• 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.

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

Huawei MatePad Pro Max review: performance

• Kirin T93 Pro chipset and 12GB of RAM
• Can handle games on high graphics settings
• Impressive speakers offer surround sound

The Huawei MatePad Pro Max is powered by Huawei’s own Kirin T93 Pro chipset and is ably assisted by 12GB of RAM.

The result is a powerful tablet that could handle everything I threw at it, from social media, web browsing, and downloading large applications, to high-def gaming, sketching with the M-Pencil Pro, and 4K video playback.

Even with multiple applications running together, and utilizing the multi-tasking side-by-side view, there were no significant signs of slowdown. PUBG Mobile, on high graphical settings, loaded quickly and ran smoothly, ensuring my Winner Winner Chicken Dinner streak remained intact.

And during my long PUBG sessions, another positive was the MatePad Pro Max’s ability to keep itself relatively cool, with the slate boasting excellent heat dissipation.

I didn’t have any noticeable performance issues during my testing time, but the slate doesn’t feel as slick as the iPad Pro 13, which feels better optimized for the Apple-made chip inside.

Another impressive aspect of the tablet is its six-speaker system, which delivers a convincing surround sound experience. The bass is weak, as is expected from a tablet that’s so thin, but audio quality is otherwise very good. The speakers are better than the ones on my iPad Air, for what it’s worth.

The M-Pencil Pro stylus is really comfortable to use on the MatePad Pro Max. It glides nicely across the screen when handwriting notes, and it’s comfortable to hold for extended sketching sessions. The tablet itself isn’t brilliantly designed for note-taking, though. Place it on a flat surface, and the rear camera bump means the tablet rocks annoyingly as you move the M-Pencil around the screen.

Pop it in the keyboard case, and the angle the screen sits at isn’t natural for handwriting or sketching either. You can fold the tablet back on the case and place it on a desk, which provides you with a steady surface, but if you forget it, then you’re back to a wobbly mess.

Now, I’d never recommend someone use their tablet as a camera — they’re big, bulky, and usually no better than the smartphone in your pocket at taking pictures. However, the 50MP rear camera on the MatePad Pro Max is one of the better ones I’ve used on this form factor.

It offers 5x and 10x zoom with only minimal quality degradation, and in good light outdoors, it’s capable of taking some nice shots. It’s the size of this 13.2-inch slate that hampers the experience — it’s cumbersome to hold up and take around with you versus your phone.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Huawei MatePad Pro Max review: battery

• 9,760mAh high-silicon anode battery
• 100W Turbo Charge plug included in the box
• Replenish over 40% in 20 minutes

Battery life on the Huawei MatePad Pro Max is solid, but not quite category-leading. You get a 9,760mAh high-silicon anode battery, which is actually smaller than the cell found in the iPad Pro 13 (10,290mAh).

That shouldn’t be a worry, though. I played PUBG for two hours on high graphics settings, and the MatePad Pro Max lost 20% of its charge in that time.

If we extrapolate that out, it means you’re looking at at least eight hours of demanding gameplay on a single charge — great news for gamers and those looking to perform intense productivity tasks on the slate.

You’ll get much longer if you’re only using the tablet for occasional web browsing, social scrolling, and the odd video stream, though. I’d feel comfortable taking the MatePad Pro Max on a long-haul flight, for example, as the battery should remain solid.

Huawei has packed in 66W charging too, to help replenish the large battery. And it was great to find a 100W Turbo Charge block included in the box, meaning I didn’t have to dig out my own. Apple and Samsung don’t include this with their tablets, so well done, Huawei.

During my charging tests, I was getting around 10% battery returned after 5 minutes, 20% after 10 minutes, and 45% in just 20 minutes. After 30 minutes, the MatePad Pro Max had replenished 65% of its battery — a useful result if you’re looking for a quick top-up before heading out.

Another handy feature is the tablet’s reverse charging capabilities. If you find your smartphone is running low on juice, you can connect it to the MatePad Pro Max via USB-C cable, and the tablet will provide your handset with a top-up.

• Battery: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Huawei MatePad Pro Max?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Also consider

If you're not sold on what the Huawei MatePad Pro Max has to offer, there are a handful of similarly priced alternatives to consider.

How I tested the Huawei MatePad Pro Max

• Tested over several weeks
• Played games, browsed the web, scrolled social, snapped pictures
• Also tested the keyboard case and M-Penci Pro stylus

I used the Huawei MatePad Pro Max as my main tablet for several weeks, testing out its core features, app availability, and performance.

I played a variety of games, watched 4K HDR videos, snapped photos, ran battery and charging tests, and performed various day-to-day tasks, including web browsing, scrolling social media, and checking emails.

The keyboard case, which is included in the box, was also tested with emails, word processing, and general UI navigation. I was also sent the M-Pencil Pro (and optional extra), and spent time jotting down handwritten notes and sketching cartoons.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2026

If there's one thing that gets me out of bed to write an article on TechRadar is a good ereader, especially one that's going cheap. And with Prime Day 2026 in Singapore in full swing, it shouldn't come as a surprise that there are discounted Kindles to be had.

The best offer is on the Kindle Paperwhite — which also happens to be my pick of the best Kindle — but this deal from Amazon US is quickly running out of stock as the Prime exclusive discount is too good to pass up. It's going for just over SG$175, which is about what you'd see the entry-level Kindle go for at retail usually.

However, with this lightning deal 70% claimed, I'm thrilled that the Kindle Colorsoft is also discounted, albeit via the Amazon US store again. It's not as good a discount as the Paperwhite, but I would still recommend it, particularly for those of you who enjoy graphic novels, comics and manga. Admittedly paying SG$260 for the colour E Ink display isn't 'cheap', but it can make a difference to some readers and I think Amazon has done a remarkable job of optimising that display for reading.

You can call me crazy that I get excited about ereaders, but I've been reviewing them for nigh on a decade now and I've followed the progress E Ink has made with its various displays for these devices.

What makes the Colorsoft worth the money is, even though the colours are comparatively muted against those displayed on, say, an iPad, it's still a very sharp screen that makes reading comics and graphic novels a joy.

Now, I don't read that much in colour, but I do appreciate my book covers being displayed in all their glory on the screen. I've even looked at National Geographic pages on the Kindle Colorsoft and they look lovely.

Battery life, like all the Kindles, is excellent, so you can go off on a long holiday and not even worry about leaving your charging cable behind, but in case you do need to top it up, any USB-C cable will suffice.

While there's a total of 16GB of storage available on this discounted model, I will have to note that Kindle OS takes up a rather large amout of space and you'll likely be left with about 10GB for all your needs, but that's thousands of ebooks. Audiobooks, though, are larger files, so you'll need to manage your storage space accordingly.

On the plus side, though, you're getting a durable and water-resistant ereader that you can lounge by (or in) the pool or bath and enjoy a relaxing read.

So, go on, kindle that digital reading habit — trust me when I say it's just as easy to get lost in a story digitally as it is via a physical book.

Tablets make the perfect first device for a kid. They're much better suited to static, supervised use than a smartphone, can shrug off damage that would leave a laptop in pieces, and can be used as easily for watching YouTube or playing Minecraft as they are for schoolwork or other more practical activities. So all you have to do is pick which one makes sense for you.

You could of course just pick up one of the best iPads. Apple's had the whole tablet thing sorted for years at this point, even on the standard model we recommend in this guide. But you should also check out the offerings below from Amazon and OnePlus - for their value and versatility respectively.

It's hard to know what your kid will need from a tablet as they get older, but these options will go the distance if you need them to. Check our main best tablets and best Android tablets guides if you need more recommendations, but here are the best kids tablets you can buy right now.

Best tablet for kids

It's hard to think of a tablet without immediately picturing an iPad. And fortunately, when shopping for a kid-friendly slate, the 11th-gen iPad is indeed the best option for most people.

Even though it is Apple's cheapest, most basic tablet model, the standard iPad has more than enough power, storage and battery performance to last your kid for years, even if they start to need a device for schoolwork as well as entertainment. Just grab one of Apple's own keyboard cases and Apple Pencil styluses (or one of the many third-party options) and bam, you basically have a laptop.

There are no Apple Intelligence AI features present due to this slate's older chipset, but that probably won't bother your child that much. It's also the most expensive option on this list, which may feel a risky option depending on how your child likes to treat their tech. But rest assured that for older, more careful kids, the iPad 11 would be a smart investment.

Read the full iPad 11 review

• ^ Back to the top

Best budget tablet for kids

Although it's a couple of years old, the Fire HD 10 is still Amazon's latest and best option for an affordable tablet that will give you or a younger user all the basics.

As well as the price being appealing, the rugged plastic design hopefully means even the standard non-Kids edition will survive even the roughest treatment. Amazon's built-in kids apps provide a perfect child-ready entertainment suite, and if you want to use it yourself, you may find the strong integration with Alexa and your smart home gadgets rather handy too.

The main limitation is the Fire OS operating system; you get all the basic streaming apps you could want, but the gaming experience leaves a lot to be desired due to limited compatible titles and an old low-powered chipset. Plus there's a bunch of bloatware apps that you cannot remove if you decide you don't want them, not to mention the adverts you are subjected to unless you pay to remove them. If you can live with this though, you are unlikely to find a better value tablet for your family to use.

Read the full Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) review

• ^ Back to the top

Best Android tablet for kids

The closest you can get to an iPad running Android is the OnePlus Pad Go 2. But OnePlus' tablet has more going for it than just its resemblance to an Apple product.

You won't be wanting for screen space with the Pad Go 2's big 12.1-inch, 2.8k resolution display. Streaming video and games look and run brilliantly, as does the Android-based OxygenOS operating system. OnePlus' Open Canvas system being a great productivity tool as well, letting you open multiple apps across its spacious display - ideal if this needs to be a tablet for studying too.

Our only complaints are the rather plain design, which may also be a little too big for small hands to use comfortably, and the charging speed remaining a slow 33W. But keep the OnePlus Pad Go 2 topped up regularly, and you'll likely have no trouble from the tablet's primary user.

Read the full OnePlus Pad Go 2 review

• ^ Back to the top

How we test tablets

Our reviewers test the best tablets at home and in the office, and work with Future Labs to test them in our performance laboratory; specifically for tablets with US availability.

We use tablets in our daily lives every day, and will replace our work laptop computers with a tablet for regular use and testing. We travel with tablets and use them extensively for work and personal travel. We use tablets for fun, for games, for creating art, for getting work done, and for doing nothing at all.

Remote page turners for ereaders aren’t a new concept — several options are available for Kindles made by third-party manufacturers, while Kobo has a proprietary one for its own devices. They’re made for people like me, who are too lazy to even use the physical page-turn buttons on the likes of the Kobo Libra Colour — especially when lying in bed to read. (I mean, who wants to stick their finger out from under the blanket on a cold night to touch the propped up ereader?)

The other thing they have in common is that they pretty much look the same, like tiny remote controls.

There’s one page turner, though, that’s unlike any I’ve previously seen. The moment I saw pictures of the Boox Tappy in early May after it was announced, I couldn’t help but smile. It looked more like a cute retro toy than a Bluetooth page turner for an ereader.

I finally have it in hand and it’s even more adorable in person, thanks to the little design details I’ve discovered. Suffice to say, Tappy made me very happy as soon as I opened the box. I mean, just look at it!

It’s styled like a miniature retro typewriter with two keys only, each featuring a pixelated image, but a pair of spare key caps are provided that you can swap out for the default ones. In my humble (and overly biased) opinion, the extra key caps marked with a X and an O aren’t as appealing to me as the pixelated heart and steaming cuppa.

The attention to design detail doesn't stop there. The tiny ‘Tap This’ printed on the front of the page turner where a typewriter’s brand name would typically be sparks joy. The power switch — a tiny silver toggle — is kinda reminiscent of an actual typewriter cartridge release (for those of you that remember such things…).

The only ‘modern’ elements to the otherwise retro design are an indicator light next to the power switch and a USB-C port on the rear to charge the page turner.

More than just a head... no, page turner

The fun design aside, the Boox Tappy can do more than just turn pages on a reading app.

It can be paired with an Android phone, for example, and its default Reading Mode automatically becomes volume control. It has a MultiMedia Mode to switch tracks on a music app like Spotify, while a Browsing Mode allows you to scroll on a browser tab or on social media apps.

I tested this on the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro and it worked a charm in all three modes, but keep in mind that button functionality isn’t customizable.

The button presses are arguably the best part about using the Boox Tappy — they’re so satisfying. It’s practically effortless to press down and there’s a small feedback, like a muffled click. I would absolutely use this as a fidget toy if it wasn’t paired with the Boox Go 10.3 Gen II Lumi digital notebook that I’m currently testing for TechRadar.

It uses the Bluetooth 5.4 standard to pair with compatible devices, which is quite stable, and has a wireless range of about 33 feet/10 meters. That last spec is probably moot as I don’t envision anyone using it to control device functionality — especially reading — from a distance.

Oh, for proprietary’s sake!

As much as I love the Boox Tappy, it sadly doesn’t play nice with other ereaders. For example, it paired with my Kobo Libra Colour but failed to turn pages, while three of my Kindles didn’t even pick it up as a Bluetooth device.

It connected with the Android-toting ViWoods AiPaper digital notebook but was a glorified sound adjuster rather than a page turner. Heck, it even connected with my iPhone 17 Pro and MacBook Pro but, again, could only adjust volume on the Apple devices.

I can’t fault Boox for that — after all, the Kobo Remote doesn’t work with a Kindle either. This compatibility issue has to do with the limitations of the operating systems used by ereader manufacturers. While there’s a universal command to make wireless headphones work with ereaders for audiobook playback, the same can’t be said about page turning as it’s a relatively more niche use case.

Until ereader makers add that additional software prompt to allow all wireless page turning, it reduces the Boox Tappy’s usability. Sadly Boox doesn’t provide a comprehensive list of compatible devices (other than some of its own ereaders), but if you or a loved one use a Boox device or an Android phone, it might be a fun little treat.

Given its functionality and it's good looks, the Boox Tappy is competitively priced — $25.99 / €29.99 / AU$49 isn't too bad in my opinion.

It's been a busy week for Apple fans, keeping track of all the news that came out of WWDC 2026 this year. Although there was a lot of new info on MacOS Golden Gate, iOS 27, new child safety tools, and more, the bulk of Tim Cook's last presentation was devoted to Siri AI.

Apple's first truly smart AI assistant was on full display, using natural language and working across the Apple ecosystem. But users in the EU were shocked when Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, mentioned during the presentation that EU iPhone and iPad users wouldn't get Siri AI, at least for now.

"Siri AI will not be available initially in the EU on iOS and iPad OS. We're working hard to find a path forward to preserve our users' privacy and security."

Federighi's unusually forward statement about regulations for a conference like this, without any indication of when Siri AI would arrive in the EU, sparked a lot of concern. So, what's going on? Read on, and watch our TikTok embedded below to understand exactly what's up regarding the Siri AI delay.

Watch our explainer on the issue here:

What is the Digital Markets Act?

The Digital Markets Act, or DMA, is the piece of EU legislation getting in the way of EU iPhone and iPad users accessing Siri AI in its current form. The DMA, brought into force in May 2023, is an anti-monopoly and pro-interoperability law designed to ensure major tech companies such as Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon, and others don't restrict the growth or usage of other platforms, and allow users more choice when selecting online services and deciding who can access their data.

The DMA says, "A small number of large undertakings providing core platform services have emerged with considerable economic power that could qualify them to be designated as gatekeepers pursuant to this Regulation.

"The combination of those features of gatekeeper is likely to lead, in many cases, to serious imbalances in bargaining power and, consequently, to unfair practices and conditions for business users, as well as for end users of core platform services provided by gatekeepers, to the detriment of prices, quality, fair competition, choice, and innovation in the digital sector."

Essentially, the EU doesn't want companies like Apple or Google to lock users into a solitary ecosystem that only works with proprietary technology, leading to a monopoly.

The problem with Siri AI

In a world in which we grow increasingly distrustful of AI, Apple seems to have designed Siri AI with security and privacy in mind. Siri AI works across Apple's operating systems, using its Private Cloud Compute technology to act as a private 'on-device AI' while retaining the advantages of a cloud-based system. Apple claims that complying with the EU's interoperability laws will result in cracking open access to Private Cloud Compute to third-party AIs, leading to a breakdown of that trust Apple is trying to build.

In a press release, Apple says, "Siri AI is private by design and deeply integrated across Apple’s platforms using on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute, which extends the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud.

"However, under EU regulators’ extreme interpretation of the DMA, Apple would have to give any virtual assistant direct access to users’ private data — and the ability to directly control other installed applications — as soon as Siri AI is made available in the EU, without the essential protections necessary to keep users and their data safe.

"According to EU regulators, the DMA requires Apple to give any AI system nearly unlimited access to a user’s device, as well as the ability to act on that access autonomously without a user’s ongoing visibility and control. That includes the ability to read and send messages, make purchases, access files, and execute actions across any app."

Strong language there from Apple. The EU wants a level playing field, which means opening up operating system-level access to other AI companies, which Apple is obviously loathe to do. So, who's in the right?

Have your say — who's right?

You can vote in our poll above to have your say, and we'll publish the end results next week, but it's safe to say the debate is already fierce. Our TikTok above has hundreds of comments, and there are strong feelings on both sides of the aisle.

Pro-Apple users are saying that the EU is sacrificing their privacy, and there is already plenty of choice: just don't buy Apple devices if you don't want to use Siri AI.

One user said, "The European Commission is in the wrong here. I get that they want others to have the same access to make it fair, but we’re not talking about giving access to small European businesses, we’re talking about massive American corporations like Meta, Google, Musk’s X, Anthropic, OpenAI, etc."

Another said, "People already have a choice. If you like Apple's ecosystem, you get Apple products. It's that simple. If you want more 'freedom' then you get literally anything else." A third wrote, "I chose Apple because the other players have proven time and again they don’t care about privacy".

However, there were just as many pro-EU comments in the threads as pro-Apple ones. One person wrote, "The only thing Apple should provide is a means to allow another service to access my data, and prohibit the use if no permission is granted. Interoperability."

Another said, "Apple should adjust to laws of the region they are selling to if they want to be relevant there. simple as that." A third wrote, "100% in the EU camp here. I want to be able to choose my AI provider on my iPhone. I don’t want Gemini. I don’t trust Google."

This isn't the first time Apple has balked at the Digital Markets Act, releasing a similar statement last year regarding delays to features like Live Translation. At this moment in time, we don't know how things are going to play out. However, we want to hear more from you. Vote in our poll above and comment below, and we'll publish your thoughts next week.

I admit, I was confounded by Apple’s 20-minute Child Safety feature detour during its all-important WWDC 2026 keynote. After all, it’s a set of features that have warranted, at best, a passing mention at previous events. This year, though, Apple bombarded us with a cavalcade of existing, upgraded, and entirely new tools (we've rounded up five of the biggest new Apple child account features elsewhere on TechRadar).

The intention, it seemed, was to prove it’s dead serious about protecting your children from not just online threats but the very real danger of too much digital access.

While Apple hasn’t directly addressed why it went so hard, it is clear to me at least that it’s in tune with changing moods toward our digital experience, especially as it pertains to children. Studies show that excessive screen time is potentially damaging to cognitive development and behavior. A direct causal relation between social media use and teen mental health is harder to establish, though it's difficult to ignore the dual rise in social media and mental health issues. Overall, parents know that digital use — too much of it; the wrong kind — is a potential issue for their kids, and now they're actively looking for ways to manage it.

Perhaps Apple was right to devote so much time to this set of features. Still, I’m not sure it did anyone any favors with the overwhelming and slightly haphazard way it was all discussed.

I recognized many of the tools as already existing, but they were all slightly altered and enhanced. It wouldn’t be until later that I would learn exactly what was new and the crucial change Apple made to help get ahead of wily kids and teens who always know how to game the system.

So, to start from the bottom, it’s worth mentioning that Apple rewrote Screen Time’s entire architecture. Even how it works with iCloud is different (updated infrastructure).

This matters because, as you might’ve read elsewhere, crafty teens figured out how to game previous versions of the old Screentime Time Allowance and schedule controls. They did so by messing with the device’s clock. This trick apparently could extend screen limits significantly.

Apple, no doubt, is a student of all these teen screen time hacks, and the controls appear more robust. Re-architecture is likely aimed at those kinds of hacks, and if, for instance, your child learns the PIN code to authorize access to, say, a website or for a message chat, the system now automatically alerts the parent that the PIN code was used on one of the children’s devices.

A process of simplification and enrichment

Apple’s goal here was not only to strengthen the tools but also to ease the application. New devices can, in roughly six minutes (we timed it), guide a parent through the comprehensive parental control setup — I’ve seen it in action and it is impressive. You’ll make a fair number of decisions along the way, but it all appears sensible.

The ease is also because this is merely a starting point for managing your child’s digital learning experience (most of the presets are, it seems, in line with some guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics).

Over time, parents can and probably will dig into the now (when iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 ship this fall) voluminous settings that, for example, not only allow parents to block nudity but gore and violent images (though it’s not clear if it can do anything for words that describe such acts) across messages, AirDrops, and even communication in FaceTime.

In the case of violence and gore, if the content is detected, the communication is, for younger users, blocked (a parent could enter their PIN to see what triggered the action). While the system won't always send an alert to the parent, it can automatically end communication if it detects illicit content.

App and Web Sites under control

Developers don't just set their own age brackets for apps: each one goes through a rigorous questionnaire with answers mapping to specific age ranges. As for what happens when apps and games are upgraded and how Apple prevents non-age-appropriate content from seeping in, it uses another test to confirm that the existing age range still applies.

In addition to approving apps that your child can download, even those that are age-approved, parents will have control over which websites kids can visit. Every request shows up on the parent’s device, where they can investigate and then allow or deny.

Similar controls also exist for messages. If anyone who is not pre-approved or in the Family group tries to message your child, the child can ask for permission, and you’ll again get the approval notice. At this point, you can add that person to the approved list, and then they’ll be able to freely message.

Your groups

One of the big updates is in how the system manages time allowances, with new groupings and certain classes of apps, like phone and messages, always open in case of emergencies. You can even create your own app groups and add and remove apps.

So much of this is about tailoring the control to your child and your own family’s rules and restrictions. No family is alike, and so no two Child Safety and Screen Time settings necessarily need to be alike.

The setup walkthrough happens on new devices, so when it comes time to upgrade to iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, parents might first need to check which older devices still support the new software. If the systems don’t, the granular control might not be consistent.

Unfortunately, the Child Safety system can’t tailor the settings after a period of learning how you and your family use the devices. Though it seems you could use the new Describe a Shortcut to build a shortcut that watches usage insights and then changes settings based on those learnings.

Overall, I wouldn't say Screen time is now unrecognizable from its previous iteration. Still, the interface does feel somewhat cleaner and better organized, which I think is important because parents who dig into this are not interested in learning new tech management skills; they just need help protecting their kids from bad apps, websites, people, and their children's own sometimes too-intense screen habits.

Apple spending so much time rebuilding and enriching Child Safety and Screen Time and then talking about it during WWDC 2026 may have a dual effect. It could improve the lives of those who upgrade, but it might also open the eyes of parents who have been struggling to manage their kids’ digital lives without knowing there’s at least a partial solution already in their hands.

Schrödinger sock. That's how I describe the child's foot apparel that was not visible but brought to photo-realistic life by Apple Intelligence running on iOS 27 Dev Beta. The sock exists in the liminal space between assumption and reality. Only generative AI can make it real, even if the child in the photo was never wearing his other sock. Such is the power of the upcoming update to Apple's iOS and other platforms, and of the up-to-now relatively disappointing Apple Intelligence: Apple takes on Artificial Intelligence so carefully applied that it seemed woefully behind the competition.

But that was before.

Today, after its unveiling on Monday at WWDC 2026, we have the new Apple Intelligence and its powerful image-altering and creation tools that are the product of powerful off-device models built in cooperation with Google, or rather, that incorporate Google's generative models but apply them with Apple flair.

In the demo I saw, designed to show off the power of Apple Intelligence's new and enhanced Image Editing tools, we looked at the more powerful clean up that can do something Apple has never tried before in image editing: create something biological out of nothing, or at least infer the existence of something human we clearly cannot see. In this case, a child's socked foot. In the image (which I sadly cannot share here, but there are other examples above), the boy is seated on the floor, with one leg partially obscured by a large stuffed bear.

As before, we can trace over such distractions like a chair and the bear, and then tap Clean Up to remove them. Removal is something Apple Intelligence is already quite good at, but replacing large image parts or creating what should be there was really not part of Apple's generative image editing strategy. Now it is.

Like magic, we could see the rest of the child's leg and his other socked foot. No matter that this small boy might not have been wearing a sock on that foot, it got the same sock. As I said, we'll never know if that sock ever truly existed, but in the mind's eye of Apple Intelligence, it does.

Reframing the story

The other tools similarly stretch the bounds of memory and reality. Spatial reframing is a wild Apple Intelligence tool that applies a sort of 3D model to the image, letting you subtly rotate the subject and background this way and that to better frame your image. You can even grab and shift the subject a little bit. I watched them do this with an image of a woman sitting on the grass. I must admit that the final result did look better, and I guess no one will remember the less perfectly composed photos. At least you can always go back to the original, imperfect image to remember how things truly were.

Perhaps the best and least drastic of these generative image alteration features is the new expansion tool that, like AI tools in, say, Adobe Firefly, lets you basically extend the background in a photo to make it a better fit for a certain frame or wallpaper. It's something I could see myself using quite a bit, especially because it leaves the subjects alone.

Create something new

Yes, friends, we are officially entering uncharted Apple territory. For a company that prides itself on photographic excellence with one of the best cameras, sensors, and image pipelines in the business, it is now fully in bed with photorealistic imagination creation.

In one demo I saw, a young man wanted to create a flyer to promote a, I think, a bake sale for his friend, Phil. As before, Image Playground lets you choose seed photos and subjects from your Photos library, but where the old app would stick to basically comic book renderings of these subjects, the new app, with new Gemini-infused models backing it (they all live on Apple's Private Cloud compute), happily creates photorealistic images.

It's now a powerful tool, and I watched as we selected the subject (Phil) and described him piping a cake and with a bowl of fruit nearby. Soon, our buddy Phil appeared on screen looking very much like a master baker. No matter if the guy ever baked a cake in his life, let alone decorated one. He was doing it here. There's nothing real about this image, and while Apple likes to talk about maintaining the essence of our photos in the Apple Intelligence-powered Photo editing tools, this other land will create full-scale image narratives from whole cloth.

Yes, there is some sonic dissonance here.

Even so, Image Playground is now a vastly more powerful tool. After we gave Phil his fake bakery skills, we decided that the bowl of berries we requested for the image was not the right kind of berries. No matter, we simply used the Apple Pencil to select the berry bowl and then asked the app to switch it to blueberries. We also asked for a cupcake tower because Phil's baker bonifides were not quite strong enough.

The result was photorealistic perfection.

This is what you wanted, right? We all said Apple was behind. Now it's pulling even with the rest of the generative image world. It's progress, though I'm not sure to what end.

I come here to celebrate Apple delivering. It's not overshooting the mark with the new Siri AI, which it unveiled at WWDC 2026, but it is finally delivering on the promises it made at WWDC 2024.

Sure, it's beta (again), and there's a wait list (again), but I've now seen it at work, in person, in live and potentially unpredictable demos. Siri AI, as it's now called, works across platforms, and it has the potential to change how you use your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

While I waited for my access to the new Siri on my iPhone 17 Pro, I visited one of the countless rooms in Apple's massive Apple Park headquarters, where I round-robined through a series of stations at which I could see Siri AI in action on iOS 27 Dev Beta, iPadOS 27 Dev Beta, and macOS Golden Gate Dev Beta. This is all a work in progress.

I'll admit that while I was probably most interested in the new Siri on the iPhone, I was most surprised by how it works on the iPad. On every platform, this smarter, more aware, and more personable Siri looks different than before. It's bigger, brighter, floatier (I made that a word), and it has a new sense of confidence.

On the iPad, you can summon Siri with your voice, but you can also swipe down from the top of the screen, and a sort of black teardrop will form until it releases from the top of the screen and is displayed as the small Siri AI window. It's a nice, classy touch.

Of course, you can type into Siri, and I watched as we searched for top PGA golfers, and I noticed how anxious new Siri was to get to work, auto-filling answers before we'd even finished our query. Since it initially had just 'Top PGA Golfers', it quickly spit out Jack Nicklaus before refining on the fly to more contemporary players like Scottie Scheffler.

I also noticed during this process a new 'working' iconography that looks unlike any previous form of Apple's 'Please wait for an answer' spinner. Sometimes Siri AI seems whip-fast; other times, you can watch that icon spin as it works. There's no obvious sense of, "Oh, it's heading out to the Private Cloud Compute for that."

I watched here and on other platforms as Siri AI effortlessly kept context, without demanding a restate or telling us it couldn't answer that, and "did we want to check the web?" or "Use ChatGPT?" In fact, ChatGPT appears to have been almost fully deprecated here. It does not show up as an option, though I believe you can still request it.

As we dug in on Scheffler's career, Apple was quick to show me how Siri AI always shows its sources. I appreciate the care.

The little Siri AI window that appears in a session can be easily expanded, and then you're suddenly in the new Siri app. Apple takes a slightly different approach here than, say, Gemini or ChatGPT: the chat window is familiar-looking, but the conversation history is card-based, with almost headlines for your query topic, and either a brief summary or image. I did not see an option for a tighter list form, which I might prefer.

iPhone, meet the new Siri

On the iPhone 17 Pro Max, we summoned Siri with a long press of the power button, which launched that new, large, almost alien spaceship-like floating blob. I say 'floating' because throughout the demo I noticed that Apple had made the effort to put very subtle shading under the new Siri interface so that it looks like it's floating just above the screen. It's a neat little effect.

Siri AI's superpower is not that it's smarter or more chatty (in fact, Siri will steer you away from conversations that might be better had with humans or, say, mental health support professionals); it's that it understands you through the data on your phone.

This is where the fulfillment of a promise comes in. Siri AI really does appear to know the contents of your phone in a way that could be truly helpful. Its needle-in-the-haystack approach means that, if you have a thread of memory about a bit of data, something someone mentioned to you in an email or message, Siri can dig it out for you.

In the demo I saw, we asked about a "podcast our sister recommended recently," and Siri searched across first-party apps (developers will have to build hooks into Siri AI in future versions of their apps) and pulled up a casual mention of a Sherlock Holmes podcast in Messages. Again, once we had that detail, we only had to say, "Play it," and Siri launched the podcast app.

The obvious benefit is the end of endless searching and then backing out and finding the right app. I could imagine a lot of your daily interactions with your iPhone getting done through Siri AI. Of course, much of this will depend on developers of apps like WhatsApp, Gmail, and others building in those Siri connections.

Still, the power here is exciting. Taking someone's lengthy emails full of useful but disorganized details and turning them into, say, a useful Camping Gear list in Notes is a significant leap from the current and endlessly disappointing "Sorry, I can't do that" Siri.

Over the course of my demo, I watched as Siri pulled up random references relating to queries about travel and meteor showers. It's sort of a de-randomizer. Like all good AI, Siri AI can see the patterns in your endless reams of data, and make sense of it.

I also got a look at Siri in the Camera app. That's right, it now has a menu item right next to 'Photo,' and once launched it works a bit like Visual Intelligence. Choosing it does mean that Siri can 'see what you see,' which may or may not comfort you, but if you're wondering what you're looking at or, say, want Siri to help you make a choice, it's ready. I did notice that the Camera app takes a photo of whatever Siri is analyzing.

At one point, we mispoke in the demo, but Siri sussed out the proper prompt and results without any intervention from us. Kind of impressive.

In a demo where it helped me decide which book to read next, I listened as Siri's new 'expressive' voice told me why I should read Blindsight next. I noticed, though, that the new voice sounded a bit odd. I don't know if the emotion sounded forced or missing, but I'm assuming this is an element that's still being tweaked in iOS 27 Dev Beta.

Spotlight on the Mac

Most of my Mac demo revolved around how Siri AI transforms Spotlight, the Mac's system-wide search engine. You can, it turns out, still use it to launch apps like Preview, but the new interface almost compels you to go further with the words, 'Search or Ask'.

Ask basically transforms Spotlight into a generative search box where almost any general knowledge question is welcomed. We asked about the Hawaiian islands for families. If the system deems the question as 'complex,' it will default to Siri and Apple's world Knowledge Engine. That's right, even though the new Siri is using, in part, Gemini Foundation models, Apple is not using Google's Search knowledge graph.

Once you launch a search, you're inside Siri, and you can keep that window open while you multitask on other desktop chores.

