Onyx Boox creates intriguing e-paper units 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 not too long ago reviewed the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely and recommended it for its prowess. After spending a great few months with the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C, I can not assist however agree with him. These are some tremendous e-paper units, and we now have 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 excellent as I simply determined to select up faculty once more. So, here 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 Might 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 reminiscent of 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 possibly 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 means, 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 continually.
With that in thoughts, the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C is an absolute magnificence. The ten.3-inch Kaleido 3 E Ink colour show has adjustable entrance lights, an anti-glare end, nice stylus response with assist for 4,096 strain ranges, and adjustable brightness and distinction settings. It appears very very similar to printed paper, with the large benefit of being form to the setting as a result of you may reuse it time and again as a substitute of dumping it within the bin as soon as the pages run out.
It is arduous to recover from the glossy metallic physique that weighs solely 480g. Even with the magnetic stylus and keyboard case, the Tab Extremely C would 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 correct locations. You even get a fingerprint sensor constructed into the ability 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 finished to regulate the brightness, plus you may customise this perform.
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The Tab Extremely C has a 16MP rear digicam that is meant to scan paperwork, which you’ll then edit, annotate, and convert on the tab. Though it isn’t meant for use as a digicam, you may simply obtain any digicam 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, however it’s nonetheless adequate to scan paperwork.
See, that is the factor concerning the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C. It isn’t alleged to do sure issues, however the truth that you can simply makes it so significantly better. As an illustration, movies are horrendous, however with the ability to play them is sweet. You possibly can set up just about any Android app on the Tab Extremely C, and it may simply work, even when it appears terrible. This is not one thing another e-reader or e-note gives you as firms like Amazon and ReMarkable lock up their e-paper tablets and prohibit customers, stopping them from experimenting and pushing these units to their limits.
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Since there’s Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi onboard, you may obtain, browse, and stream something from the web. I totally loved including Google Drive, Spotify, and the Kindle app to the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C.
And there are extra 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 Heart, which seems while you swipe down from the top-right aspect. 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 colour temperature, distinction, brightness, saturation, depth, and extra. You possibly can manually power 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, similar to another trendy cellular machine. In order for you extra accessibility, you may allow the navigational ball that sits on prime of all apps and menus. Similar to tiles within the Fast Settings menu on Android, you may edit the Management Heart of your Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C.
When you do not feel like 128GB is sufficient, you may at all times use a USB-C thumb drive or a microSD card with the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C. The onboard stereo audio system are first rate and work effectively for audiobooks and podcasts. You too can join wi-fi audio system or headphones as effectively, 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 superb and helps a ton of file codecs. You may just like the native writing app as effectively as a result of it has quite a lot of 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 characteristic sticks it within the face of widespread 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 nearly all different Boox tablets with a Wacom layer on prime.
Nonetheless not a full-fledged Android pill
Regardless of all of its nice abilities and functionalities, the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C isn’t a full-fledged Android pill, and it by no means might be. You can’t count on it to carry out as snappily as an everyday 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 isn’t meant for use in that means. Nevertheless, this E Ink pill undoubtedly must be waterproofed. It lacks an IP score of any form, rendering it ineffective on a wet day. I am unable to start to precise 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 this present day. To make issues worse, this costly Android pill doesn’t even include the magnetic keyboard case. You could spend one other $110 to get your palms on the Tab Extremely C keyboard case, which is a superb add-on for the pill.
Competitors
When you’re bent on getting an e-paper pill, the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely is a good different to the Tab Extremely C. It has precisely the identical specs, however it prices practically $100 cheaper, although you do should commerce off a colour show for that worth.
The Amazon Kindle Scribe is one other first rate E Ink pill that comes with a stylus. Though the $340 Kindle Scribe is rather a lot 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.
In fact, you may at all times 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 Hearth Max 11. Each tabs assist styli and keyboards, however they do not have batteries that final for weeks or paper-like shows which can be simple on the eyes.
Must you get it?
You should purchase this if…
- You need a no-holes-barred E Ink pill
- You want expandable storage
- You need keyboard and stylus assist
- You need unrestricted entry to the Play Retailer
- You need 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 a giant 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 wonderful 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 assessment nearly fully on my take a look at unit of the Tab Extremely C.
It is really easy to rely on 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 right companion accent. The pill’s ghosting points and efficiency have been markedly improved over previous generations of Onyx Boox tablets.
All issues thought-about, that is the last word E Ink pill available on the market proper now. When you’ve obtained the cash for it, go forward and deal with your self. You will not remorse it one bit.
The very best e-paper show
Onyx Boox has lastly finished it. The Tab Extremely C is the right coloured e-ink pill, non-distractive however useful and really effectively geared up with all of the instruments and software program compatibility you possibly can ask for or want.