Where traditional tablets fail, reMarkable succeeds

Imagine you’re in a situation like this: You’re at a café or your favorite work spot, trying to brainstorm and get things done, but you just can’t. There’s a lot of — as I like to call it — digital noise around you: Instagram notifications here, Twitter beeps there, WhatsApp pings, phone calls, emails, news apps. Eventually, you’re left frustrated with no work done. This is where reMarkable 2 comes in.

reMarkable aims to solve our digital chaos with the reMarkable 2 tablet, allowing us focus on our ideas, reading, and just offering a distraction-free space for real productivity — something that traditional tablets have failed us at, by adding nothing but more digital chaos to our lives. I have been using the reMarkable 2 tablet for a few weeks, and I’m convinced everyone needs a tool like this. Here’s my full review of the reMarkable 2.

Price and Availability

The reMarkable 2 is sold in various countries globally, such as the US, UK, Europe, and many parts of Asia, including India, UAE, South Korea, Singapore, and more. In the US, it begins at $279 for the tablet alone. However, if you want the stylus and a folio cover, you’ll need to pay extra. Alternatively, you can also opt for the bundle, which includes the tablet, Marker Plus Pen, and a Book Folio Cover, priced at $549.

Design and Display

One of the things you instantly notice about the reMarkable 2 when you take it out of the box is how remarkably thin it is — almost as thin as half an iPhone 15 Pro Max and 25% slimmer than the 5th Gen iPad Air. Measuring just 4.7mm thick, it’s incredibly easy to carry around. What adds to its portability even better is that it is made from a single sheet of aluminum and weighs only 403 grams. Even with the folio cover attached, the reMarkable 2 feels like holding a lightweight notebook in your hand.

In terms of design, the reMarkable 2 keeps things minimal. You won’t find any cameras or speakers on the device. Instead, it features only a USB-C port for charging and a power button. The company has paid attention to detail with the design here, as the device also features small plastic nubs on the back, making sure the device doesn’t slide or scratch while you’re taking notes or scribbling. On the whole, the reMarkable 2 is designed to be your “everyday companion,” whether you’re taking notes in class, reading a book, or using it in corporate meetings.

Taking a look at the front, you’ll find a big 10.3-inch E Ink display with a resolution of 1872 x 1404 pixels and an apt PPI of 226. It’s important to note that this is a monochrome display, so everything appears in black and white — no LCD or OLED like vibrant colors here. Apart from that, you’ll find ample bezels on the front, providing space to rest your hand or hold the device comfortably. The display itself has a paper-like finish, so it feels as if you’re swiping and/or writing on an A4 sheet of paper when you’re using the device.

Speaking of using the device, reMarkable provided us with a full set of accessories, including the company’s Marker Plus and Type Folio keyboard cover, alongside the reMarkable 2 unit. The stylus feels substantial, similar to the Apple Pencil or a high-quality pen, but it’s a bit longer than what I find comfortable. One great feature is that the backside of the Marker Plus serves as an eraser, so you can just turn the stylus and erase things using the other side — similar to traditional pencils with erasers.

reMarkable offers a number of Folio covers for the device, such as the Book Folio and Folio, available in different textures and finishes. However, my favorite is the Type Folio cover. This Folio cover adds a more productivity angle to the device, serving as both a cover and keyboard for the device. It has a Microsoft Surface-like feel, although it lacks the ability to adjust the tilt angle, which would have been a nice addition. Nonetheless, it makes taking notes and writing on the reMarkable 2 much easier.

Coming back to the display, there are a couple of downsides you should know about. Firstly, there’s no backlighting, which means you will always have to be a room with good lighting to read the reMarkable 2 easily. Anything other than that and you will find it hard to clearly see the display. This is what you expect when you’re reading a paper as well, but for a device that costs this much and the fact that competitors like the Amazon Kindle Scribe feature backlighting, it should really have been a built-in feature — perhaps something for the next generation?

Another downside is that the display feels somewhat sluggish and less responsive, especially when compared to an iPad or a Samsung Galaxy Tab. Now, again, this is to be expected with an E Ink display — as there are literally particles moving underneath the screen to display content — but it’s worth noting.

Software and Performance

Coming to the software, the reMarkable 2 runs on the company’s own Linux-based OS. It isn’t anything like Android or iPadOS — in fact, its interface is straightforward, with a main screen to manage your notebooks, sheets, and reading materials, along with a status bar showing time, Wi-Fi, and battery status below. Yes, the device supports Wi-Fi connectivity. As for reading, the reMarkable 2 supports only two formats: ePub and PDF.

You can sync documents with services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive to access them on the go, and even send notes directly from the device to your email. The device also supports integration with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, which you can use to see and edit documents on the device. Additionally, reMarkable offers apps for Mac, Android, iPhone, and Windows, enabling syncing with the device and even sharing the screen with your laptop.

It is, however, worth noting that the cloud syncing and desktop app features require a subscription to the company’s Connect service. The subscription includes a handwriting-to-text conversion tool as well, allowing for easier searching of handwritten notes. However, after the included year, it costs $2.99 per month or $29.90 per year.

And yes, let’s talk about the reading experience. The reading experience on reMarkable 2 isn’t ideal. While syncing ePubs and PDFs is easy, navigating through pages isn’t as smooth as with other e-readers. Instead of using buttons or even tapping to turn pages, you have to swipe left or right, which can be less convenient over time. However, I’ll have to appreciate the device for its excellent note-taking and annotating PDFs ability, which, sort of, compensates for the average reading experience.

reMarkable 2 is no iPad replacement.

Finally, it is worth pointing out that reMarkable 2 is not an iPad replacement. There are things that only an iPad can do. Watching movies and TV shows, playing games, video calling, drawing, and whatnot — these are some of things only an iPad can do. However, when it comes to brainstorming, jotting down ideas, and getting things done, reMarkable 2 is the device to have.

Battery

Lastly, let’s talk about battery life. The reMarkable 2 features a big 3,000 mAh battery. The company promises a two-week battery life, and in my experience, I’ve only needed to charge it once in the past month, confirming this claim. You’ll generally not find yourself looking for a power outlet to charge your reMarkable 2, but the device features a USB-C port, which adds to the convenience since most of the devices feature the same port nowadays.

Should You Buy It?

So, is the reMarkable 2 worth buying? Well, it comes with a hefty price tag, and admittedly, it doesn’t offer as many features as an iPad, which costs around the same. However, if you’re struggling to work and find yourself engrossed in the digital chaos, the reMarkable 2 is worth a shot. It has its own unique way of getting things done, and while it does take a learning curve to get used to it, once you go past that barrier and integrate this device into your life, it can surely be a game changer — as it has been for me.