The Onyx Boox Note 2 is the direct sequel to the very successful first generation Note, that came out at the beginning of 2018. The original device basically kicked off Onyx’s foray into digital note taking devices and this is something they have been focusing on for the past two years. The Note 2 is out in a week, and Good e-Reader is conducting an extensive unboxing video. This will give you a sense of the industrial design, what comes inside of the box and if it is right for you.
The Note 2 features a 10.3 inch E Ink Carta HD display with a resolution of 1872×1404 with 227 DPI. The screen is flush with the bezel and there is a glass pane. It has a front-lit display and amber LEDs to counteract the bright white ones. The screen has a WACOM layer that is meant to interact with the accompanied stylus, that has 4,096 degrees of pressure sensitivity, there is also palm rejection technology.
Underneath the hood is the same Qualcomm Octa-core 2 GHZ A53 processor, the same one that the MAX 3 employs. It also has 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 64GB of internal storage. There is a USB-C port for charging the device and also transferring data. The port is also compatible with OTG, which means you can attach keyboards, mice or an external SD card, with no drivers necessary. You can connect up to the internet the with 5G WIFI, which should provide lightning quick performance. The back button has a fingerprint function to unlock your device.
The second generation Note is shipping with Android 9.0, which is the second e-reader ever to do so. This version of Android is compatible with more apps and is very secure, compared to the Likebook series of devices, which only has Android 6.0.
Inside the box is a standard WACOM stylus, a USB-C cable. Inside a black envelope is 1 year warranty card and quick start guide. The sides of the bezel are a bit smaller than the original Note, and the screen is flush with the bezel. There are two stereo speakers on the very bottom of the back, if you are holding the device, you will get good audio quality, else I suggest a wireless headphones. On the front is simply a home button.
My first impressions is that on a very surface level, it looks very much like the original Note, we put them side by side, and it was almost impossible to tell the difference. The stylus looks the same as the Note 1 and so does all of the retail packaging. The real changes between this model and the previous gen, is the specs. This is running an insane amount of processing power, RAM and internal storage. Android 9.0 is very compelling for those of you that want full access to Google Play and want maximum compatibility with all of the modern apps. There is also a new refresh mode system, similar to the MAX 3, you have a few new options, playing games or watching video, or streaming music is now extremely viable. The 5G WIFI internet will help you do all of this.
You can purchase the Onyx Boox Note 2 from the Good e-Reader Store for $529.99, which includes our automatic coupon code. It comes with a free case and screen protector.
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.
