• The reMarkable Paper Pro doesn't come with Android installed, but a YouTuber fixed that
• The port isn't perfect, but solves several flaws with the ereader
• The YouTuber wants to release a more accessible Android 13 port

We adored the reMarkable Paper Pro when we first reviewed it back in 2024. The “elegant writing tablet” combines a large color e-ink display with speedy writing response, and a distraction-free operating system to create a package that seriously delivers. Though we found it often lacks more features than it boasts.

This is a downside of its proprietary Linux-based OS. It keeps distractions low so you can focus on writing, but means there’s a lot of essential apps without ports for this tablet. The solution, as YouTuber Chalid Raqami found, is to simply install Android yourself.

Running Android 13 on the reMarkable Paper Pro comes with a slew of major benefits. It can support third-party Bluetooth keyboards instead of the pricey official keyboard folio, run apps like Kindle and Microsoft OneNote (with support for the stylus) and, perhaps best of all, the ability to swap between Android 13 and the original OS at the press of a button.

Though getting Android to work on the tablet wasn’t quite as simple at first.

The biggest trouble is the tablet’s measly 2GB of RAM and meager four-core processor. Raqami says he spent a lot of time optimizing his build to make it less frustratingly slow, getting it to a point where the tablet could comfortably run one Android app at a time.

Imperfect, but beautiful

Though as you can see from the video and Raqami himself admits, the user experience is far from optimized. Things are still somewhat laggy and a little glitchy at points (color popping in and out as you scroll through the Kindle library) — certainly not as stable as you’d expect from an official Android release — but that’s the cost of trying to retrofit a system that was never meant to run this OS.

The flipside is you get a much more capable tablet in terms of the apps it can attempt to run, and that might make you wish you could install Android 13 on the Paper Pro yourself.

Well, if you’re willing to recreate Raqami’s work, you can get started right away. For everyone else, he says he’s trying to release a version of the port himself as a simpler install package, though for various reasons he says it’ll be a little while until the package is polished enough for general release.

In the meantime, he says some early testers may be able to help him fine-tune the Android port by trying it before launch, though again you’ll need to stay tuned for if/when that becomes a possibility.

Alternatively, you could pick up the Onyx Boox Go 7. It isn’t full-color, but it is an impressive Android ebook reader that we really loved when we reviewed it earlier this year.

Best of all, it comes with full Android support already installed. No jerry-rigging required.

In our experience, Lenovo's Idea Tab line is a strong contender when it comes to the top budget tablets for business professionals and students. And I've just found a configuration that bundles in the Tab Pen and a folio case alongside the Lenovo Idea Tab for $200 (was $275) at Amazon.

This commuter-friendly 11-in tablet features an 11-inch 2.5K IPS display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chip, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, specs that land solidly ahead of what most tablets in this price range offer.

Why we recommend it

What makes this configuration stand out for both students and business use is what's already in the box. A lot of budget tablets charge separately for a stylus and a case, and here both are included at a price that's already discounted.

For students taking notes in lecture or annotating PDFs, and for anyone using a tablet to jot down meeting notes or sign documents on the go, having the pen ready out of the box removes a real friction point.

The 2.5K resolution and 90Hz refresh rate are also worth calling out at this price. Most tablets under $250 top out at 1080p and 60Hz, so scrolling, reading dense text, and general day-to-day use should feel noticeably smoother here than on comparably priced competitors.

Also consider

Price Context & Historical Value

A $74.14 discount off $274.13 works out to about 27 percent, one of the larger cuts in this roundup. Since a pen and folio case would typically add $30-$50 to a tablet purchase if bought separately, the effective value here is higher than the percentage discount alone suggests. It's not the cheapest it's ever been, with it dropping to $170 during the Black Friday 2025, but it's generally closer to the $250-$300 mark throughout most of the year.

Avoid the cheaper 4GB model, which is discounted to $150 at Amazon right now. The 8GB version will deliver smoother performance. However, if you want even better performance, the Lenovo Idea Pad Pro is down to $300, and we called this one "a great value iPad alterative" in our review.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Lenovo Idea Tab if...

You want a tablet for note-taking during lectures or meetings without paying extra for a stylus and case, you split time between school or work tasks and media, or you want a 90Hz display at a price well under most competing tablets with a pen included.

❌ Skip the Lenovo Idea Tab if...

You need a specific ecosystem for work like iPadOS or Windows apps, you're doing heavier creative or productivity work that benefits from a faster flagship chip, or you want a tablet with built-in cellular connectivity.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

We haven't reviewed this specific tablet hands-on, so this recommendation leans on Lenovo's general track record with budget and mid-range tablets rather than direct testing. It also runs on a mid-range MediaTek chip rather than a flagship processor, so it's built for everyday tasks, note-taking, and media rather than demanding multitasking or gaming.

• Choose from Amazon's current tablet deals.

RedMagic Astra 2: Two-minute review

Having conquered the gaming phone space by outlasting the competition, RedMagic has decided to take its RGB-lit fight to the tablet market.

The RedMagic Astra 2 is the company’s third globally available gaming tablet, and the second in a row to adopt a more compact iPad Mini-like form factor.

Like its immediate predecessor (and indeed its phones), the RedMagic Astra 2 offers flagship performance at a mid-market price. Thanks to the combination of a top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and a new liquid cooling system — the first of its kind in a tablet — it offers range-topping sustained performance.

The Astra 2’s 9.06-inch OLED display doesn’t offer the most expansive gaming canvas, but it still covers an awful lot of bases. It’s sufficiently portable, nice and punchy, plenty sharp enough, and it gets to a scorching 185Hz in the few games that support it.

Other gamer-friendly improvements include a slightly lighter body and a fractionally larger battery, together with zippy 75W wired charging. The provision of a second USB-C port is another benefit for those looking to indulge in extended gaming sessions.

RedMagic’s software offering is as unlovable as ever, though its Game Space UI offers a unique window onto the mobile gaming world. It’s ideal for those who like to tweak and optimize their games to the nth degree.

The main trouble here is a decidedly 2026 one. The Astra 2’s price has increased dramatically, so much so that it's now within range of Apple’s mighty iPad Air (2026) and several classy Android tablets.

For all-round gaming chops, however, there’s no other tablet that can quite match it.

RedMagic Astra 2 review: price and availability

• Global availability from August 2026
• From $749 / £599
• Much more expensive than before

The RedMagic Astra 2 begins shipping on August 26, with availability confirmed for the US, UK, Australia, and much of Europe, among other territories.

You can pre-order it now from the official RedMagic website.

While it isn’t among the more expensive tablets on the market, the RedMagic Astra 2 has received a rather alarming price increase. Doubtless prompted by the current AI-driven RAM shortage, the new tablet starts at $749 / £599 for a model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage (when asked for Australian pricing, RedMagic quoted that 'global' $749 figure).

That’s a price bump of $200 / £160, or around 36%, over last year’s RedMagic Astra, which is a little hard to stomach given that the Astra 2 only really offers the expected level of annual spec upgrades. You can also opt to double your storage and increase the RAM to 16GB at a cost of $849 / £679.

Still, while price hikes are never welcome, they are understandable at this point in 2026. Besides, the RedMagic Astra 2 remains a unique value proposition. You won’t find another tablet with this level of performance combined with a super-fluid OLED display for this sort of money.

• Value score: 4 / 5

RedMagic Astra 2 review: specs

RedMagic Astra 2 review: design

• Solid metal construction with IP54
• Visible liquid cooling system
• 207.1 x 134.2 x 6.9mm
• Weighs 363g

RedMagic has been far more reserved with its tablet design than it has with its gaudy gaming smartphones.

This is a neat, relatively trim mini-tablet with a solid aluminium body in Eclipse (black) or Starfrost (white). It measures just 6.9mm thick, and weighs a reasonable 363g — so it's a tad lighter than its predecessor. It still feels substantial, but proves quite manageable.

The brand’s gaming aesthetic can be glimpsed through the strip of glass on the rear of the tablet. It’s here that you’ll find a faux transparent section purporting to show some of the tablet’s innards, together with Snapdragon chip branding and an exhortation to “Win More Games”. Thanks — I'm trying.

Out, on this occasion, goes the visible cooling fan of the RedMagic Astra. In its place is a visible manifestation of the brand’s new liquid cooling system. Like the RedMagic 11S Pro, this presents as a bunch of white globules snaking along a path that’s illuminated (in a color of your choosing) by RGB lighting.

While the effect isn’t quite as effective here as it is in the company’s latest flagship phone, it remains pretty cool (no pun intended) without looking too tacky.

Another new inclusion this year is a second USB-C port on the longer edge of the tablet. This makes for a much more comfortable experience when playing while charging, as dedicated gamers are wont to do.

I continue to find it a bit of an odd omission that there’s no Nintendo Switch 2-style kickstand here — especially as the lack of capacitive air triggers (as found on RedMagic’s phones) indicates that this device is intended to be used with a Bluetooth controller.

The drop in size from the original RedMagic Nova tablet has seen that device’s quad speakers jettisoned in favor of a dual set, though the output is perfectly loud and clear, and there’s DTS:X Ultra support. I have an issue with the placement of these speakers, however, as they’re too easy to block when playing landscape gaming content — which is surely the whole point of the exercise.

I’m not hugely fond of the tablet’s haptic motor either, which feels flabby and rattly rather than the tight, controlled pulses of more expensive devices.

• Design score: 3.5 / 5

RedMagic Astra 2 review: display

• 9.06-inch OLED with 2.4K resolution
• Speedy 185Hz refresh rate
• 1,600-nit peak brightness

The RedMagic Astra 2 uses the same 9.06-inch display size as its predecessor, which makes it more of a mini-tablet than the 10.9-inch RedMagic Nova Tablet.

Forget about the size difference, though, because this is a much better screen than the Nova’s. It’s an OLED display, which brings the benefits of proper HDR implementation, vibrant colors, and perfect black reproduction.

There’s a sharp 2,400 x 1,504 (2.4K) resolution, and RedMagic has bumped the maximum refresh rate even higher from 165Hz to 185Hz. True, this is something of a gimmick given that the vast majority of games won’t make the most of it, but if ever there’s an excuse to ramp things up, it’s with a gaming tablet.

Thankfully, if there is a game that runs at such elevated frame rates, the RedMagic Astra 2 is potent enough to capitalize. More on that in a moment.

Brightness levels are good, with a maximum full-screen brightness of 1,100 nits in high brightness mode and 1,800 nits of peak brightness in HDR situations.

Hardcore competitive gamers might grumble about the 16:10 aspect ratio that RedMagic has selected, as it’s arguably not optimal for landscape action games.

Those with more rounded tastes will appreciate that it still looks good with traditional landscape games — especially those of a more tactical nature — and also works nicely when scrolling through web content in portrait view; Android tablets with wider screens don't give you the same versatility.

Interestingly, the Astra 2's display is coated in Gorilla Glass 3, which is a pretty old material at this point, having launched all the way back in 2013.

• Display score: 4 / 5

RedMagic Astra 2 review: Performance & camera

• Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset
• 12GB or 16GB RAM
• 256GB or 512GB storage
• 13MP rear camera and 9MP front-facing

RedMagic has equipped its new gaming tablet with exactly the same Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 chip as its latest gaming phone, the RedMagic 11S Pro.

This remains the fastest chip on the market for any Android device. Combined with either 12 or 16GB of RAM (there’s no 24GB option this year), it makes for extremely strong performance.

This is aided by an all-new cooling system, which is the first of its kind in a widely available tablet. As we’ve already discussed in the Design section, RedMagic has replaced its usual physical cooling fan with a liquid system.

Much like the previous fan-driven approach, this liquid system serves to enable the RedMagic Astra 2 to run demanding games smoothly for longer. When normal tablets run hot — as they invariably do after a short while playing games — they throttle back, reducing clock speeds and thus diminishing performance. That effect is mitigated here.

Running 3DMark’s demanding Solar Bar Extreme Stress Test, which conducts 20 consecutive minute-long GPU workouts, the Astra 2 scored an impressive 99%. This means that the best GPU loop test was nigh-on identical to the worst, indicating that it was running flat-out throughout.

As for the level of performance itself, it’s right near the top of the tablet pack. There aren’t all that many top-end tablets running on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, so the Astra 2 is just about the fastest tablet this side of an iPad Air or Pro.

It positively obliterates the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra and the Honor MagicPad 4, scoring 3725 in Geekbench single-core and 11,678 in multi-core.

Practically speaking, the Astra 2 will run Destiny: Rising smoothly at either High Rendering Quality and Ultra Frame Rate (120fps) or Ultra RQ/High FR (60fps).

There’s just a solitary 13MP camera on the rear and a 9MP camera on the front. It should surprise and dismay no one to learn that neither is very good, though the main camera will grab you a passable shot in good lighting.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

RedMagic Astra 2 review: software

• RedMagic OS 11.5 on Android 16
• Cluttered yet speedy UI
• Dedicated Game Space UI for gaming optimization

RedMagic OS 11.5 runs atop Android 16 on the Astra 2, and it’s precisely as charmless as I found it to be on the RedMagic 11S Pro smartphone.

RedMagic isn’t the only Android manufacturer that finds tinkering with Google’s powerful yet concise Android OS irresistible. They’re all at it.

I’ll even give the company credit for the progress it has made. No more is this UI filled to the brim with superfluous widgets, glitches, and examples of untranslated Chinese text. It’s reasonably well put together, with smooth-enough animations and logical menu layouts, and Google’s Feed is mercifully included to the left of the main home screen.

It’s far from a looker, however, and there’s plenty of bloatware. Booking.com, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, AliExpress, and several ropey games come preinstalled, whether you like it or not. RedMagic itself includes its own duplicate web browser, and there are dedicated app icons leading to yet more iffy app installations.

The highlight of RedMagic OS has always been the company’s Game Space UI. Flip the tactile red switch on the top edge of the tablet, and you’ll jump into a dedicated gaming UI.

Here you can add games, optimize performance levels on a game-by-game basis, block notifications, and even initiate plugins for selected titles. The latter include an AI coach that gives you tactical suggestions based on the live scenario, a resolution booster, visual audio indicators, and much more.

For the average user, none of this will be of any consequence whatsoever — it’s fiddly, technical, downright nerdy stuff. But this isn’t a tablet that’s been built for such average users. It’s for gamers seeking an edge in successive rounds of PUBG Mobile or Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

• Software score: 3 / 5

RedMagic Astra 2 review: battery

• 8,300mAh battery
• 75W wired charging

RedMagic has equipped its tablet with an 8,300mAh battery, which is fractionally larger than the cell inside the original Astra, though much smaller than the one powering the RedMagic Nova Tablet.

For a tablet of this size, 8,300mAh is plenty. For regular non-gaming use, you’ll be able to get through a full working day of constant use, or several days of more normal (i.e., infrequent) use before you need to charge.

Games will obviously sap that time more quickly, but you can still expect to play multiple hours of the most demanding games before the Astra 2 finally gives up the ghost.

When it comes time to recharge, the Astra 2 supports 75W wired charging. You won’t get such a provision in the box, but using a compatible Nubia charger, I was able to secure 65% charge in just 30 minutes, and a full charge in less than an hour.

The provision of that second USB-C port on the bottom edge of the device makes it comfortable to charge while you’re gaming or otherwise using the tablet in landscape orientation, too.

• Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the RedMagic Astra 2?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

RedMagic Astra 2 review: also consider

Want a reasonably priced yet powerful tablet? Check out these alternatives:

How I tested the RedMagic Astra 2

• Review test period = 3 weeks
• Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, photography, gaming, streaming video, music playback
• Tools used = Geekbench 6, 3DMark, native Android stats, Nubia 80W power adapter

First reviewed: July 2026

• Amazon has rolled out tougher DRM to the Kindle Oasis
• The same update has previously landed on most other Kindle models
• The company has also closed an airplane mode loophole for Libby loans

If you like reading Kindle books on other devices or borrowing digital library books using Libby, Amazon has just made some changes that you’re unlikely to be happy about.

