Review: ReMarkable Paper Pure Tablet

If you're looking for a digital notebook, there's a changing of the guard underway. ReMarkable is the most popular digital notebook maker, and its flagship tablet—the ReMarkable 2—has been around for six years, launched in 2020. But, as of today, a new tablet will now take its place in ReMarkable’s lineup: the ReMarkable Paper Pure ($399). The Paper Pure is available to order starting today but will begin shipping in early June.

The naming convention changed from the simple numbers ReMarkable used for its earlier models to one that matches ReMarkable's more recent digital notebooks, the ReMarkable Paper Pro and the ReMarkable Paper Pro Move, from 2024 and 2025, respectively. The ReMarkable Paper Pure is also named this way because the company intends it to be purely for writing notes. That means there are no extras: no built-in front light, no color, and no accessories beyond a protective folio you can add on.

Overall, it's a good digital notebook and a solid replacement for the older ReMarkable 2. But I'm sad to see that it doesn't have the same set of accessories, namely no keyboard folio, limiting some of the use cases that the previous model had.

Fresh Page

The ReMarkable Paper Pro (left) and ReMarkable Paper Pure.

Photograph: Nena Farrell

Seeing the ReMarkable Paper Pure side by side with the ReMarkable 2 (note that the above image shows the Pro, which I address below), they look more different than they actually are. They both have the same 10.3-inch screen, but the ReMarkable Paper Pure looks more compact, since it has a shorter bezel on the bottom. That shorter size helps make it a hair lighter than the 2; the ReMarkable Paper Pure weighs 0.79 pounds, while the 2 weighs 0.89 pounds. It's a fraction of a difference, but one I could feel when holding them up. The Paper Pure uses a recycled aluminum frame to achieve this lighter feel.

I like that the ReMarkable Paper Pure kept the thicker side bezel, which the pricier Paper Pro and Paper Pro Move don't have. It's a perfect resting spot for my thumb to grab it and start writing, and it responds to rotations, so you can use it comfortably whether you're right- or left-handed (the stylus will only attach to the long side without the thicker bezel, though, which is a little inconvenient for lefties). It has a fast response time and a smooth writing experience that, like ReMarkable models before it, feels incredibly paperlike with a touch of texture and resistance without making it feel slow or gritty to write on. ReMarkable says that the writing experience from the Paper Pro was brought over to the device, and the two did feel similar to write on. Besides the pen-to-tablet experience, though, using these two devices feels very different with the weight and size differences, especially when you're holding the device up to write on.

Photograph: Nena Farrell

I don't mind that the ReMarkable Paper Pure skipped out on a color screen, especially since ReMarkable has two other devices that offer one. I am disappointed that it doesn't have a front light, but in the daylight, the Paper Pure's screen actually looks brighter since it's designed to be brighter and whiter than before to look more like a piece of paper. ReMarkable says it's the best white on the market, and compared to its own lineup it's a clear improvement. Still, the lack of front light may be a bummer if you're likely to use this in a darkened classroom or similar type of setting.

A big pro for the Paper Pure over ReMarkable's color-screen models, and even the older ReMarkable 2, is the battery life. These devices usually had about two weeks of battery life, but ReMarkable says that the Paper Pure will have three weeks. It's still not as much battery life as you'd get on the Kindle Scribe, but it's a nice improvement.

Platform Push

Photograph: Nena Farrell

There are some new ReMarkable software features coming out in tandem with the Paper Pure. It's not only coming to that device, since ReMarkable's devices are on a single platform, so any ReMarkable device you have or get should include these features. There are two main new features: a calendar integration, and convert and share.

The calendar integration works with Google and Outlook calendars and lets you pull up your calendar from the digital notebook's home page and get a quick view of your upcoming meetings that day. A little calendar icon will appear on the bottom of the screen next to the plus and home buttons, but you need to go to ReMarkable's website, log in, and head to the integrations page to connect your calendar first. You can then click on a meeting, and it'll automatically make you a note with details at the top of it from the calendar invite, and space below for you to take notes. It worked easily and seamlessly, and immediately made a meeting notes folder to store the notes in. ReMarkable says it'll recognize recurring meetings and use the same note. You can only integrate one calendar at a time right now, and it doesn't show shared calendars, so adding my main calendar didn't include my shared work calendar or my husband's calendar.

Convert and share is also a handy tool to give anyone access to the notes you take. You'll click on the option from the upper right-hand corner menu, and it'll immediately summarize your notes into a typed summary on a shareable link through ReMarkable's web application. Anyone can view these links, even without a ReMarkable account. It'll also include the original note content side by side if your colleagues want to read through your original notes as well as the summary.

Screen sharing is now available in the ReMarkable web app, but it requires a few steps. You'd need to screen-share to the web app, then share your screen on your computer of said web application with your colleagues over a platform like Zoom. It invokes a feeling of a whiteboard brainstorm session.

Accessory Denied

Photograph: Nena Farrell

The ReMarkable Paper Pure overall works pretty similarly to the ReMarkable 2, and I'd usually say it's an easy upgrade. But there is one clear loss: accessories.

The ReMarkable 2 and Paper Pro both have similar accessories, including a protective book folio and a keyboard folio, but the Paper Pure will only have a protective folio. There's no magnet attachment for the folio. It instead has to slide out of the folio rather than fold open. I really like the look and feel of Paper Pure's folio, with a couple of colorful options that feel like a burst of personality but are not too distracting to bring to a work meeting.

Still, the loss of the keyboard folio limits its abilities. It can't transform into a makeshift e-paper laptop without it, and if I were a student or in meetings that required a lot of notes, I'd prefer to be able to switch to a keyboard attachment. A keyboard could come down the line, since ReMarkable didn't say there will never be one, but I wouldn't be surprised if we never see such attachments, since they're offered for the pricier ReMarkable Paper Pro instead. It creates a better separation between the offerings of the two halves of ReMarkable's product line, but it forces you to spend a lot more if you want more capabilities.

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