Clarify tech specs: Screen on Onyx Boox Note Pro vs Onyx Boox Note 3.

[Sm0och]

Hi everyone,

Looking to compare hardware of Onyx Boox Note Pro vs Onyx Boox Note 3.


Obviously Note 3 is newer chip , faster UFS 2.1 storage, 5G wifi , OTG , fingerprint sensor.


Can someone confirm the claim that screens are different, meaning:

Note Pro: Glass front screen ( E Ink Mobius Carta screen )
Note 3: Plastic front screen ( Eink Mobius Flexible Screen with Flat Cover-Lens )

If so , is note pro screen in theory more fragile than note 3?

Sources below:

https://www.ereaders.org/boox-note-2...hes-android-9/
https://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...-review-video/

[winstonma]

Originally Posted by Sm0och

Hi everyone,

Looking to compare hardware of Onyx Boox Note Pro vs Onyx Boox Note 3.


Obviously Note 3 is newer chip , faster UFS 2.1 storage, 5G wifi , OTG , fingerprint sensor.


Can someone confirm the claim that screens are different, meaning:

Note Pro: Glass front screen ( E Ink Mobius Carta screen )
Note 3: Plastic front screen ( Eink Mobius Flexible Screen with Flat Cover-Lens )

If so , is note pro screen in theory more fragile than note 3?

Sources below:

https://www.ereaders.org/boox-note-2...hes-android-9/
https://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...-review-video/

You want to compare Note 3 to Note Pro or Note Air? If you are comparing to Note Pro (2 versions older) then yes you are right. Because Note Pro was released 2 years ago.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by Sm0och

Note Pro: Glass front screen ( E Ink Mobius Carta screen )
Note 3: Plastic front screen ( Eink Mobius Flexible Screen with Flat Cover-Lens )

Mobius is flexible screen technology.
But I don't know what material the surfaces are made of.
Only the Note Air has a newly developed screen with 10.3 inch glass (not Mobius) technology, because the 10.3 inch Mobius display does not fit into the design.

[Sm0och]

Originally Posted by winstonma

You want to compare Note 3 to Note Pro or Note Air? If you are comparing to Note Pro (2 versions older) then yes you are right. Because Note Pro was released 2 years ago.

Hi, tks for stopping by! You got it, comparing Note 3 to Note Pro. I realize this may seem like a bit of a strange comparison;

Have opportunity to buy Note Pro used for less than 1/2 of new Note 3..

I expect to carry it everywhere.

I think I might be able to live with a slower device, but a fragile one that I have to worry about every time I put it into a bag is a no no..

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by winstonma

You want to compare Note 3 to Note Pro or Note Air? If you are comparing to Note Pro (2 versions older) then yes you are right. Because Note Pro was released 2 years ago.

No, he is not right.
All Notes except Air have a flexible display in Mobius technology.

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

All Notes except Air have a flexible display in Mobius technology.

However, the Note Pro has a "glass-based" screen over top of everything.

10.3” Flush Glass-based Screen: The screen is completely flush with the bezel, scratch-resistant, and non-glare.

https://www.boox.com/note-pro/

I have never had any issues with the screen on my Note Pro and I regularly carry it about in a bag with lots of other belongings. I do always have it in its case, though.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by Question Mark

However, the Note Pro has a "glass-based" screen over top of everything.

This is a stupid translation.
It means:

10.3-inch horizontal panel: Non-glare type screen with high scratch resistance

And if Boox uses glass, it's Asahi glass

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

This is a stupid translation.

And if Boox uses glass, it's Asahi glass

It may well be a stupid translation. However, it is theirs, not mine.

Whether or not it is Asahi glass, I don't know. It is certainly very different from the screen used on the regular Note which is much softer and noticeably flexible. And it does seem to be durable. Certainly, I've had no problems with my Note Pro.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by Question Mark

Whether or not it is Asahi glass, I don't know. It is certainly very different from the screen used on the regular Note which is much softer and noticeably flexible. And it does seem to be durable. Certainly, I've had no problems with my Note Pro.

This is probably due to the fact that the Note has no light guide layer - that also distinguishes it from the Note Pro.

[winstonma]

Originally Posted by Sm0och

Hi, tks for stopping by! You got it, comparing Note 3 to Note Pro. I realize this may seem like a bit of a strange comparison;

Have opportunity to buy Note Pro used for less than 1/2 of new Note 3..

