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

The Onyx Boox Go 10.3 has been a constant companion for note-taking and document reading since its release, offering a truly enjoyable and exceptional experience. This device sets a high bar, making it difficult for any other note-taking or document reader to surpass it, even the Remarkable 2, which served as a significant inspiration for Onyx in creating this device.

Design: Unparalleled Thinness and Lightness

The Boox Go 10.3 boasts an incredibly thin and lightweight design, often described as feeling like a sheet of paper. Many users express this sentiment upon first holding the device. It measures a mere 4.6 mm in thickness, making it even slimmer than the Remarkable 2. Onyx has achieved this remarkable feat of engineering, resulting in a device that is not only thin but also exceptionally light, weighing in at approximately 370 grams. This combination creates a note-taking and document processing tool that closely resembles an A4 sheet of paper in its slimness and lightness.

The device's design is a fusion of an aluminum frame and a faux leather back. While it lacks the rubber nubs found on the Remarkable 2 to prevent slipping on surfaces, the full leather back provides excellent grip on various tabletops. The front features a 10.3-inch screen. Although the bezels are not exceptionally thin, Onyx has cleverly used a white paint that matches the E Ink panel's background, creating an illusion of a borderless, edge-to-edge display. This design choice enhances the device's aesthetic appeal, making it striking from the very first glance.

The Boox Go 10.3 is equipped with external speakers and a single USB-C port. It does not feature a memory card slot, unlike some other Onyx devices. However, for many, this is not a significant drawback, as storage is managed directly on the device and via cloud services.

Overall, the design of the Onyx Boox Go 10.3 is impressive, particularly its extreme thinness and lightness. However, for those who are particularly detail-oriented, a few minor imperfections might be noticeable. For instance, the transition between the leather back and the aluminum bezel reveals a slightly raised plastic frame. This creates a subtle tactile sensation when running a hand over it. While these are minor details, they might be apparent to users who prioritize absolute perfection in craftsmanship. Nevertheless, the overall build quality of the device is very good.

Display: A Paper-Like Experience Without Backlight

The Boox Go 10.3 does not feature the latest E Ink Carta 1300 technology or a backlight. However, this does not detract significantly from its usability for many users. The difference between the latest and previous E Ink technologies is minimal in practice, and often imperceptible.

The absence of a backlight contributes directly to the device's remarkable thinness. By eliminating the backlight layer, the E Ink panel sits closer to the surface, creating a sensation akin to looking directly at a piece of paper. There are no noticeable shadows or indentations around the screen's edges. This proximity of content to the surface is a key feature that users will appreciate for reading and, especially, for note-taking, as it truly mimics the experience of writing on paper. This is a trade-off many are willing to make for the device's slim profile and paper-like feel. The device is intended to be used like a piece of paper, meaning users will rely on ambient light or external lighting when needed.

For comparison, the reviewer borrowed an Onyx Boox Note X3 Pro, a device for the Chinese domestic market that shares a similar design language. The Note X3 Pro includes a backlight. As a result, its screen appears recessed compared to the Boox Go 10.3, with a noticeable depth and slight shadowing around the edges when viewed under light. While the Note X3 Pro offers the advantage of a backlight for low-light conditions, it is also slightly heavier and thicker than the Boox Go 10.3.

When it comes to writing, the Boox Go 10.3's screen offers slightly more friction than the Note X3 Pro. This means a bit more pressure is required for faster writing on the Boox Go 10.3. The Note X3 Pro's screen feels smoother, requiring less force and allowing for quicker writing. Beyond these differences, the software features are largely identical between the two devices.

Features: Reading, Note-Taking, and Screen Mirroring

The 10.3-inch screen of the Boox Go 10.3 is exceptionally large, making it ideal for reading books and documents. While it's not a primary e-reader due to its size, it excels at processing text-based materials. Users can directly annotate or highlight content within documents and can even adjust the background color, switching between white and black for inverted text display.

The reading interface offers a split-screen mode, allowing for multitasking. Users can read a document while taking notes below it, or view a source document alongside its translation.

A notable software feature is "Freeform," which essentially allows users to take screenshots of whatever is currently displayed on the screen and annotate directly on it. This is more efficient than taking a screenshot and then opening the file for annotation. Whether browsing the web, reading an email, or viewing a document, users can instantly mark up the screen and save it as a file, a highly convenient feature for those who frequently annotate documents.

The device also supports "Screen Mirroring," which projects the Boox Go 10.3's screen onto a computer via a web browser. Both devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. By entering the Boox Go 10.3's IP address into a web browser on the computer, users can see everything displayed on their device mirrored on their laptop. This feature is particularly useful for online meetings or when sharing content with others.

Android and Software Experience

The Boox Go 10.3 runs on Android 12 and includes the Google Play Store, allowing users to install a wide range of applications. Compared to smaller e-readers, the Boox Go 10.3's interface is oriented vertically, with toolbars arranged along the side. However, some users may find this less intuitive than the horizontal toolbars typically found at the bottom of the screen, which are more familiar for quick navigation to the home screen.

Note-Taking: The Ultimate Experience

The note-taking experience on the Boox Go 10.3 is arguably its strongest feature. The device is ideal for jotting down ideas and creating scripts, thanks to its exceptional screen. Note-taking is a valuable habit, and this device makes it even more rewarding. It's difficult to find another note-taking device that rivals the Boox Go 10.3, which is both aesthetically pleasing and incredibly thin.

The most comfortable way to use the Boox Go 10.3 for note-taking is by placing it on a flat surface, much like a piece of paper. Its thinness is so pronounced that it feels like writing on paper rather than an electronic device.

The device comes with a basic stylus that attaches magnetically to the right side. Due to the device's extreme thinness, the stylus appears slightly large in comparison. Unfortunately, this basic stylus lacks an eraser tip, which is a feature found on the stylus for the Note X3 Pro. Users seeking an eraser function might need to purchase an alternative stylus.

The note-taking software on the Boox Go 10.3 is rich with features. Users can quickly select various pen types, including ballpoint, fountain pen, and highlighter. The software also offers customization options for canvas size, layers, and background styles.

The writing experience on the Boox Go 10.3 is excellent, with no noticeable latency. The close proximity of the content to the surface makes writing feel incredibly natural, as if on real paper. The device is highly accurate and responds instantly to stylus movements. While it supports pressure sensitivity for varying line thickness with pens like the fountain pen, it does not recognize the tilt gesture for shading with the pencil tool. However, it accurately registers pressure for drawing straight lines.

Overall, the note-taking capabilities of the Boox Go 10.3 are highly satisfactory, and it's unlikely that many devices can surpass its performance in this area. A direct comparison with the Remarkable 2 will be featured in a future video.

Key Takeaways