onyx boox note

Some might claim that innovation has stalled in the ereader market, but that is only true if you ignore  Onyx. The Chinese ereader maker is showing off multiple new models this week at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair, including the 10.3″ Note and the Max2, a 13.3″ ereader that doubles as a monitor.

Okay, the Note isn’t that innovative – it’s an incremental improvement over existing 9.7″ models (the same is true for the Canvas). But it still has a much sharper screen (1872 x 1404, or 227 PPI), and runs a newer version of Android on a faster CPU.

All three of Onyx’s new models run Android 6 on a 1.6GHz quad-core CPU. If the prices are even close to that of the existing models then the boost to performance will make these ereaders a great buy.

please do tell me what you think of the videos below.

In particular, I want you to watch the video for the Max2 being used as a monitor. It’s hard to say without the device in front of me, but the Max2 looks like it is faster than my Dasung Paperlike Pro.

P.S. The Max2 and Canvas videos are courtesy of Notebook Italia, which also told us that Onyx hasn’t said anything specific about the release date, or the price.

Onyx Boox Canvas

Onyx Boox Max2 and Max2 Pro

Onyx Boox Max2 as a monitor

The Onyx retail partner in Turkey has revealed on Facebook that the Onyx Boox e-Note, an upcoming 10.3″ ereader, is going to ship in October.

The price has not ben announced.

TheOnyx Boox e-Note is built around a 10.3″, A5-sized Carta E-ink display. It has a screen resolution of 1404 x 1872, or 227 ppi. That is considerably sharper than existing 9.7″ Eink screens, which max out at a resolution of 1200 x 825, or 150 ppi.

We saw the Boox e-Note at a show back in April, and according to that earlier report, this ereader runs Android 4.0 on a 1GHz CPU with 1GB RAM. It has both wifi and Bluetooth as well as 16GB internal storage, a microSD card slot, microphone, and a headphone jack.

That is an old version of Android, yes, but on the upside  you can still install apps,

We also got a look at the spec sheet in April, and it hinted at dual-touchscreen tech (capacitive and an electromagnetic stylus). There was no mention of a frontlight, however.

All in all, the Boox e-Note look like it could be the upgrade that the 9.7″ ereaders have needed for several years now. It is almost the same size and packs in a higher screen resolution while still running the same Android firmware.

Hopefully it is priced close to the N96, and other Onyx ereaders with a 9.7″ screen. That would make it a killer value.

We just got our first look at the Onyx E-ink netbook I told you about earlier this week, and it’s even better than expected.

Charbax caught up with Onyx at the HK electronics fair this week, and he shot a video of onyx’s latest gadget.

The Onyx Boox Typewriter, as it is currently named, is an Android netbook convertible with a 9.7″E-ink screen. When plugged into the keyboard dock, you can use it like any netbook, but you can also remove it and carry it around like a tablet (it has a capacitive touchscreen).

According to what I was told by one of Onyx’s retail partners, the Onyx Boox Typewriter is still a prototype. Onyx is teasing it to see if there is enough interest to justify taking it to production. They’re also taking feedback on the design, so if you would like it with the new 10.3″ E-ink screen, now is the time to speak up.

Speaking of which, the second half of the video focuses on Onyx’s new 10.3″ device. It doesn’t have a price or release date yet, but we do know that its touchscreen uses an electromagnetic stylus.

Onyx has been getting away from that type of touchscreen on its latest devices, but it makes sense to use a stylus on such a large screen.

The Chinese ereader maker Onyx will be showing off several new gadgets at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair later this week. They’ve sent out an invite, and even though it is in Chinese it already as this blogger drooling.

In addition to the Boox Max Carta, the 13.3″ ereader we were already expecting, Onyx is also going to be showing off the Boox Note, an ereader with a 10.3″ E-ink screen, and it is also going to reveal a new netbook.

I don’t yet know the Netbook’s name, but I do know that it has a 9.7″ E-ink screen.

E-ink enthusiasts have been saying for some time now that they wanted to use this screen tech on a laptop, and not they are getting their chance.

Sure, several companies have tried to release this type of netbook, but the closest most people have gotten is when they paired a Bluetooth or USB keyboard with one of Onyx’s ereaders (or the Nook).

The result usually looked something like this:

Onyx’s new device promises to work a lot better – if it ships.

There is still a chance, though, that Onyx might decide that the market is too small or that the tech just doesn’t work.

Stay tuned.

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