2023 E Ink Reader Buying Guide

Preface

Returning with an empty boat under the bright moon—when there is nothing to gain, that is the gain.

From a Zen poem

"Living on a Boat, with Hidden Meaning"

【Tang】Master Decheng

A thousand-foot fishing line hangs straight down,
A single wave stirs, and ten thousand follow.
In the still night, the water is cold—the fish do not bite,
Returning with an empty boat under the bright moon.

Preface

I bought many e-ink readers this year, and I've wanted to make these notes for a long time, but I kept putting it off until now...

I primarily use readers with open systems (i.e., Android). I've successively used readers from the following brands:

• Boox (文石)
• Hanvon (汉王)
• Moaan (墨案)
• Huawei (华为)
• Hisense (海信)

This article records my notes on making selections.

PS: This is merely for personal reference and does not constitute any purchasing advice!

Moan and Wenshi

These two are often compared together, but in fact, as long as you understand these two companies, you’ll know that they are not comparable in terms of scale.

Onyx

Official Website: https://zh.boox.com/history

Full Name: Guangzhou Onyx Information Technology Co., Ltd.

Introduction: Onyx Information Technology is a high-tech enterprise with leading comprehensive strength in the current digital reading industry. Its BOOX series of smart e-paper tablets (智能墨水平板), with their outstanding display effects, powerful PDF features, industry-leading product configurations, and unique innovative designs, have always been sought after and loved by users worldwide. They have now become one of the mainstream E-readers globally.

Registered Capital: 15 million RMB

Information Source: https://www.tianyancha.com/company/2313850907

Moaan

Official website: http://www.moaansmart.com/?list=3

Full name: Shanghai Moaan Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.

Introduction: Shanghai Moaan Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. was established in January 2018. It is a high-tech enterprise jointly incubated by Xiaomi Technology, Shunwei Capital, and Longcheer Holdings, and is one of the companies in the Xiaomi ecosystem. Moaan Intelligent is the only company in the Xiaomi ecosystem that focuses on digital reading + light AI office solutions.

Registered capital: 1,833,335 RMB

Source of information: https://www.tianyancha.com/company/3272784882

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As can be seen, although Moaan is backed by Xiaomi, its scale is completely incomparable to Boox's. Looking at the products themselves, the hardware is mostly original equipment manufacturer (OEM) products, but in terms of the system, Boox significantly outperforms Moaan. Moaan's system is quite basic... But why did I still buy a Moaan device? The system on an e-ink screen isn't actually that important; as long as it's usable, that's fine. Moaan has essentially all the necessary functions, so I wasn't too picky about this aspect.

Hanvon

A well-established manufacturer with good products. I have used the Clear7, and it feels comfortable to hold, but unfortunately, its battery life is poor.

The after-sales customer service is quite good, leaving me with a positive impression. After joining the community, they respond promptly to any feedback and address questions in a timely manner.

Huawei

The big players certainly make an entrance. Currently, the only e-ink device, the MatePad Paper, remains the performance benchmark among e-readers. Unfortunately, Huawei has been irresponsible—cared more about launching it than supporting it. The software hasn't kept up, and I suspect the product line has been axed.

Hisense

The sole manufacturer of e-ink screen phones. I have used the Touch Lite, Hi Reader, and the Hisense A9, which left a positive impression on me. However, it is said that due to the downturn in the industry, the entire mobile phone division was shut down, making the A9 its swan song—a truly unfortunate turn of events.

Reference Materials

• 2023 E-reader Purchasing Guide - https://www.einkcn.com/post/2477.html
• E-ink Screen APP - Extraction code: gppk - https://wws.lanzoub.com/b0csaycob