Boox Tab X C review: The best large colour e-ink tablet for focused work?
The Tab X C's A4-sized colour e-ink screen gives documents room to breathe. Picture: Noel Campion.
If you’ve ever tried to use a standard tablet for serious reading or writing, you’ll know the fight against distraction. Notifications, bright screens and endless apps make it far too easy to drift off-task. The Boox Tab X C has been my antidote for the last couple of months. Its combination of a large A4-sized colour e-ink screen, a distraction-free environment and the included keyboard and InkSpire pen creates something closer to a portable paper desk than a typical tablet. It’s a calmer, more intentional way to work, and the experience has surprised me more than once.
The Tab X C is impressively slim at 5.3mm, especially for a device with such a big display, yet it feels solid and robust. The dark grey finish looks clean and professional, the kind of design that slips naturally into a work bag or meeting room without drawing attention. My review unit also included a striking orange keyboard cover case, which keeps the tablet protected but adds a bit of weight and bulk.
The A4 footprint won’t suit everyone, but it suits its purpose. If you work with documents, diagrams or planning tools, the extra size is ideal. The ability to work on a review outdoors on a bright day is something I’d never attempt with my laptop. The E Ink display, however, feels more like reading from paper, with no glare and none of the washed-out, dim look you get from traditional screens in direct sunlight.
The keyboard case adds some weight, but it protects the device well and lets you use it like a lightweight laptop alternative when needed.
The 13.3-inch Kaleido 3-colour display makes black-and-white content look extremely sharp at 300 PPI, while colour content sits at 150 PPI. The colour isn’t as vivid as an OLED tablet's, but that isn’t what this device is aiming for. Instead, it offers comfortable reading and working for long stretches with far less eye strain. I’ve spent hours at a time looking at this display, sketching ideas and general productivity tasks without that familiar digital fatigue creeping in.
The front light is excellent, offering plenty of flexibility whether you’re outside on a bright morning or reading late at night. This is also the first time I’ve used such a large colour e-ink panel for creative planning, and it works surprisingly well. Highlighting, diagramming and colour-coding feel natural, and while it can’t match the punch of a traditional display, it’s by far the most capable e-ink screen I’ve used.
Performance is solid for an e-ink device. The octa-core processor and 6GB RAM, along with Boox’s BSR technology, keep apps running smoothly enough for day-to-day productivity. It will never feel snappy like a high-end tablet, but compared to older e-ink devices I’ve used, it’s a dramatic improvement.
Android 13 with Google Play Store means you can install productivity tools such as Notion, Evernote, email, calendar apps, and they all behave predictably. You can install most Android apps but this isn’t the device for media consumption, so don’t get this for binging on the latest TV shows on your favourite streaming platform.
Scrolling is a little laggy due to e-ink's nature, but the apps function well enough that I rarely felt too limited. The split-screen feature is especially effective on a display this size, making it easy to take notes alongside reference material.
The new InkSpire pen makes writing feel close to pen on paper, thanks to its matte screen texture, and the accuracy has been spot-on. Pressure sensitivity works nicely for handwriting and light sketching. Paired with Boox’s templates and brush tools, it’s a strong digital notebook experience.
The keyboard cover surprised me the most. I’ve written entire articles on it, including parts of this review, and the key travel is far better than I expected for a folio keyboard. It turns the Tab X C into a capable writing device rather than a note-taking novelty.
After living with the Tab X C for a couple of months, its strengths and weaknesses have become clear. Reading and marking up PDFs is where it excels. Long sessions feel manageable and far more comfortable than staring at a glowing screen. Writing on it creates a calmer working environment, and I’ve found that I stick to tasks more naturally without the usual digital temptations. The battery easily lasts several days of mixed use and often stretches to a week when I focus mostly on reading.
The Tab X C is a device for people who are serious about their reading, writing and document-heavy workflows, not for casual browsing or watching videos or scrolling through their social feeds. Also, while the large display is one of its biggest strengths, it’s not the most comfortable for reading novels. If that’s your main use case, you’re better off with a smaller, more traditional e-reader.
Over time, I’ve stopped thinking of the Tab X C as a replacement for an iPad or Android tablet. It’s something different. It’s designed for focused work rather than constant stimulation.
The Boox Tab X C is a focused, distraction-free workspace built around an impressive, large colour e-ink display. It’s pricey but transformative for heavy readers and writers, offering calm productivity and long-lasting comfort where standard tablets fall short.
€819 (standard cover bundle) euroshop.boox.com
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