First up, as reported by The eBook Reader, a software update has rolled out for the Kindle Oasis that adds a new hardened DRM (Digital Rights Management) to books on it, meaning that most DRM-removal tools will no longer work.

While we don’t condone piracy, there are legitimate reasons to want to remove DRM, such as reading the book on a non-Amazon ereader that doesn’t have access to the Kindle app.

And this isn’t the first or only Kindle to get this undesirable update — now, the only supported model that doesn’t have this new DRM is the Kindle Voyage, and it’s probably only a matter of time before that gets it too.

No more lengthy loans

The other change that Kindle users are unhappy with is that you can seemingly no longer keep a Libby book beyond its due date by turning airplane mode on. This was a handy workaround that gave you more time with a borrowed book, but now Reddit users report being prompted to turn Wi-Fi on to access their loans.

As these are digital loans, this workaround wasn’t really hurting anyone — the books would still be made available to other users after the loan period expired anyway; you’d just also still have a copy on your Kindle.

Unsurprisingly, the online reactions to these changes aren’t positive, with Reddit comments about the new DRM including the likes of “glad I switched to Kobo,” while of the Libby change, one commenter claimed it was “my biggest nightmare.”

If you’re affected by either of these issues, then there aren’t any easy solutions — other than potentially switching to another brand. In the case of the DRM, Kobo books currently use a version that’s easier to remove, but even on Kobo, the airplane mode loophole won’t work.

In June, Apple unfortunately had to raise prices on its MacBook and iPad lineups due to surging RAM and component costs. Ever since the price hike, discounts have been rare, which is why today's deal on Apple's 11-inch iPad Air is a welcome surprise.

The retailer has the 2026 iPad Air M4 on sale for $649 (originally $749), which is the lowest price we've seen since Apple's price increase. So while we've seen the iPad drop to $519.99 before, the base price is now $749, which is a whopping $150 more than its starting cost of $599.

• Shop more daily deals at Amazon

In our iPad Air M4 review, we called the tablet the iPad most people should buy, thanks to its performance and price. Released in March, it packs a powerful M4 processor that Apple claims is 30% faster than its predecessor, delivering laptop-like performance and powering Apple Intelligence. The tablet also features an 11-inch LED display, Wi-Fi 7 support, LTE or 5G connectivity, and now includes 12GB of RAM. You also get 12MP front and rear cameras, Touch ID, and all-day battery life.

Save $100 on Apple's iPad Air M4

Keep in mind that today's discount is the lowest price we've seen for the iPad Air M4 since the July price hikes. Below are more of today's best Apple deals from Amazon, including impressive discounts on AirPods, the Apple Watch, and the MacBook Neo.

More of today's best Apple deals at Amazon

The reMarkable line is some of the best e-ink handwriting tablets we've ever tested - our hardware editor uses his collection every day for taking digital notes. And right now, the 11.8in reMarkable Paper Pro is down to $699 (was $799) and 7.3in reMarkable Paper Pro Move now $469 (was $569) at Best Buy,

The full-size reMarkable Paper Pro includes the Marker Plus and Premium Leather Book Folio. Its 11.8-inch color display gives you plenty of room for handwritten notes, PDFs, sketches and ebooks, making it the better choice if you mainly work at a desk or want the closest thing to a large digital notebook.

The reMarkable Paper Pro Move drops from $569 to $469 and also includes the Marker Plus, along with a Mosaic Weave Book Folio. Its 7.3-inch Canvas Color e-ink display fits into a device smaller than a paperback, so this is the one to choose if you want something you can easily carry with you.

Why we recommend it

Both devices solve the same problem in very different ways. In his four-star review of the Paper Pro, our expert Philip said: "This is a luxury tablet, so it’s the most expensive in its class, but it feels as premium as it looks, especially if you buy a nice Book Folio." He also called it an "incredibly well-built device, and it has a premium finish and design that is truly… impeccable."

In his five-star review of the Paper Pro Move, Philip said it was "the rare gadget that gives me exactly what I wished for, nothing more and nothing less." He went on to add that: "The reMarkable Paper Pro Move is a thin and very lightweight writing tablet that feels incredibly solid for its subtle heft. I had no trouble holding the tablet in the palm of my left hand and writing comfortably across the whole page with my right. Then I just tucked the tablet into the back pocket of my jeans."

Price context & historical value

Best Buy has slashed $100 off both models. The reMarkable Paper Pro drops from $799 to $699, while the Paper Pro Move falls from $569 to $469. We haven't seen either of these exact bundles sell for less.

The identical saving doesn't make them equally expensive, of course. The Move remains $230 cheaper and is the more accessible option if you mainly want handwritten notes on the go. The full-size Paper Pro costs considerably more, but you're paying for its much larger 11.8-inch display and much larger working area.

Which should you buy?

✅ Buy the reMarkable Paper Pro if...

You want the larger canvas. The 11.8-inch display gives you far more room for handwritten notes, detailed sketches and full-page PDFs, so it makes the most sense for creators, students and professionals who expect to spend long periods working on the device.

It's also the better option if you're trying to replace a conventional notebook or pad on your desk. The larger screen makes it easier to see more of a document at once.

✅ Buy the reMarkable Paper Pro Move if...

Portability matters more than screen size. At 7.3 inches and 8.16 ounces, the Paper Pro Move is much easier to carry around and is small enough to slip into a bag or even a large jacket pocket.

It still gives you handwriting-to-text conversion, searchable handwritten notes, cloud syncing and a paper-like color display and a two-week battery life.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

Neither of these should be treated as a conventional Android or iPad-style tablet. Their lack of apps and distractions is central to the appeal, but it also means they can't be used for tasks like video streaming, games, social media or apps.

The choice between them really comes down to screen size versus portability. If PDFs, sketches and large pages are important, the Paper Pro's bigger display is worth having. If you primarily take notes in meetings or while on the go, the Paper Pro Move is a better choice and much easier to carry.

• Shop the full 60th anniversary sale at Best Buy

With a new school year almost upon us, Apple has brought back its education offer on MacBooks and iPads, making it a smart time to buy if you're shopping for some new tech.

• View all offers at Apple's Education Store

On top of small savings on several of its most popular laptops and tablets, you can also get a gift card of up to £120 with your purchase. While that can't be used on the product you're buying, you can put it towards other extras you might want, such as AirPods, accessories such as the Apple Pencil, or software like Apple Creator Studio.

One important point: you need to be an eligible student, parent, educator, or homeschooler verified on Unidays to take advantage of the offer. Once that's all set up, though, you simply go through the checkout process at the Apple Store using the same email address to prove that you qualify for the discount.

You can check out all of the best deals I've found below.

5 best Apple Education Store deals

Amazon has discounted the 256GB Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra to AU$1,597, dropping it by AU$502 from its AU$2,099 RRP.

That's the same price Amazon is charging for the smaller 256GB Galaxy Tab S11, and AU$2 less than the AU$1,599 it costs direct from Samsung.

This isn’t quite the lowest price we’ve seen for the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra on Amazon, with the 256GB model briefly dropping to AU$1,547 in June.

Still, today’s AU$1,597 price is only AU$50 more, plus the 512GB model is down to AU$1,799 from the AU$2,449 RRP and the 1TB version has dropped from AU$2,949 to AU$2,299.

Amazon is the simpler option if you just want an easy purchase and fast delivery, but other retailers such as JB Hi-Fi also have the S11 Ultra for just a few dollars more.

Another option worth checking out is Samsung’s current trade-in offer, which could work out cheaper if you have an eligible tablet. Samsung is selling the 256GB Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra for AU$1,599 and, until 26 August, is adding a guaranteed AU$500 bonus credit on top of your device’s assessed trade-in value.

One catch – your old tablet must be eligible for Samsung’s trade-in program and retain an assessed value above AU$0.

But, I hear you ask, what makes the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra truly worth the rather large price tag?

In our Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review, we said we’d be “hard-pressed to find a bigger and better display on an Android tablet”. The 14.6-inch AMOLED screen earned a full 5/5 in our testing, with enough brightness for outdoor use, while the included S Pen and expansive display make it particularly well suited to watching movies, gaming and drawing.

Our reviewer also found Samsung’s One UI software made excellent use of the big screen for multitasking, with the tablet handling a video call, game and floating YouTube window at the same time without slowing down.

Battery life impressed too, lasting 11 hours while streaming 1080p video at full brightness, helping explain why the S11 Ultra remains our best premium Android tablet pick in our buying guide.

No tablet is perfect, and the main caveat for the S11 Ultra from our testing is the MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chipset, which we found disappointing considering the RRP is over AU$2,000.

Yes, it's a clear improvement over the Tab S10 Ultra and handles games well, but it falls well short of competitors like the M5 iPad Pro for outright processing power.

That said, while the current AU$502 discount does not fix the performance shortfall, at AU$1,597 rather than AU$2,099, it makes our review criticisms considerably easier to swallow. Especially when the closest equivalent iPad Pro is AU$2,599.

So overall, I think that at the current discount, the S11 Ultra is an easy recommendation for those who want the biggest possible screen for movies, games, drawing and multitasking.

• Virtual Mac on iPad gets macOS running on compatible iPads
• It requires a jailbroken tablet and specific versions of iPadOS
• Its many limitations mean I don’t think it’s worth the hassle

For years, people have been wondering if Apple is ever going to “merge” iPadOS and macOS into some unholy mutant operating system. While Apple has repeatedly and resoundingly denied that’s ever going to happen, one intrepid developer has taken it upon themselves to do the hard work instead. And while the result lets you run full-fat macOS on your iPad Pro or iPad Air, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone but the hardiest of souls.

Dubbed Virtual Mac on iPad, this GitHub project ports macOS onto Apple’s best iPads. That means it’s nothing like Apple’s Sidecar feature, which lets you use an iPad as a second display for a Mac. In the case of Sidecar, the Mac is doing all the processing. With Virtual Mac on iPad, however, it’s your iPad that’s actually running the operating system.

Unfortunately, getting that to actually happen is more than a little convoluted. You can’t even get started unless you’ve jailbroken your iPad, which means hacking it so it can run apps and systems not authorized by Apple. As well as that, the jailbroken iPad must be running iPadOS 16 to iPadOS 16.3.1 — nothing more, nothing less — in order to harness an exploit that was patched in subsequent editions. The requirements so far will probably be enough to put a lot of people off.

If you’ve persevered, you’ll need to add a specified repository to your device and install Virtual Mac on iPad from there. But you’ll need to be aware that even with macOS successfully set up, you won’t be able to log into your Apple Account — since you’re using a jailbroken device with an unofficial port of macOS, you’ll run into problems if you try to sign in, putting features like Find My and iCloud syncing out of reach.

Is it worth it?

Why would you go to all this effort to run macOS on your iPad? Well, there are a few reasons, including accessing Mac-only apps and getting a more portable platform to run macOS on.

But I certainly don’t think it’s a good idea. Apple’s iPadOS and macOS systems have been designed for very different use cases, and simply shoehorning a platform designed for a Mac onto an iPad isn’t a guarantee of success.

For one thing, macOS is made for large screens and input devices like mice and keyboards, while iPadOS works best on smaller screens operated by your fingers and thumbs. Sure, there’s some crossover — I’m aware that you can use mice and keyboards with an iPad, for example — but that doesn’t escape the fact that Virtual Mac on iPad puts the Mac’s operating system on a device it was never intended for.

As well as that, it requires a lot of effort for seemingly very small rewards. There are only a handful of cases where installing Virtual Mac on iPad is worthwhile, at least in my opinion: accessing apps like Xcode and Terminal that aren’t available in iPadOS, for example, or getting macOS on the most portable device possible.

But Apple’s best MacBooks are still lightweight and easy to carry around, and with a touchscreen MacBook Pro rumored to be just around the corner and Sidecar already a thing, the need for something like Virtual Mac on iPad feels limited. Is it worthwhile to go to all this trouble just for an ounce more portability? I’m sure it is for some people, but that number is likely to be vanishingly small.

At the end of the day, I know there will be some people for whom this is a welcome development. But its complicated installation process and limited use case just reinforce for me that Apple is absolutely right not to merge iPadOS and macOS. They’re meant to be separate, just as Apple intended.

• The InkLeaf is a notebook-like dual-screen ereader
• It opens like a book and lets you read on one screen while making notes on the other, using a stylus
• It's shipping to early buyers this month at a hefty discount

In recent years we’ve seen all sorts of e-paper innovations, from e-paper phones like the Hisense A10 to absolutely tiny ereaders like the Xteink X4 Pro, and now another unusual device is on the way, dubbed the InkLeaf.

This is a dual-screen ereader that folds open like a notebook. So the design is a bit like that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and other foldable phones, except it’s using E Ink for its displays, and it’s not using foldable screens.

Instead, you get a pair of 10.3-inch E Ink Carta displays, and an aluminum frame between them. That also means the screens are much bigger than on Samsung's foldable, putting each display more in line with a tablet.

The idea here is that you can hold and fold it like a notebook, and that, thanks to having two screens, you can read from one and take notes on the other. For example, you might have a textbook open on one display and note paper on the other — though you can also directly annotate whatever text you’re viewing too.

The InkLeaf, then, is designed primarily for work, study, and research, though given that it opens and folds like a book, it could also be appealing to read novels on for anyone who otherwise prefers hardbacks.

The InkLeaf is also just 4.2mm thick when open and 8.4mm thick when closed, so it’s no thicker than a notebook, and it weighs just 480g. Plus it has a speaker, microphones, 64GB of storage, and a battery that promises weeks of life per charge.

Unclear software and a high price

The InkLeaf runs Android under the hood, though it’s not clear what version of Android this is, or whether it includes access to the Google Play Store. It also supports PDF, EPUB, MOBI, TXT, and HTML files.

The InkLeaf comes with a stylus for all your note-taking needs, supporting 4096 levels of pressure, and this supposedly provides the friction of real paper, so it won’t feel like you’re writing on a screen.

And, of course, this being 2026, the InkLeaf also includes AI, allowing you to search for handwritten phrases across all of your notes, and with summaries and an outline assist planned post-launch.

At full price, this ereader isn’t cheap, with an MSRP of $999 (around £740 / AU$1,425), but you can reserve one now for delivery worldwide on InkLeaf's site for just $489 (roughly £365 / AU$700) — that’s the ‘founder price’, and requires paying a refundable $9.99 (approximately £7.50 / AU$14) deposit ahead of when it ships sometime this month.

As well as getting you a big discount, this is also an early access launch — following that, it will land on Kickstarter, with most units not shipping until 2027.

So if you want the InkLeaf early and affordably, you should reserve one soon. Of course, doing so comes with all the perils of being an early adopter, and means you won’t get a chance to read reviews before making a purchase decision.

I love reading — or at least that’s what I tell myself. In reality, I’ve always had a very on-and-off relationship with it, going from devouring books in days to barely opening one for weeks or months on end.

But one constant I’ve realized is that I don’t tend to prioritize reading — if there’s a show I’m binging, a new game I can’t stop thinking about, or simply lots of social engagements to attend, books will generally get put aside until I have more time on my hands.

But then something occurred to me — while I don’t always have long stretches of time that I’m happy to devote to reading, my days are full of short periods that aren’t being filled, like while I’m waiting in line or at a train station, or simply waiting for the kettle to boil. And then there are times when I’m on a train or in a cafe and might want to read, but don’t have a book with me as I travel light.

