If you remember the reMarkable 2 when it was announced in March 2020, you’ll be excited to hear that its successor is coming: the reMarkable Paper Pro. This new distraction-free writing tablet comes with a nicer looking chassis, faster internals, a larger display, and most importantly, a color screen.
If you're not familiar with it, reMarkable is the standard-bearer for those devices that straddle the delta between high-tech and low-tech. It's an electronic paper whiteboard with a pen (or keyboard) for reading, writing, or editing your own documents, or annotating PDFs. The goal is to give you a quieter space to get Serious Work() done, free of the distractions that a “proper” computer or tablet would harbor. The company has always maintained that its devices offer you a way to feel like you're working on paper, without actually having to. Despite its age, the reMarkable 2 has been a mainstay in our e-ink tablet guide as the best choice for most people. The only other products currently in the conversation are Kobo Libra Color and amazon;elmt:;cpos:5;pos:1″ href=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&featureId=text-link&merchantName=amazon&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0JPT1gtVGFibGV0LU5vdGUtQWlyLWVQYXBlci9kcC9CMENIRjQyM0NQP3RhZz1nZGd0MGMtMjAiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjJmMzJhMGM5LTk3Y2UtNDg1OS05MzRkLTY0Y2UyZTQwNTA3MiIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1hem9uLmNvbS9CT09YLVRhYmxldC1Ob3RlLUFpci1lUGFwZXIvZHAvQjBDSEY0MjNDUCIsImR5bmFtaWNDZW50cmFsVHJhY2tpbmdJZCI6dHJ1ZSwic2l0ZUlkIjoidXMtZW5nYWRnZXQiLCJwYWdlSWQiOiIxcC1hdXRvbGluayIsImZlYXR1cmVJZCI6InRleHQtbGluayJ9&signature=AQAAAX_vQC9NWPXIMEAIBL295l4XMBrzubo7ET4gGz3Y-QOw&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBOOX-Tablet-Note-Air-ePaper%2Fdp%2FB0CHF423CP” class=”link rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:Onyx Book Tablet Note Air 3 C;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:amazon;elmt:;cpos:5;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>Onyx Book Note Air 3 C TabletThese models also feature color displays and stylus support, but both have smaller screens: 7 inches diagonally on the former and 10.3 inches on the latter.
The Paper Pro is just over an inch taller and a quarter-inch wider than its predecessor, but it's been able to fit a lot more stuff in. The rM2 had a 10.3-inch monochrome display, while the Paper Pro's screen was stretched to 11.8 inches. reMarkable's design director Mats Solberg explained that his team worked to reduce the size of the bezels and border to accommodate the larger screen.
While the previous model stuck to a rigid idea of the post-iPad design language, the new Paper Pro has a more austere look and feel. The edge band is sharper, though still comfortable to hold, and Solberg emphasized the grooves etched into the sides. He explained that both evoke the idea that you’re holding a sheaf of papers and add much-needed grip to such a thin device.
Inside there are drastic changes, with a new 1.8GHz quad-core Cortex A53 processor paired with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. For comparison, the rM2 had a 1.2GHz dual-core chip, 1GB of RAM, and just 8GB of storage. As soon as you fire up the Paper Pro, you’ll see the benefits of the new silicon, with much faster response times. You’ll even get proper animations during the setup process.
But what really catches the eye here is the display, which uses a modified version of E Ink's Gallery 3 technology, dubbed “Canvas Color.” This means that the display contains a series of ink particles inside each pixel (white, cyan, magenta, and yellow), just like in most regular printers. reMarkable says the display is similar to newsprint, and that's an apt analogy for the light, albeit muted, colors on display.
The technology can also blur colors, mixing each ink particle to produce up to 20,000 different colors, and colors can also be layered. This means you can highlight sections of text in the same way you would use a highlighter on paper: the more layers you draw, the darker the color. Of course, the advantage of using a digital device is that you can highlight as many times as you like without anything getting soaked through.
As usual, reMarkable has taken a limitation and turned it into a benefit, giving you colors with a large dose of restraint. And you don’t need your retinas burning inside out if you’re trying to organize your thoughts before a big meeting. Although, having been spoiled by so many well-made displays lately, I do wish the colors popped a little more than they do.
The Paper Pro is the first reMarkable with a front light, finally making it possible to work in dark environments. Solberg explained that the front light was one of the most difficult challenges to build without compromising the distance between the pen tip and the screen. He said the team was determined to keep the distance between the pen and the screen under a millimetre, and they achieved that.
The previous two tablets had active displays but passive styli, but the Paper Pro also has an active stylus similar to the Apple Pencil. It will charge while magnetically attached to the side of the bezel, and the new components help improve accuracy and latency. Solberg said the reMarkable 2 had an input latency of 22ms, and that he had targeted 15ms for this model. He was proud to say the team exceeded that goal, with the Paper Pro’s latency reduced to just 12ms.
And yet, for all the major changes, the really appealing feature is the added responsiveness. The rM2 was no slouch, but the faster input really helps sell the idea that you're sketching out ideas on paper. You can always give the company credit for taking care of the details, too, like the fact that you can add a highlight or handwritten annotation to typed text that will follow the text as you edit it.
The company is releasing a new Type Folio to accompany the Paper Pro, which, like its original model, is larger and has backlit keys. I have to admit that I was one of the few reviewers who loved the previous model and felt that it made the right compromises to keep its size small. The new model is able to take advantage of the extra space to offer better spacing and a palm rest. It's basically the same keyboard as before, and I found it fairly easy to work on for long periods of time.
I’m also impressed by reMarkable’s commitment to making the Paper Pro easier to repair and refurbish than previous models. Solberg explained that the Paper Pro is much more modular under the hood, with easily swappable components. He ruled out end-user repairs, but said the only adhesive used on the chassis is two replaceable strips of glue to hold the battery in place. Repairs would likely have to be done at reMarkable’s headquarters or a partner dealer, but the fact that it was designed with long-term repair in mind is commendable.
reMarkable Paper Pro is available to order today at reMarkable Website and The best buyThe reMarkable 2 is priced at $579 for the standard Marker and $629 for the Marker Plus. If you want to add a case — and I highly recommend you do — it'll cost you between $89 and $179, depending on the material you choose. And if you want to add the Type Folio, you'll have to shell out an additional $229. The reMarkable 2 remains a lower-cost option (not surprising, since it's a really good piece of kit) and will now be available with the standard Marker for $379.
Of course, you and your wallet will have to decide if that's the amount of money you can afford to pay, especially in these trying times. With a product like this, the intentional choices and limits that are made mean that it will always come out poorly in a direct comparison to a similarly priced iPad. The trick is to determine if you'll be more productive with less mental and physical clutter in your computing environment and go from there. I've found that, when I have a lot of work to do and need to focus, it's a better way to finish first drafts than other devices I could name.
Update, September 6, 4:43 p.m. ET: This story was updated after its original publication to include a comparison with competing writing tablets with color displays.