I expect to carry it everywhere.

I think I might be able to live with a slower device, but a fragile one that I have to worry about every time I put it into a bag is a no no..

Apart from all the points you mentioned, I have a few points in mind

1. Note 3: Android 10, uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
2. Note Pro: Android 6, uses Rockchip RK3288
   FYI You can check the CPU benchmark comparison in here.

Which comes to

1. The Note Pro CPU is a 32 bit CPU and it is 2X (at least) slower. I guess 32 bit and 64 bit doesn't make any huge difference but I am using Onyx Nova and I feel it is kinda slow while installing app. During normal usage you can't tell the difference, but I am sure you will notice when you read huge scanned PDF.
2. Also, I read DRM book using kindle-like app. And it takes 15 seconds to open a book (it takes 1 second on my phone). I guess it is related to the CPU crypto capability (AES-XTS).
3. Currently there is no way to install Magisk (root) on Rockchip RK3288 device but there are some people root Qualcomm Onyx device successfully. If you want some advanced control (e.g. Adblock) then you may want to avoid Note Pro.
   
   EDIT: I rooted my device by patching SuperSU in system.img. And this only apply to Rockchip device.
4. Even both are running firmware 3.0 but there are some function are not available on Note Pro, e.g.
   • Gestures (Demo)
   • Screensaver Style (Demo). Note Pro only have image screensaver but I personally prefer transparent screensaver.
   • System-wide split screen (demo). Neoreader support split-view (read 2 documents at the same time) but System-wide split screen (Run 2 apps at the same time) only available on Android 7+ device (Note 2 or above).

[mergen3107]

Originally Posted by winstonma

EDIT: I rooted my device by patching SuperSU in system.img.

Can you please explain in detail?

[franzli]

Originally Posted by Question Mark

It may well be a stupid translation. However, it is theirs, not mine.

Whether or not it is Asahi glass, I don't know. It is certainly very different from the screen used on the regular Note which is much softer and noticeably flexible. And it does seem to be durable. Certainly, I've had no problems with my Note Pro.

AFAIK the original Note and the Note Pro should both use flexible Mobius displays on a plastic substrate, only the Note has glass slapped on top of the actual display. I think that might be what @ottischwenk meant, but it might not have become quite clear

The plastic substrate is supposed to make the display panel less likely to break and more robust than one based on glass substrate, which reportedly are more prone to breaking (whether or not there's glass on top of the display is an independent question, that glass is typically quite robust).

[Markismus]

Owning a Note Pro for little over a year, I can definitely say that the glass in front of the Moebius Eink screen can crack. Especially, if you put it in the back of your folding chair to prevent people stepping on the device and than sit down in it a while later.

The good part is that the screen keeps working. Albeit with cracks in front of it.
The bad part is that I haven't found a proper replacement screen cover. It seems that a well fitting cover could easily replace the cracked one, but I only found thin plastic covers that fit reasonably well but not perfectly. As it is also the 'light guide'*, I rather have tempered glass that fits really well.

Before summer there was a link to an update to upgrade the Note Pro from Android 6 to 9. I've heard a lot of people complaining that it was not an easy process. However, I didn't hear anyone brick their devices, too. As I cracked my device at the same time, I didn't put in the effort.

EDIT:
Reading the linked thread again, I see that the replying member had an identically cracked screen on a Note 3. So it doesn't really make a difference. I would simply like to tell Onyx Boox to stop producing Moebius Eink devices with crackable screen covers. It's stupid!
The difference between the Note Pro and the Note 3 seems to be in marketing terms only.

The Note PRO features a 10.3 inch E-ink Mobius and Carta display and a resolution of 1872×1404 and 227 DPI. It has a WACOM screen for the stylus and a capacitive touchscreen for interactions involving swipes and gestures. The PRO will also features the same glass based display as the Note Plus, so the screen will not get damaged no matter how hard you press on the stylus. I would still recommend purchasing a case for this, especially if you have lots of objects in your purse, briefcase or messenger bag.

The Onyx Boox Note 3 features an E INK Mobius touchscreen display with a resolution of 1872×1404 with 227 PPI. The screen is completely flush with the bezel and is protected by a layer of glass.

___________________________
*As the backside of the glass cover is made black at the sides to form the bezel, I think it is actually the top layer of the Eink screen that guides the light. (I found out that the bezel is the same layer as the class, when the cracks ran through them.)