Remarkable Paper Pure Review
Remarkable Paper Pure pros and cons
Authentic writing experience on a digital tablet.
Fantastic 3-week battery life.
Great form factor, with exceptional portability.
No backlit illumination.
Subscription required to access full suite of features.
The Remarkable Paper Pure is an uncompromising, minimalist digital notepad, stripping away traditional tablet features to deliver a tactile writing experience suited to professionals and creatives alike.
Find out if it's the (non) tablet for you in our Remarkable Paper Pure review!
Design and specifications
The Remarkable Paper Pure, as its name suggests, is a very deliberate device, confidently displaying a distinctly purposeful aesthetic.
In an age of AI note-taking, offering a new tablet that provides space to think, sketch and doodle to your heart’s content is a very bold decision from the Scandinavian outfit. It features clean lines and a comfort that is immediately apparent at first glance.
The Paper Pure nestles under their Pro range of devices, eschewing a colour display for the monochrome equivalent of a traditional pen-and-paper experience, but with modern features and compatibility that lend themselves capably to focused work.
The Paper Pure is a highly focused digital notebook built exclusively for the creation and collation of written notes, deliberately omitting web browsers and email applications to maintain deep focus.
Its sleek, flat design, accented by gently rounded edges, makes it immediately comfortable and portable for extended use.
A power button is nestled on the top-left corner of the device, and the contoured ridges around all sides of the device make it an ergonomic joy to just hold in the hand - which is easily done due to its size and weight.
Clear changes in material and build from the now-legacy Remarkable 2’s brushed aluminium see the Paper Pure doing its bit for the planet. The rear housing is delicately crafted from high-quality recycled plastics, firmly justifying the Paper Pure’s addition to the range.
Every single bit of the Paper Pure’s heft feels considered. These design decisions shave the overall weight down from the Remarkable 2 by almost 50 grams to a mere 360g, despite the device being a slightly thicker 6mm. Environmental consciousness continues through the internal construction via standard screws rather than sticky glues to significantly improve long-term repairability.
The internal specifications are highly efficient, but equally reflective of its remit: a 1.7 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A55 processor backed by 2GB of RAM and 32GB of local storage (a nice spec bump from the 8GB of space found in the Remarkable 2), with Wi-Fi and USB-C connectivity.
The Paper Pure is available either on its own with the essential digital pen, or as part of a bundle that includes an upgraded stylus and an elegant folio case available in a trio of colours.
The writing experience is clearly paramount on tablets of this nature, and the stylus, dubbed the Marker, is the primary method of engaging with the Paper Pure.
The standard Marker is more than capable of putting e-ink to paper with the delicate control and dexterity of a traditional pen. Meanwhile, the premium Marker Plus not only offers a textured finish and a more balanced weight, but also sports a secondary pressure sensor on the top end, which acts as a physical eraser to quickly rub out mistakes, rather than having to access the Remarkable’s menu.
Available only in a refined black, the Marker Plus elevates the tactile writing experience on the Paper Pure, lending yet more comfort and flexibility to interacting with the device.
In terms of charging, a set of incredibly strong magnets along the right side of the Paper Pure ensure the stylus is not only always ready to go, but is not easily getting lost, with the pen's flat side feeling entirely secure upon connection with a satisfying 'snap'.
A blink-and-you'll miss it icon also flashes up to show how much juice is left in the Marker when doing so, providing all the visual cues needed to ensure it's ready to go when you are.
As for the case, the polymer weave Sleeve Folio is another great addition, providing complete padded protection when not in use. It also houses an array of magnets inside, which automatically wake up the device when it is removed, or put it to sleep when returned.
Available in Mist Green, a striking Desert Pink, or dusky Ocean Blue (the lattermost was ours for review), the Sleeve Folio is a great accompaniment that might even have Moleskine-owning friends looking over your shoulder with a tinge of jealousy.
The entire experience of note-taking on a physical device did take a little while to get used to in terms of fitting into a traditional workflow. However, the ability to quickly jot, annotate and evoke an experience that I have not had in absolutely years made it a joy to get to grips with.
Quickly scribbling down ideas feels entirely natural once again, and a great stimulus to quickly making notes throughout the day - a surprising but welcome side effect of this review process!
Display
The Paper Pure’s crisp and expansive 10.3-inch display is naturally the star of the show, and with an impressive degree of contrast and a matte glass surface, it offers a really satisfying experience.
This is thanks to a third-generation Canvas Display that utilises advanced monochrome e-ink technology to deliver markedly clear visuals and exceptional contrast.
One important point to note regarding e-ink for the uninitiated is the 'flicker'. As the device is essentially a digital notebook, it relies on infrequent refreshes of the screen when active.
This does mean the occasional flash as the device updates the content on the screen, as opposed to the constant refresh rate one might experience on a traditional display.
However, the combination of Paper Pure’s improved Carta 1300 display and impressive suite of software minimises both latency between the pen touching the paper and distracting flickers whilst working.
These are largely limited to navigating between the home screen menus, zooming into content, or loading a new page entirely.
Text rendering is particularly crisp at 226ppi (the 1872 x 1404 screen mirrors that of the Remarkable 2), and it provides a very satisfying level of friction and resistance against the stylus tip, maintaining that proximity to the traditional feel of writing on a surface.
When it comes to eye comfort, the divisive - yet deliberate - decision to omit a backlight ensures that the Paper Pure excels.
Its e-ink panel functions surprisingly close to real printed paper, eliminating the harsh eye strain typically associated with the glow of an LED screen during a long workday.
