than a few days.

That said, it's not the longevity of the pen that's most impressive, but rather how it feels when you drag it across the screen. With the Note Air 2, the era of paper AND Ink has finally arrived.

Should I get the Onyx Boox Note Air 2?

(*two*)

(Image credit: LaComparacion)

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

First published: February 2022

THE BEST DEALS OF THE DAY

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