Onyx Boox creates intriguing e-paper gadgets with each coloured and B&W shows in all sizes. The model’s flagship E Ink pill collection options the Tab Extremely and Tab Extremely C, its coloured counterpart.
Android Central’s very personal Andrew Myrick lately reviewed the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely and recommended it for its prowess. After spending a very good few months with the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C, I can not assist however agree with him. These are some advantageous e-paper gadgets, and we’ve got nothing however reward for them — besides in a couple of minor areas.
Not solely did I put the Tab Extremely C to the take a look at as a full-time working grownup, however I additionally reviewed it from the attitude of a college-going pupil. The timing could not have been extra good as I simply determined to select up faculty once more. So, this is how the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C has fared in my expertise.
Value and availability
The Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C was introduced in January 2023 and went on sale in Could 2023. It’s the coloured model of the model’s different flagship pill, the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely. A 3rd e-ink pill known as the Tab X was additionally launched alongside the Tab Extremely C.
You possibly can seize the Tab Extremely C from Onyx Boox itself or any main retailer equivalent to Amazon or Finest Purchase. The coloured e-paper machine begins at $599.99 and comes with the Pen2 Professional stylus. A keyboard case may be purchased individually for one more $110. It is the identical magnetic “Three-fold Case” that is suitable with the B&W variant of the pill.
All you can ask for in an e-paper machine
Onyx Boox doesn’t intend to compete with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 or the Apple iPad Professional in any manner, as tablets such because the Tab Extremely C are supposed to be e-readers with further capabilities. These tabs have E Ink shows, and as such, you are meant to make use of them for hours on finish with out feeling eye discomfort and with out having to cost them continuously.
With that in thoughts, the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C is an absolute magnificence. The ten.3-inch Kaleido 3 E Ink coloration show has adjustable entrance lights, an anti-glare end, nice stylus response with help for 4,096 strain ranges, and adjustable brightness and distinction settings. It seems very very similar to printed paper, with the massive benefit of being sort to the setting as a result of you possibly can reuse it repeatedly as an alternative of dumping it within the bin as soon as the pages run out.
It is onerous to recover from the smooth steel physique that weighs solely 480g. Even with the magnetic stylus and keyboard case, the Tab Extremely C does not really feel cumbersome or heavy in hand. The twin audio system, microphone, microSD card slot, and USB-C port are all positioned in simply the suitable locations. You even get a fingerprint sensor constructed into the facility button, and it really works properly.
There is no quantity rocker, however that is simply changed by swiping up and down alongside the left and proper bezels. The identical may be performed to regulate the brightness, plus you possibly can customise this operate.
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The Tab Extremely C has a 16MP rear digital camera that is meant to scan paperwork, which you’ll be able to then edit, annotate, and convert on the tab. Though it is not meant for use as a digital camera, you possibly can simply obtain any digital camera app from the Play Retailer and use it to snap footage. I really did this only for the enjoyable of it and it really works alright. The picture high quality is fairly trash, nevertheless it’s nonetheless ok to scan paperwork.
See, that is the factor in regards to the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C. It is not alleged to do sure issues, however the truth that you can simply makes it so significantly better. For example, movies are horrendous, however having the ability to play them is sweet. You possibly can set up nearly any Android app on the Tab Extremely C, and it would possibly simply work, even when it seems terrible. This is not one thing some other e-reader or e-note gives you as corporations like Amazon and ReMarkable lock up their e-paper tablets and limit customers, stopping them from experimenting and pushing these gadgets to their limits.
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Since there’s Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi onboard, you possibly can obtain, browse, and stream something from the web. I completely loved including Google Drive, Spotify, and the Kindle app to the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C.
And there are further instruments constructed into the UI that take issues to the subsequent stage. The Tab Extremely C has actually cool and sensible instruments like display screen recording, screencasting, and a split-screen mode. You possibly can disable contact detection from the Management Middle, which seems whenever you swipe down from the top-right facet. The pill detects when the magnetic keyboard is connected and routinely connects to the pill. It detects the orientation and adjustments it, too.
Always, the Tab Extremely C provides you full management over the show’s coloration temperature, distinction, brightness, saturation, depth, and extra. You possibly can manually drive the display screen to refresh if there’s any minor ghosting, and there is even an airplane mode to show off all of the connectivity modules, identical to some other trendy cellular machine. If you would like further accessibility, you possibly can allow the navigational ball that sits on high of all apps and menus. Identical to tiles within the Fast Settings menu on Android, you possibly can edit the Management Middle of your Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C.
