The Emperor's Clothes
I purchased this item in January 2024, after watching a number of YouTube videos and reading some positive reviews. The company offer a 30-day money-back guarantee if unsatisfied, an offer that I took up after just a short time with the device. A major selling point of this E-ink tablet is “absence of distractions”. What this actually translates to is a device that is incapable of offering the functionality of a mainstream tablet, such as the iPad. Clever marketing attempts to insinuate that this is some sort of a bonus, since it allows you to focus on a specific task more easily. This is pure nonsense. The device runs a version of Android that is two steps behind the current OS. It is slow, clunky and the colours are horribly washed out. The hand-writing recognition is good but really no better than an iPad, the latter far more powerful in every respect. The NoteAir 3C comes with a basic stylus but I bought a bundle that included a cover and an enhanced version of the stylus, costing 50 and 80 Euros respectively. Having used the basic stylus that came with it, I did not bother opening the enhanced one. It is ludicrously over-priced, in my opinion, as is the very poor quality cover. If the device were priced at around £100 then it would be reasonable value for money. At over £500, it is in Apple territory. Yet the company have no pedigree, there is no guarantee of longevity and other reviews mention screen issues cropping up within a few months that the company will not fix under warranty. So I decided to return the device. The company seem to make this as difficult as possible: I had to email my intention to return, waiting for a response for over a day. The company said they could find no record of my purchase at first. Then I had to send in photos of the item and wait another day for a response. Finally they sent me a shipping label but attempted to charge a restocking fee. I pointed out that this was against UK consumer legislation for distance purchases but they argued that it was in their terms and conditions. They finally relented, however, though insisted on charging for shipping in both directions as part of the return process. A wait of 2-6 weeks was mentioned – for them to check the device (!) – then a potential further seven working days before I would receive the refund. In total I exchanged 25 emails with the company in an attempt to expedite the process. Ultimately I had to raise a dispute with PayPal, following which I finally received payment. The email responses from Boox were polite but asked for “patience” and “understanding”… not the most professional of requests in the business world. So, as the title of this review suggests, I really think this is a case of the Emperor’s Clothes. There is nothing that would cause me to recommend this device in terms of functionality or build quality. The company – based in China – have no apparent respect for UK consumer law either. Spend your money instead on a reputable product from a reputable company.