I’ve tried Kindle, Boox, reMarkable, and more, and this is my e-ink hot take

I’ve put a lot of e-ink devices through their paces. I’ve curled up with Kindles, scribbled on reMarkables, and tried to convince myself a Boox tablet could replace a real Android slate. After years of page turns and pen strokes, I’ve got plenty of thoughts: E-Ink is both brilliant and infuriating. It’s the tech I rely on constantly, and it has strengths I’ll never stop loving, but it’s also the one that leaves me muttering under my breath more often than not.

Let’s start with why it keeps me coming back. E-Ink displays are incredibly easy on the eyes. They don’t blast you with blue light or leave you buzzing at midnight. Reading on one feels natural, almost analog, and a subtle front light means I can keep going long after dark without a harsh, artificial glow. And outdoors, forget it. While most tablets and phones turn into a useless mirror under the sun, an E-Ink panel only gets sharper. It’s one of the few screens that actually thrives in direct light, which is why my Kindle earns a permanent place in my beach bag.

Battery life is another standout. I charge my Kindle Scribe less often than I remember to clean out my car. Amazon rates it for up to 12 weeks of use on a single charge if you’re just reading, and even with the pen and notebook features, you’re still looking at three to four weeks before it begs for an outlet. Kobo’s lineup is in the same ballpark: devices like the Clara Colour and Libra Colour promise several weeks on a charge, depending on screen size and light settings. Compare that to an iPad or Galaxy Tab, which limps along for about 10 hours, or a smartphone that barely makes it through a day, and E-Ink starts to feel almost smug. Weeks of power are truly a luxury.

For writing, eInk also has an excellent feel. My ReMarkable Paper Pro gets surprisingly close to paper, with just enough resistance on the nib to trick my brain. The latency is fast enough that strokes land where I expect them, and pressure sensitivity means doodles and notes don’t feel like flat digital ink. It’s not the same as a ballpoint dragging across a page, but it’s convincing enough that I find myself reaching for it instead of a notebook. The bonus? No clutter, no smudges, and every scribble syncs to the cloud instead of getting lost under a couch cushion.

And then reality sets in. To start, refresh rates on E-Ink panels are still rough. Every swipe, page turn, or scroll feels like the screen is checking for permission before moving. When Kindles originally debuted in 2007, they had a refresh rate of around 1000ms, or one second. Now that’s been trimmed to about 150ms. Meanwhile, many OLED and LCD panels routinely manage response times under 1ms and input lag as low as 10 to 20ms. The discrepancy isn’t just in how E-Ink feels, it’s in what its wiring and physics allow. For simple note-taking or reading books, the lag is tolerable, even nearly invisible. But ask it to handle anything interactive or animated, and the sluggishness shows up loud and clear.

Colors don’t deliver either. They’ve improved, sure, but they’re still muted, washed-out, and miles away from the richness of modern tablets. Even the best Kaleido 3 panels can’t compete with OLED. Covers pop a little more, comics are readable, but the palette still feels subdued. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Kobo Libra Colour for reading, it adds just enough vibrancy to make covers and content more engaging. It’s an encouraging glimpse of what color E-Ink can be, but side by side with a true AMOLED Android tablet, the gap is obvious.

On that note, whenever I’m using a Kindle, I catch myself daydreaming: What if this exact screen ran Android? Imagine a lightweight E-Ink device with full Play Store access, proper file management, and all the apps you want. That dream exists; it’s called Boox. Yet, every time I pick up my Note Air 4C, I’m reminded why the fantasy doesn’t hold. Yes, you can download anything. Yes, the Play Store is wide open. But the experience? Painfully slow. Gmail stutters, Chrome drags, and even flipping through a PDF tests your patience. It’s not that Boox isn’t an impressive device line. It’s that Android apps are built for fast displays, and even on the fastest refresh rates, E-Ink just isn’t there yet.

That’s the heart of my hot-take: E-Ink is always one step short of greatness. It does the basics beautifully, from reading to writing to conserving battery and saving my eyes. It feels like the kind of screen I want to use all the time, everywhere, and yet, the moment I ask it to do more, the cracks show. Refresh rates, color, and responsiveness; they’re all still holding it back.

And yet, I keep using it. Because when E-Ink shines, it really shines. Reading in full sun, writing without distraction, packing one device that lasts weeks. Those moments outweigh the frustration. I don’t think E-Ink will ever rival OLED or LCD for speed and vibrancy — at least not in the near future. But it doesn’t need to. What it needs is refinement: faster panels, richer colors, and responsiveness that feels less like a compromise. Each generation gets closer, and I’m optimistic about what’s ahead. Until then, I’ll keep juggling my imperfect lineup. Kindle and Kobo for pure reading, Boox when I need flexibility, and ReMarkable when I want that paper feel.