The Onyx Boox Note Air 3C is the latest digital note-taking device with an E INK Kaleido 3 colour e-paper display. This device’s primary goal is to freehand draw, take notes and edit PDF documents in full and vibrant colour. This is the first 10.3 e-note with a 300 PPI screen, ensuring that all text will look razor-sharp. It has full access to the Google Play Store and runs Android 12. You can order it from the Good e-Reader Store for $499.99, and it comes with a free case and the Boox Pen 2 Stylus.
The Onyx Boox Note Air 3C features a 10.3″ Kaleido 3 e-paper display with 4096 colours and an E INK Carta 1200 panel. The screen is made of glass and is flush with the bezel with a flat cover lens. The black and white resolution for text is 2480×1860 with 300 PPI; this is one of the only 10-inch e-paper displays on the market with this high of a PPI level; the only other is the Amazon Kindle Scribe. The resolution for images, PDF files, and drawings is 1240×930 with 150 PPI. A front-lit display with white and amber LED lights provides warm and cool lighting; users can fine-tune the illumination system with slider bars. The colour scheme is dark grey and has a ledger design; it was made of a solid aluminum block. The magnetic case is black with a greenish tinge.
The screen has WACOM functionality, and the device comes with a free case and the Boox Pen 2 Plus stylus. The device has palm-rejection technology, and when drawing, there are over 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity. The harder you press, the thicker the lines become. There are around 16 different colours to choose from when editing PDF files, freehand drawings or creating to-do lists.
Underneath the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 2.4Ghz Octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. If this is not enough storage for all your files and apps, a MicroSD can handle up to 2TB of additional storage. You can listen to audiobooks, music or podcasts with the two stereo speakers or pair wireless headphones or earbuds via Bluetooth 5.0. There is a microphone for note dictation or using voice communication apps. The power button has a fingerprint sensor for added security. Connect up the internet with WiFi 2.4GHz and 5GHz. A USB-C port is available for charging and also for transferring data.
It is powered by a respectable 3,700 mAh battery, and the dimensions are 226x193x5.8mm and weighs 430g
Onyx has always employed Android 11 on all of their modern devices; this was quite a surprise when the company announced the Note Air 3C was running Android 12 with complete Google Play Services and the Google Play Store. This provides users with a modern OS (by e-reader standards), so apps will be compatible with this version for at least 5-6 years. So, there is a ton of additional value. Onyx supports all of Android’s languages, so this will be relevant for people worldwide.
This device has Boox Super Refresh technology; HD mode is best for reading books and PDF files. Balanced mode is better for typing and scrolling, with excellent image quality. Fast mode is best for applications. Super Fast mode is ideal for browsing the Google Play Store, video or streaming music/video.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.