Onyx Boox Note Air4 C Review: This Color E-Reader Thinks Its An iPad Alternative

Many people don't give a second look at e-paper tablets, simply looking at them as a glorified e-book reader with subpar graphics processing performance and limited usability. But what if you could pair an e-reader's amazing battery life and distraction-free operation with the flexibility and power of an Android tablet?

This is exactly what Onyx Boox did with the Note Air4 C. Aside from giving it a color screen and a backlight for use in the dark, it also added several features that make it far more useful than the average e-book reader. This evolves the Note Air4 C from a leisure or studying device meant for consuming written text into a focused, light productivity machine perfect for writing and analyzing your thoughts.

So, what exactly can the Note Air4 C do? Onyx Boox provided me with the Note Air4 C so we could see what this mainstream color e-paper tablet is truly capable of.

The biggest thing that stands out with the Onyx Boox Note Air4 C is its slim and sleek profile. It's thinner than my iPhone and Samsung phone, even when it's wrapped in its leather case, and weighs about the same as an iPad 11. This means I can easily slip it into my bag next to my laptop and notebook, and I wouldn't even feel the difference.

I also love its matte body and screen, making it easy to hold while reducing smudges from my fingerprints. The package includes a magnetic case that doubles as a stand, allowing you to prop the device in landscape or portrait, making it easy to use hands-free. It also comes with a stylus and several replacement tips for sketching, note-taking, and even signing documents.

More importantly, its e-paper screen will save you a lot of power. Even if you use it as a photo frame and leave the display turned on, it can last around half a month on a single charge. Of course, battery life will significantly fall if you turn on features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and the backlight, but it's still much longer than what you would get on a traditional display-toting tablet or smartphone.

One of the outstanding features of the Note Air4 C is its 10.3-inch color screen and backlight. Of course, we can't compare the e-paper display with the typical tablet, like the iPad, as it can only produce 4,096 colors (according to Onyx) (compared to the iPad 11's millions), but it's more than enough for you to appreciate graphics and images found in the books you read.

It also has excellent resolution; the tablet displays color images at 150 PPI, which should be good enough for most uses. But if you view black and white content, the resolution jumps to 300 PPI, making it sharper than the base iPad 11's 264 PPI resolution.

The Note Air4 C's backlight is one of its standout features. You can adjust easily from dim to bright, allowing you to comfortably use the tablet even in complete darkness. Its color temperature is also adjustable, so you can set it to cool when you're focused and working, warm when you're relaxing and in bed, with plenty of flexibility in between.

Aside from its e-reader capabilities, this e-paper tablet also stands out as a sketching and note-taking device. Its matte screen makes it feel like you're writing on paper, not on a glossy, slippery screen typically used on other tablets. So, whether you're an avid note-taker, an artist, or just prefer writing your hands instead of typing with your fingers, you'll love the screen and stylus combination of the Note Air4 C.

This tablet comes with its own Notes app that lets you export everything you create on it as a PDF or PNG. But if you prefer working across multiple devices, you can also install third-party apps, like OneNote or Evernote, on the e-paper tablet because of its Android-based operating system. This means that all your existing notes will be conveniently synced with the tablet, ensuring you don't have to go through the painstaking process of manually transferring everything you wrote before.

As noted earlier, the Onyx Boox Note Air4 C uses an Android-based operating system, meaning it comes with the Google Play Store. This gives you access to millions of apps, making it useful as a productivity machine.

Aside from note-taking apps, I also installed apps like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and even Google Sheets, allowing me to get work done on the e-paper tablet. I was also able to install Spotify on it, so I can get lost in the music while getting things done.

The Note Air4 C comes with several hardware productivity features, as well. Its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity options let you pair it to your wireless network and Bluetooth devices. For example, I paired my Magic Keyboard with the e-paper tablet, so I can easily bring these two things around and write when I feel like it — anytime, anywhere. It also comes with a microSD slot, allowing you to expand its storage, and its USB-C port is useful for attaching accessories, like an external drive.

Despite that, you must understand that the Note Air4 C still isn't as powerful as even the most basic iPad. Its Android operating system will let you accomplish some things the tablet's display technology isn't designed for, like watching YouTube videos, but the experience will definitely be subpar.

The e-paper display's refresh rate also isn't as smooth as it is with any given iPad (shown above: iPad Air). While you can customize its refresh rate to make browsing easier, it can never compare to the 60 Hz you'll get even with the base iPad. I also tried running a couple of benchmark apps on it, and both failed, but that's understandable.

If that is a deal-breaker for you, then this isn't the device for you. After all, this is focused more on lighter tasks, like reading, note-taking, and basic productivity. Installing more powerful hardware will certainly hurt its battery life and take away from its core audience — those who are looking for a device that will allow them to get things done while cutting down on distractions.

The Onyx Boox Note Air4 C is a great e-paper tablet for those looking for an iPad substitute that will help you focus on doing what you want, like reading or writing. It comes at a price, though, as the standard bundle costs approximately $530 on the Boox website. This already includes the e-paper tablet and the stylus, plus the magnetic case and spare stylus tips.

This seems pricey, though, as you can get a base iPad 11 with 128 GB of storage and an Apple Pencil (1st generation) for approximately $448. If you add the official Apple iPad Smart Folio Case, you're adding $79 to the total — that's $527. Aside from that, it's far more capable than the Note Air4 C (if we're talking about traditional tablet computing wants/needs), while giving you a more vibrant and slightly larger screen.

However, that's not what you're paying for with the Onyx Boox Note Air4 C. This e-paper tablet is designed for those who are looking to cut down on unnecessary noise and focus on what they want to achieve in their life. And, of course, it'll allow you to read all manner of books (colorful books included) with aplomb. If this device will help you reach your goals, then it's definitely worth the investment that you'll make.