Should you do not feel like 128GB is sufficient, you possibly can all the time use a USB-C thumb drive or a microSD card with the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C. The onboard stereo audio system are respectable and work properly for audiobooks and podcasts. It’s also possible to join wi-fi audio system or headphones as properly, because of Bluetooth.
The 6,300mAh battery goes on and on for one and a half to 2 weeks with heavy use. You get USB-C quick charging when that runs out, so topping it up is not any bother in any respect.
The native studying app is great and helps a ton of file codecs. You will just like the native writing app as properly as a result of it has numerous presets for several types of notebooks and has loads of instruments. The OCR, or optical character recognition, is especially good, and simply the truth that the Tab Extremely C has this function sticks it within the face of in style competing merchandise just like the Kindle Scribe.
Talking of OCR, the Onyx Boox Pen2 Professional is an exceptionally cozy stylus to make use of. The strain sensitivity and tilt detection are unbelievable, it has an ergonomic grip, and there is an eraser on the again of the Pen2 Professional. Because it’s an EMR stylus, you needn’t cost it, and it really works with virtually all different Boox tablets with a Wacom layer on high.
Nonetheless not a full-fledged Android pill
Regardless of all of its nice abilities and functionalities, the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C just isn’t a full-fledged Android pill, and it by no means can be. You can not count on it to carry out as snappily as a daily LCD or OLED cellular machine as a result of e-paper shows are simply not as superior. The video playback is rubbish, and lots of Android apps simply aren’t optimized for the Tab Extremely C.
All of those caveats are okay, because the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C just isn’t meant for use in that manner. Nevertheless, this E Ink pill undoubtedly must be waterproofed. It lacks an IP score of any sort, rendering it ineffective on a wet day. I am unable to start to specific the extent of tension I confronted when it began drizzling throughout class, and I spotted I didn’t have a water-resistant backpack with me. Neither college students nor working adults want or need such worries of their lives.
It is insane {that a} $600 pill may be fried within the rain nowadays. To make issues worse, this costly Android pill doesn’t even include the magnetic keyboard case. You must spend one other $110 to get your arms on the Tab Extremely C keyboard case, which is a wonderful add-on for the pill.
Competitors
Should you’re bent on getting an e-paper pill, the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely is a superb different to the Tab Extremely C. It has precisely the identical specs, nevertheless it prices practically $100 cheaper, although you do need to commerce off a coloration show for that worth.
The Amazon Kindle Scribe is one other respectable E Ink pill that comes with a stylus. Though the $340 Kindle Scribe is lots cheaper, Amazon restricts entry to the Play Retailer, severely limiting the aptitude of the machine. So, it actually is not a correct competitor for the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C.
After all, you possibly can all the time forgo the e-paper facet altogether and go for a flagship Android pill just like the Galaxy Tab S9 or one thing cheaper just like the Amazon Fireplace Max 11. Each tabs help styli and keyboards, however they do not have batteries that final for weeks or paper-like shows which are simple on the eyes.
Do you have to get it?
You can purchase this if…
- You desire a no-holes-barred E Ink pill
- You want expandable storage
- You need keyboard and stylus help
- You need unrestricted entry to the Play Retailer
- You desire a coloured e-paper show
- You need week-long battery life
You should not purchase this if…
- You want one thing snappy just like the Tab S9
- You do not have such an enormous price range
- You need one thing waterproof
The Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C is flexible, non-intrusive, focus-oriented, and non-distractive. The studying, writing, and different productiveness use instances are glorious for work and research, a lot in order that the tab has change into my regular companion to class over the previous few months. In truth, I wrote this evaluation virtually completely on my take a look at unit of the Tab Extremely C.
It is really easy to depend upon the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C as a pupil or working skilled. In case your job includes excessive volumes of writing, annotating, or studying, it is the proper companion accent. The pill’s ghosting points and efficiency have been markedly improved over previous generations of Onyx Boox tablets.
All issues thought of, that is the final word E Ink pill available on the market proper now. Should you’ve bought the cash for it, go forward and deal with your self. You will not remorse it one bit.
The perfect e-paper show
Onyx Boox has lastly performed it. The Tab Extremely C is the proper coloured e-ink pill, non-distractive however purposeful and really properly outfitted with all of the instruments and software program compatibility you can ask for or want.
