I often find It’s very difficult to write on my computer. As soon as I get comfortable and let my creativity flow… ring! A notification arrives from Slack. Okay, I’ll take two seconds to address this first.Minutes later, I’ll feel the need to check my inbox. Oh wow, six urgent emailsTwo hours later, I may have written a single word on my page. That usually takes me an entire night of writing. Repeat.
The ReMarkable 2 has been a balm in this process. This e-paper tablet with a convenient stylus is an excellent digital notepad (it mimics paper and pen much better than many other devices) and the Keyboard accessory It has become a great way to write stories without distractions. You can write notes, draw sketches, mark up PDFs, and organize all these documents into folders. Five years after the launch of that tablet, the company is introducing a new product called ReMarkable Pro PaperImprove your notebook experience while prioritizing that distraction-free spirit.
“We invented the category,” says Mats Herding Solberg, head of product management at the Norwegian company. “We literally focus on focus and making a single product that is really good in the vertical segments that we think are important. We don’t want to be the company that expands its offering too much and tries to add too many extra features.”
Paper trail
Photography: Julian Chokkattu
ReMarkable’s Paper Pro isn’t strictly a successor to the ReMarkable 2. Think of it as the “Pro” version of the iPhone that aligns with the standard model. It has some nice upgrades at a higher price point, starting at $579, but you can stick with the older $399 model if you don’t need the new features; it’s not going away anytime soon.
So what’s new? The biggest highlight is color. At CES 2024, E Ink (the company that makes many of the e-paper displays found in Kindles and the like) showed off more devices than ever before that use E Ink color technology. That list now includes the new ReMarkable Paper Pro, though Solberg says ReMarkable has been doing a lot of work on top of E Ink’s technology to hone the color experience. The custom “Canvas Color” display stack is made up of physical color particles that move across the screen to display specific colors, rather than a separate filter over the black-and-white display. Solberg says this should better replicate the real-life feel of “color on paper.”
Don’t expect bright, vivid colors like the ones you see on your smartphone screen. These shades are still subdued, and you can only choose from nine colors (from magenta to cyan), but you can combine and layer them, which can create even more color options.
Photography: Julian Chokkattu
It is also new one front light Backlight system. This is different than the typical backlight on phone screens. Instead, a front light angles the light source down onto the tablet screen so that it reflects into your eyes. This is a design that has become pretty standard over the years in the world of e-paper devices. The ReMarkable 2 only reflects ambient light, making it difficult to see the screen in a dark room. This isn’t an issue with the Paper Pro. You can adjust the brightness of the light, though it still won’t get too bright on your eyes. Just enough so that you can use it in low-light conditions.
The Paper Pro has a larger 11.8-inch screen, meaning none of the older accessories for the ReMarkable 2 will work on this unit. That’s why there are a variety of Folio covers ($89 and up) at launch to support the new device, along with a Folio case ($229) which adds a keyboard. Even the stylus has been rebuilt. Marker/Marker Plus They’re active styluses, so they need to be charged—simply place them on the edge of the Paper Pro, where they’ll attach magnetically and begin charging wirelessly.
