Luxury paper notebooks from brands like Smythson and Moleskine are facing stiff competition from a sleek digital rival this Black Friday. The reMarkable 2, a popular e-ink notepad, has received a rare price cut as part of the 2025 sales event, offering a chance to own a high-end gadget designed to mimic the authentic feel of pen on paper.
What Makes The reMarkable 2 Special?
Much like a Kindle enhances reading, the reMarkable 2 focuses entirely on writing and sketching. Its matte display eliminates screen glare, creating a realistic surface for the included marker tip pen. The device has won praise from The Independent's tech expert, Steve Hogarty, who reviewed it extensively.
"For truly distraction-free notetaking, the reMarkable 2 is a dedicated and accomplished digital notebook," Hogarty said. He highlighted its slim, lightweight design and minimalist interface, noting it deliberately lacks features like a web browser or app store to keep users focused on their work.
Features and Full Price Reality
The device isn't just for simple notes. Users can create separate notebooks, organise them into folders, and choose from templates including ruled paper, graph paper, and to-do lists. It allows for signing PDFs, solving crosswords, and offers effectively infinite writing space. Notes and doodles can be exported as PDFs easily.
However, this premium experience comes at a cost. At full price, the complete bundle including a keyboard folio case can exceed £600, a significant investment. This makes the Black Friday discount a notable opportunity for those who have been considering the device.
Black Friday Bundle Savings
The Black Friday deal includes the reMarkable 2 tablet, the type folio keyboard case for typing notes, a USB cable, and nine replacement marker tips. Hogarty described it as a "real statement gadget" and an "executive toy for serious notetakers" that is sure to draw attention in meetings.
He concluded: "For those seeking a distraction-free writing experience and who value the feel of pen on paper, it’s a compelling proposition as well as a beautiful piece of technology." While expensive, the Black Friday sale provides a welcome reduction on the bundle, making this dedicated digital notepad more accessible to purists who prefer writing to typing.
