A special tablet has reduced my paper consumption to zero, now the successor is coming

No more black and white. The new Paper Pro from reMarkable comes with colors and display lighting.

There are products that hardly anyone “really needs”. Or to put it another way: The respective product is also available significantly cheaper. Be it the expensive sports car, the luxury watch or the high-end smartphone with minor upgrades over the standard model.

The reMarkable Paper Pro hits exactly this note.

Because with an RRP from 650 Euro The limited tablet is an expensive device that serves a small niche, but to which I firmly feel like I belong.

Our author Patrick is easily distracted, very easily. Be it through his smartphone, a Microsoft Teams message or an unimportant appointment in the calendar. That’s why he uses focus modes, turns off all WhatsApp messages on his smartwatch and disappears for a few hours while he works. That’s why he has a fondness for gadgets like the reMarkable. There is not the slightest chance of being distracted here. To date, he hasn’t received an unqualified recommendation – and that’s because of the price.

I have owned the reMarkable 2 for almost two years. Hardly any other gadget have I learned to love as much as the tablet with its e-ink display. There are practical reasons for this

• It is thin, light and very handy. So it always finds a place in my backpack.
• Writing feels great, like writing on real paper, only better. Unlike my iPad, I don’t get distracted with the reMarkable.
• My projects, such as upcoming articles, reviews or tests for my work and scripts for video content, are all recorded on the reMarkable. Thanks to its form factor, the device is virtually always with you and therefore ready to hand.
• The battery life is a blessing. After all, the tablet only uses power when I’m actually using it. The thing has to be plugged in every two to three weeks.
• I’ve never been a fan of paper. Since owning the tablet, my paper consumption for notes, scripts or other doodles has finally fallen to zero.

Both models even have an optional keyboard.

In addition, my documents are not only saved on the tablet. Thanks to cloud synchronization and a cross-platform app, I can access my documents from my laptop and smartphone.

But not everything is rosy about the second generation of the tablet. In addition to the high purchase price, the tablet is sluggish, which doesn’t always lead to frustration. But the longing for a little more oomph has remained, at least for me (silently), to this day.

Display lighting was on my wish list two years agowhen I held the device in my hands for the first time. A desk lamp was necessary (at least for me) especially for the tablet, as it’s hard to read anything in poor light.

So what can the successor potentially do better?? First and foremost is the new gallery display, which can now also display colors on the reMarkable.

• Compared to Kaleido display technology (which is also based on E-Ink), the switching times are significantly longer. In return, the gallery display potentially achieves richer colors.
• Notes or project steps can be highlighted in color, which can help provide a better overview.

The second pro argument is particularly aimed at the backlighting of the display. The manufacturer is thus eliminating one of the biggest criticisms of its predecessor and making the tablet also suitable for dark work environments. Speaking of the display: The screen now measures an impressive 11.8 inches instead of 10.3 inches.

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The new reMarkable Paper Pro is intended to almost completely replace paper

The company is also giving its newcomer a new CPU and more memory. A quad-core CPU works under the hood, which is supported by 2 GB of RAM. The internal memory also grows from 8 GB to an impressive 64 GB.

According to system settings, you have a little more than 46 GB of memory left for free use.

My first impression of the Paper Pro

ReMarkable provided me with the new Paper Pro for testing. It’s still far too early for a detailed test report, after all, I’ve only had the new tablet for a few days.

Nevertheless, I don’t want to withhold a first impression of the Pro version from you.

I like this so far:

• The display is 11.8 inches large and sharp. I have to scroll up and down less often when I’m working. That makes a big difference.
• Menus, documents and settings open much faster than with the reMarkable 2.
• The lighting is sufficient for darker working environments. However, you shouldn’t expect a very high level of backlighting.
• Although I sometimes wonder if the reMarkable really needs colors, I like it so far. Only time will tell how often the colors are actually used.

Speaking of colors: If you choose a color from the palette, you can start scribbling straight away. The lines are initially displayed black. If you stop, the entire screen will refresh and the colors will display correctly. This takes some getting used to at first.

I’m still undecided here:

• The writing experience is not worse, but different. The reMarkable 2 feels “rougher” when writing, which I personally like better.
• Of course, a larger backlit display can only come with greater weight. The Paper Pro weighs 525 grams compared to 404 grams for the reMarkable 2. I really appreciate the lightness of the second generation. The Paper Pro is noticeably heavier.
• I can’t say anything about the battery life yet. The manufacturer uses a 5030 mAh battery. The Paper Pro is said to last two weeks, like its predecessor, despite the backlight and larger display.

Is it worth buying?

I haven’t worked enough with the reMarkable Paper Pro to recommend (or not recommend) the tablet..

The tablet is something special in itself and serves a niche. If you belong to this niche and fully integrate such a device into your everyday work, you will probably be satisfied.

The upgrades over the reMarkable 2 are small yet large. The backlighting of the display should make many owners sit up and take notice.

The price of 650 euros is relatively highyes, even very high. At least the manufacturer now includes a pen. Everyone has to decide for themselves whether they would rather save the money or even invest in an Android tablet or iPad.