Pine64, a Hong Kong-based electronics manufacturer, has introduced one of the most powerful e-paper devices to date. Priced at $399, the E Ink tablet is called the PineNote and it runs a custom version of Linux OS. It will support first-party EMR pens (sold separately) and third-party Wacom EMR pens upon release. Users will also be able to buy magnetic covers for the e-paper device.
The PineNote boasts a 10.3-inch 1404×1872 (227 DPI) E-ink panel with a 3:4 aspect ratio and is capable of showing 16 levels of grayscale. There’s an adjustable frontlight that can display cool to warm tones of light. The display consists of capacitative glass and a layer of Wacom electromagnetic resonance (EMR). A final protective layer of anti-scratch and glare-proof glass reinforces the display. Pine64 initially touted a 60Hz refresh rate for the display panel but has since reverted that claim.
The internal body and framework of the E-ink tablet from Pine64 is made of a strong magnesium alloy while the external back is made of plastic that is designed to be ‘grippy’. The company compared the dimensions of the PineNote to the Kindle Oasis 3 but slimmer. It measures 7mm wide, 1mm thinner than the Oasis 3.
Under the hood, the PineNote packs quite a punch. It is powered by the Rockchip RK3566 ARM chipset and has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. Users will get a whopping 128GB of eMMC flash storage on the PineNote. Other internal specifications include a USB Type-C port with fast-charging support, dual speakers, WiFi 5, and dual mics. No mention of Bluetooth support has been made so far.
The PineNote e-paper tablet can be used for reading ebooks or comics, note-taking, sketching, and drawing. It can even run office productivity software like LibreOffice. Pine64 discussed keyboard compatibility for the PineNote and possibly adding more accessories for the E-ink device. Since the PineNote runs an open-source OS, users will be able to install a wide array of different apps.
Pine64’s latest E-ink device makes an enticing promise to cover the gap between traditional Android and iOS tablets and e-paper ones. The PineNote is due out at some point later this year, with no concrete release date disclosed as of yet.
Namerah is a Technology Journalist with experience at leading online publications like Android Central. She has a passion for all things tech and gaming, and has been an honorary Goodreads librarian since 2011. When she isn't writing, she can be found chasing stray cats and dogs in the streets of Dhaka or slaying dragons in the land of Skyrim. Email her at namerah@goodereader.com
