ReMarkable tablet review: The high price of getting that paper feeling

Unless you use a Kindle or another e-reader regularly, you probably don’t come into contact with e-ink displays. While they were once popular for high-end devices, they’ve largely been relegated to use in reading devices now that LCD and other display technology have grown in popularity and affordability.

But the company reMarkable is trying to expand e-ink’s use with the reMarkable paper tablet, a slab with a 10.3-inch e-ink display and an included stylus. Not only is it meant to be a reading device, but the reMarkable is designed to replace pretty much any papers you have to bring with you anywhere—books, documents, notes, sketches, and the like.

That’s not a new concept, as many of us have one device that holds most of the things we need daily. The reMarkable tablet goes after paper lovers specifically, boasting its e-ink display and companion stylus as better, more convenient alternatives to the traditional paper-and-pencil setup. But it’s a hard sell—priced at $599, the reMarkable tablet may offer a unique reading and writing experience compared to other tablets, but it has limiting features that prevent it from being great.

Design

ReMarkable built its tablet like a cross between a Kindle e-reader and an iPad. Measuring 6.9×10.1×.26 inches, it’s more rectangular than an iPad Pro and much larger than a Kindle device. It has to be bigger to allow a comfortable reading and writing experience, but as someone who is accustomed to using both the aforementioned Apple and Amazon devices, the reMarkable paper tablet felt a bit tall for my liking.

However, the overall slim frame and solid build of the tablet helped me overcome my initial issue with its dimensions. My model is a soft white with a shiny aluminum back plate that’s hugged at the top and bottom by silicone-like rubber strips. These help keep the tablet in place on a table or flat surface so you can write or draw on its e-ink display without the device sliding around.

The tablet has a PMMA cover lens that the company promises will protect it from drops and rough handling. While the reMarkable tablet certainly doesn’t feel flimsy, it doesn’t have the weighty design of an all-metal device. But that also makes it quite light at just over three-quarters of a pound, so it won’t weigh down any backpacks or bags.

Inside is a 3,000mAh battery, typical for devices of this size, but it works for much longer on this e-ink device than for most other mobile devices. ReMarkable’s website promises “days” of battery life, and that vague statement appears to be true. I used my tablet on and off for about three days before it hit 20-percent battery and made me consider recharging it.

The reMarkable tablet comes with a stylus, and the device recognizes its input, pressure, and orientation. E-ink strokes on the screen will change depending on how hard you press and the angle of the tip. The tablet also comes with replacement pen tips for when the original tip gets worn down (as it will over long periods of use). The stylus does not need a battery to work, which is a plus for any tablet stylus, as it removes the anxiety of having a depleted battery in the middle of an important meeting, class, or event in which you’ll be writing furiously.

Pros and cons of reMarkable’s big e-ink display

The large e-ink display was jarring at first for me because this device is considered a tablet. Currently, the tablet market is dominated by bright LCD and bold OLED displays, with each manufacturer trying to out-spec the next with the debut of each new tablet. The reMarkable tablet isn’t trying to do that; rather, it’s stripping away all the unnecessary tech in favor of a simple reading and writing experience. E-ink makes sense on a tablet like this, but it takes some adjustment by the user (if you’re like me, at least).

Since I started testing the reMarkable tablet with the mindset that it was, indeed, a tablet, it was a little jarring to see a message on the e-ink display when the device was powered off. “Your reMarkable is powered off. Hold power to start your reMarkable,” appears on the turned-off display, along with the company’s logo at the bottom of the screen. I don’t expect a tablet screen to show anything on its display unless I’m using it, but e-ink displays are different—Kindles often show suggested titles or advertisements on their displays when powered off.