The latest reMarkable digital notebook, the paper pure, promises to be the company's most affordable yet, with an improved display, faster performance, and longer battery life. But does it deliver on the promise of a distraction-free writing experience?
Design and Build
The reMarkable paper pure replaces the reMarkable 2, offering a sleeker design with a white frame that matches the display, creating a more immersive look. It is more compact at 228mm tall (down from 246mm) and weighs 360g, 43g lighter than its predecessor. The device is slightly thicker to accommodate a larger 3,820mAh battery, but it still feels thin and comfortable in hand. Storage has been increased from 8GB to 32GB.
Display and Writing Experience
The 10.3-inch Canvas display is the crispest and whitest reMarkable has produced, according to the company. The matte finish provides a slight resistance that mimics writing on paper, making the experience feel natural and controlled. The stylus, included with the device, offers multiple tools like ballpoint, pencil, paintbrush, and highlighter. The paper pure lacks a front light, so ambient light is required, but this also means no eye strain from direct light.
Performance and Battery Life
Performance is noticeably faster than the reMarkable 2, with reduced latency for writing and gesture recognition. Battery life is rated at nearly three weeks, and in testing, the device held its charge remarkably well. The E-ink display only consumes power when refreshing, contributing to the long battery life.
Software and Features
The distraction-free interface has a learning curve but becomes intuitive. Handwriting-to-text conversion works well, with corrections possible via an onscreen keyboard. Advanced features like handwriting search and unlimited cloud storage require a subscription at £39 per year or £3.99 per month. The device supports PDF and ePUB files, and documents can be mirrored online for collaboration.
Price and Verdict
At £359, the reMarkable paper pure is the most affordable model in the range, undercutting the reMarkable 2's £389 price. It offers a focused, efficient note-taking experience that is hard to match on a regular tablet. While the lack of a reading light and colour display may be drawbacks for some, the paper pure excels at its core purpose. It earns a solid 8/10.
