The price (and price) of focus

The Remarkable 2 is not like any other tablet you might normally use. Unlike iPad or Android tablets, it doesn’t have an app store, you can’t play games or watch videos, and it doesn’t have a browser. Its sole purpose is to help you write on a digital notepad without digital distractions, and it’s fantastic at delivering on that promise. I love writing about it. But should you pay attention to a feature-focused device that costs over $400 / INR 40,000?

A wonderful build

The Remarkable 2 is lightweight and feels solid in the hand. It features a frosted glass finish on the back, which is non-slippery thanks to four rubber grips on the back corners. At 4.7mm thick and 403.5 grams, the tablet is thin and light enough not to feel uncomfortable on the wrist. It doesn’t do anything fancy and has no extra sensors, which helps keep it so slim.

I like the feel of the paper – like writing in a thin notebook. The feeling of “writing on paper” is thanks to the screen and the Marker 2 (Remarkable 2 stylus). The e-ink screen is faster than usual, as I found it better than the Kindle and Boox tablets in terms of responsiveness. I have yet to have such a smooth writing experience on any e-ink tablet.

However, it’s still plagued by e-ink screen features like slower scrolling speed, which feels disappointing coming from a smartphone or laptop screen. But you get used to it. Plus, there’s no backlight, which bothers me if I want to use it at night. Adding a backlight and ambient light sensor would improve the user experience. The latter would also help turn off the screen when I close the lid, which doesn’t currently happen.

But I don’t think I’d trade it for the slim design, because it’s important to me that my digital journal is slim enough to slip into my travel bag next to my laptop without feeling bulky.

The Marker 2 features a textured finish that helps with grip during long writing sessions. A regular pen can get sweaty and slippery in summer, but the Marker 2 doesn’t (tested in 50 degree Celsius Delhi heat).

It attaches to the side of the device and doesn’t need to be charged, meaning you always have a pen with your digital diary. Palm rejection is also top notch. I haven’t had any cases in the last three months where I have faced wrong login detection.

Marker 2 is pressure sensitive, so you can use it for shading in your drawings. The software allows you to use it as a pencil, marker, highlighter, fountain pen, calligraphy pen and more. You can also use the back of the Marker 2 as a tire.

I enjoyed writing about it

Using the Remarkable 2 is unlike using any other device because it does one thing specifically – write, and it does it brilliantly, without any distractions. I can take notes on my iPad with Focus mode on, but I tend to regularly check email and communication apps, which doesn’t help when I’m brainstorming. Removing these distractions has improved my focus on thinking and writing. I don’t feel the need to switch to another app (because there isn’t), the writing experience is similar to paper, and the software is well suited for writing.

It’s better than keeping a journal because I can choose the notebook format from different templates (checklist, ruled pages, grid, etc.), pen type, write on web pages transferred from my Mac, and more. I no longer need to carry my thick journal when I’m traveling. Remarkable 2 is enough. Plus, it lasts for weeks on a single charge, so I always have a screen to write on.

The user interface is quite easy to learn. You press the power button located in the top left corner and enter your PIN (if you’ve set one) and you’ll be greeted with a home screen consisting of your documents, quick sheets, and folders. You can modify the order and view (grid or list), as per your convenience. At the top, there are icons to create notebooks, folders and quick sheets with a single tap.

On the left, you get a menu for various options, and the toolbar remains when you insert a sheet/notebook to let you choose brush shape and size, layers, select text, convert writing to text, and more . The gestures are also easy to understand – swipe up to continue the sheet, swipe left to add another page and the like. The company also offers integrations with Google Drive and Microsoft add-ons, so you can access documents stored on these services.

This feature is available without Remarkable’s $2.99 ​​/ INR 299 monthly Connect subscription. You can use the tablet without Connect, but subscribing to it will give you access to unlimited cloud storage (which you’ll need if you use the tablet every day), mobile and desktop note-taking with the app, a protection plan and access to some exclusive offers. I find it expensive and wish Remarkable would introduce a cheaper tier that only offers unlimited cloud storage for syncing.

The Remarkable 2 is a digital notebook, but with the limitations of a physical notebook

I’ve enjoyed my experience with the Remarkable 2. But a gadget shouldn’t have the limitations of its non-tech counterpart. The Remarkable 2 carries some of the limitations of a notebook.

For example, I’m bad at remembering file names, and I have a list of a few things: a journal and quick sheets for one-liners that I randomly think of during the day for revision titles. I wish the Remarkable 2 had a universal search feature, where if I type a word, it pulls up the sheets highlighting the words – just like the Kindle with its books or like Apple Photos. Otherwise, it’s like flipping through the pages of a physical notebook when you’re looking for something. You need to have organizational skills to get the most out of your Remarkable 2.

I would also like better home screen customization. For example, let me choose exactly what I want to see after I enter my PIN and add widget support. I might want a quick list widget or a to-do list widget at the bottom so I can access information at a glance instead of searching for it.

The Remarkable 2 is not a good e-reader. You can transfer files through the app or website, but the experience isn’t ideal. You can also add a Chrome plug-in to your laptop and with a single click, get web pages on your tablet. However, it has its limitations.

First, it doesn’t import images, which is both good and bad. It’s good because you don’t get any ads and bad because the formatting is poor. Plus, more often than not, images are important to the story in certain articles. Second, like a journal, it doesn’t support opening backlinks because it doesn’t have browser capabilities. As a result, I can’t tap a link within the article to read a particular article, which is annoying.

Amazing Tablets 2 Review: The Verdict

I’ve noticed myself becoming more productive with the Remarkable 2. From taking notes in airports and coffee shops to brainstorming ideas for pitches, it’s helped my brain work more efficiently without distractions. However, it is too expensive for a single-task device.

You have to decide if $450 / 44,000 INR is a comfortable price for a distraction-free typing experience. If that price is worth the price of the focus to you, I see no reason not to buy it. It really depends on how much value you place on maintaining focus while writing. That said, the Remarkable 2 offers the best note-taking experience I’ve had on an e-ink display.