Boox Nova 3 7.8” E-Ink EMR Tablet—Color too!

A separate thread so as not to dilute the Boox Note Air topic.

The color Nova 3 was announced March 6, 2021. Details are here.


The Onxy Boox Nova3 — https://www.boox.com/nova3/

My willpower was not equal to this new ereader/note taker from Onyx with Wacom EMR pen. I expect to receive mine from Amazon.com within the next three days. It runs Android 10, can install the Google Play Store, and thus has access to whichever apps desired—no need to be locked in (or out of) the various ebook stores such as Kindle or Kobo. Caveat: just because it loads doesn’t mean an Android app will run usefully well.

If you have any need or desire to use Microsoft OneNote on this device then STOP, TURN AROUND, AND DEPART THIS THREAD. OneNote is not remotely close to being optimized for e-ink—it’s uselessly slow when inking. See Lisa’s @MobileTechReview review of the Onyx Boox Note Air @5:35



The 10.3” Note Air is functionally nearly identical as to processor, OS, etc., so apps should run the same.

Highlights

• Android 10
• 7.8” Carta E Ink display with 300dpi and 1872x1404 resolution
  
• Color Temperature Adjustable Front Light
• Wacom EMR Pen w/eraser end & side button, 4096 levels
• 3 GB RAM, 32 GB eMMC Storage
• USB-C for charging & OTG
• Speaker, Bluetooth 5.0, no audio jack
• WiFi 802.11b/g/n/ac 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz
• 7.77” x 5.39” x 0.3” (197.3 × 137 × 7.7 mm)
• 9.35 ounces (265g)
• $339.99 USD

This is an update of the Boox Nova2, which is still for sale at a discount ($299.99 USD) until Onyx clears inventory.


Other Reviews
VIDEO
In Depth — My Deep Guide

Note Taking Review — GoodEReader

Boox Nova3 Review — NReluctant


WRITTEN
Onyx Boox Nova2 Review — GoodEReader
https://goodereader.com/blog/reviews/onyx-boox-nova-2-e-reader-review
Onyx Boox Nova3 First Look — GoodEReader
https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/first-look-at-the-onyx-boox-nova-3
Onyx Boox subReddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/Onyx_Boox/

 

I’ve been watching the Boox-related videos on Voja’s My Deep Guide channel (really excellent). One has a comparison of styli and nibs:



I want to give note taking on the Nova3 my best shot, but have no spare EMR pens and the included default is apparently substandard, the worst overall in his tests. So I managed to find his #1 combo, Samsung Tab S6 Lite S Pen + HP Zbook X2 nib set (with the grey ones). The pen is half off ($25) on Samsung’ US site but will take a month to get here. I bought the nibs on Amazon.

I didn’t feel like making do with the default pen for a month, so I took a Boox subReddit suggestion and ordered a Wacom One pen on Amazon for $30. We’ll see how things pan out.

It’s a shame that the most recommended pens here on TPCR, such as the Zbook X2 stylus, are unobtanium, impossible to find anywhere. So we do the best we can with what is available.

 

I’m disappointed that you didn't make the obvious pun here.

 

I’m not much of a punster so I didn’t even notice the opportunity.

 

Agreed. The channel is surperb.

 

Got the Boox, checking it out. So far so good. I suppose the included EMR pen would work but I sure am glad I bought the Wacom One. YMMV as always with a stylus. It also fits snug in the Ayotu cover’s pen loop. Align the white section of the pen with the top of the loop and it’s perfect when the cover is closed. The side button works as eraser out of the box.

A couple of crummy iPhone SE1 snapshots for your pleasure:

 

Happy birthday!

 

I'm interested in how you like it as an ereader.

 

My husband stole my nova pro to do the kids' bedtime reading (kindle app), if that gives you an idea of its use as a reader.

Sent from my Surface Duo using Tapatalk

 

I’m with @violajack ‘s husband. Within an hour of testing and comparisons my 2020 Kindle Paperwhite found a new home deep in an overhead cupboard. It’ll remain there as backup. My iPad mini 5 is the better device for media other than text, so it stays in service.

I read a novel for much of last evening using the built-in ereader app. I also connected the Kindle app, downloaded a few of my ebooks, and made sure it worked normally. PDFs have tons of options and most should be okay to read, one way or another, though if that’s your preferred format I think the 10.3” models should be considered, if not the 13.3”. For reflowing text in standard ebooks, however, I think the ~8” screen size is ideal. It’s a good size and weight to hold and there’s enough room on the screen to allow smooth and even formatting. Easy on the eyes. (Note that I freelanced for a decade mostly working with novelists to get their manuscripts into ebook form, so I’m very picky.)

Larger pages mean fewer page turns. And I never want to go back to an ereader sans color temperature adjustable lighting—it’s soooo nice!

So far, I am liking it.

P.S.—I never had to sign up with Onyx, nor sign into Google. The Boox app store has optimized versions of Kindle, OneDrive, and so on. That’s a huge plus for me since it was only last year that I finally was able to close my gmail accounts (when I ended freelancing) and delete my Google accounts. I don’t like to create new accounts, or keep old ones (especially Google!), unless absolutely necessary nowadays.