Boox Note Air6 C Review: E-Ink Tablet Running Android 16

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Boox Note Air6 C Review: E-Ink Tablet Running Android 16.

€579.99, 10.3 inches, Android 16 and a magnetically attachable stylus: the Boox Note Air6 C is the current flagship from Chinese manufacturer Onyx — and at the time of testing, the only E-Ink tablet running Google's current operating system. French tech outlet Frandroid used the device for several weeks in everyday life and ultimately awarded it 9 out of 10 points.

Aluminum Body, Weighing 440 Grams

From the moment you open the box, the Note Air6 C turns heads. The housing is made of aluminum, measures 225 x 192 mm, is 5.8 mm thin and weighs 440 grams. The left side has a wider bezel so the tablet sits naturally in the hand. On the back, an orange stripe runs across the case — a nod to the rubber band of a classic notebook. Frandroid's tester was thrilled by the design and build quality.

One catch: the housing is not waterproof. On the left side sit two speakers whose sound is a bit shrill but sufficient for audiobooks or podcasts. Alongside them you'll find USB-C, a microphone and a microSD card slot. Up top sits the power button with an integrated fingerprint sensor, which Frandroid describes as in need of improvement in terms of reliability. On the right are the volume keys and the magnetic stylus holder.

Color Display with Warmth but Pale Black-and-White

The 10.3-inch display uses Kaleido 3 technology and renders 4,096 colors. Resolution is 2,480 x 1,860 pixels (300 ppi) in black-and-white and 1,240 x 930 pixels (150 ppi) in color. In direct comparison with the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, the colors come across as more saturated and the tones warmer — a good result for an E-Ink display.

The flip side: in black-and-white, the background looks slightly gray and the black levels are less deep. That makes the front light almost indispensable — and it eats into battery life. The lighting can be adjusted in color temperature from cool to a warm yellowish tone, and a night mode is on board. Ghosting, the lingering of old image content, does occur but stays within limits. A full refresh can be triggered after every keypress or only after 30 keypresses.

Stylus with 4,096 Pressure Levels but No Eraser

The included stylus (Pen3) has a matte finish, sits nicely in the hand with pleasant weight, and attaches magnetically to the side. Three replacement nibs are hidden in the housing — just pull on the clip. There's no physical eraser on the stylus, but the software offers various tools to remove strokes via lasso or scribble-out.

The matte, edge-to-edge display feels softer to write on than a reMarkable but comes close to the Kindle Scribe. 4,096 pressure levels allow for fine gradation, and the response time is good according to Frandroid. Palm rejection works reliably.

Android 16 with Play Store — Open but a Bit Cluttered

Inside, an octa-core processor (4 nm, up to 2.9 GHz) runs with 6 GB of RAM — enough for smooth everyday work. Internal storage is a tight 64 GB but can be expanded up to 2 TB via microSD. Wi-Fi runs on dual-band, and Bluetooth 6.0 is on board.

The real distinguishing feature is the software: Android 16 with a fully integrated Google Play Store. So you can not only take notes and read PDFs but also install the Kindle app and pick up right where you left off on your e-reader. Google Drive, Docs and Gmail also work. Those who want to can switch between gesture control and on-screen buttons. The Boox interface is powerful — wallpaper, screensaver and system font are customizable, but the settings feel cluttered at first glance.

AI Transcription Meets Handwriting, Battery Lasts a Week

The Notes app comes with templates ranging from grid paper to staff lines and 16 colors. An AI button transcribes handwriting into typed text — with few errors according to Frandroid, attributable more to the user's own writing than to the recognition. There's also an AI assistant that can be based on OpenAI or Gemini.

The battery is rather small at 3,700 mAh. In practice, the Note Air6 C lasts about a week — provided the front light is dimmed, refresh is moderate, and Wi-Fi is off in standby. From 10 to 100 percent, the tablet charges in 1.5 hours with a 40-watt power supply.

€579.99 — Cheaper than the Direct Rivals

The Boox Note Air6 C costs €579.99 in black, stylus included. Order directly from Boox and you get the fabric protective case free of charge. A physical keyboard can be purchased separately for €109.99. The direct competitors: reMarkable Paper Pro and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft at €649, and the predecessor Note Air5 C for €528.

In the end, Frandroid weighs the trade-offs: the Note Air6 C is no perfect device — the black-and-white contrast is weak, and battery life could be better. But with the aluminum body, open Android system, fluid stylus and productive notes app, the overall package is one that reMarkable and Kindle, with their more closed ecosystems, will have to reckon with. 9 out of 10 points.