Boox Word Air4 C evaluate: Solely refined upgrades

I am nonetheless a sucker for taking handwritten notes in a whole lot of conditions. For some cause, it helps me focus extra on what I am taking notes on than if I had been to sort notes. Due to that, I actually loved the Boox Note Air3 C. It offered an exquisite handwriting expertise with a flexible Android OS that was intuitive to me as a long-time Android phone consumer. So when Boox introduced the Word Air4 C, I used to be excited. In any case, any enhancements to a tool I already like and advocate sound engaging.

Sadly, a few of my excited anticipation was unwarranted. To spoil the shock, the upgrades are, to place it mildly, refined. It represents extra of a modest iteration than a considerably new product. That stated, it is nonetheless a wonderful gadget for a lot of causes and could be very pleasing to make use of.

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Editor’s Alternative

Boox Word Air4 C

The Boox Word Air4 C is an E-Ink pill that can be utilized with a stylus to take handwritten notes. It runs on Android 13 for better flexibility and flexibility. The ten-3-inch shade show makes it simple to see content material and gives loads of customization choices. 

Execs

• Implausible writing expertise
• Sharp, clear show
• Android OS supplies a whole lot of flexibility and customization
• New UI helps widgets and acquainted tablet-like expertise
• Extra alternatives to make use of handwriting

Cons

• Not many vital upgrades from the earlier mannequin

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Value, availability, and specs

The Onyx Boox Word Air4 C is offered from Amazon, Walmart, Boox’s web site, and the Onyx web site for $499.99. It is solely accessible in a single shade and measurement and comes with the Boox Pen Plus. In order for you a canopy or the Boox Pen Professional 2, you may must buy these individually.

Bodily, the Word Air4 C seems virtually similar to the Word Air3 C. Boox modified its brand placement on the entrance of the gadget (it is now extra refined and within the backside left as a substitute), however in any other case, it is subsequent to unimaginable to inform them aside simply by trying. The brand new mannequin is one gram lighter than the Air3 C, however the thickness stays the identical. It additionally retains the identical Kaleido 3 Coloration Display screen, adjustable entrance gentle, microSD card slot, fingerprint lock, 3700mAh battery, and 64GB of reminiscence.

What I appreciated concerning the Onyx Boox Word Air4 C

A tablet-like expertise on an e-reader

The Word Air4 C shares an extended checklist of similarities with its predecessor. That is not a foul factor for the reason that Word Air3 C is a superb gadget. Firstly, just like the Word Air3 C, the Word Air4 C supplies a implausible writing expertise. It feels remarkably like writing on paper, due to the refined texture of the glass. The stylus, which is identical because the earlier mannequin, is as snug to carry as a pen or pencil, and it glides easily throughout the floor of the gadget.

The C within the identify signifies that this can be a shade E-Ink gadget. Whereas you do not get the colourful, saturated colours of tablets just like the Apple iPad, there’s sufficient of a spread to be useful when highlighting textual content or sketching designs. I’m a giant fan of color-coding notes and charts, so I respect that I can proceed that behavior on this pill. It additionally makes for a nicer expertise when utilizing apps which can be wealthy with shade.

Past shade, the show is sharp and clear, making it very simple to learn textual content. Graphics will not look exceptionally detailed, because it’s extra like a newspaper than a high-resolution pill, however it’s well-detailed for an E-Ink show. It gives the next decision for black and white content material (300 ppi) versus shade content material (150 ppi), so fundamental textual content seems fairly a bit higher than shade graphics, however shade supplies are under no circumstances unhealthy for an E-Ink gadget.

The matte end on the show makes it simple to see in any gentle, even brilliant daylight. Not like other tablets with fancier shows, there are hardly any reflections or glare. You’ll be able to go for no entrance gentle or flip the entrance gentle to very brilliant for straightforward use in any lighting scenario. That entrance gentle can also be shade temperature adjustable, all the best way to orange, saving your eyes (and circadian rhythm) at evening.

