I Tested The Remarkable Paper Pro, And Can't Go Back To 'real' Paper - Especially At This Price

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The ReMarkable Paper Pro is connected waste successful a bundle for $629, pinch refurbished devices starting astatine $499.
• It improves connected its predecessor pinch a larger colour surface and a big of integrations for celebrated productivity software.
• It's expensive, nan Marker is sold separately (even though it's a required component), and a subscription is required to entree each features.

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Ever since nan ReMarkable 2 came out, it's been a champion successful nan premium E Ink instrumentality market, attracting a cohort of fawning powerfulness users connected 1 hand, and those who conscionable don't get it connected nan other. Taking nan adjacent measurement successful its tablet line, ReMarkable conscionable released nan Paper Pro, improving connected nan ReMarkable 2 pinch a big of caller features, a colour display, backlighting, and much robust hardware.

Also: The champion products we tested successful 2025: ZDNET's picks for phones, laptops, TVs, and more

I precocious had a chance to trial retired nan Paper Pro complete nan people of a fewer weeks and said pinch immoderate of nan device's developers to break down its characteristic set. As an enjoyer of nan ReMarkable merchandise and what it stands for, I was thrilled to spot nan developers return personification suggestions to bosom erstwhile they approached nan creation for nan Paper Pro. 

Right now, nan ReMarkable Paper Pro is connected sale, bundled for $629, which is $50 disconnected nan regular price. An moreover amended deal, however, is nan chance to snag a refurbished device for arsenic debased arsenic $499. ReMarkable has a coagulated refurbished merchandise program, offering like-new devices pinch a 50-day guarantee and nan aforesaid one-year warranty arsenic a caller tablet. 

But if you're caller to ReMarkable, it's an E Ink tablet that emulates nan pen-and-paper penning acquisition amended than immoderate instrumentality I've ever used. Its impeccably chic artistic exudes premium, and nan minimalist, Scandinavian creation creates thing of an anti-device, defined conscionable arsenic overmuch by what it tin do arsenic what it can't. 

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

It can't, for example, browse nan web, play videos, aliases edit your photos. Instead, nan Paper Pro takes a much disconnected approach, untethered from nan distractions plaguing our phones and laptops: notifications, emails, and nan ever-present enticement to punishment scroll. The ReMarkable can't do immoderate of that, and that's nan point.

The Paper Pro doubles down connected this by doing that 1 point well. Writing pinch nan Marker is instantly enjoyable. The pesky latency you often find erstwhile utilizing a stylus is absent altogether here; location is zero lag betwixt nan mobility of your manus and nan statement you're drafting connected nan device's screen, resulting successful a realistic, enjoyable penning experience. 

Also: I tested nan Kindle Scribe 2 for months, and it hit my ReMarkable successful respective ways

That's not to opportunity that location is nary lag connected this device; location is, but it's not while utilizing nan Marker. The processor onboard nan instrumentality is simply a 1.8Ghz quad-core Cortex-A53, a spot beefier than nan 1.2Ghz dual-core connected nan ReMarkable 2. But location is immoderate lag erstwhile flipping pages, loading ample documents, aliases quickly swapping tools.

The Paper Pro is besides larger than nan ReMarkable 2, pinch an 11.8-inch show (up from 10.3 inches). It besides features a backlight and support for colour done its civilization show stack based connected E Ink Gallery 3. This intends much room to constitute and draw, and nan device's matte, somewhat textured show is astatine erstwhile lightweight and reminiscent of paper. 

But nan large point present is nan colour display. The Paper Pro has a realistic, textured consciousness because it uses existent ink particles held together successful chambers that individually power each pixel. It besides uses a dithered colour strategy that mixes RGBCYM pixels pinch blacks and whites to create civilization colors that look for illustration realistic ink connected a page.

Also: ReMarkable Paper Pro vs. Kindle Scribe: I compared some E Ink tablets and this 1 wins by far

Like different E Ink devices, nan colour present does not person eye-popping vibrancy for illustration that of an OLED screen, but it is simply a much muted, integrated colour palette. To summation nan strength of definite colors, you tin tie aggregate layers connected apical of each different to amplify them, akin to really a highlighter successful existent life would work. 

Unfortunately, this besides intends that immoderate artifacts occasionally stay from designs you erase aliases undo, and these tin beryllium peculiarly noticeable if they're heavy aliases dense acheronian lines. This besides occurs connected nan on-screen keyboard and sometimes erstwhile swapping documents, though they vanish erstwhile changing documents, and further merchandise upgrades should soft this out.

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

Even amended are nan device's integrations pinch OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox, which vastly amended its practicality and useability pinch real-world applications and nan activity you're doing correct now. 

You tin besides nonstop webpages straight to nan ReMarkable Paper Pro done a one-click hold for Google Chrome. Once connected nan device, it removes images and converts nan matter into a azygous format that you tin past people up and item successful immoderate colors you want. 

Also: I've utilized a colour E Ink for months, and here's really it boosted my productivity

The Paper Pro besides shines erstwhile handling documents that harvester matter and handwritten notes. The caller "Refine mode" is accessible by a typical cardinal connected nan Type Folio keyboard (that is decidedly not a Microsoft Copilot key) and brings an intuitive functionality that users who do a batch of archive reappraisal and editing will appreciate. 

For example, if you've highlighted immoderate matter pinch nan Marker, erstwhile you move that statement up aliases down connected nan page, nan item stays pinch that text. If you've circled matter aliases drawn astir it, nan ReMarkable understands it arsenic a azygous conceptual portion and keeps those items locked together. 

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

This is simply a blase benignant of "mixed input" UX that I haven't seen before, and is 1 of those uncommon features that really improves upon nan mean it's designed to replicate. You can't resistance astir and move your words connected a portion of paper, but nan ReMarkable achieves this pinch immoderate impressively subtle technology.

Now, let's talk nan things that make nan ReMarkable Paper Pro a spot much complicated. First, nan elephant successful nan room is nan subscription required to entree each these integrations. You'll request a Connect subscription to usage nan desktop aliases mobile app. Granted, it's only $2.99 a period (or $30 a year), but still, it's different hoop to jump through. The accessories are not cheap, either. The Type Folio transforms nan tablet into a mini laptop and is simply a well-made keyboard that seamlessly folds underneath nan device, but it will tally you $200. 

Also: The champion drafting tablets of 2025: Expert tested

The wide costs of nan instrumentality is going to dissuade some. For astir nan aforesaid price, you tin get an Apple iPad Air M2, which would tally successful circles astir this instrumentality successful position of processing power, display, and wide capabilities.

However, these are 2 very different devices, and what you're paying for present is an experiential, niche merchandise that is constricted successful its scope of features. It's purposely disconnected from nan notifications grind pinch nan volition of fostering existent concentration. It really only does 1 thing, but it does it well.

ZDNET's buying advice

If you couldn't tell, I'm a instrumentality of nan ReMarkable Paper Pro, and it's a instrumentality that I'm excited to use. Its minimalistic quality succeeds successful breaking down barriers to productivity successful that you tin conscionable prime up nan Marker and spell -- conscionable for illustration a pen and paper. But dissimilar pen and paper, you tin email what you conscionable drew arsenic a PDF pinch 1 pat aliases person it to matter pinch another. 

However, nan Paper Pro is pricey, and though nan merchandise and its accessories consciousness high-end, it remains an exclusive portion of luxury tech, albeit pinch a axenic mission. 

If you're looking for a much accessible note-taking tablet, cheque retired nan Onyx Boox Note Air 3 C, which is 1 of our favourite E Ink devices retired location correct now.