Verdict
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Amazon has dominated the e - ink space with its never - endingrange of Kindle due east - lecturer , but more companies are get by to break into the spotlight with their own take on e - ink devices .
I have already had the pleasure of review theOnyx Boox Note Air 2which is an fantabulous digital einsteinium - reader . Not only does it have support for the Google Play Store , but the bundled stylus allow me to take notes and doodle like I was using a pen and report .
The Onyx Boox Tab X has all of these benefits , aided by its enormous 13.3 - column inch display , improved shelling life and further refresh charge per unit . unluckily , the request price of £ 879.99/$879.99/€949.99 pose it well above what seems reasonable for an east - reader , making me yearn more for a traditionaliPadthan I ever have before .
Design and audio
The Tab X has a minimalist design and comes in one colourway , Black , although in certain lighting it had an almost pine green ending . There are some little orange accents on the branding , and I appreciated the want of a large logo on the back , as it made it feel a short more premium and ripe than some of the heavily brandedKindlesout there .
The back of the Tab X is made of atomic number 13 - magnesium admixture and is prone to smudging , but it felt very sturdy to employ . I was able to well have got it with one hand and it was barely there in my knapsack , make it very easy to take on the go even if its body is a circumstances large than some smaller e - reader , like the 10.3 - inchOnyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus .
A stylus does arrive bunch up with the Boox Tab X , although there is no way to connect the pen to the equipment , like the magnetic striptease on theHuawei MatePad Paper . This was only a small nuisance , with a few occasion wherein I intend I had lose the style completely , only to find it veil at the bottom of my packsack .
There is a singularUSB - Ccharging embrasure on the bottom of the machine , cuddle between the two speakers . The inclusion ofBluetooth 5.0meant that I could easily unite myAirPods 2 , and I did n’t experience any disruption or distortion while heed to audio . Audio from the twist itself was surprisingly punchy and vivacious , easy filling up our office blank and have a high-pitched level of volume than I look .
Display
The Tab X comes with a black and white E Ink Mobius Carta 13.3 - inch video display , with a 1650×2200 resolution . It was very easy on the middle compare toOLEDdisplays and is massively help by Moon Light 2 technology , which is essentially a backlight .
Reading in direct sunshine was more than doable but more impressively , I was able to take notes and get a few chapter in before bed without feeling any eye strain whatsoever or the need for an outside promiscuous source , which I find to be a must for e - readers .
In the same vein as theOynx Boox Tab Ultra , there are multiple refresh rates to choose from , although it is not specified what these refresh rate are . I veered towards using the high refresh charge per unit in all instances since it made navigating the gimmick and flipping through a volume feel a hatful smoother and more mobile . And on the positive side , I did n’t notice a monumental uptick in battery consumption when the highest refresh rate was enabled .
That ’s not to say that the refresh rate can hold up against devices like anApple iPad ; despite apps like YouTube being supported , video message looked extremely jarring , not aided by the monochrome display . While that is no surprisal , I ’m mix up why apps like these are sustain at all , and it makes it feel like Onyx wants you to think this is a lozenge a lot more than it really is .
scan on the Boox Tab X mat very natural and the monumental concealment made me feel like I was read a weighty hardback copy of Stephen King ’s IT , rather than the reality of an e - ink display . The ability to aline the lighting made it easy to read in most environments and everything on the concealment look crisp .
The magnanimous screen also come in handy when I wanted to take distinction or engage in some light doodling . Unlike theRemarkable 2 , there is no paper - like coating on the video display to make the writing finger more lifelike .
While I can say it did not feel like using a real pen and paper , it did sense very smooth and reactive to indite on the Boox Tab X , with the penitentiary reacting almost instantly when I interact with the cover . In a speck , I would utilise my finger’s breadth to navigate the home page or flip through the page of a book , but I would always recommend using the bundled style for any writing or drawing activities .
Performance
Since the Tab X runs on Android 11 , it is a plenty more up to than the vast legal age of einsteinium - lector on the market . The Google Play Store opens up a number of door , allow me to check my emails , do some work on Google Docs and delay in on my social medium .
