ITC.ua has reviewed Lenovo Smart Paper — a universal multifunctional tablet with an E-Ink screen and a stylus. The device acts as an e-book reader, notebook, sketchbook, and more. It also runs on Android OS. We tested Lenovo Smart Paper for a few weeks and made our conclusions. All the details, as always, are in the review below.
Pluses:
wide scope of delivery with a book case and a stylus; modern ascetic design; large E Ink screen; metal case; fast system operation compared to standard «» readers; multifunctionality of the device; there is a function of translating handwritten text into printed text; smart backlighting; the impression of writing or drawing with a stylus as on real paper; the ability to make audio notes; it is possible to install applications from APK files; large amount of built-in memory; powerful autonomy
Minuses:
for some, the price will definitely be too high; paid features and artificial restrictions; few supported file formats; no speakers; no Google Play support
Content
Lenovo Smart Paper specifications
| Screen | 10.3 inches, E Ink, 1872×1404 pixels, 227 ppi, 24 adjustable temperature tones, two-color backlight, 10-point touch screen, anti-glare coating |
| Processor | Rockchip RK3566, 4 cores with clock speeds up to 1.8 GHz |
| Graphics | ARM Mali-G52 |
| Memory | 4 LPDDR4X /64 GB eMMC 5.1 |
| Speakers | No |
| Stylus | Є |
| Connector | USB-Type C 2.0 |
| Wireless modules | Wi-Fi 802.11 ac + Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Battery | 3550 mAh, 10 W charging |
| Operating system | Android AOSP 11.0 |
| Dimensions | 195×226×5.5 mm |
| Weight | 408 grams |
Packaging and equipment
Lenovo Smart Paper comes in a white box with a picture of the device itself.
Inside we can see the tablet itself, a stylus, a manual, a power supply, a USB-C cable, and a protective book case.
Design and ergonomics
Lenovo Smart Paper is a hybrid of an e-book and a 10-inch tablet. The model has a metal body, and the design is modern but ascetic. The device measures 195×226×5.5 mm and weighs 408 grams.
The bezels of the model are wide and disproportionate. On the left, we see a wider bezel and a recess for the bundled stylus. It is logical that this side is where you should hold the device when using it.
There is a microphone on the bottom end. Another one is on the left side. Next to it is a USB-C port. On the top end there is a screen lock button.
The metal body of Lenovo Smart Paper is comfortable to hold in your hand, and it doesn’t slip out. But it’s much more convenient to use the gadget with the bundled book case. It has a denser structure, so you can hold it even more securely. It also protects the screen and has a bend for the stylus.
Overall, the Lenovo Smart Paper looks and feels like a standard 10-inch tablet. It weighs about the same, the ergonomics are similar, but the usability and tactile experience are improved by the aforementioned case. I’d also add that the book can automatically lock the gadget’s screen when closed, and unlocks it when the case is open.
Lenovo Smart Paper screen
Lenovo Smart Paper is equipped with a 10.3-inch E Ink touchscreen. Its resolution is 1872×1404 dots, and the pixel density is 227 ppi. There is a smart two-color (warm and cold) screen backlight, so there are 24 adjustable temperature tones. We also have a 10-point touchscreen display and anti-reflective coating.
Performance, interface, and software
Lenovo Smart Paper is powered by a 4-core Rockchip RK3566 chip and ARM Mali-G52 graphics. There is 4 GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and as much as 64 GB of eMMC 5.1 storage. Wireless modules include Wi-Fi 802.11 ac and Bluetooth 5.2.
An accelerometer was also added, so the device automatically changes the screen orientation depending on its position.
Of course, it’s not the most powerful hardware, but for a device with an E Ink screen, it’s mighty, and there’s a lot of memory. As a rule, «readers» are very slow, and all their users know about it and are used to this kind of work. But Lenovo Smart Paper is not like that. It’s much faster than any e-reader I’ve ever used, and I’ve gone through a lot of them.
Yes, it’s still slower than a regular tablet, but it’s definitely much faster than an e-reader. Let’s meet in the middle — the speed of Lenovo Smart Paper is between the performance of readers and Android tablets.
This is due not only to the relatively powerful hardware, but also to the operating system itself. For example PocketBook Era or PocketBook InkPad 4 run on Linux, and Lenovo Smart Paper on Android AOSP 11. Together with the hardware, this OS provides the aforementioned speed of the device.
However, the appearance of the system here is completely different from what we are used to on the same tablets. There is no support for the Google Play app store, but there is a preinstalled set of programs, and you can also install downloaded APK files.
I wouldn’t expect to install any game or large useful applications because the tablet probably won’t pull them. But you can add your browser, the same Google Chrome because there is only FireFox, alternative reader programs, calendars, notebooks, etc. The available power should be enough for this.
Lenovo Smart Paper supports the following file formats: PDF, EPUB, DOC, and TXT. Compared to the same «» readers, this is very little, especially for books. However, in fact, this is more than enough for comfortable work with the gadget. Yes, the digital library will have to be created mostly from EPUB files. The rest of the books, as well as magazines, comics, and the like, will have to be downloaded in PDF, and DOC and TXT are enough for everything else. However, you won’t be able to view the same photos because there is no JPEG support.
The Lenovo Smart Paper main menu consists of section icons on the left side of the screen and a workspace in the middle.
The first section is called «Notepad». Logically, it allows you to create various notes, diaries, a sketchbook, notebooks, shopping lists, to-do lists, etc. You can write on a white sheet, or choose one of many templates (ruler, slash, etc.). You can write with your hands, draw, and take audio notes. The text written with the stylus can be converted to print later, but you can’t convert audio to text.
