Boox Note Air 4C review: A colour e-ink tablet that blends productivity with focus
The Boox Note Air 4C is just 5.8mm thick and 440g, making it slim, light, and surprisingly premium for its size. Picture: Noel Campion.
Bigger than an e-reader and smarter than paper, the Boox Note Air 4C combines a 10.3-inch colour e-ink display, full pen support and Android app compatibility. It’s light enough to carry, yet powerful enough to replace a traditional tablet for focused work.
The Boox Note Air 4C is impressively slim at just 5.8mm thick and weighing 440g. It feels slim and portable, yet still premium. The all-metal chassis curves neatly into the glass front, and the wide bezel along one side provides a practical grip for reading or note-taking. However, the larger size makes it less comfortable to hold for extended reading sessions compared to a smaller e-reader.
The power button on the top edge doubles as a fingerprint scanner. The USB-C port is conveniently placed on the left edge, with a red outline, and an expandable storage slot via microSD is available, supporting up to a staggering 2TB. There’s also a microphone and dual speakers, which are fine for listening to audiobooks, podcasts or the occasional video, though I mainly used them for text-to-speech duties.
The 10.3-inch Kaleido 3 colour e-ink screen supports over 4,000 colours, transforming what you can do on an e-ink device. Documents, graphs, and comics all benefit from the muted yet natural tones.
The display features both front and warm lighting, which makes a significant difference in low-light conditions. Without it, the panel feels a little dark, but once adjusted to my comfort level, it was excellent for reading and easy on the eyes during long sessions.
Refresh rate modes range from optimising text to faster video-friendly settings, allowing you to tune performance depending on whether you’re notetaking, reading, or browsing. Colours aren’t punchy like an OLED or even an LCD panel, but for a distraction-free, paper-like experience, they’re ideal.
There’s also stylus support with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, and I love that it attaches magnetically to the side of the Air 4C while charging at the same time.
Writing feels natural, like using a pen on fine paper. The standard pen I used for this review lacks an eraser, but Boox offers a Pro version that includes one.
The Note Air 4C isn’t limited to static notes. You can annotate PDFs, record audio, or use handwriting-to-text in 72 languages.
Split-screen multitasking allows you to reference a document while writing notes alongside it. The battery life from the 3,700mAh cell is more than enough for days of typical use, but if you frequently use the backlight, the battery will drain much quicker.
For me, the biggest appeal is the way the Note Air 4C helps me focus. Unlike a standard tablet, it doesn’t bombard you with glossy apps and endless notifications. The matte colour e-ink is softer on the eyes, perfect for reading technical documents or editing drafts without distraction.
It’s also incredibly versatile: I’ve used it for writing documents using a Bluetooth keyboard, sketching ideas, keeping task notes, and even reading colour graphic novels and magazines. The fact that it can handle handwriting, voice notes, and cloud-syncing means it feels less like a “secondary device” and more like a core productivity tool.
Running Android 13 on the 128GB of built-in storage, the Note Air 4C can install apps from the Google PlayStore. Kindle, Dropbox, OneDrive, and even Microsoft Office work without too much hassle, expanding its usefulness far beyond books and notes.
The interface may take some getting used to, but it doesn’t take long and offers quick access to your library and notebooks, along with a control panel for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and lighting.
I love that widgets and layouts can be customised, making it feel flexible without being overwhelming.
Performance is smooth thanks to the octa-core processor and 6GB RAM. I had no issues switching between apps or keeping multiple documents open, and cloud syncing ensured everything was backed up.
The Boox Note Air 4C features an excellent colour e-ink display paired with Android power, making it both practical and refreshing to use compared to other e-ink readers with closed eco-systems. It isn’t flawless, but as a focused, productivity-driven tablet, it’s excellent.
For students, professionals, or anyone tired of LCD glare, this is one of the best ways to work, read, and create without distraction.
€550 Boox Note Air 4C
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