With all that in mind, back in late January, I bought the ViWoods AiPaper Reader — a pocket-sized Android ereader that’s small enough to carry with me everywhere alongside my phone — in the hopes that it would get me reading during periods that might otherwise be dedicated to podcasts or simply spent sitting or standing in slightly bored silence.

At the same time, I also had some hope that, since this ereader has full access to the Google Play Store, it might help cure my smartphone addiction — as doomscrolling was likely to be less desirable on an E Ink screen.

A tiny device that was a big reading success

Before buying the ViWoods AiPaper Reader, I hadn’t read much in a while — I had dozens of unread books on my Kindle Colorsoft and big stacks of physical books silently judging me. I might start one, but it wouldn’t stick — life would get in the way, or it wouldn’t immediately grab me enough to reach for it again.

But the ViWoods AiPaper Reader changed that. I loaded up the Kindle app on it and got in the habit of keeping it in my pocket, alongside my phone. Then, almost any time I would previously have switched on a podcast — such as when on a train or in small empty moments of my day — I’d reach for this instead.

It didn’t matter whether I had two minutes or two hours; I’d aim to read something, and because the AiPaper Reader was always in my pocket, there was no excuse not to. I didn’t even have to go to my shelves to grab a book.

It allowed me to build a consistent reading habit and make progress with books even on days when I didn’t have much time, or wasn’t massively in the mood to read. After all, reading a couple of pages while boiling the kettle is still better than nothing, and it all adds up. And best of all, because this device got me back into reading, I’m now more inclined to read my paperbacks than I have been for some time.

Was it all smooth sailing? No, there have been some days and even a few weeks where I would stop carrying the ViWoods AiPaper Reader with me. But so far, I’ve always found it easier to go back to than a larger ereader or a physical book.

An imperfect light and unnecessary AI

This isn’t the perfect pocket-sized ereader. It has a front light but not a warm light, which can make reading at night a bit less comfortable than on some of the best ereaders — especially as the brightness is adjustable, the minimum level is still quite bright.

There’s also the AI-shaped elephant in the room, which even if you know nothing about this device, you’ve probably been wondering about from its name.

Like so much recent tech, the ViWoods AiPaper Reader is trying to cash in on the AI craze; there's a dedicated AI button that you can press to speak to an AI chatbot, with models from OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek, and Qwen all built in.

These platforms can be used either as general-purpose AI chatbots or in combination with ViWoods' own apps to, for example, look up definitions of words in the books you’re reading. But personally, I’m tending to just use the Kindle app for reading, which can’t directly communicate with the AI.

Plus, using the ViWoods' AI functionality requires a Wi-Fi connection, which drains the battery faster than I want from an ereader, and it’s slower to interact with than just pulling up Gemini on my phone.

Beyond AI, some of the other software available on the ViWoods isn’t perfect, either, as while it runs a fairly recent version of Android in Android 16, there’s no promise of any version updates, and ViWoods’ own interface leaves a little to be desired. For example, there's little explanation of how some features work, and many important settings are hidden away in an ‘advanced settings’ submenu. There’s also an 11-step process to actually authorize and activate the Google Play Store on this device, despite it running Android.

Those gripes aside, I’ve generally been impressed by the ViWoods AiPaper Reader. Its 6.13-inch Carta 1300 screen is big and crisp enough to comfortably read on, its battery lasts me anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on how much I’m using it, and it looks like a genuinely premium device, with a slim, sleek design that’s almost up to the standards you’d expect from a premium brand like Apple.

This didn’t cure my addiction

While the ViWoods AiPaper Reader got me reading again, it was less successful at breaking my doomscrolling habit — though not a complete failure.

I figured that, since it runs Android apps, I could keep my phone in another room when I’m at home, and use the ereader for most things, with its monochrome E Ink screen sure to leave me reaching for it less.

And it somewhat worked for that — when I was disciplined about actually keeping my phone out of reach. But after a while, I got out of the habit, and even when I did keep my phone elsewhere, I’d sometimes encounter things I genuinely wanted it for, like penning a long message. So this wasn’t the perfect solution for me.

I’d perhaps have more luck if I fully replaced my phone with a device like this — and the ViWoods AiPaper Reader does have a SIM card slot, so it can fulfil most smartphone functions. But it lacks speakers and cameras, so you’d be making some unfortunate sacrifices.

Were I serious about that idea, I might invest in something like the Mudita Kompakt instead, as that’s designed specifically as a minimalist E Ink phone. So, if you’re looking primarily for something to break your smartphone habit, I’d suggest a device like that instead (or, perhaps, the similarly distraction-free Balance Phone).

Still, as a secondary function on a device I’m mostly using for books, the ViWoods AiPaper Reader has not been a total failure.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some reading to do.

The iPad might be the more popular choice when it comes to choosing the best tablet for personal use but, with the recent price hike across its product portfolio globally, Apple's slates are just that little bit harder to justify for everyday use.

The entry-level iPad, for example, used to be a fantastic bang-for-the-buck tablet with prices from AU$599, but is now bordering on the premium side of things at AU$749 for the base 128GB model. That’s a 25% increase, which will sting for some households.

Which is why this deal on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A11 Plus for just AU$359 (256GB model) makes it a much more enticing alternative if you’re in the market for a no-frills tablet that’s still very capable — if you’re willing to move from iPadOS to Android of course.

The base 128GB model is also discounted by 30% to AU$279, but is temporarily out of stock. You can, however, still put in an order for that price and Amazon will contact you at a later date when it has more stock available.

We sadly haven't had the opportunity to test this budget Samsung tablet for ourselves, but we trust our colleagues over at Android Central who rate it 4 out of 5 stars, calling it out as Samsung's best cheap tablet at present.

Despite some cost-cutting elements, like a lower-powered chipset compared to Samsung's S-series Tabs, you still get smooth performance and 7 years of software support from the South Korean tech giant.

Compromises are few. It has an 11-inch 90Hz TFT LCD screen with a 1,920 x 1600 resolution, a 3.5mm headphone jack, expandable storage via microSD with support for up to 2TB cards, four speakers and two cameras (8MP rear, 5MP front).

Powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset — which is an upgrade from the Tab A9+ (there is no A10), the A11+ handles light gaming and multitasking well, even if you have multiple tabs open in a web browser alongside other apps (like note-taking, for example).

The tablet also supports Samsung's DeX desktop mode that’s usually reserved for the brand’s premium S-series smartphones, making it a decent laptop replacement, but note it will not handle hardcore productivity.

The few compromises that have been made come in the form of the 7,040mAh battery that will not last more than a full day with average use. The 25W ‘fast charging’ isn’t particularly fast either, while the TFT LCD screen isn’t the brightest at a peak of 480 nits. There’s also no S Pen support here but, then again, that's hardly a complaint at this very affordable price point.

The extended software support, moreover, means you’ve got something you may not need to upgrade for a while yet and having higher storage means there's less pressure on the battery, which means the Tab A11+ will go the distance. Like we said, brilliant bang for buck.

For a long period during the early 21st century, Apple was the envy of the technology industry – pumping out a series of excellent products and seemingly unable to put a foot wrong. When the iPad came along, it had many detractors, chief among them the former CEO of its industry rival, Microsoft.

Pegged back

Bill Gates was a huge advocate for the tablet computer and had long attempted to thrust this form factor into the mainstream.

However, in comments to the now-defunct web magazine BNET, the Microsoft co-founder played down the impact he felt that Apple's first edition of the iPad would have. One month after its launch, he suggested it wouldn't catch on because many users would long for physical elements in such a device.

The iPad, however, proved a stellar success in the months and years that followed, so much so that Microsoft followed this trend in 2012 with the first edition of its now popular Surface device, called Surface with Windows RT.

A man ahead of his time

Although Microsoft's attempt to compete with Apple in the tablet market felt reactive at the time, the company, under Gates' leadership, played a big role in first introducing this strange form factor to the world.

The origins of the tablet are disputed, with Steve Jobs even envisioning such a device in 1983 – and even earlier examples in papers, proposals and blueprints. The first tablet with pen input and handwriting recognition, however, was the 1987 Linus Technologies Write-Top. But this type of device didn't catch on.

More than 10 years later, Microsoft attempted to reinvigorate interest in the tablet with its Microsoft Tablet PC, with the first device launching in 2003. Again, the devices were a commercial failure. Although Apple was the first to bring this concept back from the dead, today's Microsoft Surface Pro devices are outstanding in their own right and have earned a place in a very competitive market.

• Boox has teased a tiny 'Picco' ereader
• It has just a 3.97-inch screen, likely making it a rival to Xteink devices
• It has a front light and a microSD card slot, and may well run Android, but lots of questions remain

There’s a lot more to ereaders than Kindle and Kobo these days, both in terms of brand names and form factors, and one such brand is set to offer a new, truly tiny form factor for reading on.

Boox (via GoodEreader) has just teased the Boox Picco, which is set to be the first device in a new ‘Tile’ product line. It has just a 3.97-inch screen, making it far smaller than even the phone-sized Boox Palma 2 Pro. In fact, it’s even marginally smaller than the recently launched Xteink X4 Pro.

Xteink has so far had the micro ereader market almost to itself, with this latest model having a 4.3-inch display. It’s debatable whether an even smaller screen is better or worse, but the Boox Picco may have some advantages over the X4 Pro.

Most notably, there’s a good chance it will run Android, since Boox devices typically do. This would mean you could install apps like the Kindle and Kobo ones, rather than having to sideload books as you do on Xteink ereaders.

Beyond that, we know that the Picco has a monochrome epaper display, a front light, and a microSD card slot, all of which are in line with the Xteink X4 Pro.

Great potential but lots of unknowns

I love the idea of the Xteink devices but my main hesitation in buying one is the lack of Android, so now I’m going to wait and see if this is a better alternative. But it might not be, as there’s still plenty we don’t know about the Boox Picco.

For one thing, arguably the USP of Xteink devices is their ability to magnetically attach to the back of phones, and there’s no word on whether the Boox Picco will be capable of the same. Still, this seems an obvious inclusion, so whether through built-in magnets or an optional magnetic case, I’d think it’s likely.

Also, it remains to be seen how attractively priced the Picco will be — the Xteink X4 Pro is $109 / £84 / AU$159, so Boox probably can’t afford to charge much more than that if it wants this to be a hit.

Plus, while Android is likely, it’s not guaranteed. With this being such a small device, Boox might opt for a simpler operating system.

Even if it does run Android, there’s a high chance that this will run a very old version, as is often the case with Boox devices. That would make it potentially less secure, and therefore something I’d be reluctant to sign into my accounts on. It would also mean that apps might cease being compatible with it in the next few years.

Still, I’m cautiously hopeful that this could be the tiny ereader of my dreams — there’s no word on a release date yet, but I expect we’ll learn more soon.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE: two-minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is a 10.9-inch tablet that sits between premium flagship slates and more modest mid-rangers. Launched in April 2025, it offers a rich, vibrant display, a robust build, and smart productivity tools. So, a year after its release, is it still worth your money?

Honestly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE holds up pretty well. Not only is it relatively svelte at 6mm, it feels premium in the hands thanks to the sheer edges and satin finish. It also has a sturdy build, with its IP68 rating meaning it should happily shrug off both dust and dunkings in over 1m of water. The only part of its design I’m a little cooler on is the colorways it arrives in — some primary shades would add some interest in this parade of blues and grays.

Fortunately, the Tab S10 FE’s display doesn’t fall into this trap. While it might not quite knock the best tablets off their podium, its screen delivers sumptuous color — reds and blues, in particular, look super vibrant when sitting side by side. Whites aren’t quite as warm as I’d like, and it isn't the brightest display I’ve ever tested, but blacks feel surprisingly deep for an LED display and overall it achieves solid contrast.

The Tab S10 FE’s charms aren’t all surface level, though — it’s also capable of superb performance, given its Exynos 1580 chipset is less powerful than even some of its rival mid-rangers’. For productivity tasks, I experienced zero noticeable slowdown, even with a heap of apps open and video streaming in one half of multi-window mode. Gaming strained it a little:eh device became pretty warm during play, although mostly at higher graphics settings.

Having since been upgraded from the One UI 7 it was released with to 8.5, the Tab S10 FE’s OS feels light and versatile. Bloat is relatively minimal compared to some tablets, although I did find it a little irritating that a few of the apps that are preinstalled aren’t usable without paying money. But this aside, One UI is definitely one of the smoother Android skins I’ve used, offering effective gesture controls and easy-to-use multitasking functionality.

The Tab S10 also comes crammed with productivity tools and fun features. "Circle to Search" is an impressive feature that allows you to search images and text on-screen by circling it with the stylus. The "Handwriting Help" feature corrects the alignment and shape of your letters — a massive help if you suffer clumsy penmanship like I do — while the "Solve Math" function is accurate, albeit a little finicky. "Face Effects", like jawline correction and skin-tone tweaking, in photos feel a little bit borderline to me, though.

And you’ll keep getting the most out of all of these productivity tools for a long time, thanks to the Tab S10 FE’s extensive battery life. Even with a capacity of 8,000Ah, my battery test revealed the device should comfortably see you through 20 hours, which is likely to cover you for several days of real-world use. It’s none too shabby when charging, either: thanks to its 45W charging, fully topping up the battery took just 1 hour and 44 minutes, which is pretty speedy.

All told, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is an impressive tablet for the price. It may not have the most powerful chipset on the market but it’s a fantastic slate for taking notes, sketching, and other productivity tasks; the display is bold and beautiful, and its battery will comfortably last twice as long as that of the similarly priced iPad Air. As long as you’re not looking for something to game on, you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: price & availability

• Launched on April 10, 2025
• List price from $549.99 / £539 / AU$849
• Available with 8GB / 12GB RAM and 128GB / 256GB storage

Launched on April 10, 2025, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is available now. The list price for the Wi-Fi-only version sits at $549.99 / £539 / AU$849, or it costs $649.99 / £639 / AU$1,049 for the 5G version.

The Tab S10 FE’s base spec offers 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, but you can also pick it up with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It comes in three colorways: Silver, Blue or the Gray version I tested here. Regardless of which version you opt for, you’ll get Samsung’s S Pen as part of the package — which is a great bonus, given how much functionality it unlocks.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: specs

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: design

• Thin and light
• Solid build with IP68 rating
• Unadventurous colorways

First off, there’s something about the Galaxy Tab S10 FE's flat, unbevelled design that feels pleasingly tactile in my hands. Those chiseled edges make it feel more sturdy and substantial, while the satin finish to its metal feels wonderfully tactile beneath your fingertips. Despite its mid-market price, it definitely has a premium feel to it.

Having said that, Samsung is hardly lighting the world on fire with the range of colors the Tab S10 FE comes in. As I’ve mentioned above, your options are Gray, Silver and Blue — with the latter definitely the most standout of the three, and the Gray I tested here a little too safe. I do think it’s a shame Samsung didn’t offer the device in some more adventurous hues, especially given the Apple iPad 11-inch (2025) includes vibrant shades like yellow and pink in its lineup.

The Tab S10 FE isn’t the most expansive slate I’ve ever used, with an area of just 6.53 x 10 inches / 165.8 x 254.3mm — for reference, that’s just a little shy of the iPad 11-inch at 9.79 x 7.07 inches / 248.6 x 179.5mm. But, on the plus side, the S10 FE is pretty slight, measuring in at just 17.64 oz / 500g and 0.24 inches / 6mm thick. That’s not quite as slim as the 0.2 inch / 5.1mm Apple iPad Pro 13-inch or the 0.22-inch / 5.6mm Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, but it’s still trimmer than a lot of tablets out there.