In Apple Intelligence, you select text and right-click to access AI-powered writing tools, but the new Siri is embedded in more subtle ways that still give you full access to its new power. We selected a bunch of text in Notes and, while we could still have Siri rewrite it, Writing Tools-style, we can also use this as a launch point to weave together other Apple first-party app capabilities. In this case, we asked it to use the notes to draft a structured email in Mail.

Again, this is a pair of first-party Apple apps working together, and Apple is well aware that your email client may not be Apple's Mail.

Overall, it's still just a glimpse of what Siri AI can do, but I find it a promising one, especially for beta software. The plumbing clearly works, and if you allow it, Siri can finally see across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to understand you and your needs. It's been a long time coming, but I think Apple finally got this right.

Apple unveiled iOS 27 at WWDC 2026 today (June 8), but not every iPhone will support the new software upgrade when it lands later this year.

Despite offering some of the best software support in the industry, Apple regularly leaves a handful of iPhones out in the cold when releasing a new version of iOS — the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, for instance, can’t run iOS 26.

Unusually for Apple, though, that list hasn't got longer this time round: the iPhone SE (2020), iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, all of which you might have expected to lose support this year, will still be able to run iOS 27.

That's great news for older iPhone users (as in, users of older iPhones — we're not ageist) who want to make use of Apple’s upcoming software features — all of which you can read about in our WWDC 2026 coverage.

iOS 27 support list

Here’s the full compatibility list for iOS 27:

• iPhone SE (2020)
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone SE (2022)
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 17
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air

Accounting for the expected iPhone 18 and its siblings, iOS 27 will be supported by around 34 iPhone models, which is an impressive showing of software support on Apple's part.

It’s also unlikely that any iOS 27-compatible iPhones will be left waiting for the update, since Apple tends to make new versions of iOS available to all models in one fell swoop (take note, Samsung).

It’s worth noting, however, that even though older models like the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 will support iOS 27, Apple Intelligence — which includes features like Clean Up, Live Translation, and Apple's new AI-powered voice assistant, Siri AI — will remain locked to the iPhone 15 Pro and newer.

Siri AI support list

As above, only those devices already compatible with Apple Intelligence will support Siri AI. The full list is as follows:

• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 17
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air
• iPad models with M1 or later
• MacBooks with M1 or later
• MacBook Neo

Importantly, though, not all Siri AI features will be available on those iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks.

Specifically, expressive voices and more advanced dictation — which are powered by Apple’s "most powerful on-device model" — are limited to the devices listed below:

• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air
• iPad Pro models from 2024 and later (7th generation onwards)
• iPad Air models from 2026 and later (8th generation onwards)
• MacBook Pro models from 2023 and later
• MacBook Air models from 2024 and later

Additionally, those iPads and MacBooks will need to be equipped with at least 12GB of memory to be capable of running those advanced Siri AI features.

Siri AI also won't be available in the European Union (EU) or China at launch: "Unfortunately, due to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple will not be able to ship Siri AI in the European Union with the release of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. Over the past several months, EU regulators did not accept any of Apple’s proposed solutions to bring Siri AI to the EU while safely supporting other virtual assistants," the company explained in a blog post.

So, frustratingly, there are quite a few criteria you'll need to meet if you're hoping to try the best version of Siri AI on your Apple device.

iPadOS 27 support list

As for iPads and iPadOS 27, specifically, Apple has confirmed that the iPad 10.2-inch (2020), iPad Air 10.5-inch (2019), and iPad mini 7.9-inch (2019) won’t support iPadOS 27.

Here’s the full compatibility list for iPadOS 27:

• iPad models from 2021 and later (9th generation onwards)
• iPad Air models from 2020 and later (4th generation onwards)
• iPad Pro models from 2017 and later (2nd generation onwards)
• iPad mini models from 2021 and later (6th generation onwards)

Side note: almost all iPad models are available in multiple sizes and in Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + Cellular configurations, so, in the interest of readability, I’ve grouped the above models into dated categories.

As mentioned, neither iOS 27 nor iPadOS 27 is expected to be released until September, but if you're interested in trying a pre-release, developer-focused version of the former, here's how to download the iOS 27 developer beta.

It’s almost time for WWDC 2026, where Apple is expected to announce iOS 27 and all sorts of other software updates. But will we see new hardware? And more specifically, new iPads? Well, we can’t say for sure, but we do have a fairly good idea of what to expect (and not expect).

Sadly, the answer to that question is probably 'no' — for two reasons. The first is obvious — WWDC is Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, with the key word there being ‘developers’, meaning that the focus is on software, not hardware.

Now, that doesn’t completely rule out new devices. After all, Apple has announced various Macs and MacBooks at WWDC in recent years. The HomePod was also unveiled at WWDC back in 2019, and looking back further, some early iPhones even got a WWDC unveiling.

In fact, the iPad Pro (2017) was even announced at that year’s WWDC, so a new iPad in 2026 isn’t completely out of the question.

But it is very unlikely — while hardware does sometimes make an appearance at WWDC, most years, there’s next to none, and we haven’t heard any indication that a new iPad will land at this year’s event.

Plus, in recent years, Apple has tended to unveil its new tablets either early in the year, in March or occasionally April, or towards the end of the year, in September or October. Mid-year launches are rare.

And this year, we did indeed see an early-year launch, with the iPad Air (2026) landing back in March. That was only a few months ago, so it would seem odd for Apple to launch another model so soon.

So, based on all of that, I’d say it’s very unlikely that we’ll see a new iPad at WWDC 2026. That said, if you’re an iPad fan, it could still be worth tuning in to the keynote, which kicks off at 1pm ET / 10am PT / 6pm BST today (Monday, June 8,) or 3am AEST on Tuesday, June 9 if you’re in Australia.

Why you should still tune in

While we probably won’t see new iPads at WWDC 2026, Apple is almost certainly going to unveil some new software in the form of iPadOS 27, which could include some major changes and upgrades.

Nothing has been announced on that front yet, but leaks and rumors point to the long-awaited Siri overhaul, which could turn Apple's voice assistant into a proper AI chatbot, powered by a custom version of Google Gemini.

This upgrade reportedly won’t be limited to just making Siri smarter, though; it’s also likely to include new capabilities, like better AI photo editing prowess and on-screen awareness, so Siri can understand and respond to whatever’s on your screen. It will probably also be able to perform multi-step actions across multiple apps.

Beyond that, iPadOS 27 is also likely to bring improvements to various apps, such as the ability to use natural language to create shortcuts in the Shortcuts app, more customization options in the camera app, redesigned Safari and Weather apps, and a Grammarly-style keyboard upgrade.

These are all things that we’ll probably see in iOS 27 too, but on the iPad-specific side, reports point to new layouts for Apple Music, Apple TV, and the Podcasts app to make better use of the iPad's larger display. Plus, there are likely to be various performance and stability improvements.

While iPadOS 27 will probably be announced at WWDC 2026, it’s unlikely to launch in finished form until September — but in the meantime, we expect various betas to roll out, giving you a chance to try many of the features early if you don’t mind some bugs.

So, if you want to see exactly what Apple is cooking up on the software side, here’s how to watch WWDC 2026 live — though, of course, we’ll be covering all the announcements here too.

When might we see new iPads?

So, if we probably won’t see new iPads at WWDC, when might we? Well, the next point in the year when Apple would typically announce new tablets is September or October — either alongside the iPhone 18 line in the former month or separately a month later. The latter, though, has been more common, especially in recent years.

Of those two months, I’d guess October is the more likely, so the new tablets have some time to shine rather than getting buried in the iPhone launch. Of course, there’s a chance we won’t see any more new iPads this year, and that Apple will instead wait until March of 2027. After all, we don’t always see late-year iPad launches, but we have in the last two years.

Whenever we do get new iPads, the most likely models are the base model iPad (2026) and an iPad mini (2026), both of which have been rumored for a launch this year. That said, Apple doesn’t stick to yearly updates for its iPads, so it’s hard to predict.

There may also be a new iPad Pro this year, but with no real reports of one and the previous model only landing last October, we wouldn’t count on it. And with the latest iPad Air having landed earlier this year, it’s unlikely the next model of that will be among Apple’s next tablet releases — especially if we do see new slates this year.

In all my years testing gadgets for TechRadar, I've never once reviewed an iPhone. I'm an Android boy through and through, and I've never found a convincing argument to change over to team Apple...

... if we're talking about smartphones. However, I've always maintained that the best tablets are those made by the Cupertino tech giant, and that's still the case in 2026.

In the last six months, I've tested several Android tablets with solid specs, great-looking screens, impressive portability, and useful accessory offerings. But so far, none have convinced me that I should leave behind the best iPads for an Android-powered slate.

But this isn't for the reasons often cited by iPad fans — for me, there's one key thing that Android tablets have failed to properly copy from Apple's slates.

The usual suspects are suspect

I've heard quite a few arguments for choosing iPads over Android tablets and, honestly, some of them are pretty valid.

For professionals and creative types, Android tablets can simply be a no-go due to their lack of apps. A few of the biggest names just aren't available on even the best Android tablets: Procreate, DaVinci Resolve, and Shapr3D, for instance, as well as Apple's own suite of apps.

Some reasons, however, don't fly. Apple fans will talk eloquently about how important the company's M-series chips are, components which were designed for laptops but now come in iPad Pros. However, there just isn't a need for this kind of power in a portal device.

I'm also not convinced by arguments citing the iPad's superior range of accessories (every Android tablet under the sun offers stylus and keyboard compatibility), wider product ecosystem (that's always been Android's strength anyway), and better longevity (I've met pensioners using decades-old Fire tablets; Androids survive just fine).

None of these are the reasons I'm still sticking to my iPad. It's something a lot simpler.

I just want two apps

There's one thing that my iPad does far better than any Android tablet I've ever used: multitasking via app split-screening. That might not seem like much of a feature to set my tablet hopes on, but I use my slate split-screened more frequently than I do in a single-app orientation.

The key is simplicity. When I've got one app open, and I want another on the other side of my screen, I just swipe up to summon the task bar, press and hold on the app I want, and drag it to one half of the screen. It'll appear, resizing itself to fit. Simple.

I'm constantly jumping between different apps in split-screen: a word processing app, an internet browser for research, email, or socials, depending on the work I'm doing and who I need to submit it to. In the last few years, Apple has also let me put different internet tabs on different sides, so I can conduct two-fold research.

This all sounds like a basic tablet function, and true enough, split-screening is — but on iPads, it's uniquely easy to enable.

Take, for example, the OnePlus Pad Go 2, which our reviewer was very taken by. On OxygenOS — which is pretty faithful to stock Android — the process involves loads more steps. You need to open the app, swipe up to the recent apps list, press the three-vertical-dot options menu, select Split View, and then navigate through your entire tablet's interface to find the other app you want. It's a timely process that depends on you knowing exactly where in your slate your chosen app is located.

That process is, from my experience, typical of Android tablets. It's the same in Samsung Galaxy tablets, for example, and on most alternatives: generally, Android tablets don't come with a lower toolbar, unless a manufacturer adds it themselves.

That's the case with Xiaomi's HyperOS, and it's also got a neat feature that lets you quickly banish one split-screen app in favor of the other.

Split-screening on Android tablets is such an unnecessarily convoluted process that it puts me off using them for my workflow. And that's a real shame, because Apple's ceding its crown, and someone needs to take it.

Apple's getting soft(ware)

Apple's days as the top tablet dog are numbered. Partly, it's because of what Android makers are pulling off, but for the most part, it's a case of self-sabotage.

In the last year or so, certain Android makers have started to work out what makes iPads tick. They've stopped trying to release big, powerful tablets with lovely screens and have instead focused a lot more on software.

Xiaomi, as mentioned, has come closest to nailing the multi-screen experience, with tablets like its recent Pad 8 really impressing me. It has an iPadOS-like bottom bar to easily summon apps, and a clean look that doesn't overwhelm you with apps or options.

Ironically, one of the biggest companies failing at the software game — at least in terms of new features — is now Apple. Its Liquid Glass design overhaul in iOS 26 (and iPadOS 26) is so ugly that we had to publish a guide on how to make it easier on the eyes; it's an accessibility nightmare, adding stuttery navigation effects and making app icons look like poorly-cut-out PNGs. As you can tell, I'm not a fan, and it makes iPads feel cheap.

Around the same time as Liquid Glass' release, another infuriating update rolled out, which brought Mac-like windowing and multitasking to the iPad. In doing so, it also brought an axe to the simplicity and ease of use that had defined iPads previously — and that likely made them so popular among users.

Now, when you open an app on an iPad, it's hard to know for sure whether it'll take up the whole screen, appear in a window with an annoying border so it doesn't take up the whole display, or hover in a small panel over an existing app.

Sometimes, you'll close an app, but it'll move off the screen with its edges poking over, and it's hard to know how to fully close it. Controlling and adjusting these windows is wildly unintuitive and frustrating; after at least six months on the software, I still never feel like I'm in control of my iPad.

Perhaps for seasoned Mac users, the upgrade is a positive one, but it's nullified the simplicity that made me enjoy my iPad. You can turn off windowed apps, but that also stops you from being able to split-screen, so it's not exactly a solution.

This all suggests that Apple doesn't actually know why people buy iPads. They think users buy these tablets as portable productivity machines, possibly misled by the fact that the iPad Pro is its most popular tablet. That's true in terms of sales rankings, but the iPad Pro still makes up a minority of sales compared to the brand's three consumer-focused slates combined. iPads are bought by everyday tech users, not professionals, and complicated, ugly software is just going to put them off.

For now, I'm just about holding onto my iPad. But the slow and steady improvements coming to Android tablets, and Apple's own iPad self-immolation (or should that be self-iMmolation?) is really tipping the balance. It's very likely that Android tablets will soon catch up, or even overtake, iPads and iPadOS, and I'll happily jump ship once that happens.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft: Two-minute review

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft delivers everything you could want from an e-reader (mostly). Amazon packed this device with all of the key features of its other Kindles, but unfortunately, it commands a much higher price as a result.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft nails all the e-reader basics, and that chunky upcharge brings some color into the mix so you can experience comics and the like. You also get a fancy pen to annotate and take notes. Those features function well overall, but they're not perfect.

Despite combining the “Scribe” and “Colorsoft” portions in the Kindle, you actually can't use them in tandem. You can't annotate or take any notes when you're reading comics or manga, which is ironic considering this is meant to be an all-in-one solution.

However, the 11-inch display is large enough to mimic the size of some graphic novels. That means you have plenty of room to take notes, too. The screen also captures images in strong detail.

So, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is a great e-reader, but unless it's on sale, I'd only recommend it to folks in a higher tax bracket.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: price and availability

• From $629 / £569 / AU$999
• Launched in the US and UK on December 10, 2025
• Launching in Australia on June 10, 2026

No. I simply cannot recommend the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft to the average Kindle user. It’s just too damn expensive. Adding color and a pen to your Kindle is a luxury that I would only recommend to those invested in Amazon’s eBook ecosystem or someone with significant disposable income.

At its starting price with 32GB of storage, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft costs $629 / £569 / AU$999 (it will launch in Australia on June 10). For 64GB of storage, that price jumps up to $679 / £629 / AU$1,099. As someone who just wants to read a book, that makes my wallet cry. But keep in mind that this is the peak premium Kindle device.

You can break down the features of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft into three categories — Kindle, Scribe, and Colorsoft — and it's quite simple to pick apart its value proposition as a result. The Kindle is just your traditional Paperwhite device for $159 / £159 / AU$199, and then the Colorsoft adds a splash of color to that for $249 / £269 / AU$399, and finally, you’ve got the Scribe for $399 / £379 / AU$649, which is like the Paperwhite, except you can write on it. Combine all that, and you get the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

If, for some reason, you need all three features packed into one device, then obviously, your only option in the Kindle ecosystem is the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. But focusing on one key feature will save you some decent coin, so I recommend doing just that before committing such a princely sum to this all-in-one device. Not to mention, there are cheaper color e-readers out there, like the Kobo Libra Colour ($219 / £199 / AU$359).

• Value score: 3 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: Specs

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: design

• Slightly less portable, but more reading room
• Pen placement is awkward

The 11-inch Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is almost as big as some of the taller graphic novels I have on my shelf, which seems appropriate considering its purpose. It does make it somewhat more difficult to carry around than the 7-inch Kindle Colorsoft, but it feels more authentic. And despite the larger 189 x 245mm body, it weighs only 400g and is 5.4mm thick, so it’s still more portable than some hardcover books.

As far as the overall design goes, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft looks exactly how you imagine a Kindle would look, except without that chunky bottom bezel. The bezels are still large enough for your hands to grip the device without getting in the way of the screen.

I reviewed the Graphite model with the white pen, but you can get the Fig colorway, which also comes with a Fig-colored pen. I usually don’t say this about tech, but I think I prefer the black model, only because the Fig colorway might be a little distracting while reading.

At the bottom, you’ll find the USB Type-C port for charging, and the power button is located on the top-right side. Just below that is the space where the pen attaches.

If you’re thinking that the pen might get in the way while attached to the right side, you’d be correct. It’s a silly design choice, especially when the pen is small enough (155 x 8.8mm) to easily fit on top of the Kindle.

Overall, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is sleek and inoffensive. It’s thin and light, albeit a bit harder to carry around than previous models, but who doesn’t want a little more reading and writing space? However, I am frustrated by the pen placement.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: display

• There’s color, but it’s not colorful
• Text and images are sharp

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft covers the black-and-white spectrum at 300 ppi and adds a splash of color at 150 ppi. There isn’t much the 11-inch display could do to elevate the average book reading experience, but it didn’t have to. Text looked clear and crisp, and the 36 white LEDs and 34 amber LEDs made it so I had a more comfortable reading experience depending on the setting I was in.

Like with other e-ink displays, the LEDs do create a layer of color (white or amber) that warps the image on the screen a little bit. With black text, it’s perfectly fine, as the difference is negligible. However, when introducing color, it’s more noticeable.

The problem is that, while it’s nice to have color, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is just not as colorful as I’d like it to be. I read “Hellblazer Vol. 1,” and when John Constantine heads to Africa, there are supposed to be these bright and bold pink and yellow hues, but they are muted on the Scribe Colorsoft’s screen. Even when set to “Vivid” mode, the color doesn’t pop. Honestly, this is to be expected from an e-ink display. But it doesn’t change the fact that you won’t get the same experience as looking at a real graphic novel. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that we can experience color at all, but at this wild asking price, it’s definitely not worth it for the color alone.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: performance

• Relatively smooth
• The response times you expect

You’re not looking at a racehorse here; this is a little pony, and that's OK. You don’t need all the performance in the world to run an e-reader.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is relatively smooth across the board but still suffers from slightly slow response times during navigation. This isn’t a huge turn-off, since most of the experience comes down to turning a page. I did have to restart my Kindle once because it simply refused to connect to Wi-Fi no matter how many times I tried, but it resolved itself afterwards.

When doing more involved things like annotating or taking notes, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft kept up with all of my movements and demands with little issue. Zooming in around the pages also looked and felt smooth, although there’s still a slight awkward delay for the image to refresh, as I could clearly see the ghost of an image from the previous screen.

• User experience score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: software

• Surprisingly fast performance on E Ink
• Smooth zooming, whether color or black and white

All of the important bits of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, or any e-reader, come down to the software experience. I am generally happy with what this Kindle provides, and it’s not that much different from other e-readers.

You’ve got the essentials that allow you to adjust the layout, font, spacing, etc. There are little things like the “Popular highlights” and “About this book” info, which are neat. Then there’s Word Wise, which defines unfamiliar words but also still needs a lot of work — it identifies overly simple words even at its lowest setting instead of exclusively honing in on the university-level vocabulary that most people would struggle with.

One of my personal favorite software features is being able to isolate comic panels. Double-tapping on a comic panel will make it full screen, and then you can flip through the following panels with ease. When it gets to a new page, it’ll show you the full page and then break down each panel at full screen. This is super cool because you don’t have to zoom in to get a closer look at what’s happening. However, it’s not perfect. I noticed an issue when reading “Attack on Titan” where, when there are two panels and text sprawled across them, sometimes the Kindle won’t combine the panels, and it cuts off the text.

Another cool feature is being able to simulate page turns, which I love in theory, but it doesn’t look the best in practice. The problem is that it’s a fade-in and -out effect instead of an actual flipping animation. It looks a bit more natural when reading a book because it’s a quick fade between texts, but it’s a much uglier transition with comics because there’s a lot of ghosting happening. It looks like it fades in chunks, and it was visually unsatisfying to the point where I turned it off.

To highlight the “Scribe” portion of this Kindle, the notetaking and markup process is rather smooth. The pen is equipped with an eraser on the back and a shortcut button on its side (defaulted to highlight). When reading a standard book, there are two important icons, one on the left and right. The leftmost icon is for all of your pen settings to customize the look, change between highlighters and erasers, and even insert notes and canvases between the text.

The right side of the screen is where you take your notes; it can expand and either split the screen with the text or hover over it, and wherever you write notes, it’ll attach a note symbol next to the closest text. That’s pretty intuitive, since you can change the layout of the book, so naturally it would move the space of your notes. You can even expand the size of notes to take up the full page if you want, so there’s plenty of room to write.

There are a lot of features for folks interested in the “Scribe” portion of things, and they operate pretty seamlessly overall. There’s even a workspace section where you can take full notes unrelated to what you’re reading. In that workspace, there are two AI features, one of which can summarize your notes, and the other can “Refine writing,” which basically transforms your notes into a text font that you can customize.

The only absent feature I noticed is that you can’t take any notes in comics. That means no drawings, notetaking, or even highlighting.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: battery

• Light readers can go for weeks
• Heavy readers can go for days

According to Amazon, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft can survive for eight weeks if you're reading for 30 minutes at just under half brightness. I'll save you the math: that's 28 hours of reading time. For light readers, you could probably stretch that for a few weeks. Heavier readers will likely kill that battery in a few days.

I spent several weeks with the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, reading roughly an hour every day, and I didn't need to reach for a charger until toward the end of the month. That gives credit to Amazon’s battery life claim.

The reading time you experience will vary heavily based on the brightness of your screen. If you're someone who reads at close to zero brightness, you're going to get a lot more longevity out of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

Unfortunately, the battery does not charge fast. When I first got it, the battery was completely drained, and I had to wait quite a while before the Kindle showed any signs of life. It'll make you think it's broken, so I do not recommend letting it die.

• Battery score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft

• Review test period = four weeks
• Testing included = books, comics, manga

I spent a month bouncing around between books, comics, and manga. I read “The House Witch,” “The Time of Contempt,” “Hellblazer Vol. 1,” and “Attack on Titan,” most of which were available on Prime Reading. I spent roughly an hour a day reading. Logging into my Amazon account and getting them on the device was easy. Downloading comics and manga takes a little longer than books, but not significantly so.

For the “Scribe” portion of the review, I highlighted portions of dialogue and wrote little notes to myself to come back to later because the text was either written impeccably well or it was just a funny line. I also drew canvases between the text — just silly doodles right in the middle of the book.

First reviewed: May 2026

• E Ink and MediaTek are partnering to improve color display for ereaders
• It also wants to add AI-powered tools to ereaders such as translations and document summaries
• Though it its good news for color display performance, AI tools defeat the purpose of simplicity with ereaders

E Ink and MediaTek have announced that they will be expanding their partnership to make your ereaders even smarter.

Showcasing at Computex 2026, E Ink and MediaTek shared that they will be continuing with their collaboration to combine E Ink Gallery and E Ink Kaleido color display technologies with MediaTek’s latest chips to improve performance and make AI functions integral to the next generation of the best ereaders.

The core aspect of the partnership centers around the development of MediaTek’s MT8115 and MT8126 system-on-chips (SoC), which will pack AI-powered applications to carry out on-device tasks. This includes translating languages when reading texts not in your native tongue, multi-speaker voice recognition for capturing meeting transcriptions, and putting voice notes into text form. Additionally, these processors will also allow you to produce concise summaries of long documents.

Though AI integration is one of the partnership’s main objectives, it’s also designed to enhance color display ereaders which, despite having come a long way, can still fall behind on the performance front.

As well as supporting ereader displays up to 13.3 inches with 300 PPI high resolution, the partnership promises enhanced color rendering, making it easier for you to read illustrative texts such as magazines, textbooks, comics, and educational resources.

Not only will color displays appear brighter and more visually appealing, the E Ink Kaleido technology paired with MediaTek’s chips allow for smoother and faster page transitions and refreshes.

“Building on our longstanding partnership with MediaTek, we continue to optimize the ePaper display experience,” said VP of Business Center at E Ink, JM Hung, in the announcement. MediaTek’s VP, Adam King, also added to the announcement; "As generative AI reshapes the industry, we are combining MediaTek’s edge AI compute capabilities with E Ink’s full-color ePaper displays to evolve the digital reader into a true smart device”.

As handy as color display improvements sound, the proposed AI integrations could cause an uproar among AI haters who also use ereaders.

Though ereaders aren’t as advanced as tablets, that’s kind of the point. They provide a simple interface with basic reading purposes, and are perfect for escaping AI functions that the majority of everyday devices are rolling out by the minute. Reading as a means of leisure is built entirely on minimal distractions and escapism, so pumping AI tools into this seems counterintuitive and frankly, the last thing that bookworms would want from their reading experience.

How long will it be before Amazon jumps on this bandwagon with future generations of Kindles?

• The Zerowriter Fold is a new word processor with simple features for distraction-free writing
• It has an e-ink display, similar to Kindles
• It's currently taking pledges on Kickstarter, with first-wave shipping set for January 2027

Have you ever thought to yourself, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if the next Kindle had a built-in keyboard?’ The Zerowriter Fold is a new device with an e-ink display, and it’s the closest thing to it — well, sort of.

While Kindles are perfect for reading, the Zerowriter Fold is a modern typewriter and word processor developed in Canada with a display that’s similar to the best ereaders. However, it’s purpose-built for writing text instead of reading books, and the best part is that there are no subscription catches. It’s one device, one payment.

At the moment, the Zerowriter Fold is being crowd-funded on Kickstarter, and the shipping for the first wave of orders is scheduled for January 2027, which includes the Zerowriter Fold, a charging cable, a handbook, and a keycap puller for switching out the keyboard. It’s currently accepting pledges of CAD$355 (around $256/ £192) for the next wave of devices, which are set to be shipped in March 2027.

Admittedly, this is quite a bit of time to wait, but looking at the demand for the first round of pledges (it was capped after hitting 500), this is something that consumers are actually passionate about.

The Zerowriter Fold’s main aim is to eliminate as many distractions as possible, ensuring that 100% of your focus goes into your writing. Unlike desktop word processors, you're not getting advanced features and settings, as they can easily welcome distractions.

Instead, the Zerowriter Fold sticks to the basics: a 6-inch e-ink display and a low-profile mechanical keyboard that can be replaced, so it’s easy to customize to suit your level of comfort. It offers two different writing modes: Drafting Mode for an always-forward, distraction-free experience, or Word Processing Mode, which gives you access to more editing tools such as amending text types and sizes and bookmarks.

As for its exporting functions, you can either save texts to SD cards as you would with a digital camera, scan a QR code to export to your smartphone, or use a USB-C cable to manage texts directly — but the stand-out feature is its impressive battery life.

Its built-in battery can run up to 100 hours in a single use, mainly because the Zerowriter Fold uses a low-power-consumption e-ink screen. Realistically, no one is going to be writing for four days straight, so the Zerowriter Fold can last for weeks before it needs another round of juice.

The company behind the Zerowriter Fold only started its journey in 2024, but has come a long way since. Prior to its latest Kickstarter campaign, the team developed the Zerowriter Ink, which is essentially the Fold but without its laptop-like enclosure. The company describes its latest word processor as “the first fully-realized Zerowriter”, as it states on its web page.

reMarkable Paper Pure: Two-minute review

reMarkable’s new Paper Pure is the company’s cheapest and most accessible black-and-white handwriting tablet. Comparisons to the now-discontinued reMarkable 2 are inevitable. The Paper Pure is the reMarkable 3 — or perhaps the reMarkable 2.5 — in all but name.

Now, I absolutely adore my five-year-old reMarkable 2. I use it pretty much daily for work and play. So, I was a little dubious about this thrusting young upstart muscling in. A budget reMarkable with no frontlight, the same old 226ppi, and a plastic shell? In 2026? That’s something absolutely nobody was asking for. Unboxing the tablet, I prepared myself for disappointment.

Happily, I was wrong. The Paper Pure is a surprisingly good device, delivering a faultless writing and sketching experience that’s as close to using a pad and pen as you can get at this price point.

All reMarkable devices focus on stripping out any and all distractions. So, like its predecessors, the Paper Pure has no notifications, no apps, and no ads. Even the AI is restricted to converting handwriting into text. At a time when every other device you own is desperately trying to sway your attention, this is pure, beautiful minimalism.

It’s by no means the best digital notebook on the market. But it effortlessly lives up to the company’s distraction-free ethos. The monochrome display is easy on the eyes, and I found it lightweight and very comfortable to hold for extended periods.

The low latency means your writing appears almost instantly on the screen, as if ink really is dripping from the nib of the exceptional Marker Plus stylus. That’s especially true when using no-nonsense pen types like the fineliner and ballpoint pen, but even the stylish calligraphy pen only has a minor lag. Like its black-and-white predecessor, the battery also lasts for weeks on a single charge.

Where it stumbles on the hardware front is the lack of those two core features that fans really wanted from this latest model: a frontlight and a 300ppi pixel density for improving the ereader experience. Bafflingly, both are absent here.

That probably won't put off most new users from getting the Paper Pure — and it really shouldn't, because beyond those omissions, the tablet's handwriting experience is superb. But the inclusion of one or the other might've sweetened the deal a little more.

As ever with reMarkable, though, the mostly excellent hardware is let down by the mixed bag on the software side. The handwriting-to-text conversion is still not perfect, requiring adjustments to your writing style to make it work. And locking key features and even templates behind a subscription paywall stings, considering the cost of the device.

If you already own a reMarkable 2, I can’t recommend the upgrade just yet. Sure, the Paper Pure is faster, with a better processor and double the memory (here you’re spoiled with a whole 2GB RAM). However, it’s otherwise largely the same experience. And for what it’s worth, I still prefer the softer writing of the older device compared to the firmer but smoother one found on the Paper Pro and Paper Pure series.

However, if the Paper Pure is your first foray into distraction-free note-taking, the price alone makes this the best place to start.

reMarkable Paper Pure: Price and availability

• The cheapest reMarkable yet — but not a budget device
• Connect subscription is essential for business users, an unnecessary nice-to-have for everyone else

The Paper Pure is pitched as the most affordable of the reMarkable range, coming in at $399 / £359 / AU$629 for the tablet and standard Marker stylus.

You can also upgrade to the Paper Pure bundle for $449 / £399 / AU$699, which includes the tablet, colored sleeve, and the upgraded Marker Plus.

For what it’s worth, I’d always opt for the Marker Plus, which features an eraser at one end. It retains that pad-and-pencil feel, and being able to delete handwritten notes without tapping into the menu, selecting the Erase option, then manually lassoing the writing you want to remove is far better for flow.

Some notable corners have been cut to keep costs down. The Paper Pure isn’t as thin as the reMarkable 2; it’s got a plastic chassis rather than an aluminum one, a monochrome display unlike the color Paper Pro, and, disappointingly, there’s no frontlight here.

The upshot, however, is that this is one of the cheapest 10.3-inch handwriting tablets around. At under $400, it’s more or less in line with the Boox Go and Amazon’s base model Kindle Scribe (2024), although both of those tablets boast app support and 300ppi displays.

On top of the hardware costs, there’s the Connect subscription, which comes in at $3.99 / £3.99 / AU$6.99 a month. This unlocks a range of extras that some — particularly business users — will want, such as Slack and calendar integration, and AI summaries. You can see the full breakdown of Connect features by clicking here.

Without a Connect subscription, you can still convert handwriting to text, connect to third-party cloud storage services, and share your screen. So, for general users, I wouldn’t call it essential, especially if you’re ultra-focused on distraction-free writing and sketching. But you will be missing out on a lot of features.

While that subscription may sting considering the price of the Paper Pure, it’s still relatively cheap, and I can’t fault the hardware design at this price point. For my money, reMarkable still comes closest to reproducing that paper-like feel compared to competitors.

• Value score: 4 / 5

reMarkable Paper Pure: specs

The reMarkable Paper Pure uses the same dual-core processor found in the Paper Pro Move with 32GB LPDDR4 RAM, which makes overall performance feel snappy.

