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PocketBook InkPad Eo evaluation
My first thought as quickly as I took the InkPad Eo out of its packaging was, “Ooh, that’s totally different.” It’s bodily in contrast to any PocketBook machine I’ve tried earlier than, with a premium and hefty construct that it’s borrowed from Bigme – made potential after the Chinese language model grew to become a co-owner.
This was a superb transfer because the metal-bound chassis feels good to carry and, regardless of an 8MP rear digicam, there’s no bump, so it lies utterly flat on a desk. Nonetheless, using metallic edges and the digicam may very well be what’s made the InkPad Eo heavier (at 470g) than a few of its competitors, just like the Onyx Boox Go 10.3 (375g), and uncomfortable to carry for lengthy classes. I’ve examined different 10-inch E Ink writing tablets and most of them are extra snug to carry than the InkPad Eo.
Aside from its design, there’s simply a few different positives I recognize concerning the PocketBook InkPad Eo. One is the adoption of the worldwide handwriting characteristic – aka the flexibility to jot down on third-party apps – which isn’t at all times supported in different epaper note-taking tablets and will properly sway some potential patrons. The opposite is the colour palette – whereas not as properly optimized because the Kobo Colour Libra‘s display, e book covers on the InkPad Eo look pretty in shade. Nonetheless, this has not fairly translated to the ink colours when writing or drawing and people look much more washed out.
And that is the place my positives for this machine cease. Whereas I commend the try at giving the Onyx Boox units competitors, the Eo is unable to carry its personal in different areas.
For starters, it’s very simple to lose the stylus because it doesn’t safe magnetically to the facet of the pill itself. Furthermore, the eraser on the highest of the pen doesn’t fairly behave as anticipated – it’s extra a selector, and the erasing occurs after you’ve chosen one thing within the notes app. It’s not an enormous lag, however I a lot choose the way in which the Kindle Scribe’s Premium Pen or the Kobo Stylus 2 behaves – erasing as you progress alongside the writing (or drawing), very similar to an precise pencil eraser would do. Even the reMarkable’s Marker and the Boox pens erase in actual time.
The digicam, regardless of being a pleasant contact, isn’t value having in any respect. It doesn’t really ‘scan’ a doc as your telephone would possibly do – as a substitute it takes a photograph. And the standard of the picture isn’t nice both, very similar to the Onyx Boox Palma 2.
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The one factor you anticipate to do simply with any ereader is switch information, however even that fundamental activity was irritating with the InkPad Eo. Whereas there’s Dropbox help (and I’m not a person of this cloud service), there’s no cable switch potential from a MacBook (I’m not a Home windows person both). All potential options really useful by PocketBook that I discovered on-line to maneuver ebooks to the library software didn’t work and I needed to resort to utilizing a microSD card as a substitute. That labored properly, together with permitting me so as to add customized fonts, and a restart enabled the latter simply sufficient. Even Boox units don’t have Apple help, nevertheless it’s nonetheless loads simpler to switch information with out resorting to utilizing a microSD card, and that is due to BooxDrop and Google Drive help.
It’s additionally not simple to examine if a file import (in my case through the microSD card) has been efficiently accomplished on the InkPad Eo. There’s no progress bar and the information don’t uncheck when the import is completed. Unusually, there’s a greyed-out Import button with a examine mark, nevertheless it’s barely seen.
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Even ghosting is an enormous concern. Practically each app and each web page flip ends in a lightweight overlay of the earlier display, which may get distracting after some time since you maintain anticipating it to occur. And that’s regardless of PocketBook adopting the a number of refresh charge choices that Boox units even have, and but the latter does it higher. I discovered that the perfect refresh charge setting to efficiently reduce ghosting on the Inkpad Eo is the Regal possibility, however the one technique to choose that’s to decide on Customized Mode, in any other case it’s greyed out. It’s a easy factor and needs to be obtainable as one of many default choices.
The InkPad Eo is the primary epaper writing pill from PocketBook that I’ve examined, however the person interface was immediately acquainted. It’s like a love little one of reMarkable and Boox, inheriting extra from the latter. And, in fact, meaning the Eo struggles with comparable points that I’ve beforehand complained about with Boox. The interface is clunky and never very streamlined, with vital submenus tucked away when they need to be simpler to entry.
I’m additionally not too happy a couple of pill launched in April 2025 working Android 11. That’s outdated now and, despite the fact that I don’t anticipate safety to be a difficulty on a tool like an E Ink note-taking pill, certainly it’s time to maneuver on – even Boox has adopted Android 13.