Despite this dainty build, though, the Tab S10 FE is no delicate flower. In fact, it offers an IP68 rating, which means it should happily shrug off dust and grit, as well as survive an accidental dunking in at least a meter of water — something that is far from a given with many tablets. Keen to put this to the test, I gave it a dunking in 6 inches / 15cm of water in TechRadar’s testing tank for several minutes, and it emerged thoroughly soaked yet fully functional.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: display

• Vibrant colors
• Strong contrast
• Could be brighter

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE doesn’t necessarily offer IMAX-scale viewing. Its display measures 10.9 inches and you lose a tiny bit of that to its rounded corners, so if you’re after something more expansive, the 13.1-inch Tab S10 FE+ might suit you better. However, its screen still performs impressively, with only a few small caveats.

To test what the display could do, I streamed some Blue Planet II in 4K. I was immediately impressed by the level of detail it was capable of: for example, the black-and-white lines flashing across a scintillating cuttlefish felt super sharp and well defined. While the Tab S10 FE’s 249.26ppi pixel density isn’t quite as detailed as the Apple iPad 11-inch (2025)’s 264ppi, the majority are unlikely to spot a huge difference in most scenarios.

Contrast also feels impressive, especially for an LCD panel. Even when side-by-side with the dappled sunlight, the depths of the ocean appeared inky black and well defined. Whites are also strong, although they run a little cooler than I’d expect — for example, the plumage of a wandering albatross and its fledgling chick looked a touch too blue for my tastes.

Fortunately, the Tab S10 FE’s hues are incredibly true to life elsewhere. Against the cobalt blue of the water, the bright red innards of a Lion’s mane jellyfish looked breathtaking, with the image not looking all that different to the Super Retina XDR OLED display in my flagship iPhone 16 Pro. For a mid-range tablet, Samsung’s Tab S10 FE sure offers some vibrant color performance.

Aside from those slightly cool whites, the only other area where the Tab S10 FE’s performance is less impressive is in terms of brightness. It offers 800-nit peak brightness outdoors in High Brightness mode, but its usual peak is 600 nits, meaning it isn't blazingly bright. That would be less of an issue if the S10 FE’s display wasn’t so reflective, but I did find it occasionally struggled to compete with the shine of the fluorescent lights overhead in TechRadar’s testing labs.

Despite this, the Tab S10 FE’s display is undeniably solid for its price, offering tantalizing viewing for a mid-market slate.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: software

• Clean, agile OS
• Great Circle to Search and Handwriting Help tools
• Some slightly questionable Face Effects

Running One UI 8.5 built upon Android 16, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE feels light and easy to navigate. And compared to some tablets I’ve tested in recent months, it’s not crammed with bloat — I’m glad not to see Temu preloaded onto my device for the umpteenth time.

Which is what makes it all the more frustrating that some of the handful of apps that are preinstalled on the Tab S10 FE — such as LumaFusion and Clip Studio Paint — you have to pay for before using. Pre-loading my device with apps that are essentially just adverts for services you want me to sign up for just feels a bit grimey.

That’s a shame, because elsewhere Samsung’s OS feels light and offers decent productivity tools. Loading two apps in multi-window view is as simple as dragging two fingers from the side of the screen and loading the second app you’d like to use. Meanwhile, you can create multiple desktops to keep discrete workflows separate, making it a solid tool for working on the go.

Some of Samsung’s native apps are also pretty powerful. Using the drawing app Penup and the S Pen, I whipped up a sketch of my cat in an ukiyo-e style. Not only did the app make downloading and customising multiple watercolor and ink brushes straightforward, it quickly allowed me to add layers and a reference photograph to use. It even offers built-in functionality for exporting live drawing videos, which is a neat function for digital artists.

Baked into One UI 8.5 are multiple image manipulation tools. Removing irksome objects from your photographs is a pretty common feature these days, but Samsung’s Circle to Erase tool largely works well. It quickly removed an errant seagull and a hot-air balloon from a sunny evening selfie I'd snapped — although for reasons I can’t quite understand, it also half-mangled the corner of our blanket for no reason that I could fathom.

Some of Samsung’s built-in Face Effects are a little bit more dicey in my book. though. While I understand why you might want to fix blemishes or slightly smooth out complexions, tools for "fixing" people’s jawlines and lightening / darkening people’s skin tone honestly feels borderline for me in an era when looksmaxxing and colorism are very real trends. Meanwhile, the Reshape tool for tweaking facial and body features is horrifying in pretty much every sense — ethics aside, all I could really achieve with this feature was transforming myself into a Cronenbergian monster, which I’m not sure people are clamoring for on social media.

Fortunately, Samsung offers some other tools that are less contentious. Circle to Search stumped me at first, as I couldn’t seem to trigger it using the stylus or any context menus. Eventually, I worked out that you have to hold down the Home button to trigger the context-aware AI — and the results were then genuinely impressive, allowing me to quickly identify a weedy seadragon from a video or a bumblebee crawling across a rhododendron.

Samsung’s Handwriting Help tools are also pretty impressive. They deftly aligned my drifting script to the horizontal, although I found the claims that they'd "correct my letter shapes" to be a little overblown. Although, given that my handwriting looks like it was produced by a five-legged spider after too many espressos, I’ll admit this was a pretty boss-level challenge. And, more impressively, Samsung’s handwriting recognition almost invariably translated my jittering chicken scratch perfectly, something my own family can’t even do.

One of the more unique features the Tab S10 FE offers is its ability to solve calculations and equations for you. Write out a problem you’re struggling with, stick an equals sign after it and ping: an answer appears like magic. Or doesn’t. About half the time, the rabbit resolutely refused to pop out of the hat, leaving me to erase and rewrite functions over and over until it recognized them. And some sums proved more unreliable than others — root functions, in particular, seemed to throw up a lot of incorrect answers, although there’s a chance either my heinous handwriting or 25-year-old math knowledge is letting me down here.

For the most part, using the Galaxy Tab S10 FE’s software feels smooth and practical. I could just do without the paid bloat and the creepier of the photo-editing features.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: performance

• Great productivity performance
• Games run well, for the most part
• Gets warm under heavy loads

Underneath the hood, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE runs the Exynos 1580 chipset and comes with either 8GB of RAM (on test here) or 12GB. That chipset will net you similar performance to, say, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, but it won’t really rival any of the Snapdragon 8 series or the current generation of Apple silicon chips.

When handling everyday productivity tasks, this still translated to pretty credible performance. While browsing the Internet with multiple tabs open, I never noticed any substantial slowdown or unusual behaviour. Typing this section of this review, the Tab S10 FE didn't show any noticeable lag or hanging, even with multiple apps open in the background. Always one to push things to their most absurd extreme, I even tried streaming Louis Theroux’s My Scientology Movie in multi-window mode as I typed, and — blow me down — both Google Docs and iPlayer continued to run as smooth as a frog slathered in peptide face cream.

This stable performance extends to gaming as well. Loading up Call of Duty: Mobile, I was generally impressed with how stably it ran, even with the hi-res graphics packs downloaded. Even if there was the tiniest hint of jitter on the odd occasion, I never found it impacted my gameplay all that much — I was still able to click heads consistently enough to pick up multiple MVP awards in a row.

Unfortunately, playing Genshin Impact proved a bumpier ride, though. Defaulting to the lowest graphics setting, the game looked pretty awful on the Tab S10 FE, rendering everything with blocky, jagged visuals. Yet switching the graphics settings even to Low threw up a warning I was overclocking the tablet’s CPU. I was expecting this would make the game unplayable on Medium settings, but actually it still ran pretty slickly.

Which leads me to suspect that the issue lies more with the Tab S10 FE’s cooling than that medium-range chipset. Even while playing Call of Duty: Mobile, I found the device warmed up considerably after about three matches back-to-back, while playing Genshin Impact the device started to get a touch toasty after just 10 minutes. This means that you’ll probably be fine if you nerf the graphics settings, but you might not want to red-line it quite as much as I did if you’ll be playing for extended periods.

• Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: battery

• Lengthy 20-hour battery life
• Fast 45W charging

According to Samsung, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE’s battery should last you around 20 hours, which was pretty much spot on according to my tests. After continuously streaming a video in 2K for five hours, its battery had dropped to 74%. Even allowing a little wiggle room for how uneven battery discharge curves are, Samsung’s estimates seem pretty on the money, so you should happily be able to use this tablet for several days running without it dying on you.

Even when it does run out of juice, it shouldn’t take long to top up using that 45W charging. During my testing, I found it took 1 hour and 44 minutes to go from 0% to 100% — given its 8,000mAh battery capacity, that’s really very decent.

Taking all of this into account, the Tab S10 FE’s battery life is pretty competitive. While 8,000mAh is far from the largest capacity you’ll find out there, its diminutive display and efficient chipset means it can outlast more premium tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. It might not quite be able to rival the Honor MagicPad 4, our pick for the best tablet for battery life, but it’s still seriously long-lived.

• Battery score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE

• Tested it over a week
• Tried out a wide variety of tasks, from work to games
• Used specific tests to assess screen, performance and battery life

I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE over the course of a week. During that time, I used it for a range of purposes, whether that was productivity tasks such as writing this review, playing games, or watching TV and movies. I also tried out a range of the tablet’s pre-loaded software —for example, using the Notes app for taking notes or Penup for drawing.

When it comes to specific tests, I assessed the Tab S10 FE’s display by streaming Blue Planet II to see how its display delivered brightness, color, contrast and resolution. I tested performance by playing multiple games and using various apps in multitasking mode. Finally, I tested the battery by streaming 2K video at medium brightness for 5 hours to see how much it was depleted during that time.

In terms of personal experience, I’ve been reviewing phones and tablets for TechRadar for several years now and writing about tech for far longer. I’ve also tested a wide range of drawing tablets, giving me a lot of experience in commenting on color fidelity and stylus performance.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: July 2026

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025): Two-minute review

I've used the 2024 release of the Kindle Scribe (2nd generation) for two years and I've loved every minute of it. I didn't think there was a better E Ink display to write on (and read on for that matter) and I definitely didn't think it could be improved. Yet that's exactly what Amazon has done with the 2025 (3rd generation) Kindle Scribe with frontlight.

The epaper display is still one of the best to read and write on, but it looks even brighter and, indeed, it is bigger, with 11 inches of screen real estate to use. That's fantastic for note-taking and drawing, but unnecessary for a device that also doubles up as an ereader.

Despite the additional height, the 3rd generation Kindle Scribe is both marginally thinner and lighter than its predecessor, but it is hard to hold in the hand for long periods of use — I constantly felt the need to place it on my lap or a table even when reading, but more so when jotting notes. Moreover, the lack of a broad bezel means it's very easy to trigger a page turn as the thumb rests so close to the edge of the display.

The thinner chassis is solidly built, although there's still no waterproofing (as is the case on most digital notebooks), so be careful if you decide to use it by the pool, the bath or the kitchen sink. And definitely keep it away from the sea's salty water to avoid corrosion.

The new stylus is also redesigned and, while it might feel too smooth for some users, I adore it! It never slipped once, even with sweaty palms, and, personally, gave me one of the best writing experiences I've had on a digital notebook (with the exception of the ViWoods C1 ceramic stylus possibly). Additionally, the magnetic hold to the side of the device is the strongest I've seen to date on any such device.

The homescreen interface has been refreshed and is quite practical in my opinion, and renaming the previous Notebooks tab to Workspace kinda makes sense to me. There are a few new features here: a handful of fresh templates in Workspace, a Smart Shapes feature that some users might find useful and, importantly, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive connectivity for seamless cloud transfer of files. There's even AI-enable search that can trawl through handwritten notes to give you a concise summary to answer your query.

What I'm struggling with is justifying its high price tag. While everything is now a lot more expensive, the extra screen real estate and handful of new features don't go a long way in explaining the significant price increase over its predecessor but, then again, the base model now has double the storage at 32GB and it sure is a very fast performer.

As someone who's extensively used reMarkables and Boox alternatives, I think the 3rd generation Kindle Scribe definitely gives its competitors a run for their money. I'd still only consider picking it up when discounted and only if you don't already have a previous Scribe and are embedded in the Amazon ecosystem.

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: price and availability

• First announced October 2025 in the US; available to buy since December 2025
• Released in the UK and other select markets in early 2026, available in Australia since mid 2026
• List price: from $499.99 / £449.99 / AU$849

The 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe is expensive — at a starting price of $499.99 / £449.99 / AU$849, it's $100 / £70 / AU$200 more than its predecessor's entry cost, but it does go some way in justifying the increase.

Firstly, as I've already mentioned, the entry model now has 32GB of storage compared to 16GB, plus the display is 11 inches (previously 10.2 inches). There are a few new software features that make it a better digital notepad compared to the 2nd-gen Kindle Scribe from 2024, but it's still hard to justify paying full price when color E Ink devices don't cost much more.

That said, color E Ink isn't where it should be in 2026 and I wouldn't recommend the $629 / £569 / AU$999 Kindle Scribe Colorsoft over this monochrome sibling.

On the other hand, the reMarkable Paper Pure, which also offers 32GB of storage, but a 10.3-inch screen and a minimal interface that's not conducive to reading is a lot cheaper with a starting price of $399 / £359 / AU$629. Even the 64GB Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi is cheaper at $449.99 / £429.99 / AU$729.

I would still recommend the 3rd-gen Kindle Scribe if you want both a reading and note-taking device in one, but perhaps consider picking it up when it's discounted, which it invariably will be during a major sale, more so once Amazon discontinues the 2024 edition (which it invariably will).

However, if you already own the 2024 version, I wouldn't recommend the 3rd-gen as an upgrade as you won't miss much. And as long as it's available to buy, the 2nd-gen is definitely better value even at full price.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: specs

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: design and display

• 11 inches of beautiful, bright E Ink Carta 1300 screen real estate
• Sturdy, premium build, but slim bezels can be an issue
• Thinner and lighter than previous generation, with newly designed Premium Pen

It might not seem all that different from the previous two Kindle Scribes, but the 3rd-gen model with frontlight is a different beast, at least physically. As already mentioned, it's now a little taller thanks to an 11-inch display, but it's ever-so-slightly thinner (5.4mm vs 5.7mm) and lighter than the second-generation Scribe (400g vs 433g).

How Amazon has managed that is beyond my understanding, but it's a welcome change as it helps negates a little bit of the hand and wrist fatigue the extra height adds during handheld use over longer periods of time.

That, sadly, is exacerbated by the fact that the broader bezel from the previous generations is no longer there beside the screen where your thumb could rest. Now, all four sides are surrounded by even yet narrow bezels that can trigger a page turn if your finger or palm even remotely touches the edge of the screen. It's something you can get used to but, even then, I think all the new 2025 Kindle Scribes are best used while on a table or desk, or your lap.

Other than that, the Kindle Scribe still looks like a premium device with a very sturdy build, despite being thin and light, with minimal embellishments for a clean look. Unlike the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, though, the 3rd-gen model only comes in the usual Graphite (previously called Tungsten) variant, and I do wish another chassis color was available. You're also not going to get any waterproofing here like with the other Kindles.

What I'm thrilled about, though, is the new stylus. Amazon has redesigned the Premium Pen, which is now a white, smooth-bodied styls with a slightly sharper nib that adds better control to marking on the screen. The smoothness of the pen's body might make it harder to hold for some users, but I didn't have any issues with slipping, even if my palms ended up being sweaty for whatever reason.

Better yet is the magnet that attaches the pen to the side of the tablet, which is arguably the strongest I've come across on any such device. Even without a case, the Pen has never come off inside my bag when taking it in or out of a pocket. And I do mean never — it has shifted in angle, sure, but not completely fallen off. That's just my experience, though.

You still get an eraser on the top and the customizable shortcut button, as well as five spare tips in the box. What you don't get is the aforementioned sleep case, which you will need to purchase separately, but there are options galore directly from Amazon and third parties.