The second section, called «Library», contains all the books, documents, comics, music, presentations, etc. In books, you can change the font size and the font itself, make bookmarks and notes on the page, and so on. In other words, all the features of e-books are available. And if not, I remind you that you can download the APK file of your favorite reading app and use it.
In the «Applications» section, you can find preinstalled applications (Calendar, Clock, Browser, Reader, Calculator, File Manager, WPS Office, Firefox). If you install new applications, they will appear here automatically.
The penultimate section «My device» is the file manager, which contains all the available folders on the device.
Last section — «Google Drive». Here you can log in to your account and download the files you need from your disk. But you can’t download them back. Keep this in mind.
Separately, in the lower-left corner, there is an icon for the main settings of the device. Here you can find all the main items for setting the screen, lighting, brightness, language, entering the Lenovo ID service, etc.
There’s also a classic Android curtain that can be accessed by swiping down from the top of the screen. The main screen and backlight settings, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are located here. The latter is needed to connect wireless headphones to the device, since there is no built-in speaker, but it is possible to listen to audiobooks and your audio notes through the headphones.
Lenovo Smart Paper offers its cloud service. It is activated via Lenovo ID, allows you to synchronize documents and various files with Google Drive, and has a separate cloud storage. But all this is not free, but for an annual fee of 800 hryvnias. I should note that this subscription unlocks the audio note recognition feature. That is, it was specifically limited to the device to sell it separately.
Lenovo Smart Paper Pen stylus
The tablet with E Ink screen received a bundled EMR stylus Lenovo Smart Paper Pen. It doesn’t require any connection to a device or charging, but there are no buttons for additional functions. The stylus has a magnetic attachment and 4096 degrees of pressure, and Lenovo Smart Paper recognizes the tilt of its pen. The latter gives an incredible and very familiar experience of writing or drawing with a pen or pencil on paper.
In the settings, you can also select a marker, gel or ink pen mode, etc. The sensations are real and as comfortable as possible, so you can really draw and write anything with the stylus, just like on real paper.
Lenovo Smart Paper autonomy
Lenovo Smart Paper is equipped with a 3550 mAh battery. It is claimed to provide 8500 page turns or 170 pages of handwritten notes on a single charge and without active backlighting. If you translate it into days, weeks or months, then a full charge should last for a month or more when reading and taking notes. If you do more drawing, use the backlight, take more notes, write, etc., it should last for two weeks.
In fact, it does. I used the device for two weeks and charged it once at the beginning. During this time, I read two books with warm backlighting at medium brightness and a few drawings, drew, took notes, surfed the Internet, etc. At the end, there was still 20% of the charge left. The device is charged in two hours with a bundled 10W power supply.
Experience using Lenovo Smart Paper
As I mentioned above, Lenovo Smart Paper — is faster than any e-reader. This is excellent, especially when you get used to the slow operation of devices with E Ink screens, and here you find a similar bonus. However, I’d like to point out once again that the device is still slow for a regular tablet, so there’s no need to compare them.
I liked the dimensions of the model, as well as the design, and we also have a convenient bundled case. Lenovo Smart Paper immediately replaces «reader», notebook, sketchbook, notebook, and sometimes a regular tablet. You can read books without any problems, but I also wrote about the limited formats, so get ready to buy and download books or comics in EPUB and PDF.
The good thing is that there is a backlight, so you can read anytime and anywhere, regardless of the time of day or the availability of light. I always read in warm light, but it’s up to you. I know that people often turn on a colder backlight during the day and switch to a warmer one in the evening. But mine is always yellow. The 10-inch device is also very convenient for reading magazines, documents, presentations, music, various drawings, and other work-related materials.
The metal case is matte and collects dust quickly. However, it also cleans up quickly, and there are hardly any fingerprints or other signs of use on the case. In addition, there is a cover that significantly limits direct access to the case.
I really liked the stylus and its interaction with the screen. You can put your hand on the display without any problems because it recognizes only the stylus. The experience of writing or drawing is as realistic as possible and close to the real use of a pencil, pen, etc. Some people may miss the mechanical button, but you can connect other styluses to the device, and there is even a separate item in the settings for this.
Lenovo Smart Paper allows you to install applications from APK files, which significantly expands the capabilities and usability. You can bring your favorite browser, notepad, To-Do list, reading app you’re used to, etc. It’s good that they allowed this because we realized that Google Play support on such a not-so-fast device would probably be annoying, so we installed from APK files, and it’s cool.
Prices and competitors
Lenovo Smart Paper is sold at a price starting at UAH 16,239. However, in large networks, the price tag of the device is UAH 17,999. In my opinion, the price is definitely justified, although it is certainly a lot of money. However, everyone who uses e-books knows that if the device has an E Ink screen — it will be expensive. This is because of the technology, ease of use, minimal impact on the eyes, and many other factors.
When I saw the price Lenovo Smart Paper I was not surprised at all. On the contrary, it seemed to me very adequate because for 10,000 you can get new 8-inch readers from the same PocketBook, which is also adequate. And here, the screen is bigger, the device is faster, there is a full-fledged stylus, so it is not just a gadget for reading, but a multifunctional device for which adequate money is asked.
However, Lenovo Smart Paper has serious popular competitors that are worth paying attention to. All of them have 10-inch screens, styluses, and are also multifunctional devices with E Ink screens. For example, there are Amazon Kindle Scribe. Є Kobo Elipsa 2E, as well as Huawei MatePad Paper. Also for sale ONYX BOOX Note Air 3 and ONYX BOOX Tab Ultra C Pro.