At 6mm thick, the Paper Pure is thicker than both the Paper Pro (5.1mm) and the ultra-thin reMarkable 2 (4.7mm). However, it weighs just 360g, making it far lighter — and noticeably so — than the reMarkable 2 (403.5g) and the weighty Paper Pro (525g).

reMarkable Paper Pure: display

• Perfect paper feel for writing and sketching
• Black-and-white screen with no frontlight

The Paper Pure uses an E Ink display — it’s a really clever technology used by a lot of handwriting tablets and ereaders. Beneath the glass, there are millions of microcapsules that can turn black or white depending on whether they’re positively or negatively charged.

When you move the stylus — in my case, reMarkable’s Marker Plus — over the screen, the device tracks its position and sends a positive charge to those exact coordinates, pulling the negative black particles to the surface.

It’s the same principle that applies when you turn the page of an Amazon Kindle, with the system telling each microscopic ball whether to display in black or white. These microcapsules stay in that state until told otherwise, which is why the battery can last so long on these devices.

But we’re getting sidetracked here.

The result is a seamless writing experience. reMarkable says the latency between the stroke of the stylus and the words appearing on-screen is around 21 milliseconds. And while I’m not Superman and my eyes don’t operate at that speed, it feels about right.

To me, it feels pretty much instantaneous when using standard pen types like the ballpoint pen or fineliner. It’s about as close to using a pad and pen as you can get in digital form. When switching to a more stylized writing tool, such as the calligraphy pen or the pencil, I saw only a minor lag.

In terms of the feel of writing, there’s a clear distinction between the Paper Pure and its 10-inch predecessor.

Using the reMarkable 2 felt very soft, like using a thick pencil or felt tip on the first page of a new Moleskine notebook. The Paper Pro Move felt firmer but smoother, as if writing with a biro on the last few pages of a well-worn legal pad. And since the Paper Pure uses the same active stylus and textured glass cover lens display as the Pro and Pro Move, reMarkable's newest tablet falls into the latter camp.

Personally, I loved the tactile feedback of the reMarkable 2 — it’s still the best digital writing experience I’ve ever had — but after 10 minutes with the Paper Pure, I found myself enjoying this new writing style.

Saying that, there are three issues here. I wouldn’t call them deal-breakers, but it’s worth highlighting them.

There’s a clear tapping each time you lift and then lower the stylus to make your next mark on the page. It’s not especially loud — it won’t drive colleagues, friends, or the other customers at the cafe to distraction — but it is present.

And there were two big fan requests for the follow-up to the reMarkable 2: 300ppi, which is a better resolution for reading eBooks and PDF documents, and a frontlight. The reMarkable Paper Pure delivers on neither of these.

Now, for writing, I didn’t find the 226ppi to be an issue at all. Handwriting still looks sharp, the display is easy on the eyes, and the writing tools perfectly recreate the ink-on-paper style. But for reading documents, you will see a slight pixel blurring around the edges of words that’s noticeable if you’re coming from something like the Kindle Scribe.

For me, the lack of a frontlight is the biggest misstep. I can live with a lower pixel density, and I can accept the demise of the EMR stylus, but I think a frontlight is an absolute must these days. I get it — it’s all about keeping costs low — but the addition of lighting for day and night use would’ve made the Paper Pure a much more attractive proposition.

• Display score: 4 / 5

reMarkable Paper Pure: Design & build

• The plastic case feels surprisingly durable
• It’s lightweight and feels good in the hand

Perhaps the Paper Pure’s most significant shift from its predecessor and the Paper Pro line is the switch from a metal to a plastic casing. Having grown used to the hardy aluminum frame of the reMarkable 2, I was seriously skeptical about this change. But it really works.

The rear side of the Paper Pure is oh-so-lightly textured for better grip, and the tablet as a whole is more lightweight and portable, clocking in at a svelte 360g. Overall, it feels delightfully comfortable to hold with one hand or rest on your knee as you sketch and write.

Because of the switch to plastic, the Paper Pure also feels a lot more durable than its predecessor, which I tended to handle with kid gloves while on the move.

I mean, I wouldn’t drop it off the side of a ten-story apartment block and expect it to survive. It’s not a rugged tablet by any stretch of the imagination; it’s not even waterproof. But the Paper Pure certainly feels like it could take a few knocks in your rucksack or survive a violent commute — especially when slipped inside the reinforced sleeve.

Design-wise, you’re looking at a 10.3-inch tablet that’s identical in width to, but slightly shorter than, the reMarkable 2. The thick white bezel on the left is reminiscent of the original reMarkable 1.

Flipping over the Paper Pure, I found something very interesting: ten screws allowing access to the internals. Now, whether this is just a sop to EU regulations that mandate a right to repair or whether the reMarkable intends to provide replacement batteries in the future, I don’t know. But it might make the reMarkable Paper Pure a more viable investment for IT managers maintaining a fleet of devices if nothing else.

At the top of the device, there’s the power button, and at the bottom, a USB-C port for charging. And that’s your lot. Talk about distraction-free. The Paper Pure has everything it needs and nothing it doesn’t.

The Marker magnetically attaches to the right side of the tablet, where it’s charged. It feels good in the hand, and it's not too heavy for prolonged writing sessions.

The replaceable nibs are estimated to last about a month or two if you don’t press down too hard, and that feels about right. For what it’s worth, the one on my reMarkable Paper Pro Move lasts about that long, and they very visibly wear down at a slower rate than the reMarkable 2 pen tips.

As I’ve mentioned before, the Marker and Marker Plus are the same active styluses used by the Paper Pro range. These are proprietary tech, so don’t lose them, because they're a lot more expensive to replace than the cheaper third-party EMR stylus that worked with the reMarkable 2.

On that note, I liked the Paper Pure's new polymerweave sleeve folio — there are three available, in mist green, desert pink, and ocean blue. This flips open on one side and is vastly superior to the original reMarkable book folio, since it actually protects both tablet and stylus. Slot the device inside, and it'll automatically go to sleep, which is a nice touch for conserving battery.

• Design score: 5 / 5

reMarkable Paper Pure: Software

• Distraction-free but not feature-free
• The AI optical character recognition can be hit-and-miss

You can tell a lot of love has gone into the Paper Pure's hardware. I’m not sure the same can be said for its software. Sure, it's functional, and it does more than you might think, but it’s nothing to (digitally) write home about.

reMarkable has always been a bit spotty when it comes to the software side of things. We tend to get marginal updates, tinkering here and there, the inclusion of this or that integration, but nothing ground-breaking. And maybe that’s fine. Maybe we just expect too much.

Still, the brand is getting better every time, adding extras like a very useful handwriting search function, the ability to draw freehand shapes, and the ability to add text blocks to notebooks, typed via the on-screen keyboard (sadly, there’s no support for an external keyboard right now). I especially enjoyed using the screen share feature, which I found works very well, letting you present or write on pages pretty much in real-time.

For absolute basics, you’re looking at a broad selection of templates like ruled paper, gridlines, and even music sheets, with more available to Connect subscribers via reMarkable Methods. I’m still not convinced templates like daily planners and calendars need to be locked behind a subscription — especially considering the price of the device — but there you go. Put up or shut up.

You can also integrate the tablet with Slack, Microsoft’s OneDrive and Outlook, Google Calendar and Google Drive, and Dropbox. While you can integrate with all the cloud services, you can only add a single calendar integration.

As I use a restrictive work account on Slack, I couldn’t test that particular feature. However, OneDrive and Google Drive both synced quickly, importing and exporting files to and from the tablet as PDFs without delay.

While the Paper Pure’s display may be monochrome, I chose different colored highlighters for annotating the PDF documents. And I was pleased to see they all rendered clearly and correctly when I picked up the file from Google Drive.

One point of interest is that reMarkable requires access to see, edit, create, and delete all of your Google Drive files, rather than at a folder level. This, I really hate, and I recommend doing what I’ve done: create a reMarkable-only Gmail account instead of using your main one. It’s probably fine, but why take the risk?

Handwriting conversion is probably the big software highlight, transforming handwritten notes into usable text you can paste into a word processor. This is, effectively, optical character recognition in the cloud. And it’s one of the main reasons I originally bought a reMarkable. The results are... ok. With some caveats.

Firstly, you can’t just write any old squiggles that only you understand and pray the AI knows what you’re getting at (as I learned with my own spidery, illegible scrawl). If you’re anything like me, when I’m in the writing flow and my brain is working faster than my hand, you’re going to run into problems.

Secondly, I found the best results came when using the fineliner or ballpoint pen. Here, the translation was flawless, albeit oddly formatted. When I switched to the calligraphy pen, the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) struggled to make sense of the words even when I wrote ultra-neatly in all-caps.

Finally, if you’re making a list, you’ll absolutely need to add a dash before the word, otherwise the tool just lumps it all into a single line.

It’s a so-so experience that does the job if you take the time to work with the OCR tool, but it could be so much better.

• Software score: 3 / 5

reMarkable Paper Pure: Performance

• A faultless writing experience
• Faster and smoother than the reMarkable 2

Responsive is how I’d describe the reMarkable Paper Pure. Starting the device from sleep, opening notebooks, scrolling menus, pinching and zooming, swiping through documents — it all feels fast and smooth. There’s none of the lag that dogged the older reMarkable 2.

There’s also no delay when writing on the screen, which is the real high point. There’s a genuine fluidity to the Paper Pure that I appreciated, making the experience practically faultless on that score.

There’s a welcome snappiness to using this tablet. I know speed isn’t the main priority with a device like this — it’s all about how well it digitizes handwritten notes. But, for me, the performance of the Paper Pure is the killer reason anyone would want to upgrade from the reMarkable 2.

To help you visualize the difference between the two models, I compared the scrolling speed of the reMarkable Paper Pure (right) and the reMarkable 2 (left) in the video below.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

reMarkable Paper Pure: Battery

• 3,820mAh battery is an upgrade over the reMarkable 2
• Lasts for weeks on a single charge

The reMarkable Paper Pure has a built-in 3,820mAh battery. The company says it lasts up to three weeks, depending on your use. Based on my testing, that seems accurate.

I’ve been using the Paper Pure daily for hours at a time over the last couple of weeks without needing a recharge. The only reason I plugged it in during that time was out of caution, not necessity.

For comparison, the reMarkable 2 boasted a 3,000mAh battery, and I typically squeeze about three weeks out of that device already. The Paper Pro has a 5,030mAh battery but uses color E Ink and a frontlight, which drains faster than the black-and-white tablets, lasting about two weeks.

Likewise, the battery inside the Marker Plus lasts a long time. Charging is quick — you do so by attaching it to the side of the tablet — but I don’t recall it ever dropping below half during my entire review process, and you’ll see a battery meter briefly pop up each time you clip it to the side.

• Battery score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the reMarkable Paper Pure?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the reMarkable Paper Pure

I tested the reMarkable Paper Pure for two full weeks, using it daily to make notes for work, then in the evenings, I was doodling and writing that novel I always promise myself I’ll definitely finish.

Basically, I replaced my beloved reMarkable 2 and Paper Pro Move solely with the Paper Pure during this review period.

Once I connected the device to my existing reMarkable account, I could check how quickly documents synced between the different tablets, as well as the cloud integrations. I spent time loading various PDFs onto the Paper Pure, annotating and highlighting them before importing and exporting the files across supported services.

Next, I tested the writing experience using all available pen types — officially called Writing Tools — to explore the latency differences between them. After this, I began examining other software features, such as different templates. More time than I’d like to admit was spent with the AI handwriting conversion tool here, with me attempting to see how to get the best results.

Finally, I compared the speeds of the three reMarkable tablets to gauge overall performance, from navigating menus to writing on-screen, with a stylus in each hand.

Throughout the review process, the Paper Pure was slipped inside the misty green sleeve folio for protection when not in use.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: May 2026

Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: Two-minute review

If you need a big tablet, you can’t go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, which sports a gigantic 14.6-inch display that offers a 16:10 aspect ratio, which not only offers plenty of screen real estate compared to alternatives like iPads but also makes the S11 Ultra perfect for watching widescreen movies and shows. Of course, the large screen also lends itself well to productivity and gaming as well.

Staying true to Samsung’s other ‘Ultra’ devices, the Tab S11 Ultra brings all the bells and whistles to justify its high asking price. Like the Galaxy S26 Ultra, an S Pen stylus is included in the box, while the full Galaxy AI suite takes advantage of the larger display with features like screen sharing in Gemini Live and drawing tools like Creative Studio and Sketch to Image. It also retains the IP68 water- and dust-resistant rating from its predecessor, which is still rare for most modern tablets. Granted, these features are also available in the smaller (and cheaper) 11-inch Tab S11, so it’s hardly the reason why you would buy the much larger Ultra.

Otherwise, this is another iterative update from the Tab S10 Ultra, which was a disappointment in itself. Our tester wasn’t happy with the older tablet’s lackluster battery life and the MediaTek processor in our Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra review. The good news is that the Tab S11 Ultra has better CPU performance and the battery lasts 1.5-2 hours longer, but the bad news is that MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ doesn’t compare well with the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor in the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which is faster. And that makes me question Samsung’s decision to switch from Snapdragon CPUs in the Tab S9 series to MediaTek in the 10th- and 11th-generation slates.

Admittedly, the MediaTek provides better graphics performance, and can also handle ray-tracing better than the Snapdragon to reinforce the Tab S11 Ultra’s gaming focus but, when compared to a similarly priced iPad Pro with an Apple M5 chip — a desktop-class CPU that is more powerful than many Windows laptops — the Tab S11 Ultra feels overpriced even for a top-of-the-line tablet.

The minor upgrades come with a price hike over the S10 Ultra, and you won’t be able to reuse the older cases and keyboards from the Tab S10 Ultra and Tab S9 Ultra because of the thinner chassis, so you’d have to shell out more cash for new ones.

If you want the biggest, best display to run Android apps and games on, and watch widescreen movies and shows, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is a great choice, but if you want to run pro-level software, you’re better off with a similarly priced iPad Pro.

Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: price and availability

• Available since September 2025
• Price starts at $1,299 / £1,269 / AU$2,099
• A 5G model is also available in the UK and Australia from £1,419 / AU$2,349

With a starting price of $1,299 / £1,269 / AU$2,099 for the base model featuring 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is Samsung’s biggest and most expensive tablet to date, comparable to the iPad Pro 13-inch that will set you back $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,199.

In some aspects that’s a win, given that the Samsung offers 65% more screen area with the 14.6-inch display, but the flip side to that is the OLED display on the iPad Pro is brighter and sharper.

An S Pen stylus is included in the box with the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, while an Apple Pencil is sold separately for $129 / £129 / AU$219. It’s a nice bonus, as is the fact that Samsung does multitasking better than Apple.

However — and this is the biggest issue I have with the S11 Ultra’s price — the MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chipset is a disappointment compared to Apple’s M5 silicon in the iPad Pro, and it doesn’t even top the Apple M4 in the iPad Air, which is $300 / £300 / AU$650 cheaper.

The larger screen makes the Tab S11 Ultra a good laptop replacement, but Samsung sells the accessories separately. You can pick up a slim keyboard and case combo for $199.99 / £189 / AU$399 or an aluminum Pro Keyboard that makes the Tab S11 Ultra work like a laptop for $349.99 / £329 / AU$599. That added cost makes that combination more expensive than more powerful laptops, including ones with discrete GPUs.

Unless you need a water-resistant tablet or if your games are only available on Android, it’s hard to justify the price tag for the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. I think the older Tab S10 FE is a much better buy at $449 / £429 / AU$849.

• Value: 3/5

Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: specs

Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: display

• Massive 14.6-inch screen makes for a big and heavy device
• Samsung retains Wacom tech for the S Pen

Like its predecessor, I’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger and better display on an Android tablet than the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra’s huge 14.6-inch OLED screen. It’s even brighter than the S10 Ultra’s 930 nits (now 1600 nits), which is the same as the M5 iPad Pro.

The screen brightness is great indoors, which is a given for most tablets these days, but it was also bright enough to use outdoors. I watched an entire movie during a 3.5-hour bus ride while at a window seat and I didn’t have to draw the curtains in.

If you are considering a tablet as a laptop replacement, the Tab S11 Ultra gives you more screen space than a 14-inch Macbook Pro and outdoes its competition in the similarly priced iPad Pro. The latter, however, has a sharper OLED screen with a 264 pixel per inch density, compared to 239ppi on Samsung’s display.

Because it’s from Samsung, the Tab S11 Ultra has HDR10+ support, while iPad Pros favor Dolby Vision.

Samsung has also retained Wacom’s electromagnetic resonance (EMR) technology for its S Pen, meaning the stylus is passive and it doesn’t need a battery to write or draw with. That said, no battery means the S Pen doesn’t support Bluetooth anymore — just like the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s included S Pen.

• Display: 5/5

Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: design

• Water-resistant design
• Thinner and lighter than the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra

A tablet this size prioritizes the viewing experience over design, which means the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra isn’t anything special to look at. I like the clean design, but otherwise it’s just a big slab, much like every other Android tablet I’ve seen.

Like the Tab S10 Ultra, the S11 Ultra has four direct-firing speakers hidden around the edges to provide full stereo stage audio when the tablet is in landscape mode for movie watching. During testing, the audio sounded clear and full-bodied, and was loud enough to fill a medium-sized room, and I never felt like I had to reach for my headphones or hook the tablet up to a portable speaker.

The tablet now has just one front camera instead of two from the Tab S10 Ultra, which in turn reduces the notch size. The camera is still in the centre of the Tab S11 Ultra’s long side to favor landscape orientation for video calls, providing a natural head-on eyeline. Apple’s iPads, on the other hand, have cameras on the short side (meant for vertical or portrait orientation).

The Tab S11 Ultra retains the same button layout as the S10 Ultra, with power and volume on the top edge in landscape mode (or the right edge when in portrait orientation).

The S Pen attaches to the Tab S11 Ultra on its edges magnetically instead of having a dedicated strip on the back like on the S10 Ultra, similar to how an Apple Pencil attaches to iPads. However, I would recommend buying Samsung’s back cover if you want a more secure way to store the stylus via a recessed groove to cradle it — I found the magnetic attachment wasn’t strong enough and the S Pen would invariably come away when traveling with it in my bag.

As mentioned, the Galaxy S11 Ultra can be used as a laptop replacement thanks to its large screen and Samsung sells keyboard cases that will cost you extra. During my testing, however, I paired it with a wireless keyboard (Logitech MX Keys Mini) and used a laptop stand to prop it up and it was fine, but hardly a setup portable enough to bring to a cafe.

• Design: 4/5

Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: software

• The best tablet software for multitasking
• Now has more gaming-specific software

Samsung’s One UI software, running on top of Android 16, is packed with features that shine on a big tablet compared to a smaller smartphone display. I found multitasking to be a breeze, with up to three split-screen apps (one large, two small) running at the same time, and five pop-up windows can be layered on top of these. That’s a total of eight active apps all at once! Tiling and arranging windows are as easy as dragging them where you want them to go.

Like other Galaxy Tabs, apps and conversations can be opened via pop-up bubbles, and the S Pen enables pop-up notetaking when you just need a quick. I used it for work research and taking notes in Samsung Notes, and the process was easy and comfortable.

To test the multitasking, I joined a video call on one side while playing a game on the other, and also had a YouTube video in a floating window. The Tab S11 Ultra handled all applications well, with no crashes or slowing framerates.

While Samsung’s operating system is great, I couldn’t really think of too many Android apps that would truly maximize the large screen. I downloaded the drawing and painting app Krita, and the display accommodated the extensive menus and the canvas well to make it look like the app’s desktop version. I also downloaded the video editing app LumaFusion, and the tablet’s screen was able to display a longer timeline, although this really isn’t the best example for recommending an expensive tablet as I think most people would find an app like LumaFusion would be fine on a smaller screen too.

It’s evident that Samsung also made this tablet with DeX (desktop experience) in mind, where you can either use the mode on the device itself to emulate a laptop-like interface or with an external monitor plugged in. DeX looks like a hybrid of Windows and macOS, with both a persistent taskbar and a floating dock with app icons available at your disposal. My favorite feature is being able to snap windows to the side to take an entire half of the screen, or a corner to automatically resize into a quadrant.

DeX runs the tablet’s apps in windows, which can result in some weird ‘stretching’ when you maximize some apps that aren’t fully supported. One workaround I found is to forgo the apps altogether and just open their web version with the Samsung Internet browser (instead of Chrome) to load their desktop versions. This extra layer of friction takes points away from the Tab S11 Ultra as a true laptop replacement, and you may be better off getting the real thing.

One UI 8.5 now provides a real dual-screen mode on DeX while you plug in an external monitor, where the cursor can move through both screens, and windows can be dragged and dropped from one display to the other. Some apps now adapt depending on the screen, defaulting to desktop mode on the external monitor, then reverting to the touch-optimized version when the window is moved to the tablet.

As someone who finds that a single display just doesn’t cut it anymore for productivity, this mode made the Tab S11 Ultra a viable work machine during my testing.

When Samsung said this tablet was aimed at gaming enthusiasts, it sure meant it. One UI 8.5 introduced new gaming software in the Tab S11 Ultra, including per-game CPU and GPU tuning, native controller mapping and High-Performance mode. There’s also MediaTek HyperEngine to customize ray-tracing and variable rate shading, as well as some AI-powered features to let you skip game intros and automatically mute ads found in free-to-play games.

I tested several of these features and, while they didn’t improve my experience with the games I tried, I can see them being potentially beneficial for competitive multiplayer gamers.

Of course, there’s the full Galaxy AI suite, headlined by a dedicated button found on the Samsung keyboards to activate Gemini or Bixby. A few Galaxy AI features maximize the Tab S11 Ultra’s size, like Sketch to Image (which converts sketches to an AI-generated image), Note Assist (cleans up handwriting) and Math Solver (more room to show complex equations and graphs).

Like most of Samsung’s phones and tablets, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra has 7 years of support, which includes 7 generations of Android/One UI upgrades, security patches, hardware support and self-repair. Since tablets are usually replaced less frequently than a smartphone, long-term support like this is welcome indeed.

Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: performance

• Decent for Android, but nowhere near the iPad Pro
• I wish this had a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset instead

As I’ve already mentioned, Samsung has once again used a MediaTek chipset in the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, which puts it at a disadvantage over the iPad Pro with its desktop-class Apple M5 chip — which is more powerful than many Windows laptops. While the Dimensity 9400+ is a decent mobile processor and a meaningful upgrade over the Tab S10 Ultra’s Dimensity 9300+ (Samsung is claiming a 15-20% CPU boost), the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra doesn’t come close to the M5’s performance.

The MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ is designed for gaming and marketed to gamers, and while it wins some benchmarks on the graphics side, it falls short on processing performance compared to even Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon CPU being used in Samsung’s phones. Again, given its high asking price, it’s hard to justify the S11 Ultra for gamers only and I question why the South Korean tech giant didn’t use the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset from the Galaxy S25 Ultra handset instead.

Geekbench rates last year’s S25 Ultra higher than the Tab S11 Ultra in three out out of four benchmarking tests, beating the tablet in single-core (2,847 vs 2,633), multi-core (9,408 vs 8,633) and even the GPU-focused Vulkan (23,871 vs 22,023). The only test the Tab Ultra wins is in OpenCL, which also measures GPU performance, with a score of 20,468 versus the S25 Ultra’s 17,871.

And that was evident in my testing. A resource-intensive game like Asphalt Legends ran very smoothly at max settings. However, its on-screen controls felt unwieldy and it’s better used with a third-party controller — so it’s good news that Samsung has improved external controller support with the S11 Ultra. The flip side to this is that you would have to lug around an additional item if you want to play while on the move.

With a tablet being able to dissipate heat better than a phone, I can only imagine how much better the Snapdragon 8 Elite could have performed in the same tests without the same thermal throttling it has to deal with in a smartphone chassis. Samsung could have also considered the laptop-class Snapdragon X processors found in the Samsung Galaxy Books if the company wanted to match the tablet up with the iPad Pro. Instead, the Tab S11 Ultra remains a mid-range tablet with a giant screen like the Tab S10 Ultra.

Even taking the M5 iPad Pro out of the equation, it’s hard to justify the S11 Ultra over a similarly priced laptop with better specs, like the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and an Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU ($1,249 / £1,150 / AU$2,199). Not to mention, the Lenovo includes a keyboard, while the Tab S11 Ultra needs the $349.99 / £329 / AU$599 Samsung Pro Keyboard to become a serious contender as a true laptop replacement.

• Performance: 3/5

Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: battery

• More battery life than the Tab S10 Ultra despite the slimmer chassis

Battery life on the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra has improved a little from its predecessor, thanks to an extra 400mAh in the new pack and the MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ being a more power-efficient chipset. I tested the battery by streaming a 1080p video with the screen at full brightness, and it took 11 hours for the Tab S11 Ultra battery to drain. In comparison, the Tab S10 Ultra lasted 9 hours in a similar test done by our Future Labs last year.

The 45W fast charging also topped up the battery just as quickly, with the Tab S11 Ultra reaching 20% in 15 minutes, 35% in 30 minutes, and full at just 1 hour and 45 minutes. The Tab S10 Ultra has the same 45W rating, while the M5 iPad Pro is officially rated at 40W, (though Apple claims it can support up to 60W fast charging with higher-wattage power adapters like a MacBook power brick).

• Battery: 4/5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra

I used the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra for two weeks as a work tablet and my main device for watching content and gaming outside of office hours. I also brought it with me on a holiday to watch movies and play games while in transit. I loaded it with my work accounts and apps, including Slack and Google Meet. I also downloaded SimCity Build It, Age of Empires Mobile and Asphalt Legends — as well as streaming games via Steam Link — to test the gaming features. I paired the tablet with an 8BitDo controller via Bluetooth to complete my gaming setup for this review.

To test the tablet’s durability, I dunked it in my kitchen sink filled with water and rinsed it repeatedly. I did not get the Samsung keyboard with trackpad cover as a test unit, but I paired it with my Logitech MX Keys Mini keyboard and a Logitech MX Anywhere mouse to test it as a laptop replacement. The Tab S11 Ultra was also connected to my ZSUS portable USB-C monitor. I independently tested and benchmarked the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, using software like Geekbench and a battery test for video playback.

First reviewed May 2026

• Amazon's next Kindle lineup could come with user-replaceable batteries
• The company could also start selling its own replacement kits
• Support for older Kindles is ending on May 20, and users have started jailbreaking their devices

Amazon could be hiding something up its sleeve, and its next lineup of Kindle e-readers could be getting an upgrade every bookworm would be thankful for — replaceable batteries.

In the MobileReads forum, a handful of users sparked a discussion that pointed to messages found in Amazon’s Kindle 5.19.4 firmware update referring to user-replaceable batteries, as well as replacement kits and instructional guides. The firmware was then pulled, but eagle-eyed users managed to share it before it disappeared.

Though it’s speculation for now, one user in the forum shared they believe that “it is very likely”, who also shared the following messages found in the firmware release:

“This battery cannot be recognized and may not perform as expected. Charging has been limited to protect your device.”

“To return your device to its original performance specifications, we recommend installing a battery that complies with Amazon specifications.”

“Go to Settings > Device Options > Battery for battery troubleshooting guidance and support.”

“Scan the QR code below to purchase a battery replacement kit and view instructions for replacement.”

The move would align with a new EU regulation that will enforce tighter requirements on consumer electronics. As of February 2027, gadgets such as smartphones and tablets will need to have easy-to-repair batteries that don’t require specific tools, making it easier for users to replace certain hardware parts themselves.

In addition to replaceable batteries, it’s likely that Amazon’s next Kindle range could come with design upgrades to make switching out batteries easier. Most older models are sealed with adhesive, making it difficult for users to pry open their e-readers, while some Kindle batteries are glued into the device.

It would be a welcome upgrade for avid e-readers everywhere, but whether it’s enough to make up for shutting down support for pre-2012 models is another question.

Is Amazon doing this because it has to?

From May 20, Kindle devices released prior to 2012 will lose support meaning that, while you’ll still be able to read books already downloaded to your device, you’ll no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download additional books on them after that date. Not only that, but the company also unveiled it would be pulling the plug on its Send to Kindle function — which allows you to wirelessly transfer ebooks you bought elsewhere, as well as documents and other files, to your Kindle.

To say this upset owners of these models would be underplaying the response it got from avid readers, but despite Amazon’s attempt to force users to needlessly upgrade to pricier devices, the jailbreaking bug has hit bookworms everywhere. With Amazon’s cease of support looming, users on Reddit aren’t being quiet about how they’re modifying their devices to download third-party apps such as KOReader to continue purchasing books and for most, it’s the best thing they’ve ever done.

You should note that jailbreaking your device isn’t recommended, and it comes with a handful of risks. For starters, it could lead to bugs, battery life deficiency, and other performance issues, and then there’s the matter of piracy. But for those who are dead set on avoiding having to upgrade their device, it’s become a common practice, as has sideloading books.

Amazon hasn’t been giving readers much of what they want, but now that replaceable batteries could be its next hardware upgrade, perhaps this will redeem the series of poor choices it's made lately.

I’m a massive fan of digital notebooks (aka epaper or E Ink tablets) — I’ve used over a dozen in the last few years and, as a habitual list maker and note taker, I find them extremely useful. My favorite e-notebook — purely from a writing experience — is the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024 edition) and, while I loved it when it first launched, the Kobo Elipsa 2E is now my least favorite as newer options just do it better.

I’ve come to realize that a lot of that preference boils down to one surprising element: the stylus. Or rather, the stylus' little nib and how it feels when you get down to the act of (figuratively) putting pen to paper.

The Kindle Premium Pen I use with the 2024 Scribe feels a lot softer and, thus, smoother than the hard plastic tip of the Kobo Stylus 2. Onyx Boox styli are also generally acceptable, though the prolific device maker has stumbled a little with its most recent InkSense Plus Stylus as the relatively thicker nib adds more friction than I personally prefer.

And that’s the clincher: stylus preference is very personal — while some writers prefer a smooth, flowing experience, others might want that extra friction or scratchiness. I’m firmly in the former camp and the absolute best stylus that’s given me that experience is the ViWoods C1 stylus.

Other than a Supernote pen, the C1 is the only other ceramic-tipped stylus I've tried and the amount of precision and control it offers is far more than anything I've experienced with the several bundled pens I've previously used.

Rather disappointingly, the C1 doesn’t come bundled with any of the ViWoods tablets — you need to purchase it separately. While it’s not cheap (costing $99 / £89.99 / AU$140), I think it’s well worth the extra splurge if you’re after a writing experience that combines smoothness and friction perfectly.

Using EMR (electromagnetic resonance) technology to pair the stylus to a tablet, the C1 also works with other competing epaper devices like Supernote and the now-discontinued reMarkable 2 (but not the newer reMarkable Paper series), on some of Samsung’s S-series Galaxy Tabs, as well as dedicated drawing slates from the likes of XPPen.

EMR pens like the C1 offer other advantages too, including superior pressure sensitivity and accurate positioning for precise line making, as well as faster response speed so there’s no lag between pen placement and the marks actually appearing on screen.

The power in a pen

Ever noticed that your handwriting can change depending on which pen you’re using? That’s because some pens feel more natural than others, which then translates to more pleasing handwriting. Again, this is largely dependent on the pen's nib and it's exactly the same for digital writing as well. While I rather like my handwriting, it's nicer — neater — when using the ViWoods C1.

For that, I give credit to the C1’s needle-like ceramic tip that’s pinpoint perfect and translates into better control over the marks being made on the screen. That control is increased because there’s zero input lag, which means it’s just like using a pen on paper.

That’s thanks to a speedy response time of 960Hz (or 960 RPS), which is the frequency at which a tablet records the stylus’ position and pressure. In the C1’s case, it’s sending data practically every millisecond! For context, a standard stylus typically has a response speed of 200 to 300 RPS.

This speed also makes me feel like I’m not exerting any pressure while writing — even the lightest touch makes the marks flow without generating any fatigue in my hand, and that’s an important consideration for me as I suffer from RSI in my fingers. In comparison, most other styli (including the Kindle Premium Pen I like so much and ViWoods’ own Stylus W2) feel like they’re ‘sticking’ to the screen and require a touch more effort to move.

Like I said, the C1 feels effortless.

The ceramic tip also makes the C1 a lot more long-lasting than other standard styli. It’s the only digital pen I’ve come across that doesn’t ship with extra replacement tips — ViWoods says the included one should last “a lifetime”, so there aren’t any ongoing costs here either. To offer some comparison, using the reMarkable Marker Plus for six months wore the tip down significantly (see the image on top of the page), while I replaced the Kindle Premium Pen’s tip after a year of near-daily use.

After learning about a colleague’s experience with titanium replacement tips that resulted in damaging the tablet’s screen, I was worried the same would happen when using a ceramic pen — after all, the C1 nib is also a pinpoint piece of hard material. However, after six months of testing on the ViWoods AiPaper and the reMarkable 2, I’ve seen no scratches.

