What a difference an inch makes.
This was my first thought when using the Paper Pure, the new entry-level e-ink tablet from Remarkable. I’ve thought it several times since, especially when I found myself choosing the Pure for my daily journal, even when its pricier siblings were right there.
Remarkable, the Norwegian e-ink tablet maker, is known for its A4-sized Remarkable Paper Pro (starting at $579) and the notebook-sized Remarkable Paper Pro Move. Until now, they offered the $399 Remarkable 2 (released in 2020) as their entry-level option. In some ways, the Paper Pure is just a Remarkable 2 with a fresh look.
The screen is 11 inches, identical to the Remarkable 2. Like the Remarkable 2, the Pure lacks a backlight or color e-ink (if you need these features, check out our reviews on the Paper Pro, Paper Pro Move, or Kindle Colorsoft Scribe).
The included Marker stylus for the $399 price is the improved version from the Paper Pro models. You can pay $40 extra for a Marker Plus with a physical eraser, part of a bundle with a Sleeve Folio. But if that’s important to you, you might prefer a more expensive e-ink tablet.
If latency matters to you (the time between the stylus touching the screen and ink appearing), the Paper Pure is slightly slower than the pricier models — 21 milliseconds compared to 12 milliseconds on the Paper Pro models.
The Paper Pure feels lighter than air
What the Paper Pure lacks in features, it makes up for in usability. If you’re new to e-ink tablets — the paper-like, sunlight-friendly notepads — the Pure is a great starting point. Power users who can afford both may prefer to take the Pure on the go and keep a Pro at home.
Usability partly comes from the weight difference. The Paper Pure weighs 360 grams (0.79 lbs), 44 grams (1.55 ounces) lighter than the Remarkable 2, even though the Remarkable 2 is slightly slimmer. Does that matter? Absolutely, and your wrist will thank you. You’ll notice no tendon tension when holding a Pure, unlike regular tablets. For comparison, the 11-inch iPad Air weighs 1.02 lbs (462g). The Paper Pure truly deserves the “air” descriptor.
You don’t sacrifice much in performance. The new e-ink tablet has double the RAM and four times the storage of its predecessor (2GB and 32GB, respectively).
Remarkable achieved this lightness primarily by using plastic instead of brushed aluminum for the back. The Paper Pure’s plastic back doesn’t feel cheap; it feels inviting. The metal backs on the Remarkable 2 and Paper Pro feel cold, while the Pure is more like room temperature.
More weight was shed by omitting a keyboard connector for the Folio, an optional extra for the Remarkable 2. This isn’t a major loss; I’ve rarely used the Folio for long. Typing isn’t the focus of an e-ink tablet; handwriting