This E ink tablet is the best notepad I’ve tested – but there’s a steep learning curve.

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The second generation Boox Go 10.3 Lumi tablet is a highly customizable e-reader with in-depth note-taking features and a competitive price point: only $449, which is less than some of the best digital paper tablets on the market right now.

At that price, the Boox Go 10.3 Gen 2 shines with advanced PDF annotation features, a great writing experience, and a bright front display, all while running Android 15 and plenty of preloaded apps.

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However, deep features and customization can be difficult, and there is a learning curve to use all that this tablet can do.

Physical construction and hardware

Physically, Boox hasn’t changed much in this device from the previous generation, but it has removed the “Boox” logo from the front, resulting in a cleaner look. A very light tablet, weighing 0.79 pounds (about 360 grams) and looking clean and bright, with a 10.3-inch Carta 1200 glass screen and 300 ppi.

Running on Android 15, Boox Go 10.3 second edition features 4GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Octa-core 6350 processor, as well as a capacitive stylus, with EMR (electro-magnetic resonance) technology. Boox has placed the processor in the middle of the left side of the device, where your hand holds it, which means you may notice some physical heat during use.

Physically, the device’s aluminum frame feels solid, and the vegan leather texture on the back adds a premium touch. The texture gives the device a comfortable grip in the hand, while keeping it steady on the desk, rather than moving around while typing — a pet peeve of mine with digital tablets.

The faux leather folio case bundled with the Boox Go 10.3 Gen 2 is stylish, but its detachable strap is a questionable design choice that has to be pulled tight to keep the tablet intact. During testing, the device often came unlocked or removed the puller, requiring me to rearrange or attach it completely.

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Similarly, the pen is light and easy to hold, but getting it in place on the tablet takes a few tries before it clicks. Personally, I’m not a fan of the function button on the pen, as it requires you to hold it a certain way, and misclicks are common. You get used to this method over time, but it defeats the purpose of replicating the “real pencil” experience, in my opinion.

The pen also does not charge while connected to the tablet. You will need to connect the pen to its power source via the USB-C port on the top of the device. This step may or may not be a big deal to you, but know that the pen charges quickly and lasts for weeks.

By extension, the tablet’s 3,700mAh Li-ion Polymer battery is pretty good overall. If you use the pen for a few hours a day, the tablet will last more than a week on a single charge. If you use the tablet only as an e-reader, it will last two weeks or more.

User experience

Like all Boox products I’ve used, the writing experience is great, with a solid pen-to-paper feel and a rich toolkit of brushes, customizations, and paper templates. You have everything you need here: support for layers, orientation, custom touch mapping, the ability to add your own photo files, and sound, because the tablet has two speakers and a microphone at the bottom.

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Additionally, the tablet supports almost every file type you can imagine working with, including PDFs, EPUB, txt, rtf, html, png, jpg, gif, and bmp, to name a few.

One of my favorite features is the Infinite Canvas, which is a large blank sheet of paper that goes in any direction, allowing you to draw, sketch, and note to your heart’s content, which is great for producing large projects or multi-part mind maps.

Boox also makes PDF annotation frictionless and easy, as marking up a PDF file can be shared and re-shared, with users on the other hand getting your notes and annotations as you see them on a tablet. For editors, teachers, and anyone whose job involves reviewing documents, it’s an efficient and powerful device.

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As an e-reader, you also have many options. Since you’re running Android 15, you can install the Kindle app, any of the integrated e-book apps on the market, and unlock full access to your libraries. The fact that the Boox device easily handles many file types means you don’t have to deal only with EPUB files. Everything behaves in the same way, allowing you to take notes and annotations regardless of what you’re reading.

Sharing documents may not be easy right away, however, as there are many options. The most straightforward way is to connect the USB-C cable from the Boox directly to your laptop or PC. You can also generate a QR code that opens directly to the file, a method most suitable for smartphones.

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But I found the easiest way to share documents is to use third-party applications downloaded to the device. Using Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive, for example, enables two-way file transfer instantly. There are a few other ways to share documents, but I wish things were that simple. Why not just one tap to email?

Menu overload

The setup above is an example of a complex UI that requires a few clicks and activations across multiple menus and settings to perform simple tasks. In most cases, requests fail because the setting is not enabled. For others, you need to log in, set a password, or go through two-factor authentication on another device.

This difficulty is compounded by the fact that swiping through menus takes trial and error to get right. There are occasional bugs with menus closing prematurely, especially when adjusting things in the control panel, and occasional cryptic error messages like “Internet is abnormal. Try again later!”

Setting up all these things on the device takes time, at least the first time you use it, but once you have everything the way you want it, navigation becomes easier. But this preloaded learning curve may deter users from Amazon’s select ecosystem with a Kindle Scribe or the high-end ReMarkable tablet.

ZDNET shopping advice

I Boox Go 10.3 (Gen 2) Lumi is a powerful and flexible note-taking tool with a lovely pen-to-paper experience. With access to the Google Play Store, you have the world at your fingertips, but with all these options comes a user experience that requires engagement, tapping, and customization.

I would recommend this device to advanced users who appreciate options, don’t need a color display, and want a versatile device that can do a little bit of everything. If you find the ReMarkable ecosystem too limiting and you want more options than Amazon’s Kindle can offer, this tablet is an affordable option, starting with. $399or combined with extra pen tips and paper $449.