PocketBook has been making some questionable decisions lately when it comes to releasing new products, and their new 10.3-inch InkPad X Pro is the latest head-scratcher.
First off, the press release says the PocketBook InkPad X Pro is getting released “this spring”. Now that’s a seriously confusing statement. Have they relocated their headquarters to the southern hemisphere? Because that’s the only way that makes any sense unless they’re announcing it 7 months in advance.
The confusion doesn’t end there. Apparently they’re switching the OS to Android from their custom Linux software, which might sound like a good thing at first, but the device is running Android 8.1. Yeah, Android 8.1, from 2017. And there’s only 2GB of RAM.
It looks like they’re using the exact same design from the original InkPad X that was released in 2019. The new model uses the same screen as the previous version, which has its pros and cons. It’s one of the only 10.3-inch devices that uses a Mobius screen from E Ink so it should be more durable than regular glass-backed E Ink screens, and lighter, but the resolution is still 227 ppi instead of 300 ppi like the newer screen on the Kindle Scribe.
It has a USB-C port like the previous model, and the same 32GB of storage space, with WiFi, Bluetooth and audio support built-in. It also has a frontlight with adjustable color temperature. The CPU has been upgraded to a quad-core 1.8GHz chip so that’s a plus.
Aside from changing the OS to Android, the other biggest change is the addition of a Wacom touchscreen for notetaking. It also comes with a stylus and a protective cover.
It looks like it still has an indented screen in the pictures, which is pretty unusual for an eNote, so is having page buttons and a symetrical design. At 350 grams, it’s 50 grams heavier than the original InkPad X, but I think that’s because it uses a larger battery (3200 mAh instead of 2000) since Android is more power hungry.
According to PocketBook, the device supports installing 3rd-party apps and it supports Google services so they Play Store should work. However, it’s hard to imagine Android apps running very smoothly with only 2GB of RAM and probably no app optimization settings like Onyx’s devices offer. Either way, opting to use Android 8.1 is a seriously odd choice in 2023, especially if they keep it on the market for 4 years like the previous model.
For more details, check the PocketBook InkPad X Pro product page on PocketBook’s website. I’d expect it to turn up for sale on PocketBook’s Amazon store at some point, depending on when “this spring” comes around. They’re still selling the original InkPad X for $449.
I were expecting at least 4gb of ram and 64 gb storage with dedicated GPU in pocketbook”s inkpad x pro but that is not the case,even the recently released E-ink tablet iflytek x3 and iflytek x3 pro in china have 10.68 inch diagonal screen with 300ppi and it is still staying at 10.3 inch with 227ppi.in my view it will see the same fate as inkpad x.
Well, at least it has Mobius screen. I don’t understand if Inkpad X has been a faliure, why are they still selling it for 400 €
It is nice to see something with a Mobius screen again, but I wonder about it not having a front layer. The first Onyx Note didn’t have a front layer and it was possible to permanently leave indentations and scratches on the Mobius screen if you pressed down too hard using the stylus. I’m all for indented screens on ereaders but I’m not sure that’s a good choice for an eNote.
I didn’t know that, thanks. It’s your savvy and kindly helping what I’ve been attending years this site for.
Aside, too bad they haven’t continued using Linux because with processor improvement it could habe been a responsive device.
Certainly it’s a wrong decision the implementation of Mobius screen without protection, although I don’t mind Note taking capabilities, and at the same time announcing it as an e-note gadget
Well, besides the outdatedness factor I have personally found that pocketbook ereaders are too fragile. So, I will never purchase on again.
I had an inkpad 3 and that while an excellent ereader was fragile. My touch hd 3 on the otherhand (with a more robust case) has proven to be quite hardy.
Pocketbook already has an Android 8.1 Inkpad on sale just in the Chinese market (source: mobileread) so this may just be them releasing it for the rest of the world.
It might explain why it still uses their previous gen case styling. The crazy low amount of RAM though seems like some top quality foot shooting.
They are promising to show more unreleased devices at the IFA in Berlin in September. (“Außerdem werden wir an unserem Messestand weitere Portfolio-Neuheiten vorstellen. Lass dich überraschen!”) Hopefully Nathan can cover that somehow?
Even apps that consume a lot processing power do run nicely on Android 8.1 with 2GB of RAM.
So you’re going to buy one and let us know if that’s the case on the PocketBook, right? 😀