Remarkable paper Pure e-ink tablet review: It’s a workhorse

What a difference an inch makes.

That was my first thought using the Paper Pure, the new e-ink tablet offered by Remarkable. And it has been my thought several times since, whenever I am surprised to reach Pure to write my daily book where its best cousins there then.

Notable is the Norwegian e-ink tablet maker behind the A4-size Remarkable Paper Pro (from $579) and the Notebook-sized Remarkable Pro Move. So far, the company has offered the $399 Note 2 (which was originally released in 2020) as an entry-level e-ink tablet. And in a way, Paper Pure is a remarkable 2 in a new outfit.

The screen size itself, 11 inches, is the same as the Remarkable 2. Like the Remarkable 2, the Paper Pure doesn’t offer a backlight or color ink (if either are your needs, head straight to our reviews of the Paper Pro, Paper Pro Move, or Kindle Colorsoft Scribe).

The Marker stylus included at that $399 price point is an improved version also used in the Paper Pro models. You can pay for another with a physical eraser on the other hand – the Marker Plus (which will set you back $40 more as part of a bundle that includes the Sleeve Folio). But if you care more about that than an on-screen eraser, you may be in the market for a more expensive e-ink tablet.

Likewise, if latency is important (that is, the gap between the stylus hitting the screen and the ink appearing), the Paper Pure is a small step down from its more expensive brethren – a gap of 21 milliseconds rather than 12 milliseconds on the Paper Pro models.

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Paper Pure feels lighter than air

Remarkable Paper Pure plastic background: It’s not cheap, it’s very simple.
Credit: Notable

But what the Paper Pure lacks in bells and whistles, it makes up for in sheer usability. If you’re new to the whole idea of ​​ink tablets — pen-like pads on paper that are easy on your eyes, easy to use in sunlight, and Kindle-style — then Pure is the best place to start. If you’re a power user who can afford both, the Pure might be the one you feel comfortable throwing in your work bag while keeping the Pro at home.

Part of that sense of usability is the weight difference. Not in terms of weight, but at 360 grams (0.79 lbs), the Paper Pure is 44 grams (1.55 ounces) lighter than the Remarkable 2 – just as the Remarkable 2 is a hair’s breadth lighter than the Pure.

Does that make a difference? Heck yes, it does, and your wrist will thank you. There isn’t even a gentle flexing of the muscles in your arm when your hand is holding the Pure, the way you might be used to flexing when picking up a regular tablet. By comparison, the latest 11-inch iPad Air is 1.02 lbs (462g). Paper Pure is a type of tablet whose name is “air” indeed make sense.

Fortunately, you don’t have to sacrifice much in the way of performance. The new e-ink tablet actually has twice the RAM and four times the storage of its older predecessor (2GB and 32GB, respectively).

Side view: Look for lovely rounded edges.
Credit: Chris Taylor / Mashable

How did Remarkable find this easy? It is mostly found in homes; The Remarkable 2 uses brushed aluminum for its back, and the Paper Pure uses plastic. But the Paper Pure plastic doesn’t feel cheap. In fact, it sounds more acceptable. The metal back on the Remarkable 2 and the Paper Pro both feel cold to the touch; Pure is like room temperature.

Additional weight has been reduced by the decision not to include the Folio keyboard connector, which you can get as an add-on for the Remarkable 2. In my mind, this is not a big loss; I’ve had a Folio for years, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve used it for any length of time. Typing is not the point on an e-ink tablet; handwriting (which can convert to text) and point drawing.

If you need to type – and it’s good to have option back and forth — I found the on-screen keyboard to be sufficient. If you type all the time, maybe what you want is a laptop, or an iPad with a magic keyboard, rather than an e-ink tablet. The refresh rate in e-ink is a constant problem, and it will make typing seem slower than what we are used to.

Paper Pure is a little short

Old vs. new: Remarkable 2 (left) and Amazing Clean Paper.
Credit: Chris Taylor / Mashable

Then there is another important difference in form factor: height. The Pure is similar to the Note 2, but almost an inch shorter (8.9 in. vs 9.7 in., to be exact). It also has rounded edges, which is the kind of thing that design geniuses care about, but it combines with the height and weight of the difference to create a Clean feeling … well, in a word, friendly.

Battery life is also friendly. Notably, a single charge lasts three weeks on the Paper Pure. That’s the kind of claim that’s hard to test for a launch day review, but I have no reason to doubt it. Sure, the Pure lasts longer than the Paper Pro and Paper Pro Move, but in my experience, both tend to open up a bit of a jostle bag, burning battery life with that backlight.

Do you need a backlight, though? I thought I did, by writing an end-of-day journal. But more and more, research is showing that any bright light at night (not just the blue light from standard LCD screens) can wake up our brains just when we should be going to sleep. After a few bouts of insomnia associated with using the Paper Pro, I decided that Pure and a dim bedside lamp were all I really needed at the end of the day.

The Amazing Pure Folio Paper Case — a great dust collector
Credit: Chris Taylor / Mashable

And what about Paper Pure compared to the much smaller Paper Pro Move, which I reviewed well last year? I still love my Move, especially the ability to throw it in almost any coat pocket. If you’re packing for a trip, where space is at a premium, the Move is the highlight I’ll reach for. It’s great for privacy, too, and it’s awesome to use on a plane with someone sitting around crying (or at a press conference).

However, most of us are not exactly secret workers, and the Move has become less again small for most actual use cases. Over time, I’ve noticed that my handwriting looks worse on the Move, compared to Noteworthy devices with larger screens, and that my posture gets worse as I use it, peering at the smaller screen.

But with Paper Pure, it feels like you’re spinning a short but fun clipboard version. (For this reason, I didn’t see the need to put the Pure inside its Folio sleeve case.) I can also see doctors using it while doing their hospital rounds if, for example, they can’t let their handwriting suffer on the Move. Or I can imagine taking it out of a normal conference room meeting, without cluttering the meeting with questions about your smart device (light and color disadvantages of Pro devices: they usually attract attention.)

Verdict: An attractive e-ink tablet at a great price

Remarkable Paper Pure is your workhorse e-ink tablet. Or if you like a horse race For example, Pure is a great jockey – a job where being a few ounces and being an inch shorter can make all the difference.

You can order Remarkable Paper Pure starting May 6 for $399 at the Remarkable online store. You can buy a Sleeve Folio case for $69.