What are the key differences?

Remarkable has just launched its next-generation paper tablet with the Paper Pro. 

Hailed by the brand as “the ultimate paper tablet”, the Paper Pro promises to build upon the success of the Remarkable 2 for a device that offers “the best writing and reading experience ever on a paper tablet.”

What are the key differences between the Remarkable Paper Pro and the Remarkable 2? We’ve compared the specs of the two paper tablets below so you can decide whether it’s worth upgrading to the latest model.

Price

The recently launched Remarkable Paper Pro is available to order now and, if you buy directly from the Remarkable website, will come bundled with a choice of Marker. The bundle with the standard Marker will cost $579 whereas the Marker Plus set, which boasts increased sensitivity and a built-in eraser, will set you back $629. At the time of writing, we don’t have the UK pricing available.

Similarly, the Remarkable 2 comes equipped with a choice between the Marker or Marker Plus stylus and has a starting RRP of £389/$379.

The Paper Pro is the first Remarkable tablet to feature a colour display, allowing users to write and read in colour. Unlike other paper tablets that just put a filter on top of a black and white display to produce colours, the Paper Pro uses Remarkable’s own Canvas Colour display stack technology instead.

Canvas Colour enables the Paper Pro’s display to support nine different colours, which can be blended and layered together when writing and sketching. The display also supports thousands of colours when reading too, evoking the feeling of a printed newspaper page.

Unlike LCD or LED screens, the Canvas Colour doesn’t use bright, flickering lights to produce colours and instead has a low-glare display that reflects natural light, resulting in a more comfortable reading experience.

If you want a more portable device then the Remarkable 2 may be a better-suited option for you, as it’s just 4.7mm thick whereas the Paper Pro is 5.1mm. Not only that but the Remarkable 2 is also lighter at 403.5g whereas the Remarkable Paper Pro is a hefty 525g.

The Remarkable Paper Pro may be heavier but it does boast significantly more storage than its predecessor. With 64GB of internal storage alongside 2GB of RAM, you can confidently store more e-books, magazines and digital journals on your device and have them open up faster.

On the other hand, the Remarkable 2 is fitted with 8GB of internal storage alongside just 1GB of RAM.

Sporting an 11.8-inch display, the Paper Pro offers 30% more writing space than the Remarkable 2, which has a more compact 10.3-inch screen. 

At first glance you may notice the thicker bezels of the Remarkable 2, however, it’s worth mentioning that we didn’t find them distracting during our use. In fact, we noted that the inclusion of the bezels made holding the tablet feel more comfortable.

One of our biggest qualms with the Remarkable 2 was its lack of backlight or reading light, as this made using the device in dark rooms difficult. 

Fortunately Remarkable has amended this issue with the Paper Pro as it sports an adjustable reading light which promises to softly illuminate the display in dim lighting conditions, making it possible to read without straining your eyes.

Early verdict

Thanks to its large display that can now produce colour, more storage and the inclusion of a reading light, the Remarkable Paper Pro undoubtedly fixes the issues that were present in the Remarkable 2. However, these improvements come at a hefty cost. 

If you want Remarkable’s newest and most premium paper tablet offering then the Paper Pro might be a good option. However, if you’re simply looking for a paper tablet that looks and feels like you’re interacting with paper then the Remarkable 2 is much cheaper yet a solid option.