Ergonomically, the ViWoods C1 is well designed, with just the right amount of heft and a non-slip grip. Like other EMR pens, it has a customizable shortcut button that can be set to highlighting, erasing or lassoing text, depending on which one you use the most. If I was nitpicking, I’d say that the eraser on the top of the C1 is a little rattly but, personally, I didn’t find it distracting and barely even registered it when I was concentrating on the task at hand.

Take note — there’s a caveat

As someone who reviews e-ink devices regularly, I have a rather large collection of epaper tablets and I tried the ViWoods C1 on seven of them, namely the 2024 Kindle Scribe, two Kobo note takers (even though I know they don't support EMR), a reMarkable and 3 Boox tablets. I expected the C1 to be able to write on the Kindle Scribe and the Boox Note Air3 at the very least but, unfortunately, it only worked on one of those devices (the reMarkable 2).

Even if it did write on other tablets, the pen’s full functionality might not be unleashed due to software incompatibility between the tablet and the stylus. For example, erasing with the pen on the ViWoods AiPaper was a lot more effective than when I performed the same task on the reMarkable 2. Intelligent lasso also worked only on the ViWoods device and not on the reMarkable. This can make it hard to recommend purchasing a second stylus, even one as good as the C1.

Every brand that sells a large-screen epaper writing tablet bundles it with its own stylus, offering you full functionality at no extra cost. Nearly all of them have no discernible lag (it’s only when you use something like the C1 that you realize there’s something faster) and they write quite well, so not everyone will need an additional stylus. However, if you write or draw every day, finding the best stylus for your needs is definitely worth the extra cost, as long as you keep the caveats in mind.

First revealed at the 2026 BookCon event in New York last month, Kobo has announced a range of limited-edition "collector cases" with "whimsical" and colorful designs. The cases are, indeed, beautiful, going from a leafy Green Canopy option to more fun and joyful Botanical Bliss and each design is available for all three 2024 ereader releases — the Kobo Libra Colour, Clara BW and Clara Colour.

They're already listed for purchase on the Kobo websites in the US and the UK, and Aussies will be able to buy them from May 12 — the smaller cases cost $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$44.95, while a Libra Colour collector case will set you back $39.99 / £34.99 / AU$49.95.

I personally love the Botanical Bliss case and wouldn't mind it on my Kobo Libra Colour, but, in all honesty, I'm a little disappointed with this announcement. I was really keen to hear about an updated version of the Kobo Elipsa 2E that is now long in the tooth and feels dated against the likes of the latest releases of the Kindle Scribe and Boox Note series.

I remember a time when Kobo would release new hardware nearly every May, but 2025 was an exception and the Japanese-Canadian brand launched the Kobo Remote later in the year instead. With no new ereader release since the three current devices from 2024, I really thought 2026 was when we would see an updated 10-inch slate.

Analysis: the Kobo Elipsa 2E just doesn't compare any more

I make no secret of the fact that I'm partial to Kobo's user interface, and I'd been using the Kobo Elipsa 2E since its release in 2023 as my ereader and digital notebook. At the time, I liked it so much that I called it a real Kindle Scribe contender in my Kobo Elipsa 2E review, but I replaced it with the 2nd-generation Kindle Scribe in 2025 as the latter offered me a better reading and writing experience. In fact, I find the Onyx Boox Go 10.3 a better digital notebook despite not having a frontlight.

I still love Kobo's Advanced Notebooks, but the hard-nibbed Kobo Stylus 2 doesn't feel as nice to use as Amazon's Premium Pens or the many other styli that come packaged with their respective tablets. Nearly every other stylus I've tried, including those from ViWood, offers a smoother ballpoint pen-like experience that you won't get from the Kobo Stylus 2.

The ambient light sensor on the 2024 Kindle Scribe makes the display look brighter and the 300ppi resolution puts the Elipsa's 227ppi screen to shame. In fact, most 10-inch monochrome digital notebooks released in 2025 have a 300ppi display.

There have been several Boox tablets released since the Elipsa 2E and while I'm not expecting Kobo to match that frequency — I really hope not as the Boox devices aren't exactly perfect — even Amazon released new Scribe models in 2024 and 2025!

If you really want a Kobo note-taker, the Libra Colour is still my pick of the best ereader to buy (and the Kobo Sage has been discontinued), but the Kobo Stylus 2 is still not the nicest pen to write with, so a refresh of a couple of hardware items is overdue.

So c'mon, Kobo, where's the new Elipsa at?

AI is good. AI is bad. You’ll be left behind if you don’t use AI. You’ll erode your brain if you do use AI. AI is destroying art. AI is making real art more important than ever. AI is— you get the idea.

The topsy-turvy discourse surrounding the doomed/promising future of the workplace (delete as appropriate) is enough to make your head implode, but reMarkable is among the few technology companies taking a more measured approach to productivity.

The Norwegian brand’s minimalist writing tablets are an antidote to traditional laptops. These stripped-back, distraction-free slates have gained popularity among professionals in recent years — you may have seen one or two floating around your office — but their high price tags have so far limited their wider appeal (the reMarkable Paper Pro, for instance, starts at $579 / £559 / AU$929). Now, reMarkable is releasing its first truly affordable tablet, the reMarkable Paper Pure — and it bridges the gap between the analog and the digital in exciting new ways.

“We never intended to make products for only a few,” Jon Dalvang, VP, Head of Paper Tablet Product Management at reMarkable, tells me in an interview. “[Our existing tablets] are quite expensive products, and we have to acknowledge that. So that's why we’re now really happy to finally introduce the second half of our product family. We’ll have a Pro line moving forward, and a Pure line.

“Innovation [these days] just seems to be about slapping on more and more features [to existing products], but with the Paper Pure, we've looked back to the original idea [of reMarkable tablets] and tried to make a paper tablet in its most essential form.”

Starting at $399 / £359 (AU$TBC), the Paper Pure is much like the reMarkable 2 in that it uses a 10.3-inch black-and-white display and doesn’t feature a front light. It’s a back-to-basics alternative to the pricier (and color-compatible) Paper Pro line. But this is not an identical product to reMarkable’s 2020 offering.

“We always put a lot of effort into making our displays feel as close to paper as possible. And we’ve taken that one step further with the Paper Pure,” Dalvang explains. “Its display is whiter than ever before, and it's got 20% better contrast than the reMarkable 2. Navigation, opening and closing documents, and swiping pages is also up to twice as fast.”

Beyond its display, the Paper Pure is a full 43g lighter than the reMarkable 2, it's got more internal storage (32GB), and its battery lasts 30% longer, too.

“It's not a direct replacement for the reMarkable 2,” Dalvang clarifies, “but it's an intentional take on trying to reach an entry point for a broader mass market.” Notably, the reMarkable 2 is no longer available to buy on reMarkable’s website.

The cognitive benefits of paper

Even if you’re not sold on the idea of using a pen and paper in the workplace, you’ll know that writing by hand forces you to slow down and think about the content you’re actually producing. It can even lead to moments of unexpected inspiration (in his hands-on reMarkable Paper Pure review, my colleague, Lance, notes that “minutes pass before I realize I've derailed from work to mind-soothing creativity”). reMarkable believes this analog approach to productivity has never been more important.

“Since the Industrial Revolution, speed has very much been the name of the game,” William Chaumeton, Head of Concept and Product Design at reMarkable, tells me. “Hundreds of years of focus on output, efficiency, doing more with less — quantity with acceptable degrees of quality. Over the last 75 years, we've added on top of that the information revolution and the digital age, and [as a consequence] a lot more cognitive load to the modern workday.

“Throw in the hypercatalyst that is AI, and things are getting even faster. A recent study showed that people who are actively engaging with AI in their workload are reporting that they’re more productive than ever, but also that they're more exhausted than ever [...] The expectations [of work] are growing in line with these new tools. If AI makes you 10 times faster, people don't say, ‘Take the afternoon off,' they say, 'Why are you not doing 10 times more?

“We don't necessarily think that faster thinking means better thinking. ‘Slop’ is a term that's used a lot these days, and for good reason. We're seeing a gap emerging in the workplace — the thinking gap. We refer to it as the cognitive disconnect: the disparity between the output and the input. People are reaching for the solution without a thorough understanding of the problem. The things we’re producing in much greater quantities are shallower.

“Better thinking for us is about depth of thought,” Chaumeton continues. It's about clarity of thought. It's about the communicability of thought. The power of human cognition is being able to slow down, think about things differently, and mix new ideas. That's the human advantage in the workplace. And that’s the advantage that we're trying to protect at reMarkable.

“And just to be clear, we're not anti-AI, quite the opposite in fact. But we think that the power of human thought is really simplified by pen and paper. Paper slows us down; it gives us room to think like humans. We don't want to force people to think like machines. We want to make space with the machines, for human thinking.”

It’s clear, then, that reMarkable isn’t kidding itself about the need to merge the analog and digital effectively. If you can’t move your written work into a digital workspace, you may as well be scribbling it onto the walls of a cave.

And good news! The Paper Pure launches alongside several new software tools that make collaboration with non-reMarkable users easier than ever — though you’ll need to shell out for the brand’s Connect subscription service to access some of them (it’s currently priced at $3.99 / £3.99 per month).

Among the most useful new features is screen share, which lets you beam your reMarkable screen into your web browser for annotating content — in real-time — for an online or in-person audience. There’s also a new ‘Convert and share’ feature, which uses AI to turn your handwriting into editable, shareable web documents.

AI is likewise called upon for reMarkable’s new Send to Slack and Send to Miro features, which again automatically convert handwriting and sketches into sendable text.

In other words, there is plenty of useful software hidden beneath the reMarkable Paper Pure’s analog exterior. And all of these new features will be made available on the full suite of existing reMarkable tablets, too — even the 2017 original model.

The reMarkable Paper Pure starts at $399 / £359 (AU$TBC) for the device and Marker, with that price rising to $449 / £399 (AU$TBC) for the device, Marker Plus (which features a digital eraser), and Sleeve Folio. It’s available to order now, with shipping set to begin in early June.

For our early impressions of the device, check out our hands-on reMarkable Paper Pure review, and stay tuned to TechRadar for our full review.

People of a certain age can remember taking notes with a pen or pencil and paper. As a reporter, I did it for years, filling volumes of notebooks with my chicken-scratch stenography and a steady stream of doodles. Every meeting was 50% notes and 50% drawing, which I insisted helped me listen. Some years ago, I stopped taking handwritten notes and switched to typing on my laptop or iPhone. I can't say I miss the handwriting, but I do miss the doodling.

reMarkable's new Paper Pure digital paper tablet is taking me back to those bygone days of scribbling my thoughts in words and images. It's like muscle memory, and I don't know if I want to go back to typing.

Just digital paper

The aptly named Paper Pure is both innovative and a return to basics. There are still no apps, and this isn't, despite the E Ink association, a traditional ereader. It's a tablet for generating ideas, collaborating with others, some reading (but with a pen!), and drawing up concepts.

It's also by no means a closed system, as the latest software lets you grab pages from the web (via a nifty browser extension) and drop them into your paper tablet for reading and annotation. It lets you take your scribbles and send them (encrypted) to the cloud, where AI converts them into searchable text. If you want to work with others, you can connect to a website that others can view as you annotate.

The reMarkable Paper Pure is like a digital bridge between the old ways of collecting ideas and the new ways of collecting, processing, and sharing them. It's also, even in my brief experience of using the device, a great platform for doing so.

At 360g, the 6mm-thick Paper Pure is made of recycled magnesium and feels light and comfortable in hand or on your lap. There's an expansive 10.3-inch reflective display panel under a matte-finish sheet of glass that gives you just enough friction between the stylus pen tip and the screen to feel like you're still writing on paper.

It's also the picture of simplicity. There's a single power-sleep button and one USB-C charging port. The digital pen attaches magnetically to the side of the tablet and does not fall off easily. You get the basic stylus with the $399 / £359 / AU$629 package when the Paper Pure ships in June (you can pre-order now). If you want the one with the digital eraser on the back, you'll buy the $449 / £399 / AU$699 bundle that includes the Folio case (slip the tablet in, and it automatically goes to sleep, and wakes up when you remove it). My hands-on unit included both the eraser-equipped pen and a blue folio.

From a hardware standpoint, the biggest change is the new display, which is based on E Ink's Carta 1300 panel, providing the darkest digital ink and whitest background yet. The resolution, though, is still 226ppi, and the responsiveness and pressure sensitivity appear equal — which is to say excellent — to what you'll find in the pricer reMarkable Paper Pro.

One thing this tablet loses as compared to the most recent reMarkable Papers is a screen light. That shouldn't be a major issue, since you can easily use it outdoors (not in the rain, no IP rating here) or with a good light source, but just don't expect the table to provide any illumination.

The interface is simple, intuitive, and can be accessed via touch or the included pen. Since the system itself is the main app, your home screen is a thumbnail grid of your current files. You can easily add one using the large plus sign at the bottom of the screen. Next to it is a useful search function and the new Meeting Notes. The software can now connect to your calendar and automatically create a sheet that includes attendees and an agenda, and where you can take synchronized notes. Because my Google account is managed by my organization, I could not connect to my work Google Calendar.

One of the coolest new features is screen share, which allows me to share my Paper Pure screen live in a browser. This would be useful for, say, a large screen presentation where I wanted to markup a document or create, say, a diagram that an entire room could see. Not only does the screen share track every line I write, but it also shows where my pen is hovering (in red) in case all I want to do is indicate certain portions of the document.

The reMarkable Paper Pure is a responsive system, but I'd forgotten how often the screen refreshes, and I find those instances slightly distracting. I guess it's the price you pay for a low-powered, high-resolution display that only uses energy when it has to create the image. Keeping a static image on an E Ink display takes essentially zero power, but using a reMarkable tablet for annotating and drawing is like constantly turning the page on an ebook. All that work requires many updates to the page imagery, and the extra refreshes ensure that the image quality remains top-notch.

The art of digital ink

Most of your time on the Paper Pure will be spent in the various notebooks that have templates ranging from blank to lined to grid. There's a healthy selection of highlighters and pens, and depending on the one you use, you may see the benefits of pressure sensitivity. I found myself switching between a fountain pen, which can really vary in width, and the more rigid rapidograph-style pen.

Digital lines really do appear to flow directly from the pen tip, even though I know there is a tiny distance between that tip and the E Ink screen, and that the image is being generated inside that panel. You really can't outrun the line generation, and the feel of the stylus on that glass screen is just exquisite.

I found I could write, sketch (I often did both), take notes, and more. When drawing or working in detail, I could even pinch and zoom with two fingers to zero in on the area I wanted to touch up or adjust.

On my desktop, I installed the new browser extension in Chrome, then sent a web page to the Paper Pure tablet. It appears in a stripped-down form, more like a PDF document with formatting. I could then mark it up as needed.

I also tried out the new AI features, which let me write in my terrible scrawl in a notepad page and then send it to the AI converter. The output was surprisingly accurate considering the dreadfully low readability of my handwriting. Doing so with all my notes would make everything searchable — basically that digital bridge I was talking about earlier.

While I'm already a fan, there are some caveats. I'm not thrilled that an E Ink device has just three weeks of power, and not the 10 weeks or so I'm used to from most E Ink-based ereaders. Still, that's down to the screen size and the always-connected nature. You could stretch it out if you take it off WiFi, but I think then you lose access to a few key features.

I also wish the Paper Pure were waterproof so I could sketch in more adverse conditions, but I bet that would raise the price well above $399 / £359 / AU$629.

While I'm sure I won't stop taking notes on my iPhone, I can feel myself slipping back into old habits on the reMarkable Paper Pure. I pick it up to write down a story idea, capture notes from a meeting, or mark up a web article on the latest robot innovation, and quickly find myself doodling in the margins. Minutes pass before I realize I've derailed from work to mind-soothing creativity. Perhaps that's not a bad thing.

Onyx Boox Palma 2 Pro: Two-minute review

The Onyx Boox Palma 2 Pro is the kind of interesting ereader innovation I want to see more of, even if the biggest appeal is still just how unusual it is. My ereader expert colleague reviewed the original Palma and the newer Palma 2, but I have been able to use both of these devices as my main ereader, to ensure a good basis for comparison.

The Palma 2 Pro takes the same pocket-friendly, phone-like form of the Palma 2 and adds a color E Ink display, more memory, Android 15, SIM support and stylus compatibility. The Palma is already somewhat of a niche ereader (and a niche we are big fans of), so these new features are quite ambitious.

The 6.13-inch, 2:1 screen is still the main reason to consider the Palma. It looks and feels more like a smartphone than a typical ereader, and comes complete with a speaker, dual microphones, side buttons, a rear camera and now a hybrid SIM tray. But rather than an LCD or OLED display, it uses an e-paper display that means it’s a much nicer experience for long reading sessions.

In other words — if you already consume books, articles or newsletters on your phone and want something easier on the eyes, the Palma 2 Pro has a lot of appeal.

Another new advantage is stylus support — like some of the larger models, the Palma 2 Pro works with a compatible stylus and enables note-taking directly on the device. Another great little extra is a combined SIM/SD card slot, which means you can upgrade the storage or add in a data SIM and access books (and the internet) when on the go.

Physically, the Pro is very similar to the Palma 2, though there are a few useful changes that show how the design has progressed more than just changing to a color display. The power button (that also houses the fingerprint reader) is still on the right edge but the volume/page-turn buttons now sit on the left with the smart button — a layout that feels a lot more intuitive.

The SIM/SD card tray is on the bottom and the body is a little thicker. At 172g bare on my scales (Boox lists it as approximately 175g), it’s still easy to carry around, and even with the soft case from my review package fitted, it remained pocket-friendly enough for daily use, plus there’s an excellent magnetic flip cover.

The biggest change, of course, is the screen. The Palma 2 Pro uses a Kaleido 3 color E Ink panel, whereas the Palma 2 has a Carta 1200 monochrome display. The upgrade to color immediately makes the interface, book covers, comics, web pages and some apps feel more engaging and useful than they do on the black-and-white Palma 2. To be clear, it’s not bright, glowing color like you get from a phone or tablet, or glossy like a magazine — it’s closer to soft pastels on paper.

While the black and white part of the display has the same resolution and DPI as the Palma 2, the Kaleido 3 color layer gives the screen a slightly grainier look, with grayer whites, compared to the sharp Carta display on the Palma 2.

While reading on the Palma 2 Pro is still great, it does mean the Pro is not an automatic upgrade for everyone. For pure monochrome text, the Palma 2 still has a clearer, more paper-like display, with better perceived contrast and cleaner whites.

That means the Palma 2 is still a solid choice, while the Palma 2 Pro is at its best for those who will actually make use of the color screen.

The Pro has had a slight bump in spec, which in turn makes the user experience a little slicker. An upgrade to Android 15 (the Palma 2 runs Android 13) gives the Palma 2 Pro a more current interface, while 8GB of RAM (up from 6GB), Android 15 and updated software tuning help it feel slightly smoother when opening apps, scrolling through menus and using gesture navigation.

It’s still an E Ink device, so you won’t mistake it for the responsiveness of a smartphone, but third-party apps such as Kindle, Kobo and Google Play Books work well, and Google Play Store support gives it far more flexibility than most ereaders.

I also found the fingerprint scanner accurate and very handy on the Pro. It’s quick to set up and, in daily use, it rarely failed to unlock the device. In comparison, the Palma 2 doesn’t unlock quite as reliably.

The stylus support worked well, and the Boox stylus is easy to start using — no pairing is needed. Handwritten notes can be made in compatible apps, like Boox’s Notes app, or on your ebooks with NeoReader. The small screen means it takes a little getting used to and it’s not as capable as a larger note-taking device, but it is a nice little extra for those who like to jot down handwritten thoughts.

Making it slightly less appealing though, is that buying the Boox stylus adds around an extra 10% to the price, and there’s no neat way to carry it with the flip cover.

The Palma 2 Pro continues some of the little niggles that felt out of place considering the price of the Palma 2. The body still feels plasticky rather than premium, the camera is more useful for quick scans than for taking photos, the speaker is basic and performance is on the low end compared to a phone. The Palma 2 Pro is also considerably more expensive than the regular Palma 2 and other mainstream 6-inch ereaders.

Still, I like the Palma 2 Pro for the same reason I like the Palma 2: it’s compact, versatile and something genuinely different. The color screen won’t suit everyone, but if you want a pocketable Android ereader that can handle books, apps, light web use, color-rich documents and the occasional note-taking session, it’s a great upgrade to one of the most interesting ereaders around.

Onyx Boox Palma 2 Pro review: Price & availability

• Announced October 2025
• List price: $379.99 / €399.99 / £379.99 / AU$679
• Available now directly from the Boox Shop and select retailers

The Palma 2 Pro is a much more expensive device than the regular Palma 2, with current pricing sitting at $380 / £380 / AU$679. That makes it pricey even by premium ereader standards, and it’s a notable step up from the Palma 2’s current $250 / £249 / AU$499 pricing.

On the plus side, that higher price does give you a tasty set of new and updated features. The Palma 2 Pro adds a Kaleido 3 color E Ink display, 8GB of RAM, Android 15, a hybrid SIM slot with mobile data support and compatibility with the Boox InkSense Plus stylus.

While these are all great additions, they won’t all matter equally to every reader, so the best value proposition is only going to apply to a smaller subset of potential buyers. If you mostly want a pocketable device for reading typical ebooks, the regular Palma 2 is still the better choice.

The Pro starts to make more sense if you’ll actually use the color display for book covers, comics, web pages, documents or apps, or if mobile data support is important to you.

The Boox website has a range of compatible accessories available. For the Palma 2 Pro, stylus support helps it feel more useful beyond reading, though it’s worth noting that the Boox stylus is sold separately and is priced around $46 / £47 / AU$72 — adding around 10% to the total purchase cost.

The standard box includes the Palma 2 Pro, USB-C cable, card tray eject tool, quick start guide and warranty card. My review package also included the Magnetic 2-in-1 protective flip case, which is another $22 / £22 / AU$38 or so from Boox.

Compared with mainstream 6-inch ereaders, the Palma 2 Pro is expensive, and it is on par with a mid-range smartphone. In fact, you could buy almost three Amazon Kindle or Kobo Clara BW ereaders for the price of the Palma 2 Pro, but they also don’t offer the same Android flexibility, color E Ink display, large storage capacity or phone-like form factor.

That said, I could better stomach the price if the Palma 2 Pro came with the stylus and case as standard, but as it stands, it only really offers decent value if you truly need the unique form factor and will actually use the full set of features.

• Value score: 3 / 5

Onyx Boox Palma 2 Pro review: Specs

Onyx Boox Palma 2 Pro review: Design & display

• Available in Charcoal Black and Ivory White
• Color E Ink makes the Palma format more versatile
• Phone-like and pocket-friendly

The Palma 2 Pro mostly sticks to the Palma 2’s design, but the small changes do make it feel a little more polished in daily use. It’s still unmistakably a Palma, with the same tall, phone-like shape, rear camera, speaker, dual microphones, USB-C port and compact footprint, but it’s slightly thicker at 8.8mm (up from 8mm) and a little heavier at 172g on my scales, up from the Palma 2’s measured 166g.

The button layout has changed too. The power button with fingerprint scanner now sits on the right edge, while the volume/page-turn buttons have moved to the left with the smart button. The hybrid SIM tray is on the bottom beside the USB-C port, while the microphones have shifted closer to the speaker.

None of these changes dramatically alter how the Palma 2 Pro feels, but I think the layout is a bit more intuitive than the Palma 2 as volume buttons on the left mean they sit under a forefinger, rather than under a thumb on the right.

If you don’t use the volume buttons for page turning (or you are left-handed), then the smartphone-like layout on the Palma 2 might be preferable.

Build quality is very similar to the Palma 2 — it’s a little plasticky, and the rear panel has a rough, grippy texture. The Pro is white rather than cream, and the surface of the plastic is a matte gloss, rather than being purely matte, but isn’t slippery.

Unlike the silver buttons on the Palma 2, the Pro uses the same shade of white on the buttons and the body, giving a sleeker, understated look. While most ereaders use a lot of plastic, the build certainly doesn’t feel as premium as its price suggests.

While I didn’t run into any issues of the surface staining like my colleague experienced in her Palma 2 review, it’s still plastic, so even with the flip case, I wouldn’t leave it loose in a bag with keys or other sharp objects. Like a phone, it is best kept in a protected pocket of a backpack, and while the glass screen feels reasonably tough, damage is still worth guarding against.

My review package included the magnetic flip case, which is a big upgrade over the flip case that came with the Palma 2. It has a cloudy-clear flexible shell that clips around the device, plus a detachable flip cover that connects magnetically. The shell is the part with the magnets, not the Palma 2 Pro itself, and it also carries through MagSafe-style support so it can be attached to a compatible stand.

This makes it very easy to keep protected when on the go, but also allows it to be instantly pulled out from the flip case for more relaxed at-home use.

The case doesn’t give heavy-duty protection, but it’s an excellent compromise between a bulkier folio and a slim shell. The flip cover attaches easily but stays secure, the fake-leather material feels well made and there are no sharp or rough edges. It also adds good grip without making the Palma 2 Pro feel too big, and in fact I wish I could get this style flip case for my phone.

Sadly the new flip case is only available for the Palma 2 Pro, which feels like a misstep from Boox, as there is a Palma/Palma 2 flip case with magnetic attachment available, just in the older style. This means either of the outer, magnetically attached parts of the case could work fine with either device, but you can’t buy the actual shell with the magnets separately, which is needed due to the changed button locations.

Pocketability is still one of the biggest reasons to buy the Palma 2 Pro as it feels much closer to carrying a phone than a conventional ereader. Even in the flip case, it’s still easy to slip into a jacket or pants, and it is the right size to work with phone-specific bag pockets, or even accessories like waterproof pouches.

The display is where the Pro version will pique a lot of new interest over the Palma 2. It uses a 6.13-inch Kaleido 3 color E Ink screen, with the same 300ppi black-and-white resolution as the Palma 2, but color content is displayed at 150ppi. That’s normal for this kind of color E Ink panel, and it means the Palma 2 Pro can show book covers, comics, web pages, app icons and more in color but still give a crisp black and white e-paper experience for text.

There is a trade-off, and overall clarity suffers somewhat. The color layer sits over the monochrome layer and adds a fine grid-like texture, so plain text doesn’t look quite as crisp or contrasty as it does on the Palma 2, and blank areas have a slightly grainy, screen-door-type look.

It’s still very readable, and I had no issue using it for long sessions, but the monochrome Palma 2 has cleaner whites and better contrast if all you care about is text.

Color on the Palma 2 Pro also shouldn’t be confused with color on a phone or tablet, or even a magazine print. It’s muted and pastel-like rather than glossy and bright, but that works well for an ereader.

The small touches of color throughout the OS make the device feel nicer to use, and switching back to a black-and-white ereader feels rather limiting, despite offering a better display for reading text.

Touch response is similar to the Palma 2. Page turns are quick enough, menus respond well enough and the touchscreen is accurate, but there’s still noticeable lag compared to a phone if you drag items around.

Screen refreshes can also look slightly fuzzier on the Pro because the color screen shows a little more ghosting, though if you tweak the settings to your own preferences, it produces a fairly clean image overall.

As with the Palma 2, the 2:1 aspect ratio won’t suit everyone, but it’s still the standout part of the design. It makes the Palma 2 Pro a very good fit for people who already read on their phones and want something easier on the eyes, while still keeping the same portable feel.

Boox describes the Palma 2 Pro as water-repellent, with protection against daily exposure such as spills, splashes and light rain, but it’s not waterproof and doesn’t have an IP rating. That’s fine for normal use, but I wouldn’t treat it like a waterproof ereader and take it in the bath.

• Design & display score: 4 / 5

Onyx Boox Palma 2 Pro review: User experience

• Android 15 with Google Play Store support
• More customizable than a Kindle or Kobo
• File transfers are easy

The Palma 2 Pro still isn’t a phone, even if it looks more like one than most ereaders. Setup is much like using a small Android device: you connect to Wi-Fi, sign in, activate the Play Store and start installing apps. It’s familiar enough if you’ve used Android before, but there are still plenty of Boox-specific settings to get used to.

That extra control is part of the appeal. You can adjust refresh behavior, navigation, power-saving settings, app optimization and reading layouts in far more detail than you can on a Kindle or Kobo. It can feel like a lot at first, but in daily use, the Palma 2 Pro gives you useful control over how much speed, clarity and battery life you want to prioritize.

Getting your documents and ebooks onto the device is quite easy. BooxDrop is a good starting point — it lets you transfer files from a phone or computer over Wi-Fi. If you are in the Google ecosystem, you can use the Drive app (or other Android app of your choice) and wired transfers over a USB cable on Windows just require plugging it in.

The Android to Mac experience isn’t as simple, and Apple requires its users to install third-party apps such as MacDroid to connect to an Android device.

USB-C OTG support also worked seamlessly, and like the Palma 2, the Pro will happily read files straight from a USB stick. For most users, though, BooxDrop or cloud storage is probably still the simplest option.

While the two devices are very similar, in my testing the touchscreen is a little better on the Pro compared to the Palma 2, but it still doesn’t feel anywhere near as responsive as a phone. Light taps are occasionally not picked up and swipes don’t always give enough instant feedback to help show you are doing it right.

Once I adjusted and used slightly slower, more purposeful touch interactions, it worked just fine, but there is a little recalibration compared to the haptic feel of a smartphone.

I didn’t have a lot of patience for NaviBall, Boox’s floating shortcut tool that opens when tapped. The idea is useful, but in practice it often sat over text or stopped pop-up buttons like confirm and cancel from working correctly and had to be moved before those buttons could be used. You can move it around easily enough, but I eventually stopped using it, as it added more friction overall than convenience.

The Boox InkSense Plus stylus is very capable, with 4,096 pressure levels, tilt support, a shortcut side button and replaceable 0.6mm tips. It’s also an active stylus, so it needs charging via USB-C, unlike the passive pens used by some note-taking tablets.

I found it great for quick annotations, short notes and rough sketches, but the small screen size makes sustained handwriting impractical. The Notes app can also convert handwriting to text, but I didn't find this useful due to the limited amount of writing I did.

If writing is important to you, check out my colleagues' reviews of the 7-inch color display Boox Go Color 7 Gen II, the monochrome 7-inch Boox Go 7 or the 10.3-inch Boox Note Air5 C.

While Boox hasn't noted any hardware changes, the fingerprint scanner feels slightly improved on the Pro. It is easy to set up, and in daily use, I found it rarely failed to register and unlock on the first go. That makes it feel far more usable than it did on the Palma 2, where the sensor needed more careful finger placement.

Audio is still best judged by ereader standards compared to the surprisingly good results from some smartphones. The built-in speaker is fine for audiobooks and podcasts, but Bluetooth headphones or a small speaker are still the better option if you care about sound quality.

I had no issue with pairing Bluetooth devices, but using your favorite music streaming app needs a little setup to get it to work correctly. For example, with YouTube Music, I had to unfreeze the app and adjust power settings so Wi-Fi and Bluetooth weren’t turned off when the device slept.

The downside is that this has a noticeable impact on battery life, and if you use it as a music streamer, expect to charge it every few days. If you are serious about using it to play music, then the best bet is downloaded files and local playback through the built-in music app.

Video playback works, but only in the loosest sense, and it does not give a very watchable result. That said, music videos can be oddly pleasant if you lean into the low-resolution, low-frame-rate, pastel-color look.

The same is true for many mobile games — anything where high resolution or non-glacial framerates matter won’t be much fun, but some titles are perfectly playable.

The extra flexibility of being able to install and use regular apps is great overall, but despite the color screen, the Palma 2 Pro is much better thought of as a reading-first device that happens to handle audio playback and other light Android tasks better than most ereaders.

• User experience score: 4 / 5

Onyx Boox Palma 2 Pro review: Performance

• Faster than the Palma 2, but still limited by E Ink
• Handles Android apps well for an E Ink device
• Battery life is very good

Thanks to extra RAM, Android 15 and software tuning, the Palma 2 Pro is slightly faster than the Palma 2 in daily use, though it’s not the kind of spec upgrade that changes what the device is good at.

It’s still an E Ink ereader first, so the improvements are more about smoother user experience than enabling phone-like usage.

Boox doesn't specify the exact processor, but CPU X identifies the chipset as QTI SM6350, with two cores running at 2.07GHz and six at 1.71GHz, plus Adreno 619 graphics.

That's the same class of hardware as the Palma 2, but the Pro pairs it with 8GB of RAM rather than 6GB. Android 15 and Boox’s software tuning also help the Pro feel smoother in daily use.

