Nearly three years after shipping its first 10.3 inch E Ink tablet with digital pen support, the folks at reMarkable are back with version 2.
The reMarkable 2 keeps the same basic idea — it’s a device with a big electronic paper display, long battery life, and support for a pen that lets you write or draw on the screen. But the new model is thinner, faster, and lasts longer.
The reMarkable 2 is up for pre-order for $399 and the first batch of devices are expected to ship in June.
During pre-orders, that price includes a folio cover, a “Marker” pen, and shipping costs. Eventually you’ll have to pay extra for those items, bringing the full retail price for a reMarkable 2 + accessories to closer to $535.
The company says the system has a 10.3 inch, 1872 x 1404 pixel display with 226 pixels per inch. It’s a 2nd-gen CANVAS display that’s “partially powered by E Ink technology.”
As an E Ink screen, the display only draws power when the image is changing. So it can display a static image indefinitely. But reMarkable says you should expect up to two weeks of battery life during normal use or 90 days of standby time from the built-in 3,000 mAh battery.
ReMarkable’s digital pen support pressure sensitive input and tilt sensitivity and the company promises just 21ms of latency so that writing with digital ink on digital paper feels more like writing with real pen and paper.
The tablet is powered by a 1.2 Ghz dual-core ARM-based processor and features 1GB of LPDDR3 RAM and 8GB of storage, which the company says is enough to hold 100-thousand pages of content.
It measures 4.7mm thick (0.19 inches) and weighs 405 grams (14.2 ounces) and the system supports 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi connections and features a USB-C port.
The reMarkable 2 runs the company’s Linux-based Codex operating system and features support for imported ePUB and PDF documents. You can export your notes and drawings as PDF, PNG, or SVG files.
Optional accessories include:
- Marker – $49 (included with pre-orders)
- Marker Plus (with built-in eraser on top) – $99
- Folio – $69 (included with early pre-orders)
- Book Folio – $99 (lets you keep the cover attached while working)
Both markers can be magnetically attached to the side of the reMarkable 2 for safe keeping, and the Book Folio is also magnetic.
And here’s a run-down of the differences between the new reMarkable 2 tablet and the company’s original ePaper writing slate:
| reMarkable 2 | reMarkable 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 404 grams | 350 grams |
| Dimensions | 246mm x 188mm x 4.7mm | 256mm x 177mm x 6.7mm |
| CPU | 1.2 GHz dual-core ARM | 1 GHz single-core RAM A9 |
| RAM | 1GB LPDDR3 | 512MB DDR3L |
| Storage | 8GB | 8GB |
| Screen | 10.3 inch, 1872 x 1404 2nd-gen CANVAS | 10.3 inch, 1872 x 1404 1st-gen CANVAS |
| Latency | 21ms | 55ms |
| Marker | 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, eraser function on Marker Plus | 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity, no eraser |
| USB | USB-C | Micro USB |
| WiFi | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz |  2.4 GHz and 5 GHz |
| Battery capacity | 3,000 mAh | 3,000 mAh |
| Battery life | 2 weeks use, 90 days standby | 3-4 days use, up to 7 days standby |
Note that while the new version is thinner, it’s also heavier — reMarkable says that’s because the case is mostly aluminum. Battery life has been extended and performance enhanced by up to 140 percent (for some tasks) thanks to the new processor and more energy-efficient RAM.
Has anyone used one of these before?
How does it compare to something like the Rocketbook Everlast?
…or to a regular paper and pen?
Tempting… But I’m not sure if I should with the current dollar exchange rate (the virus is wreaking havoc with everything).
ugh i wish e-ink would come down in price I don’t understand what keeps it so pricey.. the technology has been out for like 15 years
I think it’s more a matter of scale than anything else