The Boox Word Air 2 is probably the most tablet-like E Ink gadget I examined. This 10.3-inch pill incorporates a decision of 227 DPI, runs on a personalized model of the Android 11 working system and even has its personal app retailer, the place you’ll be able to obtain third-party apps which have been optimized for the gadget. And sure, whereas it would not come pre-baked into the system, there’s a technique to entry the total Google Play retailer – although I would not suggest it for something apart from downloading an e-reading app, because the Boox nonetheless has an E Ink show and is not made for video games or video. A step-by-step on find out how to get the Google Play retailer put in is on this hands-on overview of a earlier mannequin.

Additionally, the Boox comes with solely 64GB of nonexpandable storage, so you do not need apps filling up your system. The corporate does supply 5GB of cloud storage from its personal service free of charge to assist switch paperwork to the gadget, although you can too use Dropbox, Evernote and OneNote.

The largest good thing about the apps retailer is that you will have entry to your whole assortment of books out of your Kindle, Nook and Kobo library. It’s also possible to obtain the Libby app for library books, and Marvel Limitless customers can obtain the app and skim comics, although not in shade. The Word Air 2 consists of audio system and a microphone, permitting you to take heed to audiobooks from Audible or different audiobook apps.

It is a nice promoting level of the gadget, however I discovered the in-app expertise to be lower than splendid. Lots of the options that make the Word Air 2 distinctive are disabled in third-party apps. For instance, you will not be capable of use the pen to take notes or highlights in books on the Kindle app. As an alternative, you will must kind in notes you need to take, like utilizing the app on some other pill. To write down instantly onto books, you will must have them in DRM-free e-book format. Fortunately, the Boox helps a variety of codecs together with PDF, epub, DOC and Mobi.

Word taking and PDF administration are sturdy on the Word Air 2 however not as seamless as on the ReMarkable 2. Highlights aren’t routinely straightened, and customers have to decide on the colour and width of the marker. The Word Air 2 offers 16 choices of grayscale shade, however all of them look the identical on the gadget, leaving highlights trying darkish and messy. The included stylus additionally options 4,096 ranges of strain sensitivity however lags ever so barely when writing throughout the web page. On the plus aspect, you’ll be able to embrace audio recordings for extra correct retention. The Word Air 2 additionally allows you to open a PDF and pocket book on the identical time in a split-screen view, providing you with the flexibility to learn and take notes unexpectedly.

Just like the Kindle Paperwhite and Oasis, the Boox Word Air 2 comes with a heat and chilly entrance mild to assist make the display screen simpler on the eyes and provides it a extra paper-like look. You possibly can simply modify each lights with a swipe-down menu. Plus, it additionally measures its battery life in weeks, not days.

Whereas this pill is by far the most costly on our record, it is also probably the most versatile of the E Ink tablets and does rather a lot effectively however nothing nice.

You would possibly see that the corporate has not too long ago introduced a Word Air 2 Plus. I have never tried that one, however it’s nearly equivalent to the unique Air 2 – simply with a much bigger battery, which additionally makes it very barely heavier.