In Geekbench 6 benchmark testing, the Palma 2 Pro scored 632 for single-core, 1,586 for multi-core and 835 for GPU, compared to the Palma 2’s 519, 1,211 and 723 respectively.

That puts it 22% ahead in single-core testing, 31% ahead in multi-core and 15% ahead for GPU, giving the Pro a measurable advantage even if the real-world difference is a bit more modest than the numbers might suggest.

In real-world use, page turns feel slightly faster and smoother than on the Palma 2, but the difference is small. App launching and multitasking are a little better too. Apps open a touch quicker, menus feel more responsive and gesture navigation is noticeably easier to live with than it was on the Palma 2.

You still need to allow for the usual E Ink delay, but the Pro feels a little less hesitant when jumping between apps or digging into settings.

As with the Palma 2, gaming on the Pro is also workable, as long as you keep expectations realistic. Simple games like Alphabear 2 and Two Dots run fine, while more visually involved games such as Monument Valley 2 and Sky: Children of the Light are playable in a way that feels odd, but not unpleasant, on the E Ink screen.

The color display does help here, though the muted tones and lower refresh rate mean this is still more of a novelty than a device you’d pick for gaming.

Battery life is a little lower than the Palma 2, which isn’t surprising considering the better performance. The Pro uses the same 3,950mAh battery capacity as the Palma 2, and overall endurance is still very good.

The color screen itself does not use any extra power when it isn’t being refreshed, and even refreshes only use slightly more. The bigger impact comes from usage: when displaying a lot of color, the lower reflectivity means you tend to have the front light set slightly brighter than when reading plain text.

With conservative settings and around an hour of reading a day, I’d expect about five to six weeks from a charge, whereas the Palma 2 will do a week or two longer. If you’re using more apps, streaming audio, browsing the web and making use of wireless connections, two to three weeks is a more realistic expectation of battery life.

Charging speed will still depend on what you plug it into, but the Pro tops up quicker than the Palma 2 does in the same test. Using a wall adapter, the Palma 2 Pro went from 20% to full in around two hours, while charging from a laptop dock took it from 25% to 71% in an hour.

Overall, the Palma 2 Pro is a modest but useful step up in performance. Responsiveness is still limited by the lower-end hardware and E Ink display, but it feels smoother, handles Android better and has more than enough battery life to work well as a daily ereader.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Onyx Boox Palma 2 Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

There aren’t many direct rivals to the Palma 2 Pro, which makes recommending alternatives a little tricky. Its phone-like shape, color E Ink display, Android flexibility, mobile data support and stylus compatibility put it in a very small category. Devices like the Bigme HiBreak Plus/Pro have very similar features, but we have not been able to test one yet, and they are harder to buy plus not as well supported as a known name like Boox.

Ultimately, most buyers will be choosing between the Palma 2 Pro and a more conventional ereader, or deciding whether the regular Palma 2 is enough. I’ve included the closest practical options below, covering the standard Palma 2 and two mainstream 6-inch ereaders.

For even more options, check out our guide to the best ereaders.

How I tested the Onyx Boox Palma 2 Pro

• Used as my daily reading device for 8 weeks
• Sideloaded eBooks, music and other files via BooxDrop, cloud, email and USB
• Downloaded Android apps for benchmarking, reading, streaming, browsing and light gaming

I began by following the on-screen setup process, connecting the Palma 2 Pro to Wi-Fi, activating Google Play and adjusting the main Boox settings for refresh rate, power-saving and system navigation. Like other Boox devices, there are more customization options here than you’ll find on a Kindle or Kobo, so I spent some time tuning the setup before using it as my daily ereader.

I used BooxDrop to transfer ebooks and music files, then tested other transfer methods including Google Drive, email, OTG and wired file transfer.

I downloaded Android apps from the Play Store, including Geekbench 6, CPU X, Google Play Books, Kindle, Kobo, Chrome, YouTube Music and a small selection of games. The reading apps were used to check page turns, refresh behavior and display optimization, while the music and browser apps were used to test how well the Palma 2 Pro handles more general Android tasks.

For most of the eight-week testing period, I used the Palma 2 Pro daily as an ereader. I also used it for web browsing, local music playback, YouTube Music streaming, audiobooks, light gaming and occasional video playback to test where its E Ink limitations stood out.

To compare it directly with the Palma 2, I used both devices side by side for reading, app use, navigation, scanning, sample photos and benchmarking. That comparison was especially useful for checking whether the color display, extra RAM and Android 15 made a practical difference in daily use.

Read more about how we test.

[First reviewed May 2026]

• The Xteink X4 ereader has gone viral for its compact size
• It's 4.3 inches, weighs under 80 grams and can be attached to Qi2-compatible smartphones
• It's the first non-Amazon ereader to make the top 10 list

Amazon has been the reigning champion of the best ereaders and its range of Kindle devices continue to dominate the market — but this viral mini ereader has taken social media and bookworms by storm.

The Xteink X4 is the latest gadget that users online can’t get enough of, and it’s all because of its compact size. Coming in at 4.3 inches and weighing 2.72 ounces (which is just under 78 grams), the Xteink X4 is small enough to fit comfortably in your pocket and can even be attached to Qi2-compatible smartphones such as newer iPhone models and Google Pixel phones.

Besides offering the features of a regularly-sized ereader but in compact form, its reasonable $70 price mark is another big selling point — a decent budget option compared to newer Kindle models which can be quite the investment. But following its popularity surge thanks to its online hype, it’s become a new rival for Amazon’s own ereader brand, and it could ring alarm bells for the retail juggernaut.

In a rare turn of events the Xteink X4 has ushered its way into Amazon’s top 10 best-selling ereaders, making it the first non-Amazon device to make the list. It currently sits in the number six spot, surpassing the Kindle Colorsoft and the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, the former which still takes one of the top spots in our list of the best Kindles.

Despite the positives, reviews of its software have been a bit of a mixed bag as Trusted Reviews puts it, with some owners highlighting that its software offerings can be quite basic. But even then, this isn’t a massive setback that’s pushing away prospective owners, and it still offers an adequate casual reading experience, which could be even more of a threat to Kindle devices — especially given Amazon’s latest Kindle crackdown.

Just a few weeks ago Amazon announced it would be pulling the plug on older devices despite them still being used, which frustrated users believe is a way for the company to get you to needlessly upgrade to a new and thus pricier Kindle. The decision affects Kindle devices released in 2012 and before, meaning that as of May 20, you’ll no longer be able to purchase or download new books to your device, but you’ll still have access to read content that’s already downloaded.

• Samsung has joint-developed a nano-material to create a 3D/2D switching light-field display
• Glasses-free 3D with wide viewing angles and very high resolution
• Likely to appear in phones, tablets and commercial displays first

Are 3D TVs coming back? Not anytime soon, but a new kind of 3D display tech is still quite exciting, and Samsung has teamed up with Korean private research university POSTECH to make a breakthrough. It's developed a way of switching between very high-resolution 2D and realistic, glasses-free 3D.

We've seen glasses-free 3D from both TCL and Visual Semiconductor recently, and they both use plenoptic displays, aka light-field displays. Samsung's version of a light-field screen uses what are described as a "metasurface lenticular lens" layer of "nanoscale structures" to "transition seamlessly between flat (2D) and stereoscopic (3D) images".

This is an important development because as trade site The Elec explains, conventional light-field displays tend to use bulky lenses, deliver narrow viewing angles, have relatively low resolution and can require real-time eye tracking to deliver 3D. Samsung's design addresses these issues.

What's so special about Samsung's 3D screen tech?

Like other light field displays, Samsung's system transmits light from multiple directions simultaneously to mimic the way light reaches the eye from real objects, which makes it possible to trick the brain to deliver glasses-free 3D. It means there's no limited 'sweet spot' you need to be in to see the 3D effect. But without decent viewing angles for general usage, most displays will still be of limited use. Enter Samsung and its metasurfaces.

Samsung's apparently metasurfaces deliver complex optical functions without the bulk of existing lenses, and Samsung's lens can change its focal properties to deliver either 2D or 3D through a simple change of voltage. According to The Elec, the lens currently delivers viewing angles of up to 100 degrees while only being 1.2mm thick.

That's the good news. The bad news is that you shouldn't expect to have this tech in your home any time soon. Samsung's lens was 25 centimetres square, which is only around a quarter of the size of a smartphone display, let along a TV.

The first commercial applications of the technology are likely to be either small, but that could be fun. Imagine if your iPhone could reproduce your photos in 3D, thanks to the depth maps it already captures in photos? Or the what if the Nintendo Switch 3 actually turns out to be the Switch 3DS, with a return to glasses-free 3D gaming?

It's very possible that actually the first applications will be for big spenders, such as retail and other business displays.

Will the tech make it into TVs? I'm not sure, and I'm speaking as someone who both owned and loved a 3D TV. It seems that every generation has to go through the '3D is the future! / actually no it isn't!' cycle: the 3D cinema boom of the 1950s, the second 3D cinema boom of the early 80s, the Avatar-led 3D cinema and 3D TV boom of the 2010s…

So if that schedule repeats, we're due the next 3D boom in the 2040s. Which gives Samsung plenty of time to perfect its tech.

Thinking of buying a new TV?

Try our TV size and model finder! You tell it how far you sit from your TV, we'll tell you what size to buy based on viewing angle advice from image quality experts, and we'll recommend our three top TVs at that size for different prices.

Tim Cook’s reign as Apple boss is coming to an end. The long-time leader of one of the world’s largest tech companies is stepping down on September 1 and installing the company’s hardware chief John Ternus as his replacement. A new Apple era is almost here.

Ternus has been at the company for around 25 years, so we’ve had plenty of time to get acquainted with him. That hasn’t stopped fevered speculation surrounding what he might do to shape Apple in his own image. Yet there are plenty of ways that things will stay very much the same with this old hand at the wheel. If you’re curious to see what lies in store under Ternus’s watch, read on to learn five ways that Apple probably won’t change — and two ways that it might.

Hardware and software integration

Apple is world-famous for the way it controls the whole widget, to paraphrase Steve Jobs. The company makes its own hardware and software and integrates them together incredibly well. Could that change under Ternus’s leadership?

Don’t bet the farm on it. Given that Ternus has been part of the Apple furniture for a quarter century, building hardware and software that work together impeccably is now part of his DNA. And while he might currently be the firm’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, he’s also played a role in much of Apple’s software. He strongly pushed for the creation of iPadOS, for example, and took on the role of “executive sponsor” for design in recent months, which unsurprisingly includes software. If you’re expecting him to break with Apple tradition when it comes to integration, you’ll be disappointed.

Emphasis on design

As executive sponsor for design, Ternus is becoming intimately attuned to the design situation at Apple. His role involves explaining current projects and sticking points to Apple’s board, requiring a deep understanding of how the cookie crumbles at a company defined by design.

According to Bloomberg, Ternus and Cook held a staff meeting after the CEO transition was announced. There, Ternus reportedly told employees: “We’re going to keep focusing on design, because design is core to what we do at Apple. Apple’s brought truly incredible design to more people than any company in history.”

What’s more, there’s no way Ternus could have ascended to the lofty heights that he has without a proven grasp of Apple’s design inclinations. With that being so, the likelihood of him suddenly rewriting the playbook in this area is next to zero.

Durability over repairability

In his role as head of Apple’s hardware, Ternus has been repeatedly questioned about the company’s policies on product repairability. And on this subject, he’s been clear that Apple prioritizes durability rather than repairability, with the logic being that a product that lasts a long time doesn’t need to be repaired.

Speaking to TechCrunch, Ternus explained: “Repairability in isolation is not always the best answer.” As he went on to describe, “The reality is repairability is a means to an end. The goal is to build products that last, and if you focus too much on [making every part repairable], you end up creating some unintended consequences that are worse for the consumer and worse for the planet.” One example could be a removable part that introduces a new point of failure, thereby negatively affecting the device’s longevity in the long run.

Given Ternus has long been responsible for setting Apple’s hardware priorities, you can expect this emphasis on durability over repairability to remain. Although he has insisted that “We want to make things more repairable,” the focus will continue to be on making long-lasting products that, with any luck, won’t need to be repaired during their lifespans.

Privacy and security

Steve Jobs liked to insist on user privacy, but it was under his successor Tim Cook that the company really made this a defining trait. Now that John Ternus is next in line, you might be questioning whether that commitment to privacy and security will endure.

The good news is that it almost certainly will. In the comments reported by Bloomberg, Ternus told Apple staff that he will continue to work on these efforts, with no change in policy on this front. As before, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise – you don’t get as far within Apple as John Ternus has without believing in the program.

Environmental policy

In those same remarks cited by Bloomberg, another core Apple policy that Ternus pledged would not change is its stance on the environment. During Cook’s time in charge, Apple has made strenuous efforts in this area by reducing packaging and cutting emissions, so much so that Apple aims to ensure that both the company and its entire supply chain are carbon neutral by 2030.

Speaking to Apple employees, Ternus explained that: “there are some things that can never change and won’t change,” with action on the environment being one of them.

A renewed focus on hardware

Despite all those aspects that Ternus has promised will remain the same, there are a few areas where the new CEO might want to put his own stamp on affairs. Naturally, given his background, one of those could be a renewed focus on hardware. After all, Ternus has headed up Apple’s hardware division for many years now, so it seems reasonable to assume he’d bring plenty of that acumen to the table.

Tim Cook cut his teeth in operations and was not, by all accounts, a product person. John Ternus, though, most definitely is, and he’s been ultimately responsible for ensuring Apple’s physical products are up to scratch for years. With that in mind, we might see the company double down on hardware quality and innovation, which could be just what troubled devices like the Vision Pro need going into the future.

A drive into home tech

Before he got started in the world of work, Ternus studied mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. There, his senior project was a mechanical feeding arm designed for use by people with quadriplegia. I say this because it coincides nicely with a product that Apple is rumored to be working on: a smart home display that’s mounted on a robotic arm.

This device is just one of Apple’s mooted smart home products that are reportedly just around the corner. These devices were initiated under Tim Cook, but with Ternus heading up the company, we might see a new push into this arena. Given the parallels between his senior university project and at least one of Apple’s smart home devices, that could be a fitting change for Apple to embrace.

• Check out this tiny ereader you can build yourself
• The parts can be put together for less than $50
• It comes a small ereader display with 3D-printed parts

It may not make it into our best ereaders list, but the tiny ereader built by YouTuber Paul Lagier definitely has lots of appeal: it's small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and it was custom made for less than $50.

Watch the full video (via Android Authority) to see how it was done. The device is battery powered and uses several 3D-printed parts, together with a 1,500 mAh battery and an 2.13-inch LoRa E-Ink Display Module sourced from Amazon.

Crucially, the affordable display that Lagier chose already has a microcontroller and charging circuitry built in, which means the only added hardware needed was a power source and a case. All in all, the estimated cost is under $50 (around £37 / AU$70).

Lagier says the pocket-friendly gadget is "designed to do just one thing, help me start reading again". He's hoping that the small size of his ereader means he can quickly grab a few minutes of reading time in between everything else going on each day.

From firmware to file uploads

The video above offers a fascinating look at the construction of the small device, together with some context on Lagier's reading habits, the motivation for the project, and details of what makes an ereader an ereader.

Lagier made a custom shell for the ereader, together with a single button for controlling everything on screen, but he describes coding the firmware and navigation system as "the most complex part" of the build.

The ereader uses a USB-C port for charging, and is able to read plain, DRM-free text files that can be uploaded through a web browser — the gadget can actually create its own temporary Wi-Fi hotspot for file transfer purposes.

There's even a bookmark feature for pages you want to save, and Lagier says battery life works out at about two weeks between charges. If you're interested in building your own, check out the project page at Ko-fi, and Lagier's follow-up video too.

• Pre-2013 Kindles will soon lose Send to Kindle support
• This follows news that they'll lose access to the Kindle Store
• The changes are set to happen on May 20

It’s fair to say that a lot of Kindle owners aren’t particularly happy with Amazon right now, as the company recently announced that pre-2013 models will no longer be supported from May 20.

The support page detailing this change initially just mentioned that these devices would no longer be able to access the Kindle Store or use Kindle Unlimited, but now — as spotted by GoodEreader — the page has been updated to say that Send to Kindle will also stop working.

Send to Kindle is a feature that lets you wirelessly transfer ebooks you bought elsewhere, as well as documents and other files, to your Kindle, but from May 20 the only way to get content onto affected Kindles will be via USB cable.

So it’s a change that makes these older models even more useless than they were previously set to become.

Unhappy readers

There haven’t been many reactions to this Send to Kindle news yet, but in the days since Amazon first announced that these older models would lose access to the Kindle Store there has been no shortage of annoyed responses to that.

On Reddit this includes things like “I hate this”, “screwing the most loyal early adopters is extremely not cool”, and “this is a revolting waste.”

Amazon is offering a 20% discount off new devices, but given that the same fate might eventually befall those too, this could end up pushing users to rival services like Kobo, or perhaps to something with direct access to multiple ebook stores, like a Viwoods or Boox device.

A couple of years ago, I lost my 12-year-old Kindle Paperwhite. I was briefly devastated, and then bought a new one because I had to. Now I consider myself somewhat lucky, because I was spared the frustration of watching my Kindle's untimely demise at the hands of its parent: Amazon.

The company announced this week that it's about to effectively brick almost a dozen Kindle e-readers built before 2013. As we reported, people took to Reddit to express their dismay — and I don't blame them.

This is potentially a disaster of Amazon's own making and, in a way, a byproduct of its own expert craftsmanship. After all, consumer electronics built almost 15 years ago have no business still working today — and yet they sometimes do.

When I lost my Kindle Paperwhite during a business trip in 2024, it was working perfectly. The only thing it had lost was Amazon's 3G Whispernet cellular network; it was free and meant I could download a book from almost anywhere, but the end of 3G also spelled the end of Whispernet. Oh, and the built-in browser no longer functioned. To be fair, it barely works on my 2025-generation Kindle.

I've long been impressed with Kindle builds, going back to the original models, which, despite having more physical buttons (even a full physical keyboard on the Kindle 2), held up surprisingly well. I think my son has my Kindle 2 stuffed in a drawer somewhere.

They were impressively hard to break. While I used to carry my Paperwhite in a protective case, I eventually grew tired of the extra weight and dropped it unprotected in my backpack. Even by 2024, the screen was unbroken.

As of 2010, Amazon had sold almost eight million Kindles. I suspect the number more than doubled over the next two years. How many are still using those devices? Who knows, but it could be in the tens of thousands. Amazon made a great product, consumers loved it, and now it's pulling the e-reading rug out from under them.

Amazon is turning the wrong page

Amazon's predicament, or self-generated calamity, reminds me of Sonos, another company making fantastic hardware that casually withstands the tests of time.

I have a pair of Play:1 speakers that I picked up in 2014. They feature a timeless design, and sound quality that rivals any similarly sized and priced speaker you could buy today. In 2020, Sonos tried to encourage customers to upgrade by offering a big discount on new speakers, but only if you basically discarded your old ones (put them in 'Recycle mode'). The move was met with almost universal disdain, and Sonos eventually backed off the plan.

In that same year, Sonos warned that older speakers might stop getting software updates and would eventually stop working with the Sonos apps. That's right, Sonos was really batting a thousand with customers. This plan was also eventually shelved, and I can happily report that my Play:1 speakers continue to work perfectly to this day. Sonos got the message.

Amazon, however, did not. As of this moment, the company plans to end support for still perfectly functional Kindles, making it virtually impossible for them to download new books (side-loading may continue to work).

The backlash will likely be swift and ongoing. As one Kindle customer told me on X, "Upgrading? They are breaking our Kindles and expect we’ll remain customers?"

Who knows, the number of customers leaving Amazon because of this Kindle decision might end up being a rounding error, but there's a loss of goodwill that will be harder to measure. Just ask Sonos, which has spent years rebuilding its relationship with customers.

• iPadOS 26.4 has a new feature that helps users find hidden app windows
• It adds another Mac-like element to the tablet operating system
• But the Mac-ification of the iPad could cause unnecessary confusion

In recent years, Apple has steadfastly refused to say it’s merging the iPad and Mac, all while increasing the overlap between its iPadOS and macOS operating systems. With the launch of iPadOS 26.4 in March, that was strengthened even further. But I’m concerned that it blurs the lines a little too much — and risks confusing Apple fans as a result.

In this case, we’re talking about a new feature in iPadOS 26.4 that makes it easier to locate your open windows. The original version of iPadOS 26 added support for running multiple app windows on your iPad, but the problem was that you could lose track of them if you had too many open. In iPadOS 26.4, though, that’s all changed.

Now, you'll see a little popup appear over an app’s icon if it has multiple windows open. The popup will say “X Hidden Windows” (with X being the number of windows) and “Show All Windows” written below. Just click the popup and all that app’s existing windows will be shown on-screen. It’s a quick and handy way to keep track of your app windows without losing them over the course of your day.

This is definitely more of a feature for iPad power users than something most people will need on a day-to-day basis, as I suspect the majority of iPad users never open more than one app window at a time, never mind lose track of them. Yet despite the useful nature of this feature, I’m concerned that it might muddy the waters between Apple’s devices.

The MacBook Neo dilemma

Adding support for multiple windows is definitely a desktop-like feature and helps the iPad feel more akin to one of Apple’s best Macs than a tablet. Throw in a compatible mouse and keyboard and the tablet can easily double up as a laptop, with some caveats.

A few years ago, that was all well and good — the iPad could serve as an affordable laptop alternative for people who didn’t want to shell out $999 or more for a MacBook. But with the launch of the MacBook Neo, that’s all changed.

Now, you just need to pay $599 / £599 / AU$899 and you get a legitimate laptop that punches well above its weight. In a world like this, why would you need an iPad that moonlights as a MacBook? The only reason I can think of is that you like the tablet form factor.

Yet that doesn’t change the fact that Apple is making its iPads more Mac-like when there’s a perfect good — and affordable — substitute in the form of the MacBook Neo. If you want an entry-level device, you’ve now got to choose between the MacBook Neo and the iPad, and that feels like a needlessly confusing situation. Should you get an iPad or a MacBook Neo? That’s a question that users are increasingly going to have to ask themselves.

Evidently, though, it’s a state of affairs that Apple is comfortable with. As the recent iPadOS 26.4 update demonstrates, the company is still bringing Mac-esque features to its iPads, even after the MacBook Neo was revealed — and even as it denies that the two systems are being combined. That makes it look like this perplexing overlap is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

• Kindle owners are frustrated with Amazon's decision to end support for old models
• Users say they shouldn't need to upgrade if devices are working as normal
• Sideloading is still an option, but Amazon could stop this workaround.

It’s official, Amazon is ending support for a wide array of older Kindle models as of May 20, and it’s shaken up a lot of keen e-readers to say the least.

Since users online shared that they received an email detailing the change, it garnered a slew of comments and reactions, particularly on Reddit — none of which seem to welcome Amazon’s decision to cease support. If your pre-2012 Kindle hasn’t let you down yet, I’m afraid the time for an upgrade might come sooner than you think, but you’re not the only one in this boat.

If it's not broken, don't fix it

As mentioned, all Kindle models released in 2012 and before will no longer receive support. This means that you’ll still be able to read content that’s already downloaded on your device, but you won’t be able to purchase or download new books after May 20 this year.

The reaction speaks for itself, and a vast majority of these users are quite pressed about it, especially since it will affect devices that are still widely used today — most notably the Kindle 3, Kindle 4, and the first generation Kindle Paperwhite. If there are so many users who are satisfied with how these older devices are still performing, then why the need to end support?

Some are convinced it’s a classic Amazon money-grabbing scheme, with one user questioning “Why replace something so simple like this that still works?”.

Most Kindle users in the Reddit thread have come to a collective agreement; if it’s not broken, don’t fix it (or end it in this case). For most users, the simplicity of a Kindle is what has kept them glued to older models instead of upgrading to Amazon’s more advanced, and therefore pricier, models. It's simply because advanced features aren't a huge necessity for those who just want a device for reading books.

Unlike devices such as phones, computers, and tablets that require new hardware iterations to keep up with evolving software and security updates, e-readers have a singular flagship purpose and that’s for reading. “It's a text reader, that's it, no need to turn it into a brick other than money,” one user shared, while another commented “if the device isn't broken, and can still be used, and all of the features we want and/ or need are on the devices we already own, then we shouldn't have to upgrade”.

However, despite this, there appears to be a silver lining. Yes, you won't be able to purchase and download new books to the affected devices, but this won't stop users from sideloading books from sites that aren't Amazon as a workaround.

A popular way of sideloading books onto a Kindle is by sending files and EPUBs to your Kindle email which will then appear in your device's library. One user in the Reddit thread revealed they sideload books to their Kindle "with a wire and (my) laptop", but even then, the burning question — how long this trick will still work come May 20 — is still on everyone's lips. Will sideloading be Amazon's next target?

• Kindles from 2012 and older are being sunsetted on May 20
• Amazon has started emailing users about the imminent loss of support
• First to fifth-generation Kindle and Kindle Fire devices will be affected

RIP, Kindles with keyboards, it was fun while it lasted.

A decade after users of older Kindles were required to update the software to retain access to the Kindle Store, Amazon has decided to completely sunset them on May 20 this year.

Reddit user Amorisaiya posted that they've already received an email from Amazon advising them that Kindle and Kindle Fire devices "from 2012 and earlier" will no longer be supported. Others still using these older models, however, are yet to be notified.

While owners of these older Kindles will still be able to use them to read already downloaded content and access their accounts, they will no longer "be able to purchase, borrow or download additional books on them after that date".

Kindle removing support for OG devices from r/kindle

If any of these devices have been deregistered or a factory reset performed, users will not be able to re-register them after the May deadline, making them entirely defunct.

The full list of Kindles affected are:

• Kindle 1st generation from 2007
• Kindle 2nd generation released in 2009
• Kindle DX from 2010
• Kindle DX Graphite also released in 2010
• Kindle Keyboard also from 2010
• Kindle 4 launched in 2011
• Kindle Touch also released in 2011
• Kindle Fire 1st generation from 2011
• Kindle 5 released in 2012
• Kindle Paperwhite 1st generation also launched in 2012
• Kindle Fire 2nd generation from 2012
• Kindle Fire HD 7 tablet also released in 2012
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9 from 2012

It's clear from the Reddit thread that users of the third and fourth-generation Kindles are still quite happy with their ereaders, but it doesn't surprise me in the least that Amazon has finally pulled the plug on these pioneering models.

First, the 3G-enabled Kindles lost internet access, although that wasn't Amazon's fault, then the company announced it would pull Kindle Store access across devices that were older than 10 years.

Every time, Amazon offered its customers an incentive to upgrade and this time is no different. Amazon will discount new Kindles by 20% for affected users and throw in a $20 ebook credit for the Kindle Store for US customers. In Australia, where most of the users receiving the email notification are seemingly based, Amazon will offer the same 20% discount on the hardware, and an additional AU$30 credit for the Kindle Store, with the offer ending June 20, 2026 globally.

So, is it time to re-Kindle?

Unless you factory reset or deregister your older Kindle, the affected older models will still be usable, albeit you'll only be able to read books you've already downloaded to the device. And while you can still purchase new content through the Kindle mobile app or via a web browser, you won't be able to access the fresh content on the affected devices.

That said, you might still be able to sideload books onto these older devices as USB Download & Transfer was stopped only for newer models.

I would still recommend an upgrade at this point, mostly for ease of use and staying connected to the Kindle Store via the device. Also, in all honesty, the performance on the newer devices is excellent, although I struggle to justify Amazon's price hike across the current 2024 range of Kindles.

If you are looking to upgrade, my pick would be the base model of the 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite (2024), especially if it's discounted. It's fast and the screen is excellent — I think the implementation of the E Ink Carta 1300 display on the latest Paperwhite alone justifies the upgrade, but I am a little biased as it's the best grayscale ereader screen I've used to date (and I've used a fair few since 2008, when I purchased my first ereader).

You can take a look at my picks of the best Kindles below or, if you'd like more options, consider something else from what I consider to be the best ereaders available right now.

• The Bigme Hibreak Dual has screens on both the front and back
• One is an LCD, and one is a color E Ink, which is a world-first combination
• We've previously seen similar phones with grayscale E Ink displays

Update 07/04: Bigme has confirmed to TechRadar that the Hibreak Dual will use an LCD panel, not an OLED panel. We've updated the headline to reflect this.

As a fan both of ereaders and weird phones, an upcoming phone from Bigme, the Bigme Hibreak Dual, is exactly the sort of device I’ve been waiting for.

The Hibreak Dual is a dual-screen phone with a display on each side, one of which is an LCD panel, and the other a color E Ink screen. That latter display is likely to be the E Ink Kaleido 3, which features in many of the best ereaders, and which Bigme already uses in its single-screen HiBreak Pro phone.

According to Bigme, this is a world-first, though it’s worth noting that we’ve seen similar ideas before, with, for example, the Yotaphone series putting an e-paper screen on one side and an OLED or LCD display on the other. However, those phones used grayscale e-paper, not the color version we’ll be getting here (Bigme has also confirmed to TechRadar that it'll be launching a monochrome version of the Hibreak Dual).

Those Yotaphone models are also ancient, and while the Hisense A6L landed with a similar dual-screen design more recently, even that is a few years old now. So, a new model — particularly with the addition of color — is an exciting prospect.

So far, little is known about this Bigme phone, but it’s worth noting that the brand has experience in making e-paper phones, such as the Hibreak S, pictured at the top of this article. In the past, these devices have just had a single screen, combining the benefits of E Ink — such as less battery drain and less potential for eye strain — with full phone functionality.

The best of both worlds

With the Hibreak Dual, it’s likely that the company will also address the issues of E Ink, such as it having a much lower refresh rate. Here, you’ll presumably be able to choose whether you want to use the E Ink screen or the LCD display, depending on what you want to do.

Obviously, you’d choose E Ink for books, but you may also opt for it when you want to conserve battery life or reduce distractions. Meanwhile, the LCD screen would presumably give you a conventional smartphone experience.

And with the E Ink display here being capable of color, it should be an upgrade on the older versions of this idea we’ve seen from other brands. That said, this is sure to be a niche device, so it will be interesting to see how successful it is.

That success will, in part, depend on the phone's specs, and we’re yet to learn about those. But with Bigme claiming the Hibreak Dual is coming soon, we’ll hopefully learn more before long.

• Apple has listed the 32GB Apple TV HD and iPad Mini 4 'obsolete', and the 2017 MacBook Air is 'vintage'
• A lot of users are confused, as the Apple TV HD is still getting tvOS 26 updates
• It could mean a new Apple TV 4K is coming this year

Apple has added three more devices to its lists of ‘obsolete’ and ‘vintage’ products, and it’s caused a bit of confusion as all three are still in widespread use — and one in particular, the 32GB Apple TV HD, is still very popular.

The tech giant updated its support page yesterday (March 31), declaring the 32GB Apple TV HD and iPad Mini 4, both which were launched in 2015, obsolete. It also added the 2017 13-inch MacBook Air to its list of vintage devices.

What does this mean for users who still use these devices? For the 32GB Apple TV HD and iPad Mini 4, it means they’re no longer eligible for repair services at Apple, so you’ll have to rely on third-party providers. Additionally, Apple will no longer supply spare parts for the two devices. The 64GB Apple TV HD remains fully supported.

Because the 2017 MacBook Air is now vintage rather than obsolete, it’s still eligible for Apple’s repair services, however this is subject to whether parts are available.

Every now and then, Apple adds a handful of products to its obsolete and vintage lists as it launches new devices across its iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other categories, subject to specific criteria.

“Products are considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 5 and less than 7 years ago”, the company states on its support page. “Products are considered obsolete when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 7 years ago”.

Still using your 32GB Apple TV HD as if you bought it only yesterday? You’re not the only one, and many users can’t understand why Apple has made this decision.

"This is honestly pretty weird"

Apple listing the 32GB Apple TV HD has surfaced a lot of confusion and frustration among users, especially since the now obsolete 32GB device runs tvOS 26, which rolled out just six months ago in September. Some of those users have taken to Reddit in protest, with one posting "This is honestly pretty weird."

Although the 32GB Apple TV HD is still receiving tvOS 26 updates, the fact that it’s been declared obsolete leads us to believe that it won’t be included in the roster of devices that will be eligible for tvOS 27, which is expected to be announced at WWDC 2026 on June 8 alongside iOS 27.

That suggests the next Apple TV 4K model could drop some time this year, having failed to appear after rumors suggested it was going to drop at the end of 2025.

Reddit users are also wondering why only the 32GB Apple TV HD is affected, and not the 64GB version. Apple hasn’t made any comment on why this is the case, so we’re just as stumped as everyone else. It could be that Apple is waiting until the announcement of the next Apple TV 4K to shift the 64GB Apple TV HD onto its obsolete list — we’ll have to wait and see what’s announced on June 8.

