Onyx Boox Go 10.3: A Paper-Thin Note-Taking Marvel

The Onyx Boox Go 10.3 has been my constant companion for note-taking and document reading since its release, and it has truly been a joy to use. In this review, I'll delve into the specifics of the Boox Go 10.3, and I believe it's exceptionally difficult for any note-taking or document reading device to surpass it. Even the Remarkable 2, a device that significantly inspired Onyx to create this product, might find itself challenged.

Design and Build: Unparalleled Thinness and Lightness

The design of the Boox Go 10.3 is striking. It's an incredibly thin and light device, often described as feeling like a sheet of paper. Many users have shared this sentiment upon holding it. The device measures a mere 4.6mm in thickness, making it even thinner than the Remarkable 2. It's remarkable how Onyx achieved such a slim profile, but they succeeded.

Beyond its thinness, the Boox Go 10.3 is exceptionally lightweight, weighing in at around 370 grams. This combination results in a note-taking and document processing device that feels akin to an A4 sheet of paper – incredibly thin and light. This thinness and lightness significantly contribute to its note-taking capabilities, which I'll discuss later.

The design features an aluminum frame complemented by a faux leather back. Unlike the Remarkable 2, it lacks the four rubber nubs that prevent slipping on a desk. However, the full leather back provides sufficient grip on smooth surfaces.

The front boasts a 10.3-inch screen. While the bezels aren't the slimmest, Onyx has cleverly used a white paint that matches the E Ink panel's background. This creates an illusion of a borderless display, making the device appear more visually appealing and impressive at first glance.

The device includes external speakers and a single USB-C port. It omits a microSD card slot, a feature found on other Onyx devices. However, for my usage, this isn't a significant issue as I primarily store my data directly on the device and in the cloud.

Overall, I'm impressed with the design of the Onyx Boox Go 10.3, especially its remarkable thinness and lightness. However, for those who are particularly detail-oriented, there are a few minor areas where the finish could be more refined. For instance, the transition between the leather back and the aluminum bezel has a slight plastic frame that protrudes slightly above the leather surface. This creates a subtle tactile sensation when running a hand over it. This is a minor point, noticeable only to those who scrutinize details, but the overall build quality is excellent.

Display and E Ink Technology: A Paper-Like Experience

Turning the device on, you'll notice the Boox Go 10.3 doesn't feature the latest E Ink Carta 1300 technology or a backlight. However, I believe it's an ideal device for many users.

During my usage, I found that the absence of the newest E Ink panel didn't pose significant issues. The difference between the older E Ink Carta 1200 and the latest technology is minimal, and in practice, it's barely noticeable. I'm unsure if the use of an older panel is related to achieving the device's slimness, but it means there's no backlight.

The elimination of the backlight is crucial for achieving the device's extreme thinness, arguably making it the slimmest note-taking device available. More importantly, it allows the E Ink screen to sit flush with the surface, mimicking the look and feel of writing on actual paper. There's virtually no shadow or indentation around the screen's edges. I genuinely appreciate this, as the content appears to float on the surface, making reading and especially note-taking feel incredibly natural, like writing on real paper. This is a trade-off I'm happy to make for the lack of a backlight, as I treat this device like a piece of paper – I'll use an external light source when needed or simply stop working when the light is insufficient.

For comparison, I borrowed an Onyx Note X3 Pro, a device for the Chinese domestic market that is essentially a sibling to the Boox Go 10.3. Both devices share a similar design language. The Note X3 Pro has a backlight, and you can see how the screen is recessed compared to the Boox Go 10.3. The backlight adds a layer, causing the content to appear lower than the protective glass. This results in a slight shadow around the bezel when viewed under light, creating a sense of depth that is less authentic than on the Boox Go 10.3. The trade-off for the Note X3 Pro is the ability to use it in low-light conditions, but it is also slightly heavier and thicker.

