Boox Tab Ultra C Pro Review
The Boox Tab Ultra C Pro is the most tablet-like e-ink device you can buy, and it is aimed squarely at power users. It runs full Android on a colour screen, has a fast processor, a rear camera for scanning documents, and enough grunt to act as a near-laptop with a keyboard case. It is expensive and it asks for patience, but if you want one e-ink device that tries to do everything, this comes closest.
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Specifications
| Screen | 10.3" |
|---|---|
| PPI | 300 |
| Colour | Yes |
| Frontlight | Yes |
| Waterproof | No |
| Stylus | Yes |
| Storage | 128 GB |
| Weight | 480 g |
Verdict
The Boox Tab Ultra C Pro is the maximalist e-ink tablet: colour, fast, camera-equipped and running full Android, it does more than any single-purpose device. That comes with a high price, the usual muted colour e-ink, shorter battery and the friction of Android on a slow screen. For the power user who wants one e-ink device to replace a reader, a note tablet and a light productivity slate, nothing else does as much. For everyone else, it is more device than they need.
What I like
- Powerful hardware with a rear camera for document scanning
- Colour Kaleido 3 screen and open Android with any app
- Optional keyboard turns it into a light productivity tablet
- Capable pen and deep note software
Worth noting
- Very expensive, more so with the keyboard
- Colour e-ink is dim and low-resolution
- Android on e-ink is janky the harder you push it
- Shorter battery and overkill for simple reading or writing
A colour e-ink powerhouse
The 10.3 inch Kaleido 3 colour panel comes with the usual caveat: colour e-ink is muted and dimmer than mono, so do not expect an iPad. What sets the Tab Ultra C Pro apart is the horsepower behind it: a faster chip, more memory, and a rear camera that turns handwritten pages or documents into scans. With the optional keyboard case it becomes a slow but capable writing and email machine.
The build is premium and it feels like a productivity tablet, which the price reflects.
Open Android, fully loaded
As a Boox it runs open Android with access to app stores, so you can read from Kindle, Kobo and Libby, annotate PDFs, take notes, browse, and run productivity apps side by side. For anyone who wants a single e-ink device to replace several, no other e-ink device is as flexible.
The more you ask of it, the more the trade-offs show. Android on e-ink is janky in places, heavy use makes the slow refresh obvious, and battery drops faster the harder you push it. This is a device for people who enjoy tuning and tinkering.
Writing, reading and price
Writing is very good, with a responsive pen and Boox's deep note app, and the camera-to-note workflow saves real time. Reading benefits from the big colour screen for comics and textbooks, at the cost of the dimness colour e-ink always brings.
At around 599 USD, and more with the keyboard, it is one of the priciest e-ink devices around. Buy it if you want a do-everything colour Android slate and value power and features over simplicity. If you only read, or only write, far cheaper and simpler devices will make you happier.
Frequently asked
Can the Boox Tab Ultra C Pro replace a laptop?
For light tasks like email, notes and documents with the keyboard case, it can come close, but the slow e-ink refresh means it is no substitute for a real laptop when speed matters. It works as a companion to a computer.
Does it have a camera?
Yes, a rear camera, which is mainly useful for scanning handwritten pages and documents straight into notes, a handy productivity feature.
How good is the colour?
It is useful for comics, highlights and charts, but like all colour e-ink it is muted and dimmer than a black-and-white screen.
Who should buy it?
Power users who want one colour Android e-ink device to read, write, scan and do light productivity. If you only read or only write, a simpler, cheaper device is a better fit.