I've always imagined myself sketching in the park, not on paper, but using some 21st-century digital device that could produce endless sheets of blank paper and a bottomless well of pixel-laden ink. Now I've done it and found that between Apple's 11-inch iPad Air and Amazon's 11-inch Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, only one is the perfect direct-sunlight drawing companion.

I carried the 11-inch iPad Air (Fifth Generation) and Amazon's 11-inch Kindle Scribe Colorsoft into New York City's Bryant Park on the first 70-degree, sunny day of spring, grabbed a metal folding chair, and positioned myself in front of the outdoor space's iconic fountain.

I could feel the sun baking my bald head as I carefully positioned the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft on top of the iPad Air, rested the pair on my lap, and detached the Scribe Color's included digital stylus from the side.

Why draw with these tablets?

It's been six months since I first saw the 11-inch color ereader. Back then, I was impressed with its remarkably thin and light frame and, naturally, attracted to its reflective color-E-Ink screen (backlighting is included, too). At the launch event, I quickly sketched some primitive figures on it.

While most people might use the Scribe Colorsoft for reading graphic novels and taking copious notes, I couldn't stop thinking about the artistic possibilities. Still, life got in the way, and it's taken me until now to get my hands on the $629.99 / £629.99 device.

As for the iPad Air, well, I've been drawing on the iPad since it was introduced in 2010 and am a massive Procreate fan. It is the best and most versatile drawing app on the planet (and a good bargain: you pay up front ($12.99 / £12.99) and get lifetime updates.

I'm under no illusion that the art tools on the Colorsoft can match those of an app like Procreate, but I was intrigued by the very different screen technologies. After all, the benefit of E-ink is that it's designed to be read and seen under direct light. When I go to the beach, I love nothing better than reading books on my 7-inch Kindle eReader.

The iPad Air ($599 / £599), by contrast, uses backlit screen technology. Like all such screens, it battles brighter external light. The reason companies tell you about the maximum number of nits on your smartphones, laptops, and tablets is that they are sometimes used in direct sunlight. A screen that isn't bright enough will be unviewable outside. The iPad Air 5th Gen display tops out at 500 nits.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft versus drawing in the sunlight

I don't claim to be a great artist — far from it — but I find the act of drawing incredibly relaxing. My brain focuses on the process; I get tunnel vision, and my cortisol levels drop. I am never as calm as I am when I'm drawing.

Amazon's Kindle Scribe Colorsoft's stylus is almost identical to the Apple Pencil, save for one significant difference: an actual rubber 'eraser' opposite the business end. More on how that works later.

As I mentioned, the Kindle Scribe Color soft has a backlight, but I purposely turned that all the way down before going outside. When I turned on the screen and selected the note taker and a blank template, it looked like a light-gray sheet of paper. I scribbled quickly on the screen and immediately noticed the fast response and perfect contrast. It was as if I were writing on paper.

I chose to draw in the Notes app because there are really no third-party drawing apps on the Scribe Colorsoft. Plus, there are some very real and obvious limitations, like just 4096 colors and only a couple of pens, which appear to include a highlighter, a pen, and an eraser. I could set the width for each of these.

Still, the 300ppi screen looked sharp and was quite responsive, so I set to work.

Despite the limitations, drawing on the Scribe Colorsoft was an absolute pleasure. It kept up with my strokes, and there's just enough friction between the pen and the screen to feel a little bit like real paper.

I was frustrated by the lack of colors, layers, and the inability to edit your drawing, but then this also felt a lot like sketching on real paper, where none of those options exist. Suddenly, those minuses transported me back to a simpler time, when I used to sit in every meeting and on every vacation, doodling or sketching what I saw.

One of the cooler aspects of the Scribe Colorsoft is that the pen has a rubber eraser on the end that you use just as you would a real eraser. I flipped the pen around and started rubbing away bits of my digital art. What a time machine.

When I had something passable, I switched to a highlighter and added splashes of color. Colors on the Scribe don't exactly pop as they do on an iPad, but the overall effect wasn't bad, and I was pleased with my work.

iPad versus drawing in the sunlight

Things did not go as smoothly with the iPad Air. Look, I know this device and the Procreate software like the back of my hand. They're a trusty pair of creative companions I rely on for casual art, greeting cards, cartoons, portraits, and more. I will never stop drawing on the iPad. However, in this one situation, I could see the utility of a very different kind of device screen.

I put the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft below the iPad Air, pulled the Apple Pencil from the side of the iPad Air, and opened Procreate.

Even though my screen brightness was set to 100%, I was already struggling to see the screen, and, to be honest, it affected how I drew. I was squinting at the display and feeling unsure of where to start.

Also, switching from the Scribe Colorsoft to the iPad Air meant I could really feel the difference in pen-to-screen friction, as there is essentially none when you use an iPad. This is normally not an issue, but between that and my inability to clearly see the screen, I couldn't quite get into the flow of my art.

Granted, even though I hated what I was drawing, I could immediately see how to fix and adjust the image, doing things in Procreate on the iPad Air that are simply impossible with the Scribe Colorsoft. I selected the fountain and adjusted the size. I thought about adding a complete color layer to put under some of the elements.

Still, I disliked the drawing so much that I kind of gave up. It just wasn't fun to draw in direct sunlight.

One more sketch

I switched back to the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and, this time, I made the pen much smaller and then started rapidly sketching two men eating by the fountain. It was really just a bunch of squiggly lines, but I would see how I might clean it up and make it into something real.

I honestly want to spend the afternoon drawing people and things I saw at the park, but I have to get back to work.

I collected the two tablets, stood up, took one last glance at the fountain, and walked back to the office, knowing that I'd probably be back on the next warm, sunny day, and this time, I'd only bring the Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

• Leaked renders show upcoming Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2
• Big highlight is massive speaker with JBL logo
• Also has built-in kickstand

You've heard of pill-shaped speakers, but what about tablet-shaped ones? This and many more puns come to mind when glimpsing the new tablet-loudspeaker hybrid that Lenovo is said to have on the way — and that speaker? It's massive.

Long-standing and reliable mobile leaker Evan Blass has shared to X (formerly known as "X/Twitter") a series of renders of the upcoming Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2. The eyeball-grabbing feature is, as you're about to see, the giant speaker grille on the back of the slate. Eat your heart out, JBL Authentics 200.

Banish the thought of the tablets bearing an array of speakers around the edges and built discreetly into bezels, including those found in the first-gen Tab Plus. No, this is a pretty thick protruding unit on the back of the tablet, which from these leaked 3D shots seems to shoot out a fair way.

Look closely, and you'll also see a JBL logo on the back — yes. the Flip 7 makers apparently had a hand in the audio tuning of this device. The previous model boasted eight speakers from the brand, though they were all built into the frame of the slate, not sticking out the back.

Two other interesting things to point out in this guided tour of the tablet: a kickstand lets you prop up the slate, so you're not going to be blasting your tunes straight into an oak table. And the volume rocker and power button is on the back too, which points to how far the speaker protrudes: normally, it'd be madness to put these on the back, as you'd press them every time the slate was flush on a surface. Evidently, the speaker-and-kickstand system holds the slate so much that this doesn't happen.

Blass didn't mention any of the tablet's specifications, but you're probably here for decks, not specs.

It's for movies

On the surface, a tablet with a fat speaker on the back may raise eyebrows: it looks a little odd and goes against almost every audio upgrade we've seen in tablets to date. Why is Lenovo making this speaker/tablet Frankenstein's monster? But the brand's Tab series has been single-minded in its focus, and when taken with that in mind, it makes sense.

Like Amazon's Fire tablets, Lenovo ones are built for entertainment. Options such as the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro and Lenovo Tab P12 Pro have great speakers and displays, and the brand's Legion tablets are primarily focused on the gaming market.

While many brands offer great screens, it's the speakers that really set Lenovo's tablets ahead: the brand puts loads of them into its devices, and often gets brands to tune them up for it.

The huge module isn't too much of a hindrance either, as the slate is likely designed to be used with the kickstand. Lenovo's no stranger to this format, like in the Yoga Tab 13, which had a built in stand as well as micro-HDMI port so you could connect it to other devices.

Don't expect the Tab Plus Gen 2 to be a speaker-tablet hybrid, then; expect it to be designed for watching movies and TV shows with bumping audio.

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: One-minute review

Apple’s iPad Air has long been the 'pro model for most people,' and the 2026 refresh keeps that reputation intact. There are no real design changes this year, but Apple gives the tablet a fuel injection of performance thanks to the M4 chip under the hood, more RAM, and improved connectivity.

This means the iPad Air keeps pace in terms of having Apple’s latest silicon while still sitting below the iPad Pro in price. In everyday use the 13-inch iPad Air absolutely flies, whether you’re juggling multiple windows in iPadOS 26, editing photos or videos, gaming, or pairing it with the Magic Keyboard to act as a laptop replacement.

The display remains the same excellent Liquid Retina panel that was introduced in 2024, and while it still tops out at 60Hz rather than the iPad Pro’s 120Hz ProMotion, it’s a large, vibrant canvas for work, entertainment, and Apple Pencil note-taking.

If you already own an M3 or even M2 iPad Air, this probably isn’t a must-have upgrade. But for anyone coming from an older iPad, or buying their first Air, the M4 model continues to hit a sweet spot of power, portability, and price.

Simply put, the iPad Air with M4 remains the iPad most people should buy. I just hope Apple continues this trend of squeezing more value out of the device. The consistent silicon upgrades keep the iPad Air feeling fresh for years after release, giving it plenty of headroom for new apps and features. I do wish Apple had take the same approach it did with the iPhone 17e by bumping the starting storage, though.

And bear in mind that — as I note in every iPad review I write — you’ll want to factor in the cost of accessories like the Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard. Both are excellent companions for the iPad Air, but deciding whether to add one or both ultimately comes down to your needs and your budget.

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Specs

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Price and availability

Apple is continuing a welcome recent trend with the latest iPad Air, upgrading the processor, and some other features, without raising the starting price. The 11-inch iPad Air and 13-inch iPad Air still start with 128GB of storage, but can be configured up to 1TB.

The 11-inch iPad Air starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999, while the 13-inch iPad Air starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,249, both with 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Design

• Still a modern, portable design
• Same four colors and no major design changes

What's new about Apple’s 2026 iPad Air — aka the iPad Air with M4 or iPad Air (M4) — is mostly a matter of what’s under the hood. With the same four colors available — Blue, Purple, Starlight, or Space Gray — it keeps a nearly identical build and design language to 2025’s iPad Air with M3, and largely the same look introduced with the 2024 iPad Air with M2.

That’s not a bad thing at all — amid a sea of other mid-range tablets, Apple is still opting for a premium aluminum build that feels plenty portable. Even though the iPad Air is no longer the thinnest or lightest iPad in Apple’s lineup — that honor goes to the iPad Pro — the 13-inch variant remains easily portable, and the 11-inch model even more so.

I regularly go back and forth between either an 11-inch Air or Pro and a 13-inch, and I found myself right at home with the 13-inch iPad Air. It’s the same footprint generation-over-generation at 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.1mm and 616 grams (617 grams for cellular), and I absolutely love the Purple shade, although another fresher shade joining the range – maybe a blush pink, as with the iPhone 17e, or citrus yellow like the MacBook Neo, would have been nice.

For the purposes of describing the button layout, we'll talk about using the tablet in landscape mode. The power button with the all-important Touch ID sensor lives on the top left-hand edge, with the volume up and volume down buttons sitting nearby along the top edge. Right beside them are the magnets that easily hold the Apple Pencil Pro or Apple Pencil USB-C.

Everything remains easy to reach in either orientation, and it’s clear Apple feels it's got the ergonomics right here, since the layout hasn’t changed. Touch ID is still fast and reliable for unlocking the iPad Air, or authenticating purchases and other secure actions.

On the rear, the 12-megapixel rear camera remains in the top-left corner on the back, while Apple's Smart connector is along the right edge. This still lets the iPad Air connect to Apple's Magic Keyboard, all without the need for traditional Bluetooth pairing or needing to recharge the accessory.

The Apple logo is centered on the back of the iPad, though it's oriented to be in the proper position when it's held vertical, in landscape it's sideways — either way round it offers some neat reflections and sits flat with the matte aluminum finish.

Ultimately, if you liked the design of the previous iPad Air, or the one before that, you’ll feel right at home here.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Display

• Display is still sharp, vibrant Liquid Retina
• Still no 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate

Arguably, the most important part of any iPad is the display, and that's even more the case with the 13-inch iPad Air. There are no changes generation over generation here — in fact, this is the same display Apple introduced when it first introduced a larger 13-inch iPad Air in 2024.

That’s not a bad thing, though, as the 13-inch iPad Air affords you an expansive canvas on which to work. It’s only gotten better since true multitasking landed with iPadOS 26, and it's also excellent for watching films or TV shows (anyone else catching up on Scrubs on Disney+ or Hulu right now?).

The 13-inch Liquid Retina display is excellent (Apple is still rounding up from a 12.9-inch screen measured diagonally). It’s not quite as impressive as the iPad Pro’s Dynamic OLED panel with a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, but it goes the full mile for productivity and creative tasks. Whether I was watching a film, editing in Final Cut Pro, overlapping windows to write this review, browsing the web, or gaming, everything looked great here.

Colors are vibrant and punchy, but I especially like writing with the Apple Pencil Pro on the 13-inch iPad Air and seeing the inky black handwriting appear. Of course, you can make that pop even more by changing the color of the pencil in Notes, Notability, or GoodNotes — take your pick of your preferred note-taking app.

Just like the previous two generations, the 13-inch Liquid Retina display offers a 2732 x 2048 resolution at 264 pixels per inch with a maximum brightness of 600 nits. The anti-reflective oleophobic coating is pretty essential here on the 13-inch – and the same goes for the 11-inch Air – helping repel fingerprints and reduce reflections from natural light.

As I wrote in 2025, the main miss here is a higher refresh rate. The 13-inch iPad Air still tops out at 60Hz, while Apple reserves the adaptive 120Hz ProMotion display for the iPad Pro lineup. Then again, if you’re not coming from that device — and I don’t see why you would be — it likely won’t be a major issue, and Apple is clearly adding value elsewhere, as in the jump to the M4 chip.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Cameras

• No changes to the front or rear cameras
• Front camera is still in a better spot, and supports Center Stage

If you’re picking up a 13-inch iPad Air for the first time, or upgrading from an older model, you’ll be happy to know the front-facing camera is in a much better spot than on older models. Like the previous 13-inch iPad Air, the 2026 model with M4 keeps the 12-megapixel front camera on the long edge, which makes it far more usable for FaceTime and other video calls when the tablet is docked in a Smart Cover or the Magic Keyboard.

In landscape mode, the camera sits centered along the top edge, which means you’ll appear properly framed on video calls or when recording self-tapes. It also works nicely with Apple’s built-in Center Stage technology, which keeps you in frame as you move around. That’s helpful if you tend to pace during meetings, or if you’re on a FaceTime call while cooking in the kitchen, and moving around to slice and dice ingredients. Image quality here is solid, and you can enable effects such as Portrait mode and Studio Light in iPadOS.

On the back is the same 12-megapixel rear camera as last time. It’s perfectly fine for snapping quick photos or scanning documents, though I’m not that sure many people are bringing a 13-inch iPad Air along specifically to capture the world. Either way, here are a few shots I captured.

• Cameras score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review:: Software

• iPadOS 26 is still a supercharged experience
• Works well with the optional Magic Keyboard or Apple Pencil

iPadOS 26 was a game-changing update for the entire iPad lineup, but you can really feel the difference on a larger 13-inch iPad Air or Pro. I remember buying the original 12.9-inch iPad when it first launched and ditching my MacBook Pro, hoping to use the iPad as my one device while in college — it wasn’t easy back then, but iPadOS 26 makes it a lot more achievable.

And I’ve been pushing iPadOS 26 pretty hard on the iPad Air (M4, 2026). I’ll dive more into performance below, but this thing really does fly. The main feature of iPadOS 26 is proper window multitasking. I can open Safari and resize it from the bottom corner, then pull Messages into a floating window, do the same with Pixelmator Pro, and continue stacking apps however I see fit. It’s not exactly the Mac experience like for like, though the familiar red, yellow, and green window controls appear in the corner and you can enable a top menu bar, but the system still feels purpose-built for the iPad’s more flexible way of working.

That flexibility really shines on the 13-inch display. I can use my finger, the Magic Keyboard’s trackpad, or an Apple Pencil — whichever input works best for what I’m doing. During testing I edited video in Final Cut, wrote and organized this review in Pages, Google Docs via Safari, and Notes, edited photos in Pixelmator Pro as part of Apple Creator Studio, played games like Real Flight Simulator and Disney Dreamlight Valley, took notes during meetings, FaceTimed with friends and family, and watched plenty of videos.

I did a lot of that undocked, but I also spent time using Apple’s Magic Keyboard. For the iPad Air it now comes in black as well as white, and pricing remains at $319 / £299 / AU$499 for the 13-inch model and $269 / £269 / AU$449 for the 11-inch. With the iPad Air attached it starts to feel quite Mac-like — the tablet floats slightly thanks to strong magnets and you get a good range of tilt for adjusting the screen. The keys have great travel, the trackpad is quite large, and you even get an extra USB-C port for charging or connecting accessories.

For most of this review period I actually pushed my Apple MacBook Pro (14‑inch, M5) to the side and used the iPad Air with the Magic Keyboard instead. No, the keyboard isn’t included, and it does add to the price, but it really does unlock a more complete working experience.

Similarly, the Apple Pencil Pro — priced at $129 / £129 / AU$219 — remains one of the accessories that truly makes an iPad feel like an iPad. It’s fantastic for note-taking, sketching, or mapping out ideas, and artists can do a lot with it in apps like Procreate or Pixelmator Pro. Of course, it’s also great for navigating around iPadOS itself.

Apple Intelligence is also supported here. You’ll see Siri’s full-screen edge glow when asking for help with a long press or by saying “Hey Siri,” — the much-anticipated AI-powered Siri is still on the way, but when it does arrive, the iPad Air will support it. In the meantime you can already use Apple’s AI features to clean up unwanted objects in Photos, solve math problems in Notes, and access a growing set of other tools that should expand further over time.

• Software score: 4 /5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Performance

• M4 chip lets you complete most, if not all, feasible tasks on the iPad Air
• Keeps things fast today, with no concerns about the future
• Plenty of headroom for even the most complex tasks

As the name suggests, the iPad Air’s performance is where the real changes lie this year. On the cellular model I’ve been testing there are three upgrades, while the Wi-Fi model gets two. Let’s start with the chip under the hood — and credit Apple for sticking with a steady upgrade strategy.

Apple shipped the iPad Air with the M2 chip in 2024, and with the M3 in 2025; and now in 2026 both the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air move to the M4 chip with 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB previously. So while this does mean that if you have an M3 iPad Air you likely don’t need to upgrade — and the same goes for the M2 edition — Apple is steadily keeping this iPad up to date with its latest silicon, ultimately making it more appealing, and better value for someone approaching the iPad Air fresh today.

Inside, the M4 chip features an eight-core CPU with three performance cores and five efficiency cores, a nine-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. Regardless of size, it’s paired with 12GB of RAM, and hardware-accelerated ray tracing is supported here as well, which can benefit gaming and creative tasks like video editing or 3D rendering. Memory bandwidth also jumps to 120GB/s, up from 100GB/s previously.

As with the previous generation and the M3, Apple’s decision to bring the M4 chip to the iPad Air really raises the question of whether most people need the iPad Pro for performance alone. The Air sits comfortably above the base iPad in this respect, and feels incredibly capable for heavy multitasking, creative work, and gaming.

As I always do, I tried to throw a lot at the 13-inch iPad Air with M4, and I struggled to slow it down. Even when exporting a video in the background while launching a game and running FaceTime in a floating window, the tablet remained smooth and responsive. The iPad Air simply flies — whether you’re using it as a media consumption device or pairing it with the Magic Keyboard as your main computing machine. The M4 chip also runs silently, and stays cool even while handling heavier workloads.

In everyday use, the iPad Air with M4 rarely feels limited by its hardware. Ultimately, the best compliment I can give it is that whatever I threw at the tablet — within the confines of iPadOS 26 on a 13-inch display — it handled it effortlessly.

Apple’s M4 chip also performed well in our benchmark tests. In Geekbench 6, the 13-inch iPad Air with M4 scored 3,745 single-core and 13,342 multi-core. That’s a solid jump over the iPad Air with M3, which scored 3,023 single-core and 11,716 multi-core, and the M2 model’s 2,591 single-core and 10,046 multi-core. The M3 model was already very fast, so you won’t see dramatic gains year over year, but if you’re upgrading from an M1 Air, an entry-level iPad, or even an older iPad Pro, the improvement will be noticeable.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Battery and connectivity

• Still all-day battery life
• Wi-Fi 7 is supported here
• C1X Modem makes for speedy 5G speeds, if you opt for cellular

Unlike the iPhone, Apple actually shares the exact battery size inside the iPad Air — and other iPads — along with its estimates for playback and use. The battery sizes remain unchanged generation over generation, with the 13-inch iPad Air packing a 36.59Wh battery and the 11-inch model coming in at 28.93Wh. That’s not a bad thing, as neither M3 model struggled with battery life.

Apple rates the iPad Air for up to 10 hours of web browsing or video playback on Wi-Fi models, and up to nine hours of web use on cellular models. In my daily testing, the 13-inch iPad Air generally made it through most of a workday without issue, though I did occasionally find myself reaching for a charger towards the evening if I wanted to keep using it later into the night.

Apple still ships the iPad Air with a USB-C to USB-C cable and a wall charger in the box.

Complementing the M4 chip is Apple’s N1 chip, which enables support for Wi-Fi 7 alongside Bluetooth 6 and the Thread networking protocol. If you opt for the cellular model, you’ll also get the C1X modem — the same one found in the iPhone Air — for fast connectivity. Like all cellular iPads, the iPad Air is eSIM-only. I’ve been testing the 13-inch iPad Air on Verizon and saw some impressive 5G speeds across New Jersey and New York City.

• Battery and Connectivity score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026): Should you buy it?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026): How I tested

I spent six days testing Apple's 13-inch iPad Air with M4, along with a Smart Folio, Apple Pencil Pro, and a Magic Keyboard. After unboxing it I set up the iPad Air as new, downloading all my essential apps.

After that, I switched to the iPad Air from a 14-inch MacBook Pro as my main device for work and play. I threw many tasks into the mix, from productivity-themed ones like responding to emails, uploading articles to a CMS, writing, editing, editing photos and videos, playing games, plenty of video calls, and multitasking to test the M4 chip inside the iPad Air. I also compared it to the entry-level iPad, the previous-generation M3 and M2 iPad Air, the iPad Mini, and the M4 and M5 iPad Pro.

First reviewed March 9, 2026.

The newly-unveiled MacBook Neo gives buyers on a budget the opportunity to get an Apple computer — but it's not the only affordable option that's worth considering.

The entry-level iPad 11 (2025) might not seem a natural competitor to this new $599 / £599 / AU$899 device, being a tablet instead of a laptop. But if you bundle it with its Magic Keyboard Folio, it's also a solid device for on-the-go working or creativity.

Moreover, the iPad (128GB, Wi-Fi) and Magic Keyboard Folio bundle costs almost exactly the same as the MacBook Neo at $598 / £578 / AU$998, so they're closer competitors than you'd think.

So if you're in the market for a portable Apple workhorse, which should you buy? I've compared them both below and pulled out their pros and cons to help you decide...

The MacBook Neo is more powerful

If you need raw power, you'll want to pick the MacBook Neo. The same goes if you want lots of storage space without relying on the iCloud.

This laptop has a mobile chipset, but it's a modern one: the A18 Pro, which the iPhone 16 Pro family used. The iPad 11 tablet has the A16, which was used by the iPhone 15 devices.

There's more RAM in the MacBook Neo, offering 8GB, which is a little bit more than the iPad's 6GB. You'll also get more storage for your money with the Neo than the slate, as while both cost the same, the base models have 128GB in the iPad and 256GB in the laptop.

So if you're primarily looking for a productivity tool, the Neo wins here — and that's boosted by the benefits of macOS compared to iPadOS (see 'The iPad and MacBook are very different software experiences' below).

The iPad is more portable

If your priority is buying a device which you can easily carry about, then you'll want to opt for the iPad.

The two devices weigh a similar amount: the MacBook Neo tips the scales at 1.23kg, while the iPad 11 and Magic Keyboard folio is roughly 1.36kg (the iPad is actually only 477g, the folio is heavier). So there isn't a huge amount of difference, weight-wise.

However, the MacBook Neo is bigger. It's 1.3x30x20cm, while the iPad is 0.7x24x18cm, and this is reflected in the screen: the iPad's is 11 inches diagonally, while the Neo has a 13-inch display.

The Magic Keyboard for the iPad counts as a protective folio too, so it's a little more protected.

The MacBook Neo has more ports and edges it on battery

Buyers who need ports to plug in extra accessories (but don't want to buy an adaptor) should pick up the MacBook. The only exception is stylus users, who'll naturally prefer the tablet.

While the iPad only has a single USB-C port, the Neo has two (albeit only one with USB 3 speeds, the other being USB 2) as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack. So you can charge the Neo, plug in a hard drive, and listen to music all at the same time.

You can keep those add-ons running for longer with the MacBook, too. It has, according to Apple, a battery life that facilitates 16 hours of video streaming, while the iPad can only achieve that same task for 10 hours.

The iPad and MacBook are very different software experiences

When it comes to software, but the Neo has versatility in its favor. It runs MacOS, Apple's computer software, while the iPad is on iPadOS, a software that's similar to iOS on iPhones.

The name of the game with iPadOS is simplicity. It'll be easy to quickly bring up one or two apps, and have them take up the screen, or shift them around and swap them out if you need. Great if you need to lock in, and focus on a written article or hoard of emails to reply to — and obviously the touchscreen interface is a big differentiator.

However, the flipside of this iPadOS simplicity is that some apps may frustrate you with their limitations. iPad apps aren't the same as their desktop equivalents, usually offering a stripped-down experience with limited features and simpler interfaces. Fine if that's what you want — but if you want a desktop-type experience, maybe not for you.

MacOS may not be as simple, and finding the right apps or program might take a little more work, but it'll be better for more complicated workflows. If you use external storage, or have files in folders you need to juggle in multiple apps, it'll be the better choice for you. If you're trying to edit media on the fly, or mix music, the Neo should have the edge over this iPad — although we've yet to officially benchmark the new laptop.

Bear in mind that the MacBook Neo is navigated via mouse, using the trackpad or a wired / wireless extra. The iPad is touch-first, although you can also use a mouse on it if you want. If you have a preference for mouse or touch navigation, that should help steer your purchase.

Verdict

There's no clear and obvious winner when comparing the MacBook Neo and iPad 11 — deciding between them will come down to the type of mobile computer you want (touchscreen or not) and your main use cases (mostly productivity with a side of fun, or the reverse).

As a tablet, the iPad is designed to be compact, portable and simple, letting you do basic tasks on the go with minimal fuss. It's perfect for people who like to travel light, such as students on a coffee shop coursework crawl, or frequent fliers who need a simple work or entertainment device. The Magic Keyboard Folio offers a comfortable typing experience with similar key travel to the Neo, but it's less good for typing on your lap (being better suited to desks).

The MacBook Neo is a laptop, and this kind of device is naturally a little more advanced. It has more ports, a bigger screen, and a longer-lasting battery. It'll be better for doing involved tasks like file management, photo or sound editing and compiling projects, especially ones where you might be tethered to a desk or work station for long stints. It's also better if you're looking to do lots of typing in different scenarios (on your lap, as well as on desks and tables).

That summarizes the key differences between these two devices, but it's worth bearing in mind that both have more advanced iterations that cost more money. Announced alongside the MacBook Neo was the pricey MacBook Pro 5 Pro, with absolutely loads of power, and the mid-range, larger and more powerful iPad Air M4, with plenty of other members in each range at different price points and specs.

If you've decided on your preferred form factor but want more in the same shell, it's worth exploring those higher-end options, too.

It’s getting harder to deny the fact that gaming tablets are on the rise. These aren’t the best tablets ever, but they offer lots of processing power in a portable form, without all the bells and whistles of a standard slate. Think a gaming phone, but bigger. And I’ve just found a new love.

I’m on the ground at MWC 2026, a mobile tech conference which has seen a few gaming gadgets exhibited. I’ve seen the pint-sized Lenovo Legion Tab (Gen 5), and Nubia Neo 5 GT gaming phone, and both seemed great. I've also seen plenty of other powerful devices like the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and the understated Honor Magic 8 Pro. But what’s really drawn my eyes is the Red Magic Astra.

This isn’t even a new device; the gaming tab, from Nubia’s gaming-focused sub-brand, has been on sale for at least half a year. But when I got to see all these new mobile gaming powerhouses back-to-back, I understood why this slate isn’t one gaming fans should be sleeping on.

Astra? I barely know 'er!

The Red Magic Astra is the gaming brand’s second gaming tab, after the Nova, and was released in 2025. A ‘Golden Saga Limited Edition Bundle’ was recently unveiled, with some extra protection and cooling perks, but deep down it’s the same thing.

If you need a refresher on this brand, Red Magic is the gaming arm of Nubia, which is a ZTE-owned phone brand. It mostly puts out chunky but powerful handsets like the Red Magic 11 Pro, though I'm a big fan of Nubia's wider releases thanks to how wacky they can be. Another of its MWC releases was a Van Gogh Starry Night-inspired model of its flagship Z80 Ultra.

One of the big draws to me on the Red Magic Astra has got to be the display: it’s a 9.06-inch OLED panel with a 1504 x 2400 resolution and 165Hz refresh rate. Nice. Your entertainment is complete with dual speakers that support DTS:X Ultra, which creates 3D surround sound (up and down, as well as left and right).

As a gaming device, it’s naturally pretty powerful: it packs 2025’s top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, as well as between 12GB and 24GB RAM, depending on which version you opt for. That’s right: more RAM than your average PC, on a budget handheld.

When I say ‘budget’, I’m talking $499 / £439 (about AU$900) for the base model, up to $849 / £739 (roughly AU$1,400) for the 24GB RAM and 1TB storage model. At the budget end, that’s really affordable.

Something else I liked about the phone is that it has a switch, and toggling it sends you straight into the gaming mode, making it much quicker to silence other apps and boot up a title.

It cuts straight to the point: this is a slate for gaming. No, Red Magic’s not trying to sell you a tie-in stylus or keyboard case or weird AI feature. The only accessories are protective folios and screen protectors

Nubia has game

Gaming phones aren’t in vogue now; a couple of years ago, Lenovo was making feature-packed Legion mobiles, Xiaomi’s Black Magic was pumping out budget blasters that could offer stunning performance, and Asus was trying to make a ROG Phone happen. Now they’re all gone, and Red Magic is one of the few gaming device brands on the market.

I respect the dedication to the bit, but I respect more what Astra’s going for. Red Magic clearly understands the point of a gaming tablet: people want something substantially bigger than their smartphone (I don’t think the Legion Tab is big enough), but not so big that it dwarfs their iPad Pro. When I played around with the Astra at MWC, I found it the perfect middle size. Goldilocks would love it.

More than that, a gaming slate needs lots of performance but, crucially, a big battery and solid cooling tech. These are all, thankfully, part of Astra’s sales pitch. The device has, according to Red Magic, 13-layer ICE-X cooling; while that name could mean anything, the fact that it's a selling feature of the slate shows that cooling is important to the brand. In the MWC show room, nothing was cool, so I couldn't test this out.

As someone who games on their tablet more than their phone, I see these devices being fantastic alternatives to gaming mobiles for buyers. They give you a portable powerhouse for your chosen title, for a low price, and one that won't stop you from calling or making texts once it runs out of battery. I can see budget-conscious buyers save money by picking up the best cheap phone and a gaming tablet, rather than one expensive powerful smartphone.

So the Astra was a real gaming highlight from MWC, despite some hot competition, and that rivalry is only going to continue. Not only did Legion offer its own newest tablet, but it showed a folding gaming tablet concept, which could bend down to become more portable. I wasn't too impressed by this, as it seemed incredibly fragile, but that's par for the course for a concept device so I can't dock points.

Black Shark is also coming back with a gaming tablet, and Lenovo's Legion apparently has more on the way, so the gaming tablet niche is in a good place right now. But that's all the better for Red Magic and whatever it does after the Astra; competition like this always makes devices better.

