E-readers are sometimes mistaken for single-purpose units with eye-friendly shows. Of course, trendy e-paper units are a lot greater than that. Onyx Boox is a model that has labored onerous at excelling on this class, defeating the likes of the Amazon Kindle for the throne.
The Onyx Boox Note Air 4 C is a colorized and up to date iteration of the Onyx Boox Note Air 3, reviewed by my colleague Harish Jonnalagadda. The Note Air 3 has a colorized model known as the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 C, which begs the query, why must you purchase the newer, costlier mannequin?
As with any new launch, the Onyx Boox Note Air 4 C has upgraded internals and software program. After utilizing it for a couple of months, I’ve some ideas concerning the Note Air 4 C. Let’s dive into the small print.
There’s a brand new colour Onyx Boox on the town and it is as glossy as ever
Onyx Boox stays busy, launching new fashions of its black & white in addition to coloured E Ink tablets loaded with Android each few months. The Onyx Boox Note Air 4 C was launched on October 23, 2024. Interestingly, there is no such thing as a grayscale Note Air 4 to go together with the 4 C.
You can buy the Note Air 4 C for $499.99 from Onyx Boox’s web site or retailers like Amazon. It comes with a stylus within the field and a charging cable, however the accompanying Note Air 4 C Cover must be purchased individually for an additional $50.99.
Onyx Boox outfitted the Note Air 4C with an upgraded Kaleido 3 colour E Ink panel which delivers higher brightness and distinction ranges, in addition to a better display refresh charge. The 10.3-inch e-paper show has an anti-glare layer on high and a Wacom layer to help the included EMR stylus.
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Design smart, the Onyx Boox Note Air 4 C seems to be precisely the identical because the last-gen Note Air 3 C. Both e-readers are equally slim at light-weight, measuring 226mm x 193mm x 5.8mm in measurement and coming in at a light-weight 430 grams.
To make you perceive simply how glossy this factor is, I in contrast it to the brand-new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Next to this slim and trim e-ink pill, the S25 Ultra seems to be chunky. It’s wonderful, contemplating that is an older design, whereas Samsung’s flagship cellphone is sizzling out of the oven and hasn’t even began delivery but.
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There are not any bodily buttons other than the ability button. The microSD card slot continues to be positioned within the backbone of the pill, together with the USB-C port for 15W wired charging. You can even use a USB-C thumb drive with the Note Air 4 C because it helps USB-C OTG.
Sadly, there is no ingress safety but once more this 12 months, so you need to be tremendous cautious when dealing with the Note Air 4 C close to liquids and grainy strong particles.
The software program is the most important draw with Boox tablets
As I discussed earlier, the Onyx Boox Note Air 4 C has a speedier octa-core chipset and beefier 6GB RAM, including 2GB to the Note Air 3 C’s 4GB of RAM. The result’s noticeably improved efficiency, fewer cases of ghosting, and higher loading instances generally. It’s nonetheless nowhere close to as snappy as a full-blown Android pill, after all, but it surely’s one of many quickest e-paper tablets that cash can purchase proper now.
Boosted internals go hand in hand with newer software program. The Onyx Boox Note Air 4 C comes with Android 13 put in out of the field versus the Note Air 3 C, which got here with Android 12. This might sound previous seeing as we’re on Android 15 within the smartphone sector now. But for e-readers, that is fairly superior. Not to say, Onyx Boox guarantees to ship no less than three years of firmware updates to all of its units. Most Boox tabs most likely get greater than that.
The greatest draw with an Onyx Boox e-reader is that you simply get unfettered entry to Android apps, and the Play Store is pre-installed. Amazon blocks this skill on all Kindle e-readers, limiting what you are able to do with a Kindle to an amazing extent. The Note Air 4 is ripe with prospects. You can attempt putting in any Android app within the solar. Even if it is incompatible, you’ll be able to tweak and optimize it utilizing Onyx Boox’s built-in customizability instruments.
The NeoReader is a incredible e-book app with intensive instruments and choices baked in. Note-taking can also be a deal with on the Note Air 4 C, due to Boox’s Notes app, which has OCR built-in with the intention to convert hand-written notes on the fly. Onyx Boox presents so many helpful studying and writing features that it is onerous to listing out every thing.
Like each different tech model, Onyx Boox has additionally hopped aboard the AI bandwagon. You get neat AI options pre-loaded on the Onyx Boox Note Air 4 C, such because the Boox AI Assistant and AI Read. This makes the NeoReader extra clever than ever earlier than.
Very few rivals supply what the Note Air 4 C does
There are loads of e-readers on the market, however only a few can do what the Onyx Boox Note Air 4 C can. If you do not care about Android smarts and simply need an affordable e-reader for nothing however studying, probably the most easy reply is an affordable Amazon Kindle.
Other competing manufacturers embrace Bigme, Kobo, and Pocketbook. However, none of those corporations have e-readers that run Android 13, include colour shows, and persistently obtain software program updates.
Ironically, when you’re on the lookout for a less expensive various, the best option comes from Onyx Boox themselves. The smaller Boox Palma 2 launched alongside the Note Air 4 C and prices solely $279.99. It encompasses a 6.13-inch E Ink Carta 1200 show that solely outputs shades of black and white. The nifty little Palma 2 has most of the smarts of the 4 C regardless of its stature, and it one-ups the bigger tab due to its splash-proof design.
Is it price shopping for the Onyx Boox Note Air 4 C?
You can purchase it if…
- You need the most recent processor and better RAM
- You need a versatile e-reader for note-taking
- You’re a pupil or somebody who wants to put in writing rather a lot
- You need a colourful e-reader
You should not purchase it if…
- You want ingress safety like water-resistance and dust-proofing
- Your funds is extraordinarily tight
As a lot as I really like the Onyx Boox Note Air 4 C, virtually $500 is a hefty worth to pay for such a distinct segment gadget. It’s a beautiful e-reader that is excellent for note-taking, with no limitations and unrestricted entry to Android apps through the Play Store. However, every thing that I really like about this pill overlaps with the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 C.
Frankly talking, past the menial {hardware} improve such because the quicker processor and newer Bluetooth chip, there’s not rather a lot there to justify shopping for the Note Air 4 C over its predecessor. You can rating the Note Air 3 C for $50 much less and it nonetheless will get the identical firmware upgrades because the Onyx Boox Note Air 4 C.
If Android 13 is of nice significance to you, the newer Boox e-reader is smart. But usually, I’d recommend choosing the older Note Air 3 C as a substitute. Make no mistake, the Onyx Boox Note Air 4 C is a spectacular gadget. It’s simply that it does not add a lot over the last-gen 3 C, no less than not sufficient to justify a $50 worth distinction.
Get faculty prepared
Onyx Boox created the Note Air 4 C for studying before everything, and the gadget excels at that. In addition to a beautiful built-in e-reader with exhaustive choices, this Android pill additionally features as a spectacular note-taking gadget with native OCR. Now outfitted with a number of AI options and a quicker processor, it is the best non-intrusive gadget for a studious particular person, working skilled, or school-going individual.