There are an entire lot of different little bugs which may be mounted through a firmware replace, however are, at current, fairly annoying. For instance, tapping on the House icon doesn’t take you to a house display in any respect – it simply refreshes the display you’re already on or takes you to the house web page of the app you had been utilizing.
One other instance is that despite the fact that PocketBook has thought of including a Evening and Bedtime frontlight setting, they’re each very vivid by default and require guide adjusting anyway. So having these presets was of no use, no less than to me who prefers dim display mild when studying at evening.
Lengthy story brief, PocketBook must do higher. The InkPad Eo has the makings of a superb epaper writing pill however, as it’s now, it’s arduous to suggest when there are different manufacturers that do a far superior job on the similar or cheaper price.
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PocketBook InkPad Eo evaluation: specs
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Show sort: |
E Ink Kaleido 3 |
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Display screen dimension: |
10.3 inches |
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Display screen decision: |
300ppi grayscale; 150ppi shade |
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Processor: |
Mediatek MT8768 (octa core 2.3GHz) |
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Frontlight: |
Sure (SMARTlight) |
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Storage: |
64GB (expandable through microSD) |
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Battery: |
4,000mAh |
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Speaker: |
Sure (stereo) |
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Water safety: |
None |
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Software program: |
Android 11 |
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Connectivity: |
USB-C, Wi-Fi (twin band), Bluetooth 5.0 |
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File help: |
14 doc, 3 picture, 2 audio |
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Dimensions: |
226 х 191 х 7 mm |
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Weight: |
470g |
PocketBook InkPad Eo evaluation: worth & availability
- Introduced March 2025
- Accessible now in North America and Europe from licensed sellers
- Checklist worth: $550 / £449 (about AU$850)
The PocketBook InkPad Eo was introduced on the finish of March 2025 and has been that can be purchased in choose markets from third-party sellers since April. With a price ticket of $550 / £449 (about AU$850), it’s an costly E Ink note-taking pill, however then so is the Bigme InkNoteX from which it takes its cues, as are different shade 10-inch E Ink writing tablets.
For instance, the reMarkable Paper Professional will set you again $579 / £559 / AU$929 on the very least. For that sort of cash, you’re getting a significantly better machine too – an e-paper display that shows shade higher and a really streamlined, minimal person interface. That stated, it’s not the perfect for utilizing as an ereader as properly – its sole function is to be a writing pill.
Whereas we haven’t examined the Boox Observe Air4 C, we’ve appreciated the earlier generations and, for a shade e-note taker of the identical dimension because the InkPad Eo, with the identical display tech and really comparable UX, it may very well be the higher purchase at $529.99 / AU$874 (ships to the UK through the EU warehouse for about £465).
On the time of writing, the InkPad Eo isn’t being listed at too many US shops, though Amazon has it listed for $579. It appears to be properly stocked within the UK, although, though costs fluctuate a bit of. For instance, Amazon UK has it down for £504.26, however Currys lists it for £499. Laptops Direct is the one UK retailer stocking it for £449 on the time of writing.
PocketBook units aren’t formally obtainable in Australia, however imports are listed on Amazon AU and eBay, however at excessive markups.
Ought to I purchase the PocketBook InkPad Eo?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Additionally think about
How I examined the PocketBook InkPad Eo
- Used daily for 3 weeks as ereader and word taker
- Downloaded a couple of Android apps, together with Kindle and Kobo for studying
- Listened to some audiobooks and music information to check speaker high quality
I’ve examined about 30 ereaders within the final eight years, so I’ve developed a routine once I start a brand new evaluation. First, I hook up with Wi-Fi to arrange the machine, then instantly see if I can switch some ebooks and comedian information for testing. And if it is a note-taking pill just like the PocketBook InkPad Eo, I begin a brand new pocket book referred to as Scribbles the place I check writing, drawing and handwriting recognition.
I did all this for the InkPad Eo, then additionally signed into the Google Play Store to obtain another apps, together with some benchmarking ones as I am at all times curious to see how the processor performs.
I spent about 30 hours over a interval of three weeks studying ebooks, and took all my work-related notes on the InkPad Eo. This gave me loads of expertise with the workings of the pill. I additionally tried out the rear digicam a couple of occasions, plus examined all of the refresh charge choices and varied settings.
Given my expertise with totally different manufacturers of ereaders and E Ink writing tablets, I used to be in a position to examine the InkPad Eo as objectively as potential with the competitors from Onyx Boox, Kindle, Kobo and reMarkable.
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[First reviewed June 2025]