As much as I would love to wax lyrical about the stylus, it's the 11-inch E Ink Carta 1300 display that's the star of the show here. It was already fantastic on the 10.2-inch 2024 Scribe, but now it just seems a touch better.

I'd like to say it's because of the 100nit peak brightness that makes it look nicer, but even with the LEDs dimmed, it's the cleanest, almost-white display I've used on an epaper tablet that still manages to seem like paper. In fact, I much prefer it over the duller-looking E Ink Kaleido 3 display on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

The flush screen is protected by a top layer of glass that also has an anti-glare coating. You also get the standard 300ppi resolution which, despite being spread over a larger area, still renders text and writing in sharp clarity, and it's arguably one of the most responsive screens on an epaper device to date.

• Design & display score: 4.5 / 5

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: Software

• Refreshed homescreen setup which is cluttered with Kindle Store recommendations
• Cloud service access is very welcome
• More writing tools but not necessarily of note (pun not intended), but new a AI feature could prove useful

It's not a complete makeover, but the homescreen setup on the top of the 2025 Kindle Scribes is different to what was previously on the older models. There's easy access to what Amazon is calling a Quick Note — just tap on it and it opens up an empty notebook for you to start writing on — beside which is a single column of your recently opened items (now called Jump Back In) that were previously arranged horizontally.

By default, the Quick Note takes up more than half the left side of the screen, but it can be shrunk by tapping double arrows, which then separates your recently opened items list into two columns, thus adding more, whether that be notes or ebooks.

I like this setup better as it's a quick glance at a fair few recently opened items, rather than you needing to scroll horizontally, plus you can see what you wrote in the Quick Note without needing to open it.

Below this section is a whole lot of what I think is clutter but some users who are embedded in the Amazon ecosystem would appreciate. These include the Recently Added items list, followed by new-feature intros and several Kindle Store recommendations based on your reading habits, which is what I really detest — it just feels like overkill and I much prefer Kobo's homepage which looks neater to me.

While the bottom navigation menu still has four items, the previous Notebooks tab is now called Workspace and it has a few extra templates that I personally couldn't find much use for. I would have loved a dedicated journal template but... oh well. Otherwise, everything else is carried over from before, with limited pen and brush options that artists perhaps won't be very happy with.

The biggest improvement here (across all three 2025 Scribes in fact) is the addition of Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive support. As someone who uses the former, it's made file transfer a lot easier than using the email sharing option that has previously been the clunkier norm.

There is, however, a caveat when it comes to PDFs: you can't actually mark them up after exporting them if you need to do so. The only way to reflect changes is to export the file and open in Google Docs to edit. Despite that, I still think access to cloud services is a huge improvement and I hope Amazon rolls it out to the older Scribes as well.

Also new is a feature called Smart Shapes that you can access from the stylus menu in a note — if you need to create, say, flowcharts, you can roughly draw a circle or triangle and it will automatically get converted into a proper (or neat) shape. It's not something I personally found useful, but I think it could be for students, teachers and scientists.

The AI-powered handwriting conversion and summary creation tools from the previous generation is available here, as are the ebook annotations (Active Canvas) and side-margin notes from before, but AI search in your notes is new. It allows you to enter a keyword or phrase and all your notes, including handwritten ones (uh-huh, that's different, innit?) will be scanned to give you an AI-generated summary. It's another feature that I don't see everyone needing, but if you have a copious amount of notes on the same subject (like I occasionally do), it can be handy.

I should note that all this software improvement takes up a heck of a lot of storage. For example, when I looked into the Device Options on my 3rd-gen Scribe and Colorsoft units, I only had about 22GB and 21GB of usable storage respectively out of 32GB. This is still a good amount, but 11GB is still a heck of a lot of space to give up for power users who might want to store a lot of ebooks, audiobooks and documents on the device. To put it into context in another way: there was a time when 8GB storage was the norm in an ereader, meaning the Scribe software wouldn't even fit into an older ereader!

Software score: 4 / 5

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: User experience

• Despite its size, it's one of the best screens to read on
• New stylus writes wonderfully, although writing and drawing features are still comparatively limited
• Handful of new templates added for note taking

I have a few Kindle devices at home, including three of the 2024 releases, and yet I'm not really a Kindle fan because of how much the user interface forces you into the Amazon ecosystem.

However, the 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe with frontlight has come very close to changing my mind — I am willing to put up with the homescreen clutter because of how good reading and writing is on that glorious E Ink display. It's hands down the best epaper tablet I've tested in 2026 (it's a delayed review as it wasn't released in Australia, where I'm based, until June this year).

Reading

As I've already said, the 300ppi resolution looks a little better on this Scribe than it did on the previous generation because Amazon has optimized the display very well to render text in sharp clarity.

I've seen some users complain that the Scribes don't look as good as the Paperwhite, but it's important to keep in mind that the 7-inch Kindle has less surface area with the same amount of pixels as the 11-inch version, so the pixel size on the larger device will be slightly bigger. And that makes a difference, but not so much that it stands out. You have to look really carefully to see that kind of difference.

I am a big fan of the ambient light sensor on the display, which means the screen automatically dims or brightens up depending on whether I'm indoors or outdoors, or how bright or dark it might be around me. In other words, it automatically gives me a pleasing brightness for nighttime reading.

The larger screen makes it an ideal choice for comic book fans but, then again, color makes them more enjoyable while you'll be reading them in grayscale. The bigger screen, however, is fantastic for those who prefer larger fonts, so you aren't turning pages after a few sentences and, thus, conserving a little battery.

The Kindle font support is still not as good as flexible as on a Kobo or a Boox device. For example, sideloaded EPUBs added to the device via the Send To Kindle platform render well, but I found a few MOBI files that didn't open as expected but work perfectly fine on my Kobo Libra Colour.

I am, however, very grateful for Amazon's cloud storage where anything in your library previously added to older devices are accessible on any new Kindle.

Writing & drawing

I didn't think Amazon could better the writing experience from the previous-generation Scribe, but lo and behold, a redesigned stylus has achieved just that. As I've previously stated, the pen is the real hero when it comes to epaper writing tablets and the white Premium Pen with a slightly sharper nib glides very well over the glass and yet has just the right friction.

Then again, a pen choice is very personal and some users might prefer more friction, which is understandable. Personally, my experience was perfect, allowing me very good control over the marks I made in a note.

What I'm not necessarily too enthused by are the limited writing tools. I think Kobo's Advanced Notebooks are still a better option compared to what Amazon offers on the Scribe, although Android devices give you even more features and tools if you think you'd need them.

While there are some new templates for notes, I think their use would be very limited to select users, and I would have much preferred if Amazon had, instead, added more pen options. I may not be able to draw to save my life, but I can see how this limitation might affect artists. For everyday doodling, my colleague Lance Ulanoff finds the Kindle Scribe better than his iPad for drawing, especially when outdoors.

Writing and drawing limitations aside, the physical experience of putting words down on the 2025 Scribe is par excellence and, for that, I can't deduct too many marks.

User experience score: 4.5 / 5

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: Performance

• The fastest Kindle yet, with page turns barely visible (unless animated)
• Absolutely no ghosting, even with image-heavy ebooks
• Battery life takes a small hit compared to previous generation

Amazon doesn't reveal what hardware components it uses under the hood of its devices — all we know is that there's a quad-core chip with an indeterminate amount of RAM — to keep things ticking along, but whatever there is sure makes the 3rd-generation Scribe the fastest Kindle yet.

In fact, I think I might go so far as to say it's arguably the fastest ereader and epaper writing tablet I've tested to date. I make that claim based on my recent Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi review that I was testing at the same time the Amazon device and, despite being a 2026 release, was so significantly slower than the 2025 Scribe, specifically in terms of page turns.

On the Scribe, you can barely discern a page turn, unless you have the animation turned on of course. Several times during my two-week test period with the Scribe I didn't even think a tap registered until I saw the words on the new page. The time I did notice a blip was when the device was doing a full refresh.

Like its predecessor, there's absolutely no ghosting here, whether you've got image-heavy or word-heavy books. Not even a faded mark appears overlaid on notes, and I do wish Boox would learn how to achieve that.

Battery capacity is another spec that Amazon doesn't reveal, but it does say that it can last up to 12 weeks on a single charge when used for about 30 minutes a day. It's definitely doable, but I think battery life on the previous 2024 edition was slightly better. Potentially more LEDs (another spec that Amazon doesn't reveal) to power a larger display could be the main culprit here, but it doesn't take too much of a hit in comparison.

In my use case, with up to four hours of reading and about 30 minutes of writing each day saw the battery nearly empty in five days. That's with the ambient light sensor on, so no manual brightness adjustments were made and that does put pressure on the battery. Sleep timer was set to 30 minutes and Bluetooth was off, although Wi-Fi was always on. Similar use with the 2024 Kindle Scribe saw the battery drain in approximately seven days for me with the same settings.

Recharging, however, seems to be remarkably quick on the 2025 version of the Scribe with frontlight, with my unit taking just about 20 minutes to top up from 21% down when plugged into a 60W wall charger. That's with the screen switched off, though. If I charged it while the device was in use, it took close to two hours via the same adaptor and USB-C cable.

On the other hand, my Kindle Scribe Colorsoft drains even quicker and takes a heck of a lot longer to recharge.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) with frontlight?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

The 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe with frontlight is easy to recommend and, for some users, it might even justify its high price tag. For anyone else, know that there are alternatives to consider, and they'll actually save you a little cash even at full price.

How I tested the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025)

I sadly had the 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe for just two weeks for this review, but I ensured I spent as much time as I could with it. As I've previously mentioned, I spent an average of 4-5 hours with it each day during that time, sometimes more, both reading and writing.

I was able to access my existing library as soon as I signed into my Amazon account, but I also uploaded some new EPUBs using the Send To Kindle web platform. I also connected the Scribe to my Google Drive account to transfer a couple of PDFs to the device, but I also saved select notes to the cloud, which automatically upload as PDFs with handwriting (no automatic text conversion takes place, but you can manually trigger that on the Scribe if you wish).

I tried the Smart Shapes feature and used the new AI search to test if it would be able to summarize my own review notes for me, which is successfully did. Handwriting conversion was also tested, albeit using a colleague's scrawl (I hate to admit but I can't scribble chicken scratchings no matter how hard I try).

Kindle Unlimited and Audible were also accessed on the device, and I was able to pair a JBL Bluetooth speaker for listening.

Learn more about how we test devices here at TechRadar

[First published July 2026]

• Xteink has just launched the X4 Pro
• This tiny ereader can stick to the back of your phone, and its main upgrades include a light and a touchscreen
• New open source ereader software called FreeInk has also been announced

While small smartphones have largely gone out of fashion, it seems there’s an appetite for absolutely tiny ereaders. The Xteink brand is one of the biggest small-screen successes in this space, and its new model, the Xteink X4 Pro, is set to potentially be its best yet.

This ereader has just a 4.3-inch screen, with dimensions of 111 x 69 x 5.95mm, making it even smaller than the iPhone 13 mini, so it's small enough to fit in even a tiny pocket.

That makes it roughly the same size as the Xteink X4, and, like that device, this can also be magnetically attached to the back of a phone, essentially turning your handset into a dual-screen device, with the second display being a more eye-friendly way to read.

But where the Xteink X4 Pro has its predecessor beat is in replacing clunky buttons with a touchscreen, and — perhaps even more importantly — adding a front light, so you can read on it in the dark.

This also has a much higher-capacity 1,100mAh battery (up from 650mAh), and yet somehow weighs marginally less at 72g.

A low price and lacking apps

The Xteink X4 Pro is out now, and you can order it directly from Xteink’s site for $109 / £84 / AU$159, though a launch discount temporarily brings it down to $99 / £76 / AU$145.

That makes it a bit more expensive than its predecessor, and it replaces USB-C charging with a magnetic pogo charger, which won’t appeal to everyone. But arguably the main downside of this device is that it doesn’t support Android. No current Xteink devices do — though the upcoming Xteink S4 will. That means you can’t get the Kindle or Kobo apps on them, so you have to sideload books.

It also means they run Xteink’s own software, which receives mixed reviews. However, as long as you get a developer edition of the Xteink X4 Pro, you’re free to change the firmware, and there are some third-party options that may work better, including the newly-announced FreeInk.

This is open-source software that’s specifically listed as supporting the X3 and X4, among other devices. So while this won’t give you access to the Kindle app, some users might find it preferable to Xteink’s own software.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11: Two-minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is the brand’s answer to the iPad Air, with its premium design and compact form factor.

It certainly looks the part, taking cues from Apple with its sleek and minimalist aesthetic. It only comes in two colors — or rather shades, since it’s merely a choice between Grey and Silver. My review unit was the former, and I have to say that I enjoyed its classy appearance.

Beyond this, Samsung has also nailed the S11’s build quality. The one-piece metal chassis feels as expensive as they come, thanks to its incredibly smooth texture (so be careful when holding it) and supreme solidity. It easily ranks among the best tablets in terms of sheer construction.

The display, however, is less impressive. At 11 inches, content already feels squeezed, but the thick inner bezel only exacerbates the issue. What’s more, it's a magnet for dust and debris, while the grabby touchscreen is far from class-leading.

Thankfully, the included S Pen fairs better than fingers. There’s no dragging with the stylus, as it glides effortlessly across the screen. It’s also perfectly responsive and comfortable to grip, thanks to its ergonomic hexagonal form that provides extra security.

As with Samsung’s smartphones, the S11 features numerous first-party apps, which vary in their usefulness. Many fail to offer anything over and above Google’s suite of apps (which also come preinstalled), although I have to concede that some of the AI features, such as those for editing images, impressed me with their effectiveness. The One UI operating system is as clear and as stable as you could hope an Android fork to be, too.

The overall performance of the S11 is also impressive. Whether you're working, browsing, streaming content or even gaming, it can seemingly handle it all. What’s more, it does so while staying relatively cool; only parts of the rear heat up, and never to an uncomfortable degree.

The battery life of the S11 measures up well against its rivals. Samsung claims it can survive 18 hours of continuous streaming, whereas the iPad Air can only manage 10. Charging is quick, too, thanks to its 45W wired charging support.

There are certainly things to like about the S11, such as its premium design and excellent all-round performance. However, the touchscreen is somewhat disappointing. On balance it’s a little hard to recommend over the iPad Air given it it's slightly dearer, but if you want an Apple-inspired design while remaining in the Android realm, the S11 is far from a terrible choice.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Price & availability

• Starts from $899.99 / £869 / AU$1,399
• Available now in two colors
• Very expensive for a small tablet

The S11 starts from $899.99 / £869 / AU$1,399 and is available now in two colorways: Grey and Silver. The base model features 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. All models come with Samsung’s S Pen. If you want cellular capability, you’ll need to part with an additional £50 / AU$250. US customers only get the Wi-Fi-only model.

This is undeniably expensive for an 11-inch tablet, even one as premium as the S11. An equivalent iPad Air model bundled with the Apple Pencil currently costs slightly less. What’s more, it’s one of the best tablets we’ve reviewed, thanks to its excellent performance and display.

If you want to stick with Android, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 is a great budget alternative to the S11. It comes in at a mere $399.99 / £319 (around AU$570), yet still has a respectable spec and impressive performance. It may have less RAM (8GB), but we still found it capable enough for everyday use.

• Value score: 3/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Specs

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Display

• Slight lack of fidelity
• Thick bezel
• Grabby touchscreen

Despite the high 1600 x 2560 resolution of the S11, there’s a slight but noticeable softness and fuzziness to some elements of the UI, as if the resolution is stretched a little too thin for this size of display. This also means that Ultra HD content isn’t quite as pinpoint sharp as you might expect. Thankfully, there’s plenty of brightness and colors are vibrant, so it still makes for a pleasurable viewing experience.