TechRadar is on the show floor for this year’s MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona, Spain, and we’ll be covering the latest news from some of the biggest names in mobile, computing, fitness and more.

• Apple has announced a new iPad Air
• The iPad Air now features the M4 chip alongside the N1 and C1X
• It keeps the starting price as the previous iPad Air with M3

Well, Tim Cook teased a big week ahead of Apple’s invite-only March 4, 2026, event, and the Cupertino-based tech giant is wasting no time. Apple has just announced an upgraded iPad Air with the M4 chip inside.

Now, while there isn't much to speak about in terms of design, Apple is supercharging things under the hood with better-equipped, more powerful silicon. And that’s really something we’ve come to expect from Apple’s now-annual refreshes of its mid-range iPads.

The iPad Air still sports a modern design, available in two sizes – 11-inch and 13-inch – with Touch ID for easy authentication and support for the Apple Pencil Pro, but the real upgrade here is the swap to Apple’s M4 chip from the M3. Apple promises a big boost, even generation over generation, as the M4 iPad Air is up to 30% faster than the M3.

It’s also not just the M4 chip, though; Apple is also upgrading connectivity with its own in-house chips – the N1 and C1X – for fast Wi-Fi 7 and LTE or 5G connectivity. All of this should make iPadOS 26 run smoothly and, honestly, continue to position the iPad Air as the Pro-level iPad for most consumers.

It still comes in four color options – blue, purple, starlight, or space gray – and starts at the same price in the United States. That’s $599 / £599 / AU$999 for the 11-inch iPad Air and $799 / £799 / AU$1249 for the 13-inch iPad Air, both with 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi connectivity.

The M4 chip should keeps things fresh

As I noted above, the main change with the iPad Air in 2026 is the chip. The M4 chip inside is configured with an 8-core CPU, 9-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. It's also getting a 50% increase in RAM, now up to 12GB, which should make this iPad well-equipped for multitasking and more intense processes. With the latter, think 3D rendering in apps and large exports.

Beyond the improvements for general use I shared above, Apple also promises that the M4 iPad Air will deliver up to 4x faster 3D pro rendering with ray tracing compared to the original iPad Air with M1. I suspect this will really shine with video and photo editing, alongside other creative tasks and gaming on the iPad Air.

Alongside the Apple-made M4 chip, there are two other additions inside that bring more robust connectivity. The N1 chip means the iPad Air supports Thread, Bluetooth 6, and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, with the latter being new. Apple’s own C1X modem, which debuted on the iPhone Air, will power cellular connectivity on eligible iPad Air models. As with most previous iPad models, the Air with M4 is eSIM-only.

Between the M4 chip, the N1, and the C1X silicon, that about wraps up the major changes for the iPad Air. It still offers Touch ID in the power button paired with either an 11-inch or 13-inch Liquid Retina display with support for True Tone, Wide Color (P3), and an anti-reflective coating.

One note on display size: Apple is rounding up slightly, but these are the same as the last generation — the 11-inch is actually 10.86 inches, and the 13-inch is 12.9 inches, both measured diagonally.

The iPad Air with M4 still starts at 128GB of storage, but you can configure it up to 1TB. Pricing starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for the 11-inch iPad Air with Wi-Fi or $799 / £799 / AU$1249 for the 13-inch iPad Air with Wi-Fi. As always, cellular models start a bit higher at $749 for the 11-inch and $949 for the 13-inch. It's still compatible with the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air — both sizes — and works with the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C).

Apple will kick off preorders for the iPad Air with M4 on March 4, 2026, and it will officially launch on March 11, 2026.

We'll be going hands-on with the latest iPad Air as soon as we can. Let us know what you think about the upgrade from M3 to M4 in the comments below.

Onyx Boox Note Air5 C: One-minute review

I’ve been a fan of the Boox Note Air series of epaper tablets since I first tried the Note Air 2, and the Note Air5 C — announced in October 2025 — continues the tradition of solidly built devices that work well.

The headline act here is an updated operating system. It’s the first epaper tablet to run an Android 15-based software and Boox has promised that the device will receive three years of support, much more than previous iterations.

The second thing that’s new here is the pen. It ships with the Boox Pen 3, which is unlike anything I’ve seen from the Chinese ereader maker. It continues to have the felt tip-like writing experience, but unique is the storage space for three replacement nibs on the top, covered by its own cap. Sadly this top cover is loose and pops off easily.

Lastly, the Note Air5 C features a set of pogo pins on its rear that allows it to attach seamlessly to the optional keyboard folio from Boox, and there’s a pair of buttons on the magnetic side for page turns or volume adjustment.

That’s all that’s new here — nothing really groundbreaking except the software upgrade. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as the Note Air5 C, like its predecessors, is solidly built and performs well. It just doesn't feel very different from other Boox devices and, if I was asked to recommend a 10-inch e-notebook, I'd probably pick the lighter (albeit grayscale) Boox Go 10.3 or the reMarkable Paper Pro for its color display (although you won't get Android's versatility).

There are a few other small issues that I think is important to note: while the screen light is great at its brightest, it's comparatively darker at low and mid levels. The magnet to secure the pen to the side of the tablet is also not very strong — the only position where it secures well covers the bottom page-turn button, but even that isn’t great.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 CPU used here helps the device perform well, but I found some lag when using the on-screen keyboard. There's a much more significant lag when using the optional keyboard folio, which makes touch typing annoying. You might also experience some ghosting, particularly if the document you're perusing is image-heavy.

While my complaints aren't serious, I think they diminish the Note Air5 C’s overall value and make it harder to recommend over its own Go 10.3 sibling, or the reMarkable Paper Pro if color is important.

Onyx Boox Note Air5 C review: Price & availability

• Released October 2025
• Available now for $529.99 / €529.99 / AU$919
• US and European price includes folio and box of 5 replacement nibs; Australian price is for device and stylus only

If you’re in the US or in the UK, (or anywhere in Europe for that matter), the Boox Note Air5 C is well priced, especially when purchasing directly from the Boox Store where it’s bundled with a folio case and a box of five replacement pen tips. And given there are three spare nibs on the top of the new stylus itself, that’s a lot of spare tips for the price.

In Australia, however, it’s a very expensive prospect as you only get the tablet and the Boox Pen 3 — no extras are included.

In contrast, the reMarkable Paper Pro, which is also a 10-inch color e-notebook, starts at $579 / £559 / AU$929 with a basic Marker and no additional extras. However, it uses a better color display (a customized version of the E Ink Gallery 3 technology that no other ereader maker is currently using), so the saturation is much better. On the flip side, the Android-running Note Air5 C gives you more freedom on the apps you can use and is the more versatile device.

Then again, if you can forgo the color display, a monochrome epaper tablet would be a lot cheaper. For example, you can get the Boox Go 10.3 for around $410 / €420 / AU$699 (US and European price includes the folio and extra nibs), and it’s a fantastic e-notebook that’s lighter than the Note Air series. Even the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) would be a cheaper buy and I love its bright, monochrome display.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Onyx Boox Note Air5 C review: Specs

Onyx Boox Note Air5 C review: Design & display

• Solid build, but heavy to hold for long durations
• Newly designed pen with spare nibs on the top
• Customizable page-turn buttons
• Excellent 10.3 E Ink Kaleido 3 display, but colors can appear muted

Physically, the Note Air5 C is identical to the previous two generations, with a couple of minor differences. As I’ve already said, that’s not a bad thing, as the overall design is still nice and the device is solidly built. So solid, in fact, that the Note Air series is on the heavier side when it comes to 10-inch epaper tablets.

For context, the Boox Go 10.3 weighs 375g and the ViWoods AiPaper tips the scales at 370, but neither of them have frontlights. In contrast, the Note Air 4C weighs 420g and the 5C comes in at 440g. It’s not the heaviest e-notebook — the reMarkable Paper Pro is 525g — but it’s not the most comfortable to use in one hand for long periods of time.

Despite being on the heavier side, I like the Note Air series’ metallic chassis and glass screen. While that makes the tablet cold to the touch (especially in winter months), it also makes it a hardy device. That said, there’s no waterproofing here.

There are only two design differences between the Note Air5 C and the previous 4C and 3C generations. One is a set of pogo pins on the rear to connect to the optional keyboard folio, and the other is a pair of small buttons on the magnetized edge of the device for page turning or volume adjustments.

I’ve been waiting for a large-screen ereader with page-turn buttons but this placement means the device can’t be used single-handed — you will need one hand to hold the device via the larger bezel and use the other hand to press one of the buttons on the opposite side. In my time with the Note Air5 C, I never once found the need to use the buttons, but the long-press functionality can be set to various functions that can prove handy for some users.

However, if you have the supplied stylus — called the Boox Pen 3 — secured to the side of the tablet, it covers the lower button. Place the stylus lower and the magnetism just isn’t strong enough for a secure hold.

I have to take some time to describe this new pen too. It has an interesting design where, instead of an eraser on the top, three replacement nibs can be stored vertically. They’re covered by a cap with a side clip — much like an actual pen — but sadly the cap is loose and pops out easily. You also need to replace it carefully, and correctly, to avoid damaging the nibs. As thoughtful as the design is, I think the cap would have benefitted from being clipped into place rather than sliding on and off. Despite the addition of the spare nibs on the top of the stylus, the pen is well balanced, lightweight and lovely to write with on the Note Air5 C.

I should also mention that the most secure way to stow the stylus is to use a folio cover, but the one I was sent for this review didn’t have a loop. Instead, it had a removable flap that I found very annoying to use. Even the keyboard folio designed for the Note Air5 C has the same flap and it’s just as annoying there as it comes off easily or shifts position with the merest of touches.

Going back to the tablet itself: there’s a USB-C port, a microSD card tray and dual speakers on the edge opposite to the page/volume buttons, while the top edge houses a power/sleep button that’s flush with the body. The power button is also a fingerprint scanner and I didn’t find its placement very intuitive — I kept expecting the button to be on the corner, but it’s placed slightly away and I kept having to feel for it.

As expected, one bezel is thicker than the other three, with the top corner of the bigger bezel featuring the Boox branding. Small orange strips on three of the edges add some trim to the device, and the same orange surrounds the USB-C port.

This chassis encloses a 10.3-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 screen with LEDs under the glass panel for a frontlight. The light can be adjusted for both brightness and temperature, although keep in mind that warmer (yellow) light will affect the colors displayed on the screen. While this won’t affect those of us who mostly read and write in black and white, fans of comics, manga and graphic novels — or anyone using the color inks to mark up documents — may find colder light the better option.

At its brightest, the frontlight is excellent, but dip it a little bit and the difference is quite dramatic, with the screen appearing darker than expected, but this is a common feature among Boox's color epaper devices like the Go Color 7 (Gen II).

The display, with a monochrome resolution of 300ppi and color resolution of 150ppi is standard, is good. Text is sharp and clear for reading, while colors are good… in the context of being an E Ink display, not compared to an LCD screen. That said, they are relatively muted compared to the reMarkable Paper Pro, which uses the E Ink Gallery 3 screen technology that no other epaper device has yet adopted.

• Design & display score: 4 / 5

Onyx Boox Note Air5 C review: Software & user experience

• First 10-inch epaper tablet to adopt Android 15
• Boox promises three years of software support
• Good native apps, but complex user interface

Where the Note Air 4C runs on Android 13, Boox has adopted Android 15 for the 5C. Running a later version of Android means the newer epaper tablet will get better software support — and Boox has promised three years of security updates — and there’s better app compatibility too.

It’s important to note, however, that my review of the 5C’s software is based on the firmware it was running at the time of writing (v4.1.2) and the experience could change slightly depending on what future firmware versions add. The current software fixed a major issue the tablet suffered from at launch (and one I experienced as soon as I started using it) — being unable to write comfortably along the four sides of the screen in the native Notes app.

Android OS & apps

The custom version of Android 15 running on the Note 5C doesn’t feel very different from the software on older Boox devices as the company has its own user interface overlaid on the operating system. Boox has done a lot of work over the years to simplify its interface, making it cleaner and easier to use, but there’s still plenty to wrap your head around.

That said, I love the look of the default home screen on Boox’s larger tablets, which has a box for your books, another for notes, below which are the apps — both native and those downloaded from the Google Play Store — and, finally, a few icons to access the native library app, a bookstore (with titles that are available in the public domain), the folders within the device’s storage section, and all settings.

Unlike older Boox devices, the Google Play Store is preinstalled and all you need to do is sign in to download any app. While you won’t be using video streaming services, you can download audio platforms — the built-in speakers are fine, but I’d highly recommend pairing Bluetooth speakers or headphones instead. You can also download some mobile games — I played a bit of Two Dots and it wasn’t too bad — but I suspect most users opting for a device like the 5C would want reading and productivity apps.

You can install Gmail, for example, to access your emails or install KoReader or Moon Reader instead of using the native NeoReader app. Personally, I use the Kindle and Kobo apps to access my existing purchases and get new content, but I also like Instapaper (for reading web articles offline) and Libby (to borrow library books), but the choice is yours.

However, I’ve found the native apps to be more than enough for most users. Not only will you get a full-featured library and notes applications, but there’s also a browser, music player, calendar and a gallery. There are a couple of applications to help you transfer files — although you can use Google Drive and/or Dropbox for easy cloud transfers. Wired transfers are possible on Windows PCs and, as a Mac user, I stuck with the OTG support on the USB-C port that allowed me to plug in a portable SSD.

Swipe down from the top right of the screen to open the Control Center and you’ll find plenty more options there, including buttons for taking screenshots and splitscreen view. This is also where the volume and light control sliders are, but Boox introduced buttons for some preset light options in 2025 and, honestly, I don’t like either the Bright or the Soft settings. I choose custom and make adjustments as I need them — something I did in my Boox Go 7 review as well.

There’s a long list of settings to get through as well, but what’s irksome about the Boox interface are the smaller hidden menus that you need, especially in the native reading app. Unless you’ve already used a Boox device previously, you’ll likely miss them, or you’ll stumble upon them when you’re looking for something specific to change. Ironically, this is a massive improvement over the previous versions of the UI but, if you’re a first time Boox user, be prepared to be patient while learning your way around.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Reading experience

While I had issues with how text rendered on the 7-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 screen in my Boox Go Color 7 (Gen II) review, thankfully none of that affects the Note Air5 C. Reading, whether you’re using the native NeoReader application or you’ve downloaded a third-party app, is a pleasurable experience. Text is sharp and there’s a wide variety of font sizes to choose from.

What I like about the open Android ecosystem of Boox tablets is the ability to sideload any font I like — I’m partial to Amazon’s Bookerly — and use that in the native library app for any sideloaded DRM-free content.

As an avid reader who has used the Boox Go 10.3 as well, I’m pleased to say that the text contrast on the 5C is better, which adds clarity and makes for a better reading experience over the monochrome sibling. Plus, the frontlight on the 5C makes a difference — if you want more contrast, you have to set it to high brightness with no warmth. Adjusting the light temperature can have an effect on the clarity via the contrast, but at no point did it make the text look fuzzy or unreadable. It’s a marked improvement over the Go 10.3 which uses the E Ink Carta 1200 display technology.

Colors, while not as saturated as on the reMarkable Paper Pro due to the difference in screen tech being used, are not bad and I found book covers looking good. However, my favourite graphic novel series, The Sandman, looked washed out compared to when I was reading it on my Kobo Libra Colour or even the Boox Go Color 7 Gen II. I’m not much of a comic or graphic novel reader, so the muted colors didn’t really bother me as I’m very used to looking at the frames in black and white on a monochrome ereader.

If you need to make notes on ebooks in the native reading app, you can either scribble or type, and there are menu options within the app to help you do so. These get saved automatically in the document you’ve annotated and you should see them when you open it again. You can use colored ink to write, but all typed text will be grayscale. Highlights can be in a variety colors too.

Overall, the Note Air5 C makes for a lovely ereader, but its weight can make it uncomfortable for using beyond, say 30 to 40 minutes, and if you leave the folio on, that’s added bulk to take into consideration. Whether you’re reading in bed or sitting up, this is definitely a two-handed device.

• Reading score: 4 / 5

Writing & typing experience

The Note Air5 C offers one of the best writing experiences I’ve had. The Pen 3 is designed to offer a felt-tip experience, which is smooth, and there’s just enough friction to make it feel like you’re writing on paper. You can even hear an almost-audible scratch on the screen that you’d hear when scribbling with pen and paper.

However, if you’ve used an epaper writing tablet without a frontlight before — like the Boox Go 10.3, ViWoods AiPaper or the reMarkable 2 — and decide to move to one with a light, you might find the gap between the pen and its stroke a little disconcerting. This gap is due to the LEDs occupying the space between the top glass and the actual E Ink layer below — but you get used to it very quickly, so this isn’t a complaint, merely an observation.

I found no lag between pen movement and the mark appearing on the screen, although there were occasions when the device didn’t register a pen stroke — a page refresh usually fixed this issue, although I did restart the device a couple of times when a simple refresh didn't work.

Despite that, the overall writing experience is excellent. Typing, on the other hand, not so much.

Whether you’re using the on-screen keyboard or you’ve opted to purchase the optional keyboard folio, there is a lag. The former is the faster option with only the slightest lag, but using the physical keyboard is slow and makes touch typing difficult. I tested the Note Air5 C with a Logitech wireless Bluetooth keyboard and found the lag is slightly less compared to Boox’s own keyboard folio. This allows for a better touch-typing experience in my opinion.

In fact, my experience typing on the 5C was so slow that I stopped using physical keyboards and stuck with the on-screen one when necessary (like inputting a password).

• Writing & typing score: 4 / 5

Onyx Boox Note Air5 C review: Performance

• Smooth and fast performance overall
• Some ghosting, but mostly when viewing image-heavy documents
• Disappointing battery life, but standard for an Android device

Boox doesn’t reveal what specific processor it uses in its devices. To determine that, I downloaded the CPU X app — a free download from the Google Play Store — and this told me there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 chip inside doing the heavy lifting.

This chip is also in use in the smaller Boox Go 7 ereader and works well there, and is an upgrade over the Snapdragon 680 in the original Boox Go 10.3. So, does it make the 5C the better device? To answer that, I began by first benchmarking the CPU, something I’ve done for previous Android-based epaper tablets because it’s easy to install the Geekbench 6 app on them.

The single-core score for the Note Air5 C recorded was 576, while multi-core was 1424. In comparison, the Boox Go 10.3 scored 403 and 1261 respectively, while the ViWoods AiPaper produced a result of 299 and 1114 from its MediaTek MT8183 CPU.

To be honest, these numbers don’t really mean much for devices like ereaders and e-notebooks — it’s how well the operating system has been implemented that will make or break the performance. For instance, despite a lower score, I found the ViWoods AiPaper to be the better device compared to the Boox Go 10.3 in real-world use because of how well the Android 13-based OS had been implemented.

On the Note Air5 C, the Snapdragon 690 chip doesn’t really make much of a difference in overall performance when compared to the Go 10.3, although it’s a lot better compared to the Note Air 3, which was the previous device in this series that I have experience with.

Other than the typing lag I’ve previously mentioned, I’ve had no other significant issues with the 5C: apps open quickly and none crashed during my testing, page turns are quick and any adjustments — like brightness or volume — happened instantly. Ghosting can still be a problem for some users though, and I found it to be particularly noticeable when reading image-heavy documents and books.

The only reason I would opt for a non-Android e-notebook like the Kindle Scribe or the Kobo Elipsa 2E would be for the battery life. As I expected, the 3,700mAh battery doesn’t last very long as Android is a power-hungry OS.

You might find yourself charging the device every 3 to 4 days, depending on how much you use it and what some of your settings are. During my testing, I found that an hour of reading at mid-brightness and some warmth to yellow the screen dropped battery life by 2%. An hour of notetaking will drop it quicker — in my case, about 8% at the same light settings with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth switched off.

Bump the frontlight to full brightness (and no warmth) and those battery drops for the same amount of use increases to a 5% and 10% respectively. If you have Wi-Fi turned on at all times, expect a touch more battery use, but it’s not a significant drop. If you happen to use some apps, like the browser or the music player, the battery will drain faster.

Long story short, prolific use will get you 2-3 days on a single charge, which can be extended to about 5 or 6 days if you use the device for maybe 30 minutes every day.

Topping up the battery is also a bit of a time investment — it took 2 hours and 3 minutes for my review unit to go from 16% to full, and that’s when plugged directly into a GAN wall charger using a high-quality USB-C to C cable. In my experience, this charging rate is slower than the 4,100mAh capacity battery in the ViWoods AiPaper, but about the same rate as the Boox Go 10.3 (which also uses a 3,700mAh battery).

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Onyx Boox Note Air5 C?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

If you're unsure whether the Boox Note Air5 C is right for you, there are other options to consider. However, keep in mind that any such device with a color display will be expensive, while monochrome options can save you some cash.

How I tested the Onyx Boox Note Air5 C

I've been testing and writing about ereaders and epaper tablets for nearly a decade now, and have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to E Ink devices. That puts me in an excellent position to compare and just new devices coming into the market, just like the Boox Note Air5 C.

As with any new epaper device, I first go through all the settings options to ensure I have the tablet set up the way I like it, as it becomes my person device for a few weeks. Having done that, I connected the 5C to Wi-Fi and logged into the Play Store.

Plugging my 2TB Samsung T7 Shield portable SSD into the USB-C port, I was able to access a bunch of ebooks I keep as test files for my ereader reviews, plus a few PDFs. While this was the primary way of transferring files during my testing, I also signed into Google Drive to download some old notes I had saved from an older Boox device. I also used BooxDrop, which has some EPUBs stored in the cloud, that I could transfer to the 5C. These were the methods I tested for file and font (Bookerly specifically) transfer.

I spent about an hour each day over four weeks reading, but I spent a lot more time taking notes, including for this review — the Note Air5 C essentially became my e-notebook for work and for personal use. I tried annotating PDFs and some DRM-free ebooks as a test, but I also used the on-screen keyboard, the Boox keyboard folio made specifically for the 5C and a Logitech Bluetooth keyboard as part of my review process.

I kept tabs on battery use in 1-hour blocks, but I also changed settings to see how it affected battery usage. And, finally, I timed how long it took to charge when I allowed it to drop below 20%.

Read more about how we test

[First published February 2026]

Apple has just announced a press event – well, technically an 'experience', which suggests something slightly lower-key – taking place on March 4, 2026, in New York, as well as London and Shanghai.

As ever, the company is keeping tight-lipped about what product launches we might see at the event, with nothing specific mentioned in the press invite itself.

However, we have a pretty good idea of what might be coming already based on the very active rumor mill when it comes to Apple. Indeed, one of the main fonts of speculation, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, has already tweeted that a clue in the invite points to a new affordable MacBook.

I'll come back to that shortly, but as well as that lower-tier MacBook, further laptops are expected to be launched by Apple, namely new MacBook Pro models.

Remembering that the iPhone 16e was launched around this time last year, we are also anticipating the successor to that handset, the iPhone 17e. On top of that, we may well witness the revelation of new iPads.

Let's break down the likely revelations for the March event, which Gurman believes is going to consist of online announcements and hands-on previews at the three locations. Then we'll look at what we might not see at this event (sorry – 'experience', which again hints at a hands-on feel).

1. MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips

There have been strong rumors that Apple will release new MacBook Pro models with more powerful processors early this year, and tipster Mark Gurman has previously suggested these laptops would debut in the first week of March. Obviously, that lines up perfectly with this event.

Also, don't forget that we've recently seen that new MacBook Pro M4 Max orders are delayed substantially, which is normally the case with an outgoing model, as stock is run down to prepare for its successor. So, all signs point to these new portables being imminent.

Of course, the new processors in the MacBook Pro will be the M5 Pro and M5 Max, but there might be something very different about them this time around – namely that both CPUs may be built on the same base chip. The M5 Max, a recently aired theory runs, would effectively be the higher-binned silicon, and the M5 Pro would be a lower-binned variant with a lesser amount of CPU and GPU cores based on the configuration chosen.

Take that with some seasoning, but it might mean MacBook Pro buyers are going to benefit from more customization options with these higher-end processors.

2. A cheaper MacBook with A18 chip

Another much-rumored possibility is a new bottom-tier MacBook that's much more affordable than the MacBook Air.

Apparently, Apple's plan with this is to use an iPhone processor – the A18 Pro, seemingly – to cut the cost of making such a device, as well as dropping down to 8GB of system RAM. (Which notably would defy its recent stance to deploy 16GB with all its Macs).

The idea with the price is obviously to make it affordable, possibly around the $699 to $799 mark in the US, or so runs the latest speculation – which has also put forward the belief that Apple's going all-in with this one. We're told shipments could be in the order of 5 to 8 million units, which would represent about a quarter of last's years total sales for Macs.

The clue I mentioned at the outset, flagged by Gurman on X, is that the colors on the press invite are light green, blue and yellow – which just happens to be the same colors seen on the test laptops for the affordable MacBook. It could mean nothing, of course, but I think that's a pretty heavy hint.

3. iPhone 17e

As noted at the outset, the iPhone 16e arrived at a press event a year ago, and there were already firm rumors that the iPhone 17e is 'imminent' – in fact we heard that last week. With this press event now revealed, we can put two and two together and, erm – actually, maybe we should be putting 8.5 and 8.5 together to get 17.

Again, it's Mark Gurman who believes this mid-range iPhone is close on the horizon, but the bad news is that the leaker isn't anticipating the device to be much of an upgrade on the existing model.

The main move will simply be upgrading the engine from the A18 chip to A19, which will obviously help the smartphone to be peppier – and another neat extra could be the introduction of MagSafe support.

While it may not be a hugely exciting new launch, and more of an iterative upgrade, the better news is that Apple is expected to hold the price of the iPhone 17e steady at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for this punchier handset. That's particularly good to hear given that we're in a full-blown RAM crisis (and storage is facing serious price hikes, too).

4. iPad Air (8th-gen)

We're expecting a couple of new iPads, including a refreshed Air model. A bit like the rumored iPhone 17e, this iPad Air is not supposed to be a major step forward, but it will get a chip upgrade – from the M3 in the current model to the M4. A tablet packing the M4 chipset would be quite something in terms of power and portability, of course.

5. iPad (12th-gen)

Along with the iPad Air, we're expecting a new iPad (which would be the 12th-gen incarnation). Again, this is expected to be a modest revamp, with the key move being Apple upgrading the A16 chip to an A18.

That's a sizable leap, and one that should see the iPad incorporate Apple Intelligence – with the current model not able to do so. Those keen on AI, then, will be glad to see that happen – if it does.

As ever, take all these rumors – all this iPad speculation again comes from Mark Gurman – with a suitable dose of seasoning.

What we're less likely to get – although you never know…

A revamped Studio Display, or Mac Studio, is a possibility that some people are certainly keeping their fingers crossed for. These devices are rumored for a refresh in the first half of 2026, but I'm not sure we'll see them just yet.

The same is true for the MacBook Air M5, which has also been rumored for early this year. But the new MacBook Pro models, and affordable MacBook, feel like more likely inclusions – and Apple surely won't be launching too many MacBooks at once.

Some folks are hopeful for a new Apple TV, but that seems unlikely to happen just yet, and Gurman explicitly pours cold water on the idea of Siri's big AI overhaul taking center stage here (though we'll likely hear something about it, or be treated to some teasers at least – or maybe a bit more).

• PocketBook has launched the InkPad One
• It's a Linux-powered ereader with stylus support and a large 10.3-inch screen
• It's not yet widely available, but that might change

Kindle and Kobo might be the main ereader brands, but there are all sorts of interesting alternatives popping up, one of which being PocketBook, which has just launched a new device called the InkPad One.

This is a 10.3-inch ereader with a grayscale E Ink Mobius display that has 226 pixels per inch. It has a front light that adapts to the environment, a 3,700mAh battery promising up to two months of life, 32GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, and a 1.8GHz quad-core chipset. It’s also slim and light, at 5.15mm thick and 400g.

Interestingly, it runs Linux rather than Android or a proprietary operating system, so you’re not locked in to a specific ecosystem, and it supports 21 book formats, including AZW, EPUB, PDF, MOBI, and many more.

Plus, it includes access to a Libby-powered app for borrowing books from libraries, and in the UK it gives you "the world’s most comprehensive English-language UK digital eBook library, with user-friendly LCP DRM-protected content of 4.5 million eBooks and 90,000 audiobooks".

It also supports stylus input (and comes with a stylus), making this a less locked-down alternative to the likes of the Kindle Scribe.

It also has broadly comparable specs to the Kindle Scribe, including a similar size screen, and an actually slightly thinner and lighter build – though its display is a little lower-resolution.

Not yet widely available

Still, if you don’t want to be locked into Amazon's ecosystem, or stuck with an arguably even more limited ecosystem like that of the reMarkable Paper Pro, then the PocketBook InkPad One could be a tempting choice.

However, we’d suggest caution, as we only gave the company’s InkPad Eo a two-star review, noting that it was expensive and clunky – although that tablet was based on Android 11, not Linux.

If you do like the sound of the InkPad One you might have to wait a bit, as right now it’s only available in Germany, but the company has revealed that it will be coming to the US and the UK, priced at $360 and around £270 respectively.

• Apple will reportedly launch two new tablets soon
• These will be new models in the iPad and iPad Air lines
• They could have new chipsets but few other upgrades

If you’re in the market for a new standard iPad or iPad Air then now is just about the worst time to buy one, as it sounds like new models could be launching very soon.

This is according to reputable Apple watcher Mark Gurman, who in his latest newsletter for Bloomberg (via MacRumors), claims that new models in these lines are “coming soon".

He doesn't mention an exact date, but the iPad (2025) and iPad Air (2025) both launched in early March last year, so another early March launch would make sense, and would definitely count as "coming soon".

These don’t sound like they’ll be massive upgrades over their predecessors, but one major thing is apparently changing, with Gurman claiming that the next iPad will have an A18 chipset (an upgrade from the A16 Bionic in the current one), while the next iPad Air will have an M4 chipset (up from an M3 currently).

An AI upgrade

So the iPad Air will unsurprisingly be the more powerful of these tablets if this claim is accurate, but the standard iPad would arguably be getting the bigger upgrade, since the move to an A18 should allow it to handle Apple Intelligence, which the current standard iPad can’t. For fans of AI, that’s a big deal, and should help seriously future-proof the slate.

Beyond the chipsets, though, not much is apparently changing, with these two tablets said to look much like their predecessors and have generally similar specs.

If that's the case then they might not be worth upgrading to if you already have an iPad or iPad Air from 2025; but for new buyers or anyone currently using an older model they should absolutely be worth waiting for compared to what’s available right now.

• Xiaomi has listed the Black Shark Gaming Tablet on its global site, suggesting it will get a wide launch
• Lenovo has teased its own new gaming tablet, dubbed the Legion Y700
• Pricing and availability of these two tablets is yet to be confirmed

It’s not often that we get to write about new gaming tablets, with this area seeming even more niche than gaming phones, but that might be about to change, as two such tablets appear to be arriving imminently.

First up, we have the Xiaomi Black Shark Gaming Tablet, a device that was teased late last year, but at that point it was unclear whether it would launch outside China. Now it looks like it will, as Xiaomi has added the tablet to its global Black Shark site.

Sadly, you can’t order it yet, and in fact there’s no release date or price, but its presence there suggests it will land soon, and could be widely available.

We do at least know its specs though, with this listed as having a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, an 8.8-inch 1600 x 2560 screen with a 144Hz refresh rate, a 7,300mAh battery, a 13MP rear camera, a 5MP front-facing one, and the choice of a black or silver finish.

It also has a “large VC heat dissipation plate, multiple graphene sheets, and metal cooling structure” to keep it cool, and there’s also a game mode that silences calls and messages, and maximizes the performance.

Lenovo's latest Legion

Next up, there’s the Lenovo Legion Y700, which Lenovo has teased on Weibo (via Android Authority). The company hasn’t said much about it, other than mentioning AI, but leaker Digital Chat Station claims it will have an 8.8-inch LCD screen with a 165Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a 9,000mAh+ battery, and a 50MP camera.

This is reportedly landing in March, but it’s not clear whether it will launch beyond China. Still, it’s nice to see some new gaming tablets arrive, at least one of which should be widely available.

Sure, it’s a niche space, especially with things like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch 2 arguably being more specialized alternatives, but there will definitely be some people who’d rather have a gaming tablet.

I use both an iPhone and a Mac, but I also have a Windows PC on the go, and that means there are times when my apps don’t translate across both platforms, with many working on one device but not the other. It’s a perennial problem for people like me, but one that rears its head in a myriad of ways.

That was particularly problematic when it came to my calendar. I like using Apple’s Calendar app on my iPhone, but there’s no Windows version. That meant I’d have to edit my schedule entirely on my iPhone, even when sitting at my PC, which was a fiddly task with no easy way to drag and drop items and entries. Or I’d have to log in to iCloud on my PC, which was cumbersome.

