With this article, I would like to help you find out if and which Boox e-ink tablet suits you best. I will give you a brief idea about e-ink capabilities and compare the current generation of Boox devices (Max 3, Note 2, and Nova 2) with their predecessors, and explain each series's difference.
E-ink and its limitations
You may ask yourself if you should buy a “normal” tablet like the iPad or an e-ink device as Boox Max 3, Note 2, or Nova 2. Actually, you can’t compare e-ink with LCD screen based-devices as used in “normal” tablets like the iPad or Microsoft Surface, or any other Android tablet.
To make a long story short, e-ink screens are considerably slower than LCD and not suitable for games and videos. They are not a greyscale replacement for regular multimedia tablets.
The main purpose of e-ink is reading and note-taking.
Latest series or a predecessor?
In general, I recommend buying the latest generation of Boox devices. There are three main reasons why the current generation is better and more future-proof.
- Connectivity. The current generation is equipped with Bluetooth 4.1 and, more importantly, with Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz. Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz is heavily used but has only three undisturbed channels. Because of its range, other networks can interfere with your own. In some places, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz is no longer available (in some universities, for example). You shouldn’t buy a new device that doesn’t support 5 GHz Wi-Fi and risk being unable to connect to Wi-Fi networks in the future.
- Chipset. All current-generation models come with a Snapdragon 625, which is well supported and widely used in many mid-range Android Smartphones. For e-ink devices, this SoC is super powerful.
- Android 9. Compared to Android 6, Android 9 is the overall better OS and has improved notification, battery, and security management. Nonetheless, Android 6 is still widely supported, and since most user interaction is done through the launcher, this is negligible and no reason to upgrade.
Should I upgrade?
The current generation is faster, better equipped, and future-proof, but if you don’t encounter any performance or network issues, there is no reason to upgrade.
Nova2, Note2, or Max3?
You may think that these models only differ in size, but in fact, each model fits a different application. By comparing these models in various categories, I give you a brief idea of which one suits you best.
Display and ports
With an aspect ratio of 4:3 (1:1.333), all devices represent common paper sizes (1:1.414). Max is close to A4 (13,3"), Note to A5 (10,3") and Nova to A6 (7,8"). The screen size of the next larger device is always around twice as large. It’s like folding in a DIN A4 paper sheet at the long edge in the middle. The unfolded sheet of paper represents Max’s screen size. Folded once you get Note’s screen size and folded twice, you can finally imagine the Nova series's screen size.
Besides the screen size, there is also a difference in screen density. Nova 2, with 300 DPI, has the highest resolution, followed by Note 2 (227 DPI) and Max 3 (207 DPI). Since we are talking about e-ink, 207 DPI is still sufficient. But you may notice the higher density of Nova 2, especially when reading manga.
Max 3 is the only model equipped with a mini HDMI port that allows you to use your tablet as a monitor. However, due to the limitations of e-ink, this is not a usual use case.
You may prefer Nova 2 and Note 2 in low light conditions because these two devices come with a front-light that’s missing in Max 3.
Audio and Connectivity
All devices support text-to-speech through their built-in microphone. But only Note 2 and Max 3 can playback audio since there is no speaker in Nova 2. Looking at the connectivity, there aren’t any differences. All devices share the same SoC, and all of them support Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi with 2.4 and 5 GHz.
Only Max 3 and Note 2 have a fingerprint sensor! Nova 2 comes without.
Storage and Battery
Nova 2 has 3GB RAM and 32 GB ROM, while Note 2 and Max 3 come with 4 GB and 64 GB. None of them has a micro SD card slot, and therefore, the storage cannot be extended. In Nova 2, applications might refresh more often due to 1 GB less available RAM. But this might not happen in common e-ink usage scenarios.
Battery size and life are similar for each device.
Which one suits you best?
If you are mostly reading books and manga, and portability is the most crucial factor for you, you should consider buying the Nova 2, which is also suitable for light note-taking.
If working with PDF is most important to you, then Max 3 might be the better choice since Max 3 can display A4 PDF documents without resizing them. PDF does also work well on the Note series, but documents are scaled by around 50 %, and fonts might be too small for your eyes. If you usually print your PDF documents in two columns on a regular DIN A4 paper sheet, then Note 2 won’t be an issue as well.
If your primary usage is note-taking, then the Note 2 is the best choice. It’s lightweight, portable, and the screen size is similar to diaries.
Comparing all devices, the Note 2 is the best allrounder and should satisfy most people's needs. Due to its size, it is super portable, and PDF also works well. It has front-light for low-light conditions and supports text-to-speech.
If you don’t have a Boox e-ink tablet, you can get yours from the official Boox store. Besides the Chinese and the US warehouse, there is also a new EU warehouse for customers in Europe.
