I've tested dozens of E Ink tablets, but this Android checks the most boxes for me

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Boox Note Air5 C is disposable for $530.
• It has an improved pen and penning experience, and is faster with little ghosting.
• The AI features aren't that useful, and the magnetic pen placement is simply a plan flaw.

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There's thing similar laying retired a caller planner with to-do lists and goals astatine the commencement of a caller year. In the past, I would bargain a caller planner each year, but would yet wantonness filling it retired by April.  

For maine to instrumentality with a planner for the full year, it has to connection afloat customizable note-taking features and fto maine interruption down my priorities. Well, I deliberation I've yet cracked the codification to the cleanable planner. 

Also: I wasn't looking to regenerate my Kindle, but this Android e-reader made it easy

The latest Boox Note Air5 C is an e-ink tablet that allows you to make leafage aft leafage of notes and templates successful 1 azygous device, each optimized with features similar AI-powered Smart Scribe tools powered by Android 15. 

Digital insubstantial tablets are getting much and much attraction with brands similar Kindle and ReMarkable, and there's adjacent probe to backmost up why. According to a 2025 study, participants who worked connected integer insubstantial tablets had 35% little accent levels portion completing their tasks, arsenic good arsenic a 30% simplification successful cognitive load, compared to those who worked connected computers. 

What makes this peculiar Boox integer insubstantial tablet basal retired from older models is however it writes. I americium a pen-to-paper person, and the operation of the Pen3 stylus and this tablet's surface makes it a existent paperlike penning experience. That's due to the fact that the pen has an improved aboveground texture with 4,096 unit levels and ultra-low latency, truthful it feels similar you are penning connected existent insubstantial with a existent ballpoint pen.

Also: The champion integer notebooks you tin buy

However, for those who similar typing implicit writing, oregon who whitethorn person messier handwriting, you tin get an attachable keyboard screen for adjacent easier note-taking (sold separately for $110). 

Aside from the note-taking facet of the Boox Note Air5 C, it is simply a productivity machine. The side-by-side diagnostic isn't thing new, but the Android 15 makes it faster and easier to navigate backmost and distant betwixt antithetic apps than different Boox products I've tested. 

Allison Murray/ZDNET

Going backmost to the note-taking aspect, the tablet offers customizable features specified arsenic color-coding, inserting links and attachments into notes, layers, aggregate notebooks, an infinity canvas, tags/flags, etc., making it perfect for conceptual enactment and journaling oregon research. 

For the caller year, I similar to marque a batch of lists, and I was capable to marque regular and play to-do lists, goals, calendars, a database of location projects, and a play market buying database each successful this 1 device, customizable to precisely however I similar my lists, alternatively of a planner that has constricted pages and acceptable retired leafage types that mightiness not travel with however you make and organize. 

Also: I tested the ReMarkable Paper Pro, and can't spell backmost to 'real' insubstantial - particularly astatine this price

In presumption of improvements from erstwhile generations, determination is simply a batch little e-ink ghosting successful the Note Air5 C compared to different Boox Notes I've tested. It's besides incredibly faster, particularly portion web browsing oregon utilizing apps similar Pinterest. 

I have, connected occasion, utilized the Boox Note Air5 C arsenic an e-reader by downloading the Kindle app, but it tin beryllium a small excessively large and cumbersome to hold. However, I've recovered speechmaking magazines connected the Note Air 5 C is amended suited, acknowledgment to the 10.3-inch Kaleido 3 colour show and the ample surface size.

Also: The champion tablets for note-taking

AI is, unsurprisingly, 1 of the device's astir advertised features, but it leaves overmuch to beryllium desired. While you tin usage it for substance recognition, to auto-perfect shapes, and to inquire questions, I deliberation it would beryllium acold much utile to inquire the AI specifics, for illustration to "create a to-do database based connected my January calendar." For now, the AI tasks are inactive precise basic, and I didn't usage them overmuch during my testing. 

In addition, the astir unafraid magnetic attachment constituent for the pencil causes it to overlap with the measurement down button, and pressing connected it, which, if your settings aren't acceptable conscionable right, tin extremity up adding 80+ pages to your notebook accidentally (this happened to maine galore times earlier I figured retired why). 

ZDNET's buying advice

Boox has go a standout marque for note-taking tablets, and the Note Air5 C is my caller favourite model. Its colour surface is agleam and snappy, and the included pen feels similar a premium experience. Although it comes with a precocious terms for a note-taking tablet astatine $530, it's inactive $150 cheaper than rival colour e-ink devices similar the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and the ReMarkable Paper Pro. 

If note-taking is simply a precedence for you successful the caller year, I urge the Boox Note Air5 C to beryllium your go-to device. If you don't attraction astir the colour show oregon the attachable keyboard, however, the Boox Note Go 10.3 is different large enactment for $410.