Lenovo’s Smart Paper E-Ink tablet wants to replace your iPad

Scribbling out notes on an E-Ink display is nothing new: reMarkable, a company offering hardware that we previously reviewed, does it best. Sony, Fujitsu, and less well-known companies like Onyx have released intriguing e-note hardware in the past, and recently Amazon entered the fray with their 10.3-inch Kindle Scribe. At CES 2023, Lenovo announced it’s throwing its hat in the e-note arena with the Lenovo Smart Paper.

With a 10.3-inch 1872 x 1404 (227 PPI) display, Lenovo’s Smart Paper is well-sized for reading and interacting with large-format documents such as PDFs and Microsoft Word files (although there is still no official word on device/file compatibility from Lenovo). LED front lighting with adjustable color temperatures should make it usable in most lighting conditions. I do have some concerns after reading over the display’s specs, however: they’re very similar to those seen in the Rakuten Kobo Elipsa—a device that disappointed us with its input lag when we reviewed it. However, we’re hopeful that the included Smart Paper pen will give users a better experience with the tablet’s display.

According to Lenovo, the Smart Paper’s USB Type-C 2.0 charged battery should be able to provide for up to over 7000 pages worth of reading time or 170 pages of handwritten notes before needing a top-off. Of course, your mileage will vary depending on device lighting, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi use.

Perhaps the most intriguing fact about Lenovo’s Smart Paper is that in addition to the Email, Calendar, Clock, and Calculator apps that the device ships with, there is an e-reader app with support for content downloaded from ebooks.com—one of the internet’s best sources of DRM-free reading material.

There’s no word yet on when the Lenovo Smart Paper will be available for sale. However, I can’t wait to get my hands on one to put it through its paces.