Whilst the absence of illumination keeps the Paper Pure delivering on its brief as a thin and light device, it proves to be a challenging situation for night owls.
Anything less than decent ambient room lighting means the screen is close to illegible, so definitely keep an anglepoise lamp on standby once the sun goes down to maintain productivity.
That being said, as the above images can attest, the display is incredibly effective in direct sunlight in terms of maintaining ease of viewing at a variety of angles and handling prolonged use.
The monochrome screen does create some differentiation from its Remarkable stablemates, lacking the backlit colour display of the decidedly more pricey Paper Pro and pocketable Pro Move - more a matter of personal preference rather than a definitive drawback.
This does mean that both the visual flourishes of colourful creative content, as well as access to a dedicated typing experience with an optional keyboard, remain the preserve of Remarkable’s top-flight model however.
It is important to reiterate that this is a highly focused productivity tool, and as such, the Paper Pure does not feature any audio support, headphone jack or speakers, remaining a dedicated instrument entirely free from multimedia beyond text and images.
Check out the latest mobile deals on Uswitch
Software and performance
Remarkable intimately knows that the raw writing experience is essential, so marrying improved display credentials with incredibly responsive input technology keeps the Paper Pure impressive upon each use.
Running a bespoke Linux-based operating system laser-focused on distraction-free note-taking, sketching and document reading, the Paper Pure’s user interface is, well, pure, retaining only essential tools alongside an intuitive thumbnail grid of current files.
Navigation and page turns are snappy, and pen contact registers almost instantly. The tracking of the Marker Plus’ strokes and stabs is remarkably accurate to the type of implement it is emulating, from mechanical pencils to paintbrushes.
The hardware is perfectly optimised for its specific use case, resulting in incredibly low latency that rivals physical stationery, with e-ink flowing without lag or stutter, maintaining immersion throughout.
Despite not being a traditional tablet, the Paper Pure’s software ecosystem is well placed to both import and collaborate effectively.
A browser extension allows long-form web articles to be instantly transferred with one click, whilst a web app enables robust and responsive navigation around notes.
The Paper Pure would not be a modern piece of tech without a subscription tier, and a Connect subscription unlocks a suite of productivity features after an initial 50-day trial for £3.99 per month or £39.90 per year.
Behind this are several key aspects that lend additional flexibility to the device, including cross-device editing of content on a phone or computer, unlimited cloud storage, the ability to search for content in hand-written documents, Slack and Google Docs integration, as well as exclusive templates for organised thinking and a generous extension to standard warranty coverage.
Core functionality remains highly capable on the Paper Pure, with handwriting-to-text conversion, live screen-sharing and third-party cloud integrations (linking the tablet to Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive) all remaining completely free to use without a Connect subscription.
The cloud connectivity feature is welcome, as it enables easy importing of EPUB and PDF files to read content on the Paper Pure, although it is naturally a little unwieldy for frequent content consumption - although a handy official Chrome extension does alleviate this somewhat, with another for transferring web pages in a variety of full-fat or text only formats.
We did also find the web app to be a little temperamental in having the occasional 'node' text error upon attempting to access, but are chalking that up to pre-release teething issues and its current beta status, and we're seeking confirmation that these will all be ironed out ahead of launch.
It also wouldn't be a current generation device without some degree of AI integration, and it presents itself here - as a Connect-exclusive feature - where handwritten notes are both summarised and presented in the web app for actionable next steps.
So by embracing the inevitable wave of artificial intelligence in this manner, the Paper Pure keeps pace with current competition, but without compromising the ideals of its creative target demographic.
Battery life and charging
Stamina is an absolute standout feature for the Paper Pure, largely due to the clever combination of highly efficient internal hardware and low-power e-ink display technology.
A single charge can easily power through up to three full weeks of daily note-taking, sketching and document syncing.
This is another meaningful improvement for the Paper Pure over the Remarkable 2, taking things from 2 weeks of battery life on a 3,000mAh effort to 3,820mAh - and delivering faster charge speeds to boot.
Our experience matched quite closely to the touted speeds, going from 0 to 90% in around an hour and twenty minutes.
When the need to recharge finally arises, the simple USB-C 2.0 connection on the bottom delivers an easy means of powering up without the need to hunt for proprietary cables.
Remarkable Paper Pure UK pricing and availability
The Remarkable Paper Pure is keenly priced at £359 in the United Kingdom, with the bundle, including the upgraded Marker Plus and a Sleeve Folio, available for £399.
Despite the lack of any specific launch offers, the bundle is immediately the most cost-conscious option, considering the case retails for £59 on its own, plus you get the better stylus into the bargain.
Despite the May launch, there have been a few delays in getting it to market; current timings see the Paper Pure arrive between 11 and 18 business days from purchase at the time of writing.
Final verdict
The Remarkable Paper Pure firmly establishes itself as a top-tier contender in the digital notebook market.
With its class-leading writing feel, impressive three-week battery life and brilliant, eye-friendly e-ink display, it delivers a genuinely premium experience for those seeking deep focus.
The lack of a backlight does give pause or consideration for the Paper Pro, but in its aim of delivering ease and simplicity, the Paper Pure hits the mark.
There remains a question as to whether there is a world for traditional note-taking in an era of AI pins and automated transcripts, but the Paper Pure makes an incredibly strong case for replicating pen-and-ink whilst adding a raft of connectivity conveniences - albeit for a fee - and minimising digital distraction.
