Any and all advice, guides, and reviews are unbiased and based on my personal experience. If you buy through affiliate links, I may earn commissions, which helps support my website. This does not have an impact on posts or my opinion of any reviewed products. If you find this post helpful and want to say thanks, please buy me a coffee or take a look at my book on Amazon. It keeps this page ad-free. Thank you!
This is a post event summary of all the news from Remarkable Big News Event and a comparison of the Remarkable 3 (Paper Pro) vs the Remarkable 2. If you’re interested, I also live blogged the Remarkable 3 announcement.
As a Remarkable 2 owner, I love my Remarkable. It has been over 4 years since the release of the Remarkable 2 (May 2020). Since then, Remarkable has upgraded the OS, added keyboard support, and revised the Connect subscription pricing. We’ve also seen new competition emerge. Amazon dropped the Kindle Scribe in 2022, adding increased pixels-per-inch, backlighting, Amazon Kindle eBook support, and a much cheaper stylus! We’ve also had increased competition from Boox with the Air 3c color eInk tablet. Speculation has been rife ever since Amazon dropped the Kindle Scribe that Remarkable would need to refresh their hardware and now on September 4, 2024 we finally have the Remarkable 3.
Introducing the Remarkable Paper Pro
It’s official! 4 years after the Remarkable 2, we have a full color Remarkable. The Remarkable Paper Pro aka Remarkable 3.
What’s new in the Remarkable 3 vs Remarkable 2
Color!
That’s something Remarkable users have been clamoring for many years. We finally have color! There’s also a backlight, which is something that users have also wanted for years.
In bad news, the new Remarkable Paper Pro pen is an active pen not an EMR pen. This means you cannot use your old Remarkable or other EMR pen with the Remarkable 3. It also means you need to charge the most pen. Fortunately, it charges when magnetically connected.
Writing response time has improved, it’s now a 12ms response time. I had no complaints with the response time on the Remarkable 2, but I know it has bothered some people – so good to see an improvement here. The downside is Remarkable has ditched EMR for Active Pens, so say goodbye to your original stylus and the LAMY pen hack.
The storage memory has increased from 8Gb to 64Gb – I never ran into memory issues on my Remarkable 2 and don’t suffer storage anxiety, but either way, it’s good to see a memory bump.
There’s a larger screen and it’s slightly heavier. The software looks to be unchanged.
What’s not new?
No app store. This is not surprising but Remarkable explicitly called this out in the keynote. Also, no built in eBook store. Remarkable is staying true to the distraction free roots. I am a little disappointed there isn’t at least a built-in template library that connects via the cloud. This leaves the window open for Amazon to step in and I expect Amazon will now be feverishly working to release the Kindle Scribe 2 in color.
The pixels per inch remains at 226ppi, so in line with the Remarkable 2 but below what Amazon has on the greyscale Kindle Scribe at 300ppi. But we get the backlight, so that’s a plus.
There is still support for Remarkable Connect subscription and it comes with 100 day free trial (wish you got a year). There wasn’t any announcements about updates to Remarkable OS or if this is a new Remarkable OS version – but given the current Remarkable OS 3 supports color pens and highlights on the Remarkable 2, I am guessing it’s the same OS across devices. The 2 week battery life on the Remarkable Paper Pro is equivalent to that of the Remarkable 2.
Specifications: Remarkable 3 vs Remarkble 2
Remarkable Paper Pro aka Paper Pro is apparently 40% faster than the Remarkable 2. Remarkable don’t detail the processor, so will need to take them at their word on the speed improvements. The Remarkable 3 is 5.1mm thin and has an 11.8″ screen. The pen is now an active pen, not an EMR pen – this means your old pens (and nibs) will not work. It has a bigger battery and weights slightly more. I’ve summarized the Remarkable Pro vs Remarkable 2 in the table below. This is something I need to see in person – it’s only about an inch taller.