Whereas there are a whole lot of similarities with the earlier mannequin, there are a number of appreciated updates. First, Boox upgraded the Word Air4 C to Android 13. Android 15 is probably the most present Android OS, and whereas I do not count on the newest model in an E-Ink pill, the Android 12 OS (which got here out in 2021) within the Word Air3 C felt unnecessarily outdated. Evidently, I used to be glad to see a step-up within the OS. As a part of that swap, the brand new gadget gives an up to date UI that features like a well-recognized pill expertise. Now, widgets provide you with faster entry to books, notes, or current apps. Sadly, the accessible widgets are restricted to Boox apps particularly, however hopefully, these will finally develop so I can have my Google Calendar and Spotify widgets as effectively.

Associated

4 reasons I’d buy the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 C over a reMarkable 2

Although lesser recognized, the Onyx Boox Word Air 3 C has some vital benefits over the reMarkable pill.

The brand new UI additionally makes it sooner to entry your apps. On the Word Air3 C, you first needed to navigate to the Apps folder (or change the default startup web page to that). Now, identical to while you flip in your telephone or pill, you will have a house display the place the apps are entrance and middle (or a minimum of a web page away). General, it makes for a extra acquainted and intuitive expertise.

That Android OS means you’ll be able to entry the total Google Play Retailer, which is certainly one of my favourite issues about Boox E-Ink tablets. I can obtain no matter apps I would like or need, reminiscent of Spotify, all of my Google apps, Libby, and extra. New this time round, although, is a slight repair to certainly one of my complaints concerning the Word Air3 C. It was once that handwriting was solely doable within the Boox apps and was not appropriate with third-party apps.

Now, although, you’ll be able to basically write on something due to the Free Mark possibility and expanded handwriting instruments in apps like Google Docs. It would not work together completely with each app, however it’s good to see the handwriting function expanded since that is likely one of the principal causes for getting this pill. It is value declaring that Boox additionally prolonged this function to the Word Air3 C, so it is not unique to the Word Air4 C.

What I did not like concerning the Onyx Boox Word Air4 C

Solely a refined improve from the earlier mannequin

Whereas there’s so much to love concerning the Boox Word Air4 C, it would not signify a lot of an improve from the earlier mannequin. On paper, there’s 2GB extra RAM on the Word Air4 C in comparison with the 3C, and Boox promised a 50% efficiency enhance within the new mannequin. However in precise each day use, it is practically unimaginable to discern a distinction in efficiency between the 2.

On a number of events, I began up the 3C and 4C at the very same time, and so they each loaded inside a fraction of a second of one another (the 4C was forward by a hair every time). The identical is true when opening up apps or flipping by way of guide pages. Even when paying shut consideration to observe for any distinction between the 2, I can not discover an actual distinction.

I loved utilizing the Word Air3 C, so it is not essentially horrible that there is not a large efficiency leap. Nevertheless, it might have been good to see extra of a rise in a brand new mannequin, a minimum of to the purpose the place it is noticeable. In any case, many of the modifications appear to be in software program, which might have merely been a software program replace as a substitute of a completely new gadget.

Must you purchase the Onyx Boox Word Air4 C?

The Boox Word Air4 C is a extremely succesful and versatile E-Ink pill that gives a implausible writing expertise. The E-Ink show has inherent lag and ghosting, so it is not a worthy gadget for graphic or color-focused packages like YouTube, Photoshop, and many others. Nevertheless, it’s a nice possibility in order for you a extra fundamental gadget with a long-lasting battery for taking notes.

What about these with the Boox Word Air3 C? Due to the very refined and modest upgrades, it is not value upgrading. In addition to the UI, you will not discover any actual distinction between the 2 fashions, and it will not be value spending cash on. You are higher off ready for the subsequent iteration, which we hope introduces extra substantial modifications.

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Editor’s Alternative

Boox Word Air4 C

The Boox Word Air4 C represents a light improve from the earlier mannequin. It now runs on Android 13, providing a well-recognized tablet-like UI, however it retains the identical implausible writing expertise.