The thickness of the bezel is also disappointing. At 11 inches the display is already small, so you’d think Samsung would want to maximize its real estate to its fullest potential, but instead a thick black border constricts the frame even more.

Perhaps the worst aspect of the display, though, is its touchscreen functionality. I found there was too much friction to perform gestures and swipes easily. What’s more, it’s also prone to attracting debris, more so than other tablets I’ve used. This is not only a visual impediment but no doubt affects the performance of the touchscreen, too.

• Display score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Design

• Fabulously premium design
• Compact and relatively light
• Slippery back panel

To say that the S11 takes inspiration from the iPad Air is an understatement. It’s virtually indistinguishable from Apple’s compact tablet, but this isn’t exactly a bad thing, given its stylish looks. However, the S11 lacks the same vibrant color options, with only grey and silver to choose from. My unit was the former and it still looked smart and sleek though.

But the resemblance is more than skin deep. The metal chassis feels just as high-grade as the iPad’s; in fact, it might actually be a cut above the best iPad constructions. The back panel folds around to form the edges, rather than being created from two separate pieces, which is very impressive. On the front, the join to the screen is also close to seamless.

It’s also reassuringly solid and durable, as well as being incredibly smooth. This latter aspect is a slight issue, though, since it can feel quite slippery, so you'll need to take care when holding it upright. At least it’s comfortable to hold, owing to its compact dimensions, minimal weight, and generously rounded corners.

The included S Pen is a fairly basic affair but I found its hexagonal design comfortable and secure. It features a well-placed and easy-to-use button, which is used like a ‘right-click’ to bring up context menus in apps and in the OS itself.

Both of the tablet’s long sides are magnetic, so can be used to attach the S Pen, which is convenient. It’s a shame that the top edge isn’t, though, since it can be awkward to hold the tablet in portrait mode when the stylus is attached to the side. The magnetic hold is strong without making it difficult to remove the stylus when needed.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Software

• Numerous first-party apps
• Their usefulness varies
• OS is clear and fast

Plenty of Samsung apps are preinstalled on the S11. You’ll have to create a Samsung account to use them, which is a frustrating barrier for using any app. At least it’s easy to set one up if you already have a Google account, as you can use these credentials instead.

Although there’s a lot of them, the first-party apps are mercifully unintrusive. And since this is the year 2026, there are plenty of AI features, too. The most interesting of these is the photo assist mode, which allows you to effortlessly edit images to remove certain elements — such as photobombers and unwanted objects — and add others in based on text prompts.

I have to say I was impressed by this mode when I tested it on photos I shot. As with all things AI, its results aren’t perfect every time, but for rescuing images from unwanted aspects and adding all kinds of extra content, it’s a capable and easy-to-use tool. You can also stylize images by selecting presets, of which there are several, from Anime to Pop Art. Again, this is effective a lot of the time, but not always.

There’s also a drawing app with enough basic illustration features to please budding artists. It’s intuitive to use and it was fast and stable during my time with it, without any glaring bugs or slowdowns occurring.

More basic productivity apps are included as well, such as a note taker and a calendar. The main issue with these — and indeed any first-party Android apps that aren’t owned by Google — is that they fail to outperform Google’s counterparts. And given Google’s cloud platform is similarly superior, you’re much better off using its apps if you plan on working across multiple devices.

One UI 8.5 is an intuitive and amenable operating system. As you might expect, it’s very similar to its smartphone counterpart, which is part of the reason why the Galaxy models are some of the best phones around. The UI is clear and uncluttered, and it's quite easy to navigate and adjust settings.

It’s also easy to resize app windows and move them around on screen, since the options to toggle between fullscreen and pop-out windows, as well as minimize them altogether, are ever-present in the top-right corner of every app, just like a desktop app.

However, I found switching between windows in gesture mode too awkward and slow. After dragging from the bottom of the screen, you have to hold your finger in place for a long time until all your app windows are displayed for selecting. What’s more, that aforementioned grabbiness of the touchscreen makes the action even more difficult. I much preferred using the navigation bar, with its three buttons at the bottom much simpler and quicker to use.

• Software score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Performance

• Capable all-round performance
• Fluid and responsive S Pen
• Low-fidelity cameras

The S11 performs well at the kinds of tasks you’d expect from a tablet. It can handle web browsing, light productivity, and 4K streaming without any frustrating slowdowns and stutters.

I was pleasantly surprised with its gaming prowess, too. I managed to play Hitman: Blood Money — Reprisal, a fairly demanding mobile game, without issue. It looked great and ran very smoothly, while my controller worked flawlessly over Bluetooth.

What’s more impressive is that the S11 stays relatively cool during such intensive tasks. A few hotspots appear on the back, but these are far from alarming in my experience, with the tablet remaining comfortable to hold.

Despite the aforementioned touchscreen issues, I’m pleased to report that the S Pen fairs a lot better on the screen. Glides and gestures are frictionless and responsive, making it great for all kinds of scenarios, from basic navigation to drawing and note taking. The palm block feature works as intended, too.

Using the S Pen also gives you access to a handy shortcut menu with selectable functions such as screen drawing and AI search. You can also add your own app shortcuts to this menu, which is convenient.

Despite the impressive image editing capabilities, the cameras in the S11 are disappointing. The low megapixel count means photos lack fidelity, and the basic enhancements available in the camera app can’t fix the lackluster quality of the camera hardware.

• Performance score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Battery

The battery life of the S11 is impressive. While its 8,400mAh battery has a lower capacity than the the 11,600mAh one in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, the smaller tablet is less power-hungry.

After a couple of days, it drained to 30%. My use during this time wasn’t constant, but I did use it for a variety of tasks, from productivity and browsing to streaming and gaming. Samsung claims it can stream continuously for 18 hours, and the brand is usually accurate on such matters. This makes it significantly more enduring than the iPad Air, which can last about 10 hours under similar conditions.

Charging the S11 is a quick affair, too, thanks to its 45W wired charging capability, the same as the Ultra’s. It took about a couple of hours to fully replenish in my experience.

• Battery score: 4.5

Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11

• Tested for several days
• Used for a variety of task
• Tablet reviewing experience

I tested the S11 for several days. I used it for a variety of tasks, from general browsing and light productivity to streaming and gaming.

I also used the included S Pen for drawing, writing, and navigation. I tried its various first-party apps and AI features, and tested the cameras by taking photos and holding video calls. I wasn’t able to use the S11 with the optional Book Cover Keyboard, though.

I have experience reviewing tablets and other mobile devices, such as smartphones and laptops. I’ve also used such devices personally for decades.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: July 2026

It was the news none of us wanted to hear, but at the turn of the new financial year in Australia, Apple made the move to raise Australian prices across its entire product lineup. The tech giant has often been better than other tech companies at absorbing increased supply-chain costs, but the current RAM and component crisis meant it could no longer hold out.

Perhaps the biggest and most upsetting increase affected the delightfully affordable MacBook Neo, but even the iPad wasn’t immune, with the company’s entry-level iPad (A16) seeing its price surge to AU$749, an increase of AU$150.

If you were hoping to grab one for yourself, but were put off by the increase (we wouldn’t blame you), then Amazon could have just answered your prayers, as it has knocked it back down to its pre-increase price of AU$599.

OK, so this might not be the absolute best iPad discount ever — it dropped to AU$499 during the recent EOFY sales — but for Amazon to bring the asking price back down to its longtime RRP is worth shouting about.

At its previous full price of AU$599, we could confidently say that the iPad 11-inch (2025) ranks as the best iPad for most people and the best cheap tablet overall.

Not only does the aforementioned A16 chip mean it’s quick in use, but a 10-hour battery life and crisp 10.9-inch screen make it a stellar choice for scrolling, streaming, video calling and light gaming.

Amazon has only discounted the 128GB variant, and while the Cellular model also gets a discount, it’s nowhere near as impressive as the Wi-Fi-only alternative. Do note, however, that the AU$150 saving only applies to the silver and pink models. The blue colourway is down to AU$699, while yellow has been left untouched.

I don’t expect this discount to last forever, and it’s anyone's guess if and when it’ll receive a similar saving in the future. If you missed out during EOFY and weren’t taken by the Prime Day price, this is an opportune time to pounce.

Boox Go 10.3 Gen II Lumi: One-minute review

As far as epaper writing tablets go, Boox has some of the most versatile options thanks to their Android-based operating systems, and the Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi is arguably the best of them despite its rather mouthful of a name — I’m just going to call it the ‘Lumi’ from here on in.

I was already a fan of the original model, calling the reMarkable dupe a pleasure to use in my Boox Go 10.3 review — and by just adding a light and making the battery consumption more efficient, the Chinese ereader maker has made the Gen II model better.

Despite the screen being a touch slower than I’ve experienced with other devices like the 2024 and 2025 Kindle Scribes, the light adds a lot of contrast to the screen, making it easier to read on, whether that’s an ebook or a handwritten note. Now, I have to mention that there is a Gen II without a frontlight as well but, in my opinion, having the screen lit up just makes the epaper writing tablet that much more usable in any situation. With a frontlight, it also becomes a true Kindle Scribe alternative — again, thanks to its Android-based OS that gives the user access to the Google Play Store.

However, the aforementioned slow display is a disappointment as every time I woke up the Lumi to read or write, there would be a couple of screen refreshes (clearly marked as ‘Rendering’ when directly waking up to the native library application) before it settled down. Page turns, though, are fine but, again, Amazon’s 2025 Kindle Scribes are just that little bit faster at this as well. Long story short, screen performance doesn’t seem to have improved over the Gen I Go 10.3.

While I can live with the slower screen, I can’t fathom why Boox would retire the stylus that came with the original Go 10.3 as it was a lot better than the supplied InkSense Plus pen. The new stylus isn’t as smooth to write with, and is heavier, detracting from the all-important writing experience.

So as much as I’d love to say the Lumi is an improvement over its predecessor — and it is in a couple of ways — it just seems like Boox has taken two steps forward (with the frontlight and battery life) but one step back with the stylus.

Boox Go 10.3 Gen II Lumi review: price & availability

• Announced March 2026
• List price: $449.99 / £429.99 / AU$729
• Available directly from the Boox Shop and third-party retailers

With the addition of the frontlight, the price of the Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi is a lot higher than the launch price of the original Go 10.3 — you’re looking at shelling out $449.99 / £429.99 / AU$729 for the former, which is about $70 / £50 / AU$120 more than what the latter was when it was released in 2024.

That’s quite steep, although considering how expensive every bit of tech is getting thanks to RAM shortages, I’m not really surprised. It’s still competitively priced considering the 3rd-generation Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025 release with frontlight) retails for $499 / £449.99 / AU$849 for the 32GB flavor, while you get double the storage with the Lumi. Throw in the versatility of Android and it’s arguably better value (even compared to any of the reMarkables), but given its overall performance and user experience compared to the competition, I’d be hesitant to recommend it.

If the frontlight isn’t important, you can opt for the Gen II version without it, which will set you back $419.99 / £399.99 / AU$689. Prices for both Boox Gen II devices include the InkSense Plus stylus and a magnetic sleep case.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Boox Go 10. Gen II Lumi review: specs

Boox Go 10. Gen II Lumi review: design & display

• Good-looking, lightweight epaper tablet, but clunky stylus
• 10.3-inch E Ink display with good contrast
• Textured rear panel adds good grip

With its eggshell-white body and metallic trim, I thought the first-gen Boox Go 10.3 was a pretty tablet, so I’m glad to see that the Gen II version hasn’t been changed — except for a slightly more textured rear panel that affords a little more grip, which is important for a slim device like the Go series slates. I should note here that both Gen II Go 10.3 tablets are identical physically but, without LEDs on the unlit version, it’s about 14g (0.5oz) lighter.

While the slimness doesn’t make for fantastic ergonomics, the Lumi weighing only 364g is, in fact, lighter than the Gen 1 model that tipped the scales at 375g without screen lights. It is about 0.2mm thicker than the previous Go 10.3, but that’s neither here nor there.

It’s still a beautiful device and, despite the thinness, there are dual speakers on either side of the USB-C port on the bottom edge, as does a mic. The only button is for power/sleep on the top edge. There’s no microSD tray here, though, for additional storage. One larger bezel allows plenty of room for your hand, although holding such a slim device, no matter how light, isn’t necessarily ergonomic. If you add in the sleep case, however, it just becomes heavier.

I should talk about the case here, really quick — it’s a faux suede cover that unfortunately comes with the removable flap that I utterly detest. The brown suede material starts to lose its luster within days of use, so I can’t attest to its longevity, but I can’t fathom why Boox has to make the magnetic flap removable. This has been the case with the last few Boox devices I’ve tested and I find it rather annoying — the magnet is quite strong and the flap tends to entirely come away when you unfold it to close the case or secure the stylus to the side of the tablet.

Speaking of which, the magnetic hold of the stylus is good but, as with nearly every such device, it’s not strong enough to keep the pen secure during travel, so you do need to depend on the case.

Boox has also changed the pen, now offering the InkSense Plus stylus that has a thicker tip that just isn’t as smooth as the previous stylus. It’s also slightly heavier than the older pen, which makes it feel clunky in the hand that, in my opinion, doesn’t lend itself well to controlled mark making on the screen. And as I’ve discussed elsewhere, the stylus can make or break the user experience for epaper tablets. Sadly Boox is moving away from using EMR support on its screens (just like reMarkable), so you can’t use a third-party pen on the Lumi.

Boox hasn’t revealed what E Ink screen technology it’s using here, but the 10.3-inch display isn’t bad, with a 300ppi resolution. It’s not as yellow (warm) as I’ve seen on other Boox devices and the frontlight’s incremental adjustments for both brightness and temperature are excellent, adding wonderful contrast to the text or writing on the screen that makes the Lumi a far better reading tablet than its predecessor.

• Design & display score: 4 / 5

Boox Go 10. Gen II Lumi review: Software

• Runs a custom Android 15-based operating system
• A relatively clean user interface, but it takes getting used to
• Plenty of good native apps, but access to the Google Play Store makes it very versatile

Where the original Go 10.3 released in 2024 was using Android 12, the Lumi (and its cheaper sibling) have been upgraded to Android 15, although the software is a very trimmed-down custom version of Google’s operating system. You still get unfettered access to the Google Play Store, so you can, in theory, use any Android app, but e-ink tablets weren’t meant for streaming content or playing games on.

That said, nearly every Boox device comes pre-loaded with native apps that are quite good in their own right and have been improved over time as well, making them more streamlined than before. That’s not to say the UX is easy — if you’ve never used a Boox device before, it will take time to wrap your head around it all as there are still little adjustments that are hidden in sub menus.

What’s different with the Go series compared to other Boox tablets is the home screen navigation — the main menu is arranged vertically on the left, with the Library being your default view. You can change the main menu items in Settings, though, either adding or removing applications.

Customizing the user experience has never been Boox’s problem, which means you can choose between several options for System Display or Gestures, and even tweak individual native apps as you see fit — even the NaviBall is optional to use and can be configured to trigger a plethora of functions.

The Control Center hasn’t changed much over the last couple of years, but I’m still not sure access to an AI assistant is necessary on an e-ink device, but perhaps some power users would appreciate it.

As always, you can sign into a fair few cloud services, including Google Drive and Dropbox, get full support for EverNote and OneNote, or download any other productivity application you might need, but keep in mind that not all third-party apps will be optimized for this device.

One of the things I really like about Boox’s premium note-taking tablets is OTG (on the go) support. This means I can plug in an external hard drive or portable SSD directly into the USB-C port to transfer files. In fact, it’s what I predominantly use even though BooxDrop is a handy app for cloud transfer. I don’t even bother signing into my Google Drive account on a Boox these days.

There really isn’t very much to complain about from a software standpoint — it’s the writing experience that takes a tumble here.