Eventually, I decided that enough was enough and started searching for a cross-platform calendar app that worked on my iPhone, Mac, and PC. I found it in the form of Fantastical, which happens to be one of the best calendar apps on the market. It’s an app that has long been an Apple stalwart but has recently released a PC version, making it ideal for cross-platform users like me (although there still isn't an Android version).

Since I started using Fantastical, I’ve found that it's solved nearly every problem I ever had juggling a calendar across multiple devices. Here’s why you might want to give it a try, too.

A rich set of features

First things first, Fantastical is a great option for people who use several different devices and platforms. As long as you have a Fantastical account, your calendars sync across every device you're logged in to, so changes made on one device propagate to all the others. That means there’s no more having to rely on just my iPhone – I can adjust my agenda wherever I am.

Fantastical also syncs with iCloud, so it updates Apple’s Calendar app on my iPhone (and vice versa), which is handy if I want to use Apple’s app for whatever reason.

But I don’t just love Fantastical because of its cross-platform support. No, it has many other features that are worthy of recommendation. One is its clean, clear design on any device. It’s easy to show the calendar in full or display it in half size with the week view shown in more detail, for example – all you have to do is swipe up or down. That gives it a very intuitive design on both Mac and PC.

As well as that, its ability to drag and drop events on desktop makes it easy to update your calendars. You can combine all your calendars in one view, meaning no more missing work events or social engagements because one calendar is stored in a different app. And it shows reminders as well as calendar events, giving a complete view of your schedule and upcoming tasks. It even shows the weather for the next 10 days, helping you plan ahead.

Aside from all that, there are also heaps of quality-of-life features that make my life easier in small ways that all add up. One of those is Fantastical’s inclusion of natural language event entry. For example, I can create an event with the text “Lunch tomorrow with Sam at 3pm for two hours at The White Horse, Wembley” and all those details will be added to a new event. It’s fast, simple, and easy to master.

To make things even more effortless, you can forward emails related to an event – such as a table reservation – to a dedicated Fantastical email address and the event will be automatically parsed and added to your calendar. That’s a handy trick if you’re ever in a hurry and don’t have time to manually add your events.

And uploaded attachments are synced to every device, while frequent events and tasks can be turned into templates for later use.

It’s also great for scheduling meetings. For instance, you can use the Openings feature to show other people when you’re available and let them book a slot from a range of options. Or the app lets you invite people to events with an RSVP system, and it can automatically add a conference call with a range of apps (including Zoom, Webex, Microsoft Teams, and more) when people schedule a meeting using Openings.

With such a rich range of features, I’ve found it’s got much more going for it than basic cross-platform support.

Just what I need

There’s a lot to like about Fantastical, and it has largely solved my cross-platform scheduling problems, but I’m not going to sit here and pretend it’s 100% perfect. Since using it, I’ve found that repeating calendar events – those that recur every week, in my case – sometimes throw up errors that claim that the version in the app is different from the one on the server, despite me not altering the event in any way.

And for all its smarts, Fantastical’s natural language entry can sometimes be a little iffy and might not understand exactly what I’m asking for.

I’m also not a fan of the app’s tendency to show all overdue tasks – no matter how old they are – at the top of each day’s list of events, which can crowd out more relevant items on your agenda.

But even when taken together, those problems are not significant enough to put me off using Fantastical. Compared to what I had before – where I was faced with either routing my calendar management solely through my iPhone or managing things in several apps – Fantastical is miles ahead.

I pay $5 a month for Fantastical’s premium subscription, which gives me unlimited calendar sets, the full 10-day weather forecast, time-to-leave notifications, the Openings feature, and more. There’s also a free edition that can be used indefinitely, albeit with a more limited feature set. Considering how much Fantastical has helped get my schedule in order across my devices, I think the price is worth it.

Ultimately, it’s given me the calendar experience I’ve been needing for years. I just wish it hadn’t taken me so long to give it a try.

Samsung just debuted a “world-first” color e-paper display that relies on a bio-resin derived from phytoplankton – and it’s a major leap forward for sustainability.

As explained in its announcement, Samsung’s new 13-inch Color E-Paper display’s housing is made from 45% recycled plastic and 10% phytoplankton-based bio-resin. This might not sound like a lot, but the design choice leads to a reduction in the amount of conventional petroleum-based plastics used to make the screen, and according to Samsung an over 40% reduction in carbon emissions for the manufacturing process compared with traditional materials.

First being launched as business signage – with the e-paper display being billed as a replacement for more traditional paper signage – this bio-resin housing hasn’t been announced for any other Samsung screens right now, but that doesn’t mean it won’t debut elsewhere down the line.

And over time we might hopefully see a much larger percentage of the renewable material making up the plastic in Samsung (and others’) tech.

What is bio-resin?

Bio-resin is a bioplastic that isn't all that new (the first was made back in 1855), but continued research has improved the quality, and manufacturing efficacy of biological plastics meaning we might be seeing them more frequently in consumer products.

It’s designed to mimic the best qualities of regular petroleum-based plastics – such as plastic’s strength and moldability – but not its worst qualities.

Because bioplastics and bio-resin don’t rely on petroleum – instead coming from renewable organic sources – there’s no finite resource that might eventually run dry, and if bioplastic and bio-resin made products meet certain standards (such as consisting of predominantly biological material) the products can also be commercially compostable and biodegradable further reducing their polluting impact.

Though much like Samsung’s new plankton-derived display housing, expect petroleum plastic (even in a recycled form) to still feature in some capacity in many bioplastic products. This is after all just a step forward toward more sustainable plastic from Samsung rather than a complete solution.

That said, the positive environmental impact of this change shouldn’t be ignored, and hopefully this Samsung e-ink display is the first of many to be made from plankton.

• Kindle ebooks are now available DRM-free
• This means you can read them on other ereaders
• But publishers and authors need to opt in first

Kindle ebooks have a lot going for them – there’s a vast selection of them on the Amazon Kindle store, and you can read them on some of the best ereaders, but they also have a major issue in the form of DRM (digital rights management).

This means that Kindle books can only be read on Kindle devices or the Kindle app. So if you have other brands of ereader that you’d like to read on, or devices that lack the Kindle app, you’re out of luck. But that might be about to change.

Amazon has now rolled out a DRM-free option for ebooks, allowing authors and publishers to choose whether they want to apply this DRM or not. For any books that don’t have DRM, you’ll find the option to download an EPUB or PDF version under the ‘More Actions’ dropdown in the ‘Digital Content’ section of your Amazon account.

These formats are far more widely supported, allowing you to read your books on almost any device that supports ebooks or documents. So this is great to see, and could mean you’re less locked in to a single ecosystem.

A good feature that publishers might not use

But there’s a catch. Well, actually there are two catches, but the biggest one is that this being voluntary, we might not see many publishers choose to remove DRM – since doing so also makes it easier for people to pirate the books.

Indeed, as Goodereader notes, no major publishers yet seem to offer DRM-free Kindle books. That might change – after all the feature has only just launched, but it also might not. So you’re probably more likely to see this option from small publishers and self-published works.

The other catch is that there doesn’t currently seem to be a way to tell whether a book is available without DRM until you’ve purchased it, so you can’t really make purchasing decisions based on this feature. That seems like it would be an easy fix for Amazon, though it may not be something that company wants to do.

In other words then, this DRM-free option very much seems like a ‘wait and see’ feature – it has game-changing potential, but unless or until it’s widely embraced its usefulness will be limited.

Onyx Boox Go 7: Two-minute review

I received the Boox Go 7 months ago for review, along with the Boox Go Color 7 (Gen II), and I’m glad I delayed my testing. A few firmware updates since I tested its color sibling have improved overall performance and I now have the new stylus for it.

That’s right: the Go 7 is more than just a basic ereader, offering stylus support and a native Notes app that’s full featured. You’ll need to purchase the stylus separately, though, but that’s not unprecedented – you’ll need to do the same for the Kobo Libra Colour as well, for example. While the new InkSense Plus is an improvement over the older Boox InkSense pen previously sold, writing on the Go 7 isn’t as nice as I’ve experienced on other ereaders – there’s just not enough friction.

That said, the 7-inch E Ink Carta 1300 display here is the standout feature and there’s nothing more important for an ereader than its screen. Right from the start, it made the Go 7 the better device compared to its sibling – something I said in my Boox Go Color 7 (Gen II) review and I still stand by that statement – putting it on par with the likes of the current-gen Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024). Text is sharp and crisp, while the overall reading experience is enhanced by very snappy performance. Page turns are quick, whether you want to tap to turn or use the buttons.

Speaking of which, access to the Google Play Store gives you a lot more flexibility on how you want to use the ereader – the native apps are great, but if you have personal preferences for specific reading or productivity app, they’re easy to install, with fast load times and smooth third-party functionality.

Another reason I love a Boox device is the impressive file and font support. You can sideload a wide variety of files and fonts, and you don’t even need a wired connection for that – Google Drive and Dropbox support help with cloud transfer that’s quick and easy. Transferring directly from a USB-C external hard drive or portable SSD is also remarkably simple and very fast and, in all honesty, I don’t see the need to tether this device to a PC at all for file transfer.

The Boox interface has also improved but, as I’ve said before in many of my previous reviews, there’s still too much going on and some setting options are still hidden within the native app and accessed from different submenus. Better streamlining is definitely called for, which would be a huge help to first-time Boox users.

Another reason I’m docking marks from the Go 7 is its lack of waterproofing. Given its price tag and that all its main competitors have IPX8 certification, it’s a huge oversight. If you’re careful with it while traveling or reading by the pool, in the bath or near the kitchen sink, this is arguably the best Boox device I’ve tried in a long time.

Onyx Boox Go 7 review: price & availability

• Released in April 2025 in most major markets
• List price: $295.99 / €249.99 / AU$419
• Available to buy directly from the Boox Shop and select retailers

It seems very strange to me that if you’re in the US and you shop directly from the online Boox Shop, the Go 7 costs more than the Go Color 7 (Gen II) – the latter is listed at $279.99, while the former is $295.99 at full price at the time of writing.

On the other hand, the pricing for Europe and Australia makes more sense: €249.99 and AU$419 respectively for the Go 7 compared to €279.99 and AU$459 for the color variant.

No matter where you live, the monochrome Go 7 is a relatively expensive ereader, although it can be argued that its price is justified by the open operating system and 64GB of onboard storage that’s expandable via a microSD card.

Moreover, its features include writing (although the InkSense Plus stylus will need to be purchased separately for $45.99 / €45.99 / AU$69) and built-in stereo speakers (sound isn’t great though). That said, not everyone will need the freedom that the Android operating system provides and the likes of the Kobo Libra Colour is cheaper at $229.99 / £209.99 / AU$379.95.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Onyx Boox Go 7 review: Specs

Onyx Boox Go 7 review: design & display

• Crisp and clear 7-inch E Ink Carta 1300 display
• Slim, lightweight and compact body with page-turn buttons
• Features speakers and microSD card tray

The Go Color 7 II and the Go 7 are siblings, meaning they’re identical physically – the only difference being the screen technology they use. In fact, the design has been inherited from the original Go Color 7 and that’s not a bad thing at all.

The Go 7 is slim, lightweight and compact enough to take with you anywhere. And the page-turn buttons are well placed to be just where your thumb would sit when holding the tablet in one hand. Personally, though, I would still prefer the old Kindle Oasis asymmetry (still used in the Kobo Libra Colour) that had a little extra thickness along the larger bezel to make it more ergonomic. The thinness of the Go 7 can make the fingers hurt if you're someone who reads for long hours. Having a case to add some overall thickness helps with this little issue.

I love how the page-turn buttons feel and work – there’s a nice little feedback that makes them satisfying to use. They become volume-adjustment buttons if you’re using an app that doesn’t need scrolling or page turning, which is nice since you can listen to audio files here.

As with the color variants (Gen I and II), the rear is textured, and there’s a small power button on the bottom right corner of the tablet. One slim edge is just thick enough to house a USB-C port for charging, as well as a microSD card tray and speaker grilles. A tiny mic is on the opposite edge.

Boox continues to steer clear of waterproofing for its ereaders, sadly, with the Go 7 also missing out. In my opinion, it’s an unforgivable oversight given its price tag.

The star of the show, however, is the Go 7’s display. As its name suggests, it’s a 7-inch screen using E Ink’s Carta 1300 technology. This display has proved itself time and time again on other ereaders and does so again here where it’s been optimized well.

Text and images are displayed marvelously well and the anti-glare coating on top ensures bright overhead lights don’t distract when you’re reading. The LEDs for the screen are fantastic, far better than the screen light on the Go Color 7 II. The light is brighter and not nearly as yellow as on the color version of this ereader. In fact, I’m amazed at how different the two screens are – the Go 7 is practically perfect while the Go 7 II is fuzzy and too warm.

• Design & display score: 4.5 / 5

Onyx Boox Go 7 review: software & apps

• Runs a slim version of Android 13 with excellent native apps
• Full access to the Google Play Store offers a lot of freedom
• Clean user interface, but some settings are hidden in submenus

An ereader running Android is an excellent choice for anyone who doesn’t want to get locked into either the Kindle or Kobo ecosystems. The freedom to use third-party apps or source content from any platform, can make a huge difference to the user experience.

That said, the native apps have plenty to offer and the average user may not even need to download anything else from the Play Store. The library app called NeoReader, for example, offers plenty of customization options that you don’t need to use MoonReader or KoReader… unless that’s really what you prefer. The same goes for the native Notes application too. There’s also a browser and music player, among other things.

Some of the third-party apps I’ve used on this Boox device are Kindle, Kobo and Evernote, but I’ve used Libby on a different Boox ereader.

The Boox interface has evolved into a much cleaner version of the convoluted UI from years past, but there’s still room for improvement. For example, it’s not at all obvious that there’s some library settings in NeoReader hidden on the top menu bar under More – it’s very easily missed unless you have the patience to explore every single menu option on the device.

The Notes app is also not available on the home screen navigation by default; you need to head into the device’s System Settings to find it and apply it to be visible if you plan to use it often. For me, given the Boox Go 7 has stylus support, the expectation is that the Notes app would be available by default on the home screen.

I saw a major change in how the ebook styling menu in the library app was set up in 2025 and that’s been carried over, which is a good thing. However, the complications still exist: tap in the middle of the screen when an ebook is open to bring up the menu, choose Style and the setup is much cleaner than before, but you need to tap on More Settings to adjust fonts, spacing and margins. These are much easier to access on a Kindle or Kobo.

Long story short: I can see the Boox UI is improving, but there’s really just too much going on still and the average user doesn’t need so many customization options. I don’t think even a power user like me needs so many options on an ereader. Less is more, Boox.

• Software & apps score: 3.5 / 5

Onyx Boox Go 7 review: user experience

• Arguably one of the best reading experiences on an electronic device
• Full featured, but takes some learning to get it set up for individual needs
• Not a great writing experience

Most of us read text-heavy books, so opting for a monochrome ereader makes economical sense as there’s really no point in opting for a color screen if you aren’t going to be viewing anything more than a book cover in color. But the Go 7 makes a much stronger case of being the better ereader compared to the Go Color 7 (Gen II) by offering a much nicer reading experience.

As I’ve already alluded to in this review, the screen on the Go 7 is a standout. Text is sharp and there’s good contrast too, making it one of the best Boox ereader I’ve used. This is further enhanced by the fact that page turns are quick, whether via a tap on the screen or the buttons. That said, individual books take a little longer than the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) to open, but all other library functionality is snappy. Boox really has done an excellent job of optimizing the E Ink Carta 1300 display for this device.

Text selection for highlighting or annotating is also quick, and it’s very precise if you use the InkSense Plus stylus. However, the Boox Go 7 doesn’t support global handwriting, which means you won’t be able to annotate or markup books using NeoReader – and that's despite a feature called FreeMark (which allows you to write on the screen when any app is open but not annotate). The native Calendar (for memos) and Notes apps are the only places where there's default stylus support.

This might seem restrictive, and for a power user like me, that definitely is, but the average user looking for a capable ereader won’t necessarily need all the bells and whistles of a more advanced epaper tablet like the Boox Note Air series.

If you did want to use the Notes app, though, be warned – the writing experience isn’t great. The InkSense Plus glides over the screen with barely any friction and it can be a little disconcerting at first, but you do get used to it. That said, there’s absolutely no lag and stylus input is instantaneous. I’ve used it to write and draw crude designs on the Notes app and didn’t mind it, but I would much prefer to use the Boox Go 7 as an ereader rather than a note-taker.

• User experience score: 4 / 5

Onyx Boox Go 7 review: performance

• Fast and snappy performance
• Occasional ghosting only when reading image-heavy books
• Battery drain is higher compared to the competition

The Go 7 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 chipset paired with 4GB of RAM – the same combo powering the color variant – and performance is generally very good for an E Ink device.

While the NeoReader app isn't the fastest book loader, that's not a fault of the device but he application. However, using third-party apps is smooth, with quick loads and all other functionality within them working well. Where I’ve previously encountered third-party app crashes on older Boox tablets, I had no such issues here.

As with the Go Color 7 II, I found wired file transfer via OTG to be remarkably quick and, for the first time while testing a Boox tablet, I didn’t even bother using Google Drive or BooxDrop to access my ebooks. I only signed into my Google account to access the Play Store.

Thanks to the Carta 1300 screen, the Go 7 doesn’t suffer as much from ghosting as the color version. In fact, I had no ghosting while reading text-only books, but there was the occasional overlay when reading graphic novels, which is common when reading image-heavy titles on epaper displays.

Battery life, however, is disappointing. The expectation from an ereader boasting a 2,300mAh capacity pack would last a few weeks, but in real-world use Android devices like the Go 7 don’t offer as much use on a single charge like a Kindle or Kobo.

If you have Wi-Fi switched on at all times, you’ll get about a week of use when reading about two hours a day and the screen brightness set at medium levels. You’ll eke out more with Wi-Fi (and Bluetooth) turned off and the light dim.

Start doing more than just read and you will see the battery drain even faster. The browser and music player are power hungry, and the more you jot notes, the quicker the Go 7 will run out of juice. Battery drain even in sleep mode is quite significant – something I’ve seen in nearly every Boox I’ve tested to date.

While there’s no quick charging here, you don’t need to wait too long for the battery to top up. On average, the Go 7 took about two hours to go from 9% or 10% to full over the several months I used it when plugged into a USB-C port of a 65W wall charger. It will be slower if you use a dock connected to your PC or a USB-A to C cable, but this is quite standard for most ereaders.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Onyx Boox Go 7?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Onyx Boox Go 7 review: Alternatives

If you're not sure whether the Boox Go 7 is worth picking up, I've listed a few alternatives below, with the Kobo Libra Colour, despite its color screen, being its closest rival from a design perspective. There are other standard ereaders as well and I've listed their specs in the table below to help you compare them all.

How I tested the Onyx Boox Go 7

I might have had the Boox Go 7 for months, but I've used it on and off for maybe just two of those before writing this review. That's because I got distracted by other Boox devices...

I digress, though. For this review, I tried various ways to upload files, including signing into Google Drive. I moved one font folder over, but used the OTG support to import the ebooks I wanted on the device for my testing. I used the same method to transfer a couple of music files to test the built-in speaker as well.

I was sent the new InkSense Plus stylus towards the end of December and I was pleasantly surprised to see that setup was remarkably simple as long as the pen was charged.

From the Play Store, I downloaded the Kindle and Kobo apps to access my existing libraries and to test how third-party apps function. I also used Evernote and Libby on this device, plus downloaded CPU X to confirm what hardware was powering this device.

I used the stylus to both write and draw, but spent most of my testing hours reading. I did use the browser briefly.

I've been testing ereaders for nearly a decade now for TechRadar and built up a strong knowledge base to help me able to objectively compare different models from different brands – and the Go 7 definitely stands out.

Read more about how we test

[First published January 2026]

Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: two-minute review

The Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 is a mid-range tablet with a bright, paper-like PaperMatte display, a solid chipset, and a seriously capacious battery. It has all the makings of a great tablet, right up until you come up against its fundamental flaw.

Let’s put a pin in that for now. The display is seriously impressive, capable of exquisitely detailed images with its 280 ppi pixel density. It’s also wonderfully bright, hitting a peak brightness of 1000 nits, and has impressive color reproduction that rendered the nature videos I watched with wonderfully punchy hues.

Pretty much the only criticism I have of the screen is that it’s a little too easy to scuff. After a few sketching sessions with the Huawei M-Pencil Pro (sold separately), the display had a few light scrapes across it, something I’ve not experienced when using the best tablets out there.

The performance of the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025’s Kirin T92B Octa-core processor and 12GB RAM is also genuinely impressive. While playing PUBG Mobile at max settings, I didn’t detect a hint of frame rate drops or latency, making it easy to take out my opponents. Meanwhile, no matter how many simultaneous apps I was running or tabs I opened, the tablet never seemed to experience any slowdown.

If you fancy lengthy gaming sessions or want to work on the go, the MatePad 12X 2025 offers a generous battery capacity of 10,100mAh. In practice, that was enough to stream 2.5K videos for almost nine hours straight, meaning you should have plenty of battery for a medium-haul flight or a full working day. And topping it up took hardly any time at all, thanks to its 66W charging – you should be able to go from 0% to 100% in around 75 minutes, which is fantastic.

Perhaps less exciting is the MatePad 12X 2025’s design. While it’s razor thin at 5.9mm and very comfortable to hold, it doesn't have the most adventurous styling, and it could be made of slightly more premium-feeling materials than its matte plastic. Both the included keyboard case and the M-Pencil Pro are well put together, though, with an ergonomic design and robust build.

Unfortunately, it’s time to return to that issue we put a pin in earlier. With ongoing restrictions around access to US-based apps, there’s a real paucity of apps available on Huawei’s devices. Much of the software you’ll want to use on a daily basis, from Netflix to Google Docs, simply isn’t available, really reducing the MatePad’s actual utility. In light of this, it's hard to recommend the tablet, even with some excellent first-party apps like its GoPaint drawing app.

I’d love to be able to give the MatePad 12X 2025 a glowing recommendation, as it has some real strengths. But the lack of mainstream apps available on Huawei’s tablet puts it at a real disadvantage compared to other devices. Fundamentally, you’ll be better off considering one of the best Android tablets instead.

Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: specs

Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: price and availability

• Released September 19, 2025
• Costs £499
• Includes keyboard case but stylus is extra £39.99

Launched on September 19, 2025, the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 is available now in the UK. While its initial list price was £599, it’s already seeing reductions, with Huawei selling it direct for £499.

Unlike the Huawei MatePad 11.5 released in August 2025, the MatePad 12X 2025 includes Huawei’s keyboard case in the box, which is definitely a nice extra to have. Not included as standard is Huawei’s M-Pencil Pro, but if you buy it along with the tablet, it’ll cost you just £39.99, rather than its £129.99 list price, making it a bit of a bargain.

In terms of colorways, you get just two options: the mint green that we tested here and white.

Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: display

• Crisp, 280 ppi resolution
• Seriously bright
• Gets marked easily

I have to say that, for a mid-market tablet, the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025’s display is pretty impressive. Its resolution can give the iPad Pro a run for its money: packing 2800 x 1840 pixels across its 12-inch screen, it’s capable of a 280 ppi pixel density, while Apple’s largest high-end tablet sits at 2752 x 2064 and 264 ppi. So while 4K videos didn’t look quite as crisp as on my TCL C8K TV, I was still pleasantly surprised by how much detail the 12X could reveal.

The sheer brightness of Huawei’s slate also made an impression on me. While its 1000-nit peak brightness can’t quite rival the iPad Pro’s 1600 nits, it leaves the iPad 11-inch (2025) quite literally in the shade with a brightness of just 500 nits. Putting the screen through its paces with some 4K BBC Earth videos on YouTube, I found it’s also capable of pretty punchy contrast and decent color reproduction. It might not be quite as lush and bold as the OLED displays of some slates these days, but it’s a looker nonetheless.

It’s certainly helped in this regard by Huawei’s PaperMatte screen tech. During most of my testing, I was using the MatePad 12X under bright, artificial lighting, and this thing just gulped down direct light, meaning I rarely had to worry about reflections marring my experience.

On top of this, the PaperMatte display’s etched glass was a treat to interact with, giving the screen a pleasingly tactile feel. It doesn’t feel quite as realistic to write and sketch on with Huawei’s M-Pencil stylus as dedicated writing tablets like the Kindle Scribe or ReMarkable – the nib slips more than I’ve experienced with these rival slates – but I still found it pleasant enough to sketch on. And at least this smoothness prevented the stylus from catching too much.

Really, my only criticism of the MatePad 12X’s display is how easy it is to mark. I’ve only used it for a couple of sketches so far, and there’s already a pronounced pen scuff visible on the screen when it’s powered down. These kinds of marks could easily build up over time, so if you were to buy the MatePad 12X, a screen protector would be a wise investment.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: design

• Just 5.9mm thick
• Solidly built
• Not the most adventurous design

When it comes to its design, the Huawei MatePad 12X is inoffensive, almost to a fault. There’s nothing wrong with its matte plastic body or its two colorways – White and the mint-colored Greenery – per se, but a metallic build might have helped it feel just a touch more premium.

Fortunately, it is well put together, feeling substantial and sturdy enough in your hand while being light enough to hold easily. In fact, while it’s a shade heavier than the iPad 11-inch (2025), weighing in at 555g to 481g for Apple’s cellular model, it’s a little slimmer at the same time, measuring 5.9mm in depth rather than 7mm.

Huawei is reinventing the wheel here, but the MatePad 12X’s case is well designed. It follows the common mold of combining case, keyboard and stand all in one, but is flexible enough to suit every situation I was using it for. And its keys are pleasant to type on. Naturally, they don’t have the satisfying thunk of deeper travel keys, but at least they offer enough feedback that I never found touch typing on them to be a challenge.

One small oversight here compared to rivals like the iPad 11-inch (2025) or Microsoft Surface Pro 12 (2025) is that the case doesn’t include a trackpad. While I’d normally class this as a ‘nice to have’, you’ll probably only miss it when you want to crank through a lot of productivity and professional uses. And here the Huawei MatePad 12X has much bigger issues that dwarf the lack of a mouse input.

• Design score: 3.5 / 5

Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: software

• Excellent first-party apps
• Too few familiar apps available
• Some unnecessary bloatware

Look. We all knew we'd have to have ‘the talk’ at some point. Most of you will be aware of the big challenge facing Huawei tablets by now, given they’ve been ongoing for over three years at this point. But it’s almost impossible to review Huawei devices objectively without bringing it up.

As a result of the Federal Communications Commission’s ban on Huawei in November 2022, many US-based brands no longer provide access to their apps on Huawei devices. Most notably, that includes the Google Play Store and full Google Suite, but it also affects the vast majority of apps you’ll be used to using.

Browsing the Huawei AppGallery, almost all of my go-to apps are absent. Spotify? Gone. Netflix? Gone. Facebook? Gone. Amazon? Gone. None of them are available as direct downloads. Although some are accessible as third-party APKs, this exposes you to potential security risks that downloading them directly wouldn’t. Sure, the odd app like Uber will fire up a browser version so you can still book a ride, but you’re still losing all the convenience that having an app installed on your desktop offers.

Inevitably, this also has a significant impact on the games that are available on the MatePad 12X. I probably spend more of my life playing mobile games than is strictly good for me, and yet, aside from PUBG Mobile and Candy Crush Saga, I barely recognized any of the other games on the Huawei AppGallery. The few I had heard of were those games you see advertised online with ads that don’t remotely reflect the gameplay, which didn’t fill me with confidence about digging through the charts at random.

What’s frustrating about this is that it's entirely out of Huawei’s control and, in fact, the apps it does control are well-made and offer great features. For example, Huawei’s GoPaint app is a pretty great drawing app for something just bundled in with an operating system, feeling a lot like if ProCreate came preinstalled on your iPad. It’s packed with brushes and blending options, and I had no end of fun whipping up watercolor-style pictures on it.

Likewise, Huawei’s Notes app is seriously versatile. I could quickly create notebooks with every template I might need, from musical staves to SWOT analysis charts. Its handwriting-to-text feature isn’t flawless, but given the chicken-scratch I produce any time I scribble by hand, it did a pretty commendable job.

Not every app that comes installed on the MatePad 12X feels this essential, though; there’s still a lot of bloatware on this tablet. I’m definitely over brands trying to cram icons onto the homescreen just to make their devices feel full-featured. Even when, as here, many are just suggested downloads rather than files taking up space, it’s pretty annoying to have your screen crammed with junk you’re not interested in.

Ultimately, software continues to be Huawei’s Achilles’ heel. Despite some bright spots, there’s just not enough big-name apps on the MatePad 12X for me to shake the feeling that I’m missing out on all the fun other people are having on their tablets.

• Software score: 2.5 / 5

Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: performance

• Decent chipset and RAM
• Handles multitasking without any slow down
• Games show no FPS drops or lag

The real shame about this lack of software is that, beneath the hood, the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 has some pretty decent power. Not only does it rock a Kirin T92B Octa-core processor, but it also packs 12GB RAM, the same amount of memory as our pick for the Best Android tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. But what does this all mean in the real world?

Well, first, I wanted to see how it fared with a range of productivity tasks. This wasn’t easy without full access to Google’s famously memory-hungry web apps, but I tried to open as many background tasks as possible. First, I loaded a couple of games and a couple of apps before opening the browser, where I opened a number of tabs, including Shein and Asos, several Reddit threads, a news site, and a 4K YouTube video. Once I started sketching in a free online photo-editing tool, I was pleased to see there wasn’t any significant slowdown.

Broadly speaking, the same seems to be true of games. Loading up PUBG Mobile and setting the graphics settings to maximum, I didn’t notice any significant FPS drops; every moment remained smooth and jitter-free. Meanwhile, there was no hint of lag or latency, making it easy for me to get the drop on most opponents I came across before they got me.

Using the Huawei M-Pencil Pro for various tasks, it became clear that it’s well worth the extra spend. It was always comfortable and easily manoeuvrable in my hand, and never so light that it felt flimsy or insubstantial. While sketching on apps like the GoPaint app, it was super responsive – there was no noticeable jitter or lag, and no obvious parallax between the stylus nib and the brushstrokes it created.

Probably the only area where the MatePad 12X 2025's performance is a little more mixed is its camera. It’s crisp and captures plenty of detail, but not quite as much as I’d expect from its 50MP lens. And while it’s not really fair comparing it to the iPhone 16 Pro I’m used to shooting on, I did feel some of the photos were lacking in the HDR pop I’ve come to expect. Ultimately, it’s not a bad camera, but as with any tablet, I doubt it’s going to become your go-to snapper.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: battery

• Huge 10,100mAh battery capacity
• Seriously fast 66W wired charging
• Can stream almost nine hours of 2.5K video

Huawei certainly hasn’t skimped on the battery in the MatePad 12X 2025. At 10,100mAh, it’s not quite as epic as the OnePlus Pad 3, with its 12,140mAh, but is pretty capacious all the same.

Trying to get a sense of how long it would last when really pushed, I set the MatePad 12X 2025 to stream continuous 2.5K videos and measured how much it depleted the battery. After seven hours, the battery had dropped down to 20%, suggesting that you should get around nine hours of continuous high-quality streaming from one charge. This is pretty competitive and not far off the 10 hours the iPad 11-inch (2025) offers.

Even better, topping it up is incredibly fast. Using a 100W charger – which is plenty to hit the Huawei’s 66W max – I popped the Huawei on to charge for an hour. In that time, it charged 78%, meaning you can expect it to be fully charged after around an hour and 15 minutes – that’s a truly absurd charging time, given its enormous capacity.

All in all, this means you’ll get a lot of use out of the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 before it falls flat, and you won’t have to wait long for it to spring back to life afterwards.

• Battery score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: also consider

How I tested the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025

• Tested it over a week
• Completed multiple performance tests
• Ran battery draining and charging tests

I tested the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 over the course of a week. To test out its software, I used all of its first-party productivity apps and multi-tasking features. I assessed the quality of its display by watching multiple 4K HDR videos and seeing how accurately it reproduced artwork in graphics apps.

To put it through its paces in terms of performance, I ran multiple apps simultaneously while opening a wide range of browser tabs, including video streaming and web apps, to see if I could detect any potential slowdown or performance issues. I also played multiple online games on max graphics settings to look for frame rate dropping and obvious lag.

When it comes to my personal experience, I’ve been testing and reviewing gadgets for many years. I’ve also spent a lot of my career using mobile devices and laptops for productivity purposes, and I’ve reviewed multiple graphics tablets, which has given me a lot of first-hand experience in assessing styluses and the color accuracy of displays.

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