| Feature | Remarkable 2 | Remarkable Paper Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 246mm x 188mm 9.7" x 7.4" | 274.1mm x 196.6mm 10.8" x 7.8" |
| Weight | 404g / 0.89lb | 525g / 1.16lb |
| Thinness | 4.7mm / 0.89lb | 5.1mm / 0.20" |
| Display | Black and White/Grayscale | Color 20,000 colors |
| Display Size | 10.3" monochrome 1872 x 1404 226 DPI | 11.8" 2160 x 1620 229 PPI |
| Reading Light/Backlight | No | Yes, Adjustable |
| Paper Texture | Plastic Film Cover | Yes, Glass Cover |
| Pen to Ink Distance | 946 μm | 920 μm |
| Usable in Sunlight | Yes | Yes, 15% less glare |
| Battery Life | Up to 2 weeks 3,000 mAH battery | Up to 2 weeks 5,030 mAh battery |
| Charging Speed | 0-100% in 200 minutes | 0-90% in 90 minutes |
| Writing Latency | 21ms | 12ms |
| Connectivity | USB C WiFi (2.4 Ghz and 5Ghz) | USB C WiFi (2.4 Ghz and 5Ghz) |
| Storage | 8Gb | 64GB |
| Staring Price | US$399 | US$579 |
Initial Thoughts on the Remarkable 3 (Remarkable Paper Pro)
We finally have color, this is exciting, but it comes at a significant price premium. You’re look at $718+tax if you add a case. That’s more than the iPad Air m2. I love my Remarkable, but that’s a hefty premium for color. The Remarkable 2 at $399 (with basic marker) is still expensive but it’s a good investment.
Is color worth almost $400 more? I don’t think so and it’s significantly more than the Boox Air 3C at US$499. I expect Amazon may come in with a Kindle Scribe 2 in color and severely undercut the price, as they did with the Kindle Scribe 1 against the Remarkable 2.
The writing experience may be a lot better. Remarkable have almost halved the response time. It’s now 12ms on the Remarkable 3 vs 21ms on the Remarkable 2. I am interested in testing this out when I can get my hands on a Remarkable 3. If you have been put off on response times on eink displays, the Remarkable 3 may win you over (the iPad response time is about 9ms).
I am disappointed Remarkable ditched EMR for Active Pens. This ends the fun of finding a pen better suited to your comfort. It also means you will now need to charge the pen. This works the same as the iPad, the pen will charge when magnetically connected to the side of your Remarkable. But it also adds another thing to remember and the risk that your pen will not be charged, and you’ll have a Remarkable paperweight until the pen recharges.
The Remarkable 3 aka Remarkable Paper Pro is bigger, slightly thicker and heavier. The biggest is the weight, now coming in at 100g, but at a total of 525g / 1.16lb this is about the weight of an average notepad. So remarkable have been thoughtful in this regard.
Remarkable has still managed to get up to 2 weeks battery life on the Remarkable Paper Pro (aka Remarkable 3). This achieved with a larger battery of 5,030 mAh vs 3,000 mAh in the Remarkable 2.
Price of Remarkable 3 vs Remarkable 2
US$579+ tax excluding a case. Add an extra $50 for the Marker Plus and $89 for the Book Folio case. You’re looking at $719 all in with a marker plus and a case. More if you get a leather case.
The Remarkable 2 is still available and starts at $399.
There is no discount (currently) for Connect subscribers… come on Remarkable, you could at least help us loyal fans out!
Availability
The Remarkable Paper Pro aka Remarkable 3 is available to buy now. It retails for US$579 direct from Remarkable.com plus US$50 for the pen. Best Buy also have the Remarkable Paper Pro aka Remarkable 3 for $629 (includes the Marker Plus no case). Best Buy are also offering a trade in on your Remarkable 2, trade in price varies based on model and condition. Remarkable is not offering a trade in. The Remarkable 3 is shipping now and some customers have already reported receiving the Remarkable Paper Pro.
I’m on the fence about pulling the trigger. Maybe if enough people buy me a coffee, I’ll get one. Kidding aside, I’ve decided not to upgrade. As if I really wanted full color, I could try an iPad Pro with a paper-like screen protector. I still get enough use out of my Remarkable 2 and it’s in such great condition, I can’t justify the upgrade.
Visit this page if want to read my live blog and reactions during the event.
Want More Remarkable Advice?
Want to get more out of your Remarkable tablet?
- Want to learn more about the Remarkable Paper Pro aka Remarkable 3 vs Remarkable 2?
- Looking for a replacement or alternative Remarkable Pen, reviews and comparison here.
- A simple How to Guide to customize your Remarkable Sleep Screen! Personalize your Remarkable.
- If you’re after a guide on the best Remarkable 2 case alternative, click here.
- Want to be able to use the button on the LAMY or Kindle Scribe pen on your Remarkable, learn how here.
- Want a free Remarkable 2025 calendar, get it here! 100% free and easy to use!
- Want to read a comparison of the Remarkable 2 vs. Kindle Scribe, I wrote one here.
- Not interested in Remarkable? You can buy the Kindle Scribe on Amazon.
I have even more Remarkable tips and advice here.
Any and all advice, guides, and reviews are unbiased and based on my personal experience. If you buy through affiliate links, I may earn commissions, which helps support my website. This does not have an impact on posts or my opinion of any reviewed products. If you find this post helpful and want to say thanks, please buy me a coffee or take a look at my book on Amazon. It keeps this page ad-free. Thank you!