• Software score: 4.5 / 5

Boox Go 10. Gen II Lumi review: User experience

• Good screen contrast with lights makes for a lovely reading experience
• The supplied pen, however, isn’t as nice as the older version for writing

A device might look lovely and come with the nicest software, but ultimately its user experience determines its value. And that’s the case with the Go 10.3 Gen II Lumi — it does a lot right, like its reading experience is lovely, but its main functionality of writing is a little bit of a letdown.

Reading

Like I said, reading on the Lumi is lovely — the frontlight makes the text stand out, adding contrast where previously, on the Gen 1, it was disappointing. Page turns are quick enough too with the screen quite responsive to taps and gestures.

And yet I feel it’s a little slow for an epaper tablet that was released in 2026. For example, every time I woke up the Lumi during my months-long testing, it took a while to ‘render’ an ebook from its native library app.

It very much seemed like it was refreshing the app twice before finally rendering the page. On the other hand, the 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe released in 2025 takes a second or two to open but doesn’t flicker or ‘refresh’ the page — it’s a lot smoother on waking up. As are the Kobo Libra Colour and Kindle Paperwhite from 2024.

Boox doesn’t reveal what E Ink screen tech its using, but other than its slight slowness on waking up, I can’t complain about the reading experience. All books and images rendered on screen have been sharp and clear, particularly with the frontlight on.

Writing

The same kind of contrast with the frontlight on is available on the Notes app too where handwriting looks sharp and clear on screen. However, the physical act of writing on the Lumi isn’t as good as it has been on the Gen 1 because Boox decided to change the stylus.

The previous pen had a thinner nib that moved over the screen quite well. The new InkSense Plus stylus is heavier and the slightly thicker tip feels like it needs to be dragged to make a mark — it feels clunkier in comparison.

Boox has also stepped away from using EMR screens, which means you can’t swap that pen out for another. I tried using one of Boox’s own older pens (used to be supplied with the Note series) and it didn’t work. That’s a real shame as writing is the Lumi’s principal function and the experience of doing so is disappointing.

The native Notes application, though, is full featured — in fact, for the average user it’s probably overkill — and would be ideal for students, teachers and researchers.

• User experience score: 3.5 / 5

Boox Go 10. Gen II Lumi review: Performance

• Generally good performance except on waking up
• A lot of ghosting visible, especially in the Notes app
• Exceptional battery life for an Android device

The Lumi's overall performance is a mixed bag. While it uses a better chipset (Qualcomm Snapdragon 690) compared to the original Go 10.3 (Snapdragon 680), it hasn't really made much of a dent in the speed with which the Lumi performs the tasks at hand.

That's not a complaint — it's an observation. However, Amazon's newest Kindle Scribes are just that much faster at things, like page turns are so quick they barely register that they've moved and the lag between pen input and the mark on screen is barely discernible. On both counts the Lumi is just that smidgeon slower that you can notice if you use it side by side with the 2025 Kindle Scribe (3rd generation).

The slow waking up of the screen is also something that has bothered me, and I've already mentioned how disappointing the writing experience is, but I'm also surprised at how much ghosting there still is on Boox devices, including the Lumi, something Amazon has managed to completely eliminate on its Kindles. You'll be able to notice the ghosting on nearly every single image I have in this review (including in the gallery below).

Where the Lumi really shines (pardon the pun) is with battery life. It still uses the same 3,700mAh battery pack that was in the Gen 1 model and yet whatever software adjustments Boox has made has pushed battery life to weeks rather than days. It's the first Android digital notebook I've used to have such an impressive battery life, one that can match the Kindle Scribes, albeit dependent on use.

In my case, an hour of reading and 30 minutes of writing per day gave me 17 days of use with frontlight at medium brighness and a similar warmth setting, plus Wi-Fi on at all times (but not Bluetooth). Using cloud services and didn't make any dent on the battery usage, although excessive online browsing did drain a little extra but not by all that much.

Topping up was average, with the 3,700mAh pack going from 19% to full in just under two hours when plugged into a wall charger via a high-quality USB-C cable.

• Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Onyx Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

I like the Lumi, but I don't I love it. If, like me, you'd be keen to check out other options, the two below are the ones I'd recommend, both of which are cheaper but aren't Android based.

How I tested the Onyx Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi

I've tested a range of ereaders and epaper writing tablets for TechRadar, so I'm well suited to compare the Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi with its competitors.

As with all such devices I've previously tested, the first thing I did with the Lumi was to sign into the Google Play Store and down the Kindle and Kobo apps. I then used OTG support to transfer ebooks to the device directly from a portable SSD via the USB-C port, but I also used BooxDrop and cloud transfer from Google Drive to test various services.

The Lumi then became my daily ereader and note taker for 4 weeks, using it an average of 2-3 hours a day to read and write. I'm not an artist, so drawing was out of the question.

Out of curiosity, I also downloaded Geekbench 6 to benchmark the CPU (the app is available on the Play Store). I sideloaded a few MP3 files to test the onboard speakers.

Read more about how we test

[First published July 2026]

Here's the thing about an epaper writing tablet like the Kindle Scribe: not everyone needs one. Digital notebooks like the reMarkable Paper Pure or the Boox Go 10.3 are aimed at productivity rather than reading, and the latter is what most people want from an E Ink tablet.

For those who will make full use of a digital notebook's writing suite, I would highly recommend the ViWoods AiPaper over anything from Amazon, Kobo or Boox. It runs on a version of Android 13 — which might seem outdated now, but it honestly doesn't really matter too much on a device such as this — and not only allows you to read, jot notes and doodle, but also gives you full access to the Google Play Store.

Personally, I don't think you even need to download third-party apps on the ViWoods AiPaper as it comes preloaded with a fair few apps that include email, news and much more.

This remarkably thin and light 10.65-inch epaper tablet used to carry an eye-watering RRP of AU$1,199.99 but that's since dropped to a much more acceptable AU$899. However, there's a lovely 33% discount on Amazon for Prime Day that drops the price further to AU$599.99, making it cheaper than any of Amazon's newest 2025 Kindle Scribe releases.

I can wax lyrical if I start discussing this epaper productivity tablet, but you can get the full lowdown on it in my in-depth ViWoods AiPaper review. I was so impressed by it that I think it's now the best ereader for writing.

Calling it an 'ereader', however, is doing it a disservice: it wasn't designed for reading, and the lack of a frontlight means you can't do so in bed without having a light on in the room. During the day, though, you can still use it as an ereader, but it was meant to help you organise your thoughts and your day.

It comes with several native applications precisely for that purpose, including one called Paper for note-taking, another called Picking for drawing and doodling, and a Daily app that's essentially your diary/calendar.

Other than Supernote, ViWoods is the only other company I'm aware of that offers a native Mailbox app that you can set up to send and receive emails. In fact, you can even handwrite your replies that the AI assistant can then convert to text before sending. Now, watch out for handwriting recognition — I found it wasn't always perfect, but it will be right most of the time. The good news is you can always make edits via the onscreen keyboard before sending the email on its way.

That's not all: you can input diary entries via voice prompts. There's a mic on board that didn't have a lot trouble understanding me, but I found it easier to write my diary entries and to-do list into the Daily app.

The only native application I had a little confusion understanding was the Learning app, but it quickly became clear that's where the library is nestled and it's the perfect platform for marking up PDFs.

There are also a bunch of third-party applications already preinstalled, including Kindle, Kobo, Libby, OneNote and The New York Times. There's even Marvel Unlimited and Wattpad all ready and waiting for you to sign in if you use either of those platforms.

Needless to say the ViWoods AiPaper offers a ton of useful features without overwhelming you with its user interface — it's not as minimalist as reMarkable but neither does it go overboard like Boox.

And it's all wrapped up neatly in a beautiful chassis that's one of the thinnest I've come across and uses the E Ink Carta 1300 display that's optimised well here. The supplied stylus is lovely to use, and the magnetic case that ships with it keeps the thin form factor intact while adding a layer of water protection to the tablet.

I really could go on, but suffice to say I love the ViWoods AiPaper and can't recommend it highly enough.

Finding the perfect budget laptop for college or university can be a tricky task. You want something that won't break the bank, but will be a great studying companion that won't let you down. At TechRadar, we've tested hundreds of laptops; this guide runs through our top affordable recommendations for college or university students.

I've focused on options that deliver strong bang for your buck, and can handle an average student's day-to-day typing, research and entertainment needs. Most offer generous battery life, so you can move about without having to worry about staying near a power outlet, and are pleasingly compact and portable too. Note, these are all affordable, relatively basic options and as a result, they're not suitable for demanding tasks — head to our general best laptop or best student laptop guides for a wider range of options for more intensive needs.

Scroll down for our top recommendations. Hit the View Details button to find out more about each one and why it's a great choice for students specifically, or hop to the bottom for a specs comparison table.

College champions

Cheap college laptops: specs compared

I hear people all too often tell me that they prefer physical printed books because they like the feel of the paper, the sound of the pages turning, the smell from the ink... Well, if that's what you're focusing on, you really aren't reading, are you? All those should be superfluous if you're deep into a good story.

And given the convenience of an ereader — portable tablet with thousands of titles stored locally, Bluetooth connectivity for audiobooks, the cheaper cost of ebooks, no need for bookshelves that require dusting — you can't convince me that buying one of the best Kindles isn't a good investment.

That's especially true right now since Amazon's Prime Day 2026 sale has seen prices tumble to record lows. In fact, they're even cheaper now than they were on day one of the sale, which has never happened and I've covered every single Amazon sale in Australia since the online retail giant arrived Down Under in 2017.

All the Australian prices listed below are exclusive to Prime members though, so be sure you have a subscription before buying. If you don't, you can sign up now and get a 30-day free trial as a first-time customer, which will cover the entire Prime Day sale. You can cancel any time.

All the Kindle Prime Day deals listed below ship to New Zealand at no additional cost, so do not miss this chance.

With Amazon having ended support for some of its older Kindles, now is a very good time to upgrade or get your first ereader. They even make thoughtful gifts...

• For more deals and discounts, follow my live coverage of the Amazon Prime Day 2026 sale, with offers up to 85% off

Best Prime Day Kindle deals

There are two main Kindle ranges: Colorsoft and Paperwhite. If you're in the market for a new Amazon ereader but aren't sure which one to buy, this article is here to help. I've put together a cheatsheet of what you need to know to make your decision, starting with the key differences between the two lines, the current Paperwhite options and Colorsoft options, a specs comparison table, and a summary of which to buy. I've also included a section on your other options in the Kindle range.

Ready to choose your new ereader? Let's get started...

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft vs Paperwhite: similarities & differences

In this section, I'll be discussing the standard Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft models, as well as the Signature editions, but not the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

Let's start with the similarities. Regardless of whether you buy a Colorsoft or Paperwhite, you'll be getting a seven-inch, glare-free screen, IPX8 waterproofing, and an option of either 16 or 32GB of storage. All offer 300ppi resolution when used in black and white.

The big difference to know is that the Paperwhite models only display in black-and-white, whereas the Colorsoft Kindles can also display in color (at 150ppi, which is standard for a color ereader). This has a knock-on effect on battery life: Amazon says the Colorsoft models will last eight weeks on a single charge, whereas the Paperwhite can go up to 12 weeks. That's based on half an hour of reading per day, on a brightness level of 13, which is just below halfway.

It also has an effect on price — regardless of if you opt for a Signature or standard model, at list price the Paperwhite Kindles are cheaper than the Colorsoft models.

Kindle Paperwhite models

There are two main Paperwhite models: the regular Paperwhite and the Paperwhite Signature. The only difference is that the Signature has double the storage (32GB compared to 16GB for the standard model).

Kindle Colorsoft models

There are three main Kindle Colorsoft options: the standard model, the Signature edition, and the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. The first two are basically the same, except the Signature packs twice as much storage (16GB compared to 32GB). The Scribe Colorsoft offers writing capabilities alongside color reading, and it's different enough that I've relegated it to the 'Other options' section of this article.

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft vs Paperwhite: which should I buy?

The only real reason to choose a Colorsoft over a Paperwhite is for its color display potential. Aside from that, the specs are either the same or better on the Paperwhite, and Paperwhite models are cheaper, too.

So how good is the color? Our tester was extremely impressed. You can get the full low-down in the Display section of our Kindle Colorsoft review, but the short version is that panning and zooming is smooth and speedy, with no ghosts or artifacts popping up, and refresh is "nearly undetectable".

On the subject of picture quality, our tester had this to say: "The Kindle Colorsoft lights the color and black pixels evenly, and color pages look fantastic. They look like paper, as they should... Get an iPad if you want bright and saturated." You can get a taster of what to expect in the carousel of images below.

You can use color to highlight text in different hues, which could be useful to students, for example. However, the obvious market for a device like this is graphic novel fans. On this point, be aware that because the Kindle Colorsoft can't run third-party apps, you'll be limited to the titles available via Amazon's own ComiXology platform. This offers a decent selection of comic books, but is more limited than the likes of Marvel Unlimited and DC Universe Infinite.

Note that you can read graphic novels on a Paperwhite, but they'll just be in black and white. Just like on the Colorsoft, there's a Panel view feature that expands each individual frame on the page — see it in action on a Paperwhite below.

If that has convinced you that color is something you'll want to make use of, buy a Colorsoft model. If not, pick up a Paperwhite and enjoy the cheaper cost and longer battery life.

Other Kindle options

If you're in the market for a black-and-white ereader, you also have the option of a standard Kindle, which has a smaller screen than the standard Paperwhite and Colorsoft ereaders, is cheaper and lighter in weight too. There are a few concessions you'll need to make, though: the battery life is on the shorter side, and it's not waterproof.

There's also the Kindle Scribe and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, which you can use for writing as well as reading. Both have larger (11-inch) screens, and neither are waterproof. Note that if you go for a Scribe Colorsoft, you can't use the two parts in tandem — so you can't take notes on a color page — which weakens the proposition somewhat.

Specs compared

The recent Apple price hike has sent the cost of the latest iPads spiralling in recent weeks. For the foreseeable future, it's looking like iPad deals may be tougher to come by for Apple fans on a budget.

Not all is lost, however, as I've just spotted a fantastic deal on a slightly older iPad Air model at Best Buy. Right now, you can get the still-great iPad Air 11 with the M3 chipset for $499 (was $749) thanks to a $250 price cut at the retailer.

While it's no longer the latest model, the M3 iteration is just one generation behind. It's still an excellent tablet by almost any metric I can think of — performance, design, display, and even battery life.

I haven't seen the latest Apple iPad Air M4 drop below $749 since the price hikes were announced a few weeks ago. Subsequently, deals on the last-gen devices are looking increasingly attractive. If you can snatch a decent clearance deal (like this Best Buy listing), then it's definitely worth considering.

Today's best Apple iPad Air deal

• See more: check out all of today's tablet deals at Best Buy

Is the iPad Air M3 still worth buying?

The M3 is an older model now, but it's still an excellent tablet by any metric in 2026. The latest model features a quicker chipset (up to 30%) and more RAM, but in terms of display and overall design, it's virtually identical to the M3 version.

Both feature standard 60Hz Liquid Retina LED displays with 500-600 nits of max brightness. That's perfect for everyday browsing, streaming, or taking notes and doodling with the Apple Pencil. If you're just doing the basics, then there's really no reason to stretch for the latest model — the M3 is more than capable and will save you significantly.

Where the latest M4 chipset model pulls ahead is in things like heavy video rendering tasks, high-end gaming, or AI integration. As a newer model, it should also get one more year of guaranteed software updates over the M3 iteration. Apple typically supports iPads for five to seven years with major iOS updates, for the record.