When taking notes, I noticed that the textured surface of the Boox Go 10.3 offers slightly more friction. Writing quickly requires a bit more effort to glide across the screen. In contrast, the Note X3 Pro's screen feels smoother, requiring less friction and thus less hand pressure, allowing for faster writing. This is the primary difference between the two devices; their software features are largely identical.

Features and Functionality: More Than Just Notes

Returning to the Boox Go 10.3, let's explore its features. The 10.3-inch screen is exceptionally large for reading books and documents. While I use it for processing documents and reading, it's not my primary e-reader due to its size, making it less comfortable for casual reading.

Crucially, while reading documents, I can use the stylus to annotate or highlight directly on the content. You can also adjust the background color of the book, choosing between white or black. Selecting black inverts the display, making the text white.

The reading menu offers a split-screen mode for multitasking. For example, you can read a document while taking notes below it, or view a source document alongside its translation. This large screen is perfect for such split-screen tasks.

The Boox Go 10.3 also features a new function called "Freeform." Essentially, it allows you to take a screenshot of whatever is on your screen and annotate it directly. This is more efficient than taking a screenshot, saving it, and then opening the file to annotate. With Freeform, regardless of whether you're browsing the web, reading an email, viewing a document, or even on a note-taking screen, you can directly annotate and save it as a file. This is a fantastic feature for anyone who frequently annotates documents.

Finally, there's the screen mirroring feature. This allows you to project the device's content onto your computer via a web browser. Both devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi network. You then access the Boox Go 10.3's IP address from your computer's web browser, and everything displayed on the Boox Go 10.3 will appear on your laptop. This is a great feature for online meetings or when you need to share content with others.

Android and App Ecosystem: Openness and Customization

The Boox Go 10.3 runs on Android 12 and comes with the Google Play Store pre-installed, allowing you to install a wide range of applications. Compared to smaller e-readers, the Go 10.3's interface is oriented vertically, with toolbars arranged along the side. I personally prefer the horizontal toolbar at the bottom that appears when swiping to the home screen, as it feels more intuitive for my hand movements.

The Note-Taking Experience: Truly Exceptional

The note-taking experience is where this device truly shines. I anticipate using the Boox Go 10.3 for a long time because of its superb note-taking capabilities. I use it to draft content and create scripts, and the screen makes this process enjoyable. Note-taking is a valuable habit, and this device makes it even better. It's genuinely difficult to find another note-taking device that rivals the Boox Go 10.3. It's a beautiful and "sexy" device, and its absolute thinness allows for a natural writing posture: simply place it on a flat surface and write, just like a piece of paper. You barely notice its thickness, and it doesn't feel like you're writing on an electronic device, but rather on paper itself.

The device comes with a basic stylus, which lacks any buttons and attaches magnetically to the right side. Due to the device's extreme thinness, the stylus feels slightly large. It's a shame the basic stylus doesn't have an eraser on the end, requiring you to flip it to erase. The Note X3 Pro, however, does include an eraser on its stylus, so you might consider purchasing a compatible stylus if this is important to you.

Onyx's note-taking software is packed with features. From the interface, you can quickly select different pen types, such as ballpoint, fountain pen, or highlighter. I particularly appreciate features like the Canvas, which allows you to choose the size of your notes, and the Layers function, enabling you to work with multiple layers and different backgrounds.

Writing on the Boox Go 10.3 is a pleasure. There's no perceptible latency, and because the content is so close to the surface, it feels like writing on real paper, not an electronic device. It's incredibly accurate, and the stylus's movement is instantly reflected on the screen. You can use various pen types, and with the stylus pen, you can achieve different line thicknesses. However, with the pencil tool, it doesn't recognize the shading effect when holding the pencil at an angle for sketching. It does, however, recognize varying pressure when drawing straight lines with the pencil held upright.

Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the note-taking capabilities of this device. I believe it will be very hard for any other device to surpass it. I plan to compare it directly with the Remarkable 2 in a future video, so stay tuned!

Thank you for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.

Key Takeaways