Remarkable Paper Pure review: The best digital notepad I’ve tested

For over a decade and a half, I’ve been testing the latest gadgets, but nothing has blurred the line between analog and digital quite like the Remarkable Paper Pure. This device, the successor to 2020’s Remarkable 2 and a sibling to Remarkable’s premium color E Ink tablets, prioritizes one thing above all else: the authentic feel of writing on paper. Its black-and-white E Ink screen deliberately omits a backlight, a tradeoff that might limit where you can use it, but it also eliminates the glassy, detached sensation of other tablets. The textured surface creates a direct, almost tactile connection between the stylus tip and what appears on screen, making every stroke feel like it’s coming from a real pen. After testing numerous digital notepads, this is the closest any device has come to replicating that experience.

The stylus itself has seen thoughtful upgrades. The standard Marker is battery-powered, but I tested the pricier Marker Plus, which adds a dedicated eraser button. It’s available in a $449 bundle that also includes a new Sleeve Folio case. While its latency doesn’t match the Apple Pencil Pro, the overall writing sensation remains unmatched in my experience. A welcome improvement is the wireless charging feature: the stylus recharges when magnetically attached to the tablet’s side, much like the iPad Pro and Air. It’s no thicker than the Remarkable 2’s stylus, but the magnetic hold is noticeably stronger and more secure.

Under the hood, the Paper Pure brings meaningful hardware upgrades. A faster dual-core processor, double the RAM (from 1GB to 2GB), and quadruple the storage (from 8GB to 32GB) make the interface snappier. Side-by-side with the Remarkable 2, the Paper Pure opens large ebooks and PDFs about half a second faster, though the speed gain is less pronounced for smaller documents like native notebooks.

The third-generation Canvas screen is a customized 10.3-inch E Ink Carta 1300 panel, which Remarkable claims offers 20 percent more contrast and a brighter appearance than the Remarkable 2’s display. The difference is subtle and only really visible when the two tablets are placed next to each other. The resolution remains at 1,872 x 1,404 and 226 PPI, which is lower than many modern tablets, including Remarkable’s own color models. Small text remains crisp and legible, though not as sharp as on the latest 300 PPI e-readers from Kobo and Kindle.

What truly sets the Paper Pure apart is its redesigned, more durable build. The back panel is now entirely plastic, which feels less premium than the Remarkable 2’s metal back but is actually more resilient. I’ve treated my original Remarkable like a paper notebook for years, tossing it into backpacks without worry, and the Paper Pure inspires even greater confidence. It’s slightly thicker than its predecessor but 44 grams lighter, making it easier to carry around.

One disappointing omission is the lack of contact pads on the edge that the Remarkable 2 used to connect to the excellent Type Folio keyboard case. This doesn’t rule out a similar accessory for the Paper Pure, but it will have to connect differently.

The software experience remains identical to the Remarkable 2’s, which has been consistently updated. New features coming to both devices include the ability to convert saved webpages and imported documents into editable notebooks, allowing you to reorganize or reformat content before sharing. Integration with Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook will now create meeting notes with details pulled directly from the invite, so you always know the agenda. During meetings, you can take additional notes and then use AI to summarize them, highlighting important details or action items before sharing.

For reading ebooks and PDFs, the Paper Pure offers adequate formatting options but still lacks the expanded functionality of other E Ink devices. Amazon’s $429.99 Kindle Scribe (assuming a backlight-free version eventually appears) is a more capable e-reader with access to a massive bookstore. Boox offers several E Ink tablets under $500 that run Android and grant access to the Google Play Store, vastly expanding their utility.

If your primary goal is replacing stacks of notebooks, sticky notes, and scraps of paper, the Remarkable Paper Pure delivers the most authentic pen-on-paper digital experience available. The Paper Pro and Paper Pro Move may tempt with their color screens, but for pure writing, the Paper Pure is the superior choice. However, if you’re already a happy Remarkable 2 user, the improvements are incremental. Given Remarkable’s strong commitment to bringing new features to older devices, there are few compelling reasons to upgrade unless you crave a slightly larger battery and a more rugged design.