I have decided to abandon my beloved Android e-ink devices in favour of either a Voyage or H2O. The main reason for this move is to take advantage of the better display technology.
I have, for most of the past year, been enjoying somewhat of a fling with EInk Readers running Android, namely the Onyx T68 and later the Boyue T62. They are very versatile devices, and, unlike other eink devices, offer the ability to participate in the "walled gardens" of all of the major players, with the notable exception of Apple. Also very attractive is the ability to install and run other Android Applications. In fact, both the T68 and the T62 are fully featured Android tablets with E-Ink screen.
One disadvantage common to all Android Tablets as opposed to dedicated, usually Linux based e-readers is battery life. For an Android device, think tablet. The battery life is generally better measured in days rather that weeks. Another disadvantage which applies to E-Ink Android readers is that general Android applications are designed to run on a Colour Screen. On e-ink, this can lead to unreadable or even blank displays which can not necessarily be remedied short of re-writing the application or sometimes applying a new theme. Neither disadvantage is insurmountable, but may be deal-breakers for some.
The Onyx T68 is a beautiful device. The 6.8 inch screen is the same as that used on the Aura HD. I would say that the quality is about the same as a first generation Paperwhite, which is still very good. It comes with the Google Play Store already installed. As well as the disadvantages inherent in e-ink Android devices at the moment, it comes with a big one of its own. Some users report big problems with touch accuracy. I did not notice any problems with my device at first, but as I used it more noticed that I was having to tap slightly below the area I wanted to select, and there were more "misses" than I would have liked. Whilst relatively minor, this became increasingly annoying to me the more I used the device. I really only use it for reading mostly fiction. However, for those needing to highlight, take notes etc it could be a disastrous problem. I had expected the problem would be solved by a firmware update, but it seems that the problem is in fact hardware. It also seems that Onyx does not regard this as a serious problem. The Screen accuracy was compared unfavourably with the Boyue, which uses older screen technology and of course has the smaller 6 inch rather than the 6.8 inch display. As the accuracy problem became increasingly annoying to me, I decided to try a Boyue, as I liked much of the Android experience, including the Google Play Store, Calibre Companion and the apps for all the major walled gardens.
Booxter, a member here, who runs an online store selling Onyx devices at
http://ereader-store.de/en/17-onyx-boox, is generally very helpful and has apparently been instrumental in having Onyx try to fix the accuracy issue. However, in Post #272 of this thread (
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...nyx+t68&page=7 he states, when queried whether the screen "may be defective"; "No, I am just saying my opinion, that the touch screen accuracy of current stock of 6.8" capacitive EINK screens is not perfect. For big amount of customers it is acceptable though." Needless to say, I do not regard this as acceptable at all. I won't say I will never buy another Onyx Reader, but before I do I would want to be very satisfied both that the particular display problem had been solved and also that this near enough is good enough "acceptable quality" attitude has gone. It's a shame, because Onyx is making some beautiful readers. But they are premium products at premium prices, and "acceptable" is not good enough.
The Boyue T62 is a much cheaper device than the Onyx, and it looks it. The 6 inch screen is inferior to the screen on the Onyx and much older technology, but the quality is still more than acceptable. The touch screen is very accurate, much more so than on the Onyx. It is probably fair to say that the performance makes this device much like what the Onyx should have been. It comes without the Google Play Store installed, but this is quickly remedied by following the very good instructions here on Mobileread for rooting the device and installing it. It is IMO much better value for money than the Onyx.
However, I have, as mentioned at the beginning of the post, decided to abandon Android despite its many advantages. Firstly, I really only want a great device to read on. I found that, despite the many apps available on Android, the only ones I really used were the reading apps. In theory its nice to have all the other apps available, and to some who want to do more on their device it could be a real advantage. Me, I just want to read. Secondly, the ability to participate in the various "walled gardens" rather than be restricted to a single one one a device, whilst nice as a backup to Apprentice Alf, is not essential. In the worst case scenario separate readers may be required, though of course both don't need to be the very latest technology. And for me, the dominant reason outweighing the advantages of Android is the quality of the displays on the Aura H2O and the Kindle Voyage, which are a significant improvement over the Onyx, the Boyue and my first generation Paperwhite. It is quite simply time to update.