This add up with some caveats , in the main that the monochrome screen gain social media television reckon a muckle blander than they would on myiPhone 13 professional , but it provide more role guinea pig than I would have wait .
The main advantage of the Play Store is that I could download the Amazon Kindle app , which give me approach to Amazon ’s vast tocopherol - book collection as well as my own Kindle account . While audiobooks are not to my mouthful , I did often souse into my Spotify whilst reading books and enjoy listening to podcasts while pottering around my flat tire , whether that be using my Bluetooth earbuds or at once from the gadget .
The Kindle app work utterly and it felt very natural to douse in and out of books , with the authoritative Kindle boast present , allow me to highlight passage I found interesting and look up books from my favourite authors .
The Qualcomm Snapdragon Octa - burden central processor made navigate the equipment experience very seamless . Oynx improved on theNote Air 2 Plusby include Boox Super Refresh technology . While the society has not stated what the refresh pace is specifically , scrolling through a rule book felt very smooth .
There was also less screen burn apparent than some other e - readers out there – looking at you , Huawei MatePad Paper – although it would become more evident if I leave it on a certain page for too long .
Despite all its versatility , I do think that the UI could be improved upon . While moving around apps feel fast , the layout and designing of the home sieve did n’t always palpate very rude , which made rapidly checking in on my to - do list more of a challenge than I would have care .
I started my critique using the gesture controls to get around , but after break down to jump out of an app after five minutes of needlessly swiping , I finish up moving over to the build up - in carte du jour at the bottom of the covert to more well navigate the machine .
Onyx does have a bad habit of campaign complicated handwriting UI , as was noted in our review of theOnyx Boox Tab Ultra . I was given the option of inserting hyperlinks , adding recording to a Sir Frederick Handley Page and switch between multiple types of pens and pencils . While this is not an unwelcome summation , it can finger very overwhelming when you initiate using the twist , which I why I be given to mystify to the BASIC when taking annotation .
Battery Life
Onyx has not put forward the battery life story of the Tab X , but we do know that it comes with a 6300mAh cadre inside the equipment . Since this is an e - reader , I did n’t get through the barrage like I would a traditional tablet , which made gauging its bombardment life a little tricky .
I used it sporadically over the last few weeks and found that I seldom needed to bear down it . Most days I used it to read , take notes and doodle , but some day I used it more like a productivity gadget , checking my emails and summate to my work in Google Docs . It study me over two weeks to deplete the battery completely , but this is just a rocky outline , as the brightness and use case will change how fast the battery drop dead down .
charge up the Boox Tab X took almost three hours , which is expected for this type of twist . Due to the low superpower consumption , I never experience the penury to appoint it up to 100 % before ingest it out on the go which made using it feel very commodious .
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Should you buy it?
The Onyx Boox Tab X is packed with features and thanks to its support for Android 11 , you have a vast array of apps correctly at your fingertip . The large screen draw it great for reading and learn notes , and the stamp battery life lasts for weeks on remainder .
Despite all the bells and whistles that the Onyx Boox Tab X comes with , its monetary value seems unjustified . The most recent base modeliPad Pro(11 inch ) is just £ 10 more than this Es - reader , and out of the two , I know which one I ’d be picking .
Final Thoughts
neglect the price for one consequence , the Onyx Boox Tab X is a marvelous eastward - lector . It comes with access to the Google Play Store , can output audio – both through the tab itself and via earbuds – and is a delight to understand on . If you are after an tocopherol - reader , Onyx is so far ahead of its competition that I would almost always urge this brand .
However , I can not justify its insanely high cost . There is a plethora of Android and Apple tablets at a exchangeable price point that can do everything the Boox Tab X can , with the benefit of not being restricted to a monochrome display . If you do want an atomic number 99 - ink display machine , I would recommend theRemarkable 2,Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plusor theOnyx Boox Tab Ultra , which come with a bunch of the same heart boast with a terms that ’s much easier to digest .
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FAQs
The display is 13.3 inch and features e - ink engineering , intend that it can not display vividness like a standard tablet .
No , the only port wine on the Boox Tab X is the USB - C charging port , but it does come with Bluetooth support .
Yes , the Boox Tab X run on Android 11 , entail that you’re able to get at the Google drama Store and download the Kindle app .