Using a tablet is ideal for some folks, but others prefer that feeling of the pen or pencil hitting the paper. reMarkable 2 solved that problem by making one of the first tablets that functions just like an old school notebook – while you can read PDFs or ebooks, you can also write directly on the screen for note-taking or journaling with a pencil tool that feels way more realistic than the Apple Pencil. While paper is fantastic for visualizing and problem-solving, reMarkable 2 helps add useful digital tools like erase, undo, and move.
The reMarkable 2 is designed to help your brain focus, unlike other tablets which encourage distraction. With this digital paper tablet, your mind gets a break from all those email notifications and social media posts. Unlike the sea of tablets that exists in the world, the main purpose of this one is to help you think, not replace your laptop. Here’s everything you need to know about the reMarkable 2.
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Quality
The reMarkable 2 is a little smaller than an A4 page. It’s readable in sunlight, making it perfect for outdoor adventures, sunny plane rides or beach trips. What makes this tablet stand out is its dedication to mimicking the fast, tactile nature of paper.
They’ve managed to do so with the help of CANVAS, which is one of the fastest display tools, along with ultra-thin high-friction surface materials. The feel of it actually resembles paper, unlike Kindles and other reading tablets which have a slippery surface. On a single charge, it has 2 weeks of battery life with daily usage.
The non-charging pencil pen makes an imperfect graphite line just like a traditional pencil, while the calligraphy pen injects a dose of elegance into everything you write. The handwriting text conversion tool is extremely useful for those with poor or messy handwriting.
Thanks to their Screen Share features, ideas can be shared on a big screen or in video meetings, turning the tablet into a digital whiteboard to use better visual aids. With a journal or notebook, you’ll need to replace it once it runs out of paper, but with this eco-friendly alternative, you get unlimited cloud storage if you sign up for their Connect subscription. Another cool feature is that they added a Chrome extension called Read on reMarkable, which turns posts into Ebooks to read later.
Price
The reMarkable 2 starts at $299, and the marker costs $79 while the Marker Plus with a built-in eraser costs $129. The Folio is the cover case – the regular Folio costs $79, while the Book Folio is $129. If you go with premium leather over the standard polymer weave, it’ll cost you an extra $40. With all the best accessories, it can cost you up to $600 total. The regular Folio has a Market pocket, while the pricier version has a magnetic grip. Just like a regular pencil, the market tips eventually become dull, and the brand sells spare tip refills in a 9-count ($14) or 25-count ($34)
Purchases include a 100-day trial period to return for a full refund, as well as a 100-day free trial of Connect, which provides unlimited cloud storage, screen share, and other features. Beyond the trial, Connect costs $7.99 a month.
If you study, write, or take notes regularly, the reMarkable 2 is an essential tool. It does have a high price tag, but when you consider everything that it does, including turning handwritten notes into text, this digital notebook is a long-term investment and an eco-friendly alternative that won’t clutter your home.
Design
The thought put into the feel and texture of the surface to mimic paper is reMarkable’s most impactful design, but there’s another feature we love. At only 0.19 inches thick, It’s the world’s thinnest tablet. This makes it extremely portable as well as a more paper-like writing experience. For comparison, it’s thinner than a smartphone.
There are two markers available with the reMarkable 2 – the regular Marker features their signature low lag, just the right amount of friction and 4,000+ levels of pressure sensitivity. The Marker Plus features all of the above with a built-in eraser that lets you flip it upside down like a regular pencil. Their other beautifully designed accessory is the Book Folio. Available in a fine leather finish, it acts as a magnetized cover to protect your tablet.
Experience
Within the RM2, as its fans call it, you can create multiple “notebooks” with tons of templates. Some of these templates include day planners, music staffs, storyboards, lined rule, and a simple blank page. Within it, you can write, highlight books, notate papers, and even draw sketches with the help of the brand’s digital writing tools. All of this content can be easily organized into folders.
Once it’s time to write, users can choose between 6 virtual inking tools: a ballpoint, a fine-tipped pen, a marker, a pencil, a mechanical pencil, a highlighter, and a paintbrush.
The non-charging pencil pen makes an imperfect graphite line just like a traditional pencil. The calligraphy pen, on the other hand, injects a dose of elegance into written content. The handwriting text conversion tool, which comes with their Connect subscription, is extremely useful for those with poor or messy handwriting. It automatically transcribes handwritten notes into clean, typed text.
There’s something fulfilling and almost meditative about handwriting – in a world where we almost always type, penmanship is a ritual that helps us slow down, and this adventurous tech product makes it digital in a whole new way.
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Pros and Cons
Pros
The reMarkable 2 is a sustainable alternative to writing on paper that provides a smooth and functional experience.
- A paperlike surface that’s not slippery
- Extremely lightweight
- It’s sunlight readable
- Distraction-free zone
- Excellent writing quality
- Writing to text translation
Cons
While the whole point of this tablet is to avoid distractions, some people might find that the features offered for the price tag aren’t sufficient.
- Can’t use as a portable laptop
- Only 8 GB of internal storage
- Only supports PDF and ePUB
- No apps or internet access
- Not the cheapest tablet
- Not great in low light or dark
Conclusion
In a world of apple iPads with tons of bells and whistles, it’s tempting to call this tablet overpriced for what it offers. But its minimalist approach is actually what we love most about it. In 2022, it’s not often that you find a uni-tasking device that helps create a distraction-free zone rather than encouraging it. This tool truly helps you enhance your productivity, whereas other tablets simply function as a more portable laptop.
Whether you’re doodling, marking up your own documents, highlighting reading materials or taking notes in real-time, the ReMarkable 2 can help you do it effortlessly with a paper-like experience. Still, the price tag does raise an eyebrow for some, especially with the extra cost of spare stylus tips.
Additionally, some users complain that because it’s not backlit, it doesn’t work optimally in low light. Ultimately, it’s a little pricey for a reading and organizational tool. But since it has the potential to up your overall productivity, we still recommend it as the best digital reading and writing tablet of 2022.
FAQs
There is no internet browser, games or apps on this tablet, which is intended for PDF files and ebooks primarily. However, this also means Wi-Fi isn’t necessary to use it – you just need a USB cable for a file transfer.
With the trial, customers need to create an account and link it to the trial before setting up the device. Before the trial ends, you’ll get an email reminding you that it’ll be renewed automatically for $7.99 unless you decide to cancel.
Within Europe, some Scandinavian countries and the UK, the average window is 2-6 business days. For the rest of Europe, it’s 1-6 days, and for US and Canada, it takes anywhere between 2-7 business days.
The reMarkable 2 is the world’s thinnest table. It has up to three times longer battery life than its predecessor. The newer model also has a better writing latency that makes it twice as fast. It also has more accessories that snap magnetically to the device.
