Onyx has been very busy coming out with alternate versions of their Android-powered E Ink ereaders for 2017.
Now there’s a forth variation of the 9.7-inch Onyx Boox N96 up for pre-order at Banggood, the Boox N96C, that’s expected to get released the middle of May.
The price is currently listed at $307 USD. That’s over $50 less than the other N96 models so at least the price is going in the right direction.
This version of the N96 has a capacitive touchscreen with no frontlight.
It’s the same as the original N96 but without the stylus-supported touchscreen.
The other two versions, the N96ML and N96CML, both have frontlights, one with pen touch and one with capacitive touch.
There’s also going to be at least one more version of the N96 with an upgraded E Ink Carta screen, so things are going to get even more confusing soon.
This is in addition to all the other E Ink ereaders Onyx is working on for 2017, including the 13.3-inch Onyx Boox Max with an upgraded higher-resolution Carta screen and the Onyx E Ink laptop and 10.3-inch Boox Note.
Onyx has several other E Ink devices in the works too, like the 6.8-inch model shown in a recent video that has an adjustable frontlight color, so at least things should be pretty interesting in 2017 as far as Android E Ink ereaders are concerned.
Why so many? I just want one with that has a light and pen enabled to write on. The N96CML has both but not sold in the USA. The N96 is pen enabled, but has no light. The N96ML has light but not realy pen enabled.
I read that there were software updates for the N96 and works very well…
All very confusing to me… ech
I agree, Onyx should have just asked you what you wanted and made that single model 😃
I there is one thing I have learned from following the market for the last few years, it’s that people look for different features in their gadgets. Kudos to Onyx for trying to please as many users as possible, despite the niche market and lack of competition.
As for your preferred model not being available in the US: I suggest you order it online from China or Europe. I have ordered stuff on Aliexpress lots of times, never any problems. If you wait for a US seller to carry it, you may be stuck with Kindles and Ipads for a long time.
Asking me would first would have been the right way for Onyx to build one. 😉
Here is the European address where you can buy the model you wish:
http://ereader-store.de/en/76-onyx-boox-n96-cml-front-light.html
The advantage for buying from the German company is that they offer very good afterbuy customer support. However, if you decide to buy from the EU or China, ask first how high the custom tax is.
Actually they don’t sell this particular model, at least not yet. I think most people would just rather order the ones listed on Amazon or Banggood since they’re quite a bit cheaper that way.