• A developer has created an AI reader tool that replicates Tom Riddle's diary from Harry Potter
• It uses an image-input LLM that reads your handwritten messages as PNGs
• The creator keeps the tool's interface simple, but it's not the easiest to install

Harry Potter fans listen up: someone has managed to develop a feature that lets you speak to Lord Voldemort himself through one of the best ereaders — well, kind of.

Canadian developer Maxime Rivest used Claude Fable 5 to reimagine Tom Riddle’s famous diary from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as an interactive AI mod feature for the reMarkable Paper Pro — and the result is pretty impressive.

Just as how the diary is featured in the book and the 2002 movie, ‘Riddle’ allows you to write a message on your ereader using the stylus, and, after a brief pause, your message will then fade into the paper. Then, a reply will shortly appear on the ereader in an animated cursive font similar to Tom Riddle’s — mimicking the feel that someone is writing back to you from a different realm.

It looks pretty clever, doesn’t it? Well, it’s all thanks to the magic powers of AI.

Rivest, who used the reMarkable Paper Pro’s on-device software development kit to create the tool, says he wanted to design an interactive AI experience that felt as though you were writing in a regular notebook. There are no touchscreens, keyboards, or animated chat bubbles involved, instead he sticks to simplicity.

The feature is built with an image-input compatible LLM, so when you hand-write your note or question, this reads your message as a PNG which is then sent to the AI model. From there, it generates a reply and sends it back to the E Ink display. According to its GitHub listing, ‘Riddle’ works with OpenAI, OpenRouter, and Groq APIs, and local servers that support image input.

That said, downloading it isn’t the easiest. For starters it only works on the reMarkable Paper Pro in developer mode with a launcher installed. The tool’s GitHub page also states the following:

“This modifies your device. It runs as root, stops the vendor UI (in takeover mode), and drives the e-ink engine directly. It has only been tested on a reMarkable Paper Pro (ferrari, aarch64, OS 3.26-3.27). It may not work on other models or OS versions, and you use it entirely at your own risk. Not affiliated with reMarkable AS. Keep SSH access working before you install anything — that is your escape hatch.”

Since Rivest shared his video demo, it’s garnered a handful of responses that are equal parts amazed and spooked. One user on Reddit says that reMarkable should consider adding this as a flagship tool for their next-gen ereader.

Rivest has been just as active with replying to online comments, noting that this is “just [his] first chapter with the project. Alongside his ‘Riddle’ tool, Rivest also unveiled an interactive Marauder’s Map feature that he's developed, another artifact taken from the world of Harry Potter.

Going anywhere nice this summer? If you have a trip planned, a tablet might be what's missing from your kit list. These packable computers can be loaded up with TV shows, games or movies, to provide hours of entertainment while you're on the move. As many parents may have already discovered, they can also be ideal for keeping young children occupied at times when running about / getting stuck into bigger games isn't possible or desirable.

At TechRadar, we've tested hundreds of tablets over the years, and below I've rounded up our computing team's top recommendations for travel. What makes the perfect travel tablet? I've focused on options that aren't too big (it needs to be able to slip easily into a bag when not in use), offer good battery life, and aren't too pricey (just in case it gets dropped / sat on / spilled on). Because these tablets are predominantly for streaming, none of them are especially powerful or advanced — if you're looking for that type of slate, head to our general best tablet ranking for a wider range of options.

All clear? Let's get started. Click on the More details button to see more about why each pick is especially well-suited to travel, as well as a link to the full review for each one.

Top travel tablets

• Apple will reportedly refresh its iPad Pro line in early 2027
• The main change is likely to be a new chipset, but it's uncertain whether the M6 or M7 will be used
• It's also very likely that these will be extremely expensive tablets

It will soon be a year since the last iPad Pro models launched, but if you were hoping for successors this year, you’re probably out of luck, as a new report suggests we won’t see new models until 2027.

According to reputable Apple tipster Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg (via MacRumors), the company will launch new 11-inch and 13-in iPad Pro models in ‘spring’ 2027 — presumably meaning sometime between March and May.

Apparently, their designs won’t be changed much, but the internals will be updated, with a new chipset and potentially a vapor chamber to help keep them cool.

However, which chipset they’ll use remains uncertain — the iPad Pro 11-inch (2025) and iPad Pro 13-inch (2025) both have an M5 chipset, so we’d expect at least an M6. But according to this Bloomberg report, Apple will debut its M7 chipset “as early as the first half of 2027.” So if that’s out in time for the next iPad Pro’s launch, there’s a chance it will be included.

Either way, this should be a very powerful tablet, but if it does launch with an M6 chipset only for Apple to announce the M7 soon after, that might make it less desirable than it could otherwise be.

A pricey prospect

The bigger concern about the next iPad Pro, though, is how much it might cost. The ongoing RAM crisis recently caused Apple to raise the prices of many of its devices, including iPads, and since the 9-month-old iPad Pro 2025 has shot up in price, there’s no doubt that 2027’s iPad Pro models will launch at a very high price too.

Exactly how high is uncertain, though. For reference, the iPad Pro 2025 series now starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$1,999, so the iPad Pro 2027 will almost certainly cost at least that much. But if RAM prices keep increasing, then it’s feasible that it could cost even more — especially with inflation and a new chipset.

So, you might want to get saving — or just make do with your old tablet for a while longer, especially if you upgraded in the last few years.

OK, I don't really need the Kindle Colorsoft even though it's down to its lowest price yet of AU$278 in this early Prime Day 2026 deal — as someone who has reviewed some of the best ereaders for TechRadar, I have plenty of them from different brands.

What I do want — nay, need — is a lovely, cozy reading nook.

It's been a dream of mine to sprawl by a window, sunshine streaming into a cozy corner where I can spend hours doing the one thing I truly love — read. I can read for hours on end and, right now, I end up lying in bed for that. I don't even move to my couch because it just doesn't feel... cozy.

Then a 'reading chair' on BookTok caught my attention and I've been keen to find something like it in Australia. Well, guess what? Amazon has a version of it... actually, there are a few versions of the same chair going for different prices and the one I've had my eye on is both Prime eligible for free delivery to my Sydney metro address with two-day delivery guaranteed, and it's a lot cheaper than other versions I've seen on Amazon and elsewhere.

While there's no mention what the cover material is, this comes close to the corduroy look of the one I saw on BookTok. Whether it's corduroy or not, I don't mind — I'm just chuffed that it comes shrink-wrapped and vacuum-sealed, like a mattress in a box, and all I have to do is unpack it to let it inflate. No assembly required!

The listing says it uses memory foam, which should be a good thing and, going by some of the user reviews on the Amazon listing page, most customers have actually liked it.

I can use it as a lounge chair if I so choose, and it becomes an extra bed when I have a guest over. All in all, that's a good investment I think.

There are a few other 'reading chairs' that caught my eye when I was looking for this one on Amazon, and they do look tempting. I'd be keen to see how prices fall when Prime Day 2026 in Australia kicks off on July 7.

• Shop the best early Prime Day deals here

More reading chairs on Amazon

Huawei MatePad Pro Max review: One-minute review

The Huawei MatePad Pro Max is the world’s thinnest 13-inch+ tablet, and rivals the 13-inch iPad Pro (2025) and Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra for portable power. It’s lighter than both of those competitors, and offers a stunning display on which to make use of its impressive performance credentials.

You’d be forgiven, then, for thinking Apple and Samsung might be looking nervously over their shoulders. The MatePad Pro Max is beautifully made, and I prefer its design to that of Apple’s best iPads. Early signs suggest this could be one of the best tablets around. Yet like its smaller sibling, the Huawei MatePad 12X, this slate is almost impossible to recommend in a practical sense. More on that in a moment.

The 13.2-inch display comes with Huawei’s PaperMatte technology. Not only does this make it feel lovely to touch, but it also has fantastic anti-reflective properties. I can sit outside in the sun and still easily use this tablet.

It’s great for video streaming and gaming, with enough grunt under the hood to run PUBG Mobile on high graphical settings without signs of slowdown.

There’s a keyboard case included in the box — something you don’t get from Apple or Samsung — which helps to boost the productivity credentials of this slate. And you also get a 100W charging block, allowing you to replenish over 60% of its battery in under 30 minutes.

Battery life is solid, with many hours of use possible — around eight hours of continuous online gaming, for example — and reverse charging means you can use the tablet to top-up your phone. Even the cameras are better than some rivals’.

Huawei’s own Harmony OS software is similar to iPadOS and Android, and it’s intuitive to use for the most part. But it’s in the company’s App Gallery where the real issue with this slate lies. With no access to Google Mobile Services (GMS), the MatePad Pro Max has a severe lack of mainstream apps.

That means no Google apps, no Meta apps (Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Threads), and no X (formerly Twitter), ChatGPT, Claude, Spotify, Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Amazon, and more.

This unfortunately means that, even with its excellent design and display, solid battery life, and premium performance, the Huawei MatePad Pro Max is only going to work for a small subset of users with very specific needs that don’t rely on major applications.

Huawei MatePad Pro Max review: price and availability

• Release June 30, 2026 in the UK
• Price starts at £999 — cheaper than Apple and Samsung rivals
• Includes keyboard case
• Not available in the US or Australia

The Huawei MatePad Pro Max starts at £999.99 (around $1,300 / AU$1,800) and, unlike rival tablets, it comes with a keyboard case and 100W charging block in the box.

That’s comfortably cheaper than the 13-inch iPad Pro (starting at £1,299) and the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra (starting at £1,269), for hardware that’s just as good, if not better. But it’s the lack of mainstream apps that hampers this tablet’s value proposition.

The MatePad Pro Max is available now on the Huawei UK website. As with many Huawei devices, the MatePad Pro Max is not available in the US or Australia.

• Value: 4 / 5

Huawei MatePad Pro Max review: specs

Huawei MatePad Pro Max review: display

• Brilliant, colorful OLED screen
• Works great in bright sunlight
• PaperMatte finish feels premium

I love the 13.2-inch display on the MatePad Pro Max. My model comes with the firm’s PaperMatte technology, providing a slick, smooth feeling under the finger and a screen that’s still brilliantly visible in bright sunlight.

The OLED panel pumps out punchy colors, while the 144Hz refresh rate keeps scrolling and gameplay feeling smooth.

The screen comfortably goes toe-to-toe with those of the iPad Pro 13-inch and Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, with the Huawei’s display even boasting a higher resolution (3000 x 2000) and pixel density (273ppi) than those of its two mainstream rivals.

Peak brightness matches the iPad and Galaxy Tab at 1600 nits, and the MatePad Pro Max also has the slimmest bezels of the three, giving it an impressive 91.4% screen-to-body ratio.

All this means you get a superb viewing experience with this tablet. Whether I was watching 4K videos or playing PUBG with the graphics turned way up, it was a visual feast for the eyes.

• Display: 4.5 / 5

Huawei MatePad Pro Max review: design

• Sleek premium design
• Thinner and lighter than Apple and Samsung rivals
• Keyboard case included, but design could be better

It’s not just the screen that looks great on the Huawei MatePad Pro Max, with this tablet also packing a seriously slim design.

At just 4.7mm thick, you’d be forgiven for thinking it might feel a little fragile — but worry not. The metal unibody chassis is solid and the build quality is top-notch — as it should be for the price — and if the Huawei brand was scrubbed off, I reckon I could convince a few people this was the new iPad design. That’s how good the MatePad Pro Max looks and feels.

There’s still that 13.2-inch screen to squeeze into the chassis, but with super-slim bezels, Huawei has managed to keep the dimensions of this slate to the absolute minimum, at 289.3 x 196.3mm.

These numbers make the MatePad Pro Max the world’s thinnest 13-inch+ tablet — a niche title, sure, but a win for Huawei nonetheless.

And for a big screen tablet, the MatePad Pro Max is light too, tipping the scales at 499g (or 509g with the PaperMatte display). That’s lighter than the 13-inch iPad Pro (579g) and the (admittedly larger) Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra (692g).

That meant I was able to hold the MatePad Pro Max comfortably for multiple rounds of PUBG Mobile without the tablet feeling taxing in my hands.

There’s a fingerprint scanner built into the power key on the top edge of the slate, and it recognized my digit quickly, promptly unlocking the tablet. If anything, this scanner performed better than Touch ID on my iPad Air (2022).

I like the placement of the MatePad Pro Max’s 12MP front-facing camera; it’s in the middle of the top landscape side of the screen, nestled into the super slim bezel, meaning no annoying notch in the display. However, with Teams, Zoom, WhatsApp, and Google Meet all unavailable in Huawei’s App Gallery, the number of video calls you’ll be doing on the MatePad Pro Max might be limited.

The inclusion of a keyboard case in the box is good to see, as it means you don’t have to spend more money on the accessory, and unlike the one that came with the MatePad 12X 2025, this one has a trackpad for easier navigation.

It features a series of useful touchpad controls. Swipe three fingers up to return home, three fingers from side to switch apps, and three fingers up and hold to enter a multi-task view. It makes the tablet far more user-friendly when in this laptop mode.

It’s not as well designed as Apple’s Magic Keyboard for iPad, though. The movement required to magnetically lock the tablet in place when opening it up isn’t the smoothest, with a slightly confused double-hinge design on the case. Even after weeks of use, I still hadn’t mastered the movement each time I opened it up.

The good news is this keyboard case doubles as a protective case, which is always welcome when you’re spending big bucks on a premium tablet, although the slate’s productivity is severely hampered by the limited app selection.

If you want greater creative control, Huawei sells the M-Pencil Pro stylus separately. It magnetically clings to the top landscape edge of the MatePad Pro Max, with an oval pad that guides its placement. There’s also a dedicated space for it in the keyboard case, keeping it safe if you slide the tablet into a bag.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Huawei MatePad Pro Max review: software

• Major limitations when it comes to apps
• App Gallery is missing many big names
• Interface is clean and intuitive

As good as the hardware is on the Huawei MatePad Pro Max, it’s hampered by a heap of software-related trouble. The Trump administration placed the Chinese brand on the 'entity list' back in 2019, which effectively banned Huawei from using any Google products or services on its devices.

That means the MatePad Pro Max does not have access to Google Play Services, the Play Store, or any Google applications; there’s no Drive, Maps, YouTube, Photos, Gmail, Gemini, and so on.

Instead, we get Huawei’s HarmonyOS 4.3 operating system and the firm’s App Gallery store, where you can download applications. The trouble is, the app selection here is extremely limited.

As I’ve mentioned, there are no Google apps, but other major players are missing too, including Meta’s suite of apps (Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Threads), X (formerly Twitter), ChatGPT, Claude, Spotify, Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Amazon, and more.

Some big names you can download and install from Huawei’s App Gallery include Snapchat, TikTok, CapCut, Temu, and Telegram. You can also get Microsoft 365 and Outlook if you’re looking for established productivity tools.

Some of these services are available via the web browser. I was able to watch YouTube videos, access social media, and browse Amazon just fine — but some things are blocked entirely, such as editing Google Drive documents.

It means you’ll need to carefully consider whether the MatePad Pro Max will be able to deliver what you need from a tablet.

Huawei does offer some apps of its own to help ease the lack of established names on the App Gallery. Petal Maps, as the name suggests, is its version of Apple and Google Maps. There isn’t a satellite or street view, although you do get navigation and live traffic data.

It’s serviceable enough, but lacks the features of its established rivals, and that’s the case for many of Huawei’s own apps. The Notes app is a basic word processor, while NotePad is designed more for quicker things — similar to Google Keep. If you’re used to the big-brand apps, though, you’ll find the ones on the MatePar Pro Max aren’t as encompassing.

Huawei’s HarmonyOS interface isn’t all that different from iPadOS and Android, with a familiar look and feel, meaning there’s no real learning curve when it comes to using the tablet. It’s pretty slick under the finger, although it doesn’t have the same level of zip and polish as Apple’s iPad Pro slates.

• Software: 2 / 5