Onyx Boox Tab Mini C review: Colorful and compact, but not without compromise
By Stephen Radochia | Published 7 hours ago
The Niche Playstyle of the Onyx Boox Tab Mini C
Using a product from Onyx is like choosing Donkey Kong in Mario Kart. Donkey Kong may not be the most agile or handle turns well, but once you overcome those challenges, his top speed is remarkable. This analogy applies to the Onyx Boox Tab Mini C, a 7.8-inch E ink color tablet. It may not be suitable for everyone, but if you understand how to use it and appreciate its unique capabilities, it can be a great tool for work and school.
The Specifications
- Resolution: 1872×1404 B&W, 938×702 color
- Storage: 64GB
- Brand: Onyx
- Screen Size: 7.8-inch
- Processor: Qualcomm Octa-core
- RAM: 4GB
- Audio: Dual speakers
- Connections: USB-C
- Battery: 5,000mAh
- OS: Onyx
- Weight: 310g
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-fi
- Front light: MOON Light 2
- Color: Black
- Ports: USB-C
Design and Hardware
The Onyx Boox Tab Mini C impresses with its build quality and premium feel. Its metal construction and solid weight give it a high-end look and feel. With a thickness of only 8.3mm, it is also sleek and easy to hold. The case and pen magnets are strong, ensuring everything snaps into place securely. The minimalist design includes a microphone, dual speakers, a sleep/wake button, and a USB-C port. However, it does not have a MicroSD card slot, which is surprising for a media device with only 64GB of onboard memory.
Display
The Tab Mini C features a 7.8-inch E ink display that supports capacitive touch, allowing pinch and zoom gestures in Android apps. It also has a Wacom layer for more accurate pen input. While the touch features are impressive, the color display falls short in terms of resolution and sharpness. The resolution drops to 938×702 for color content, resulting in washed-out and soft images. However, black-and-white material looks excellent on the device, with clear and sharp text.
Software
The Tab Mini C runs on a heavily modified version of Android 11. Although it may not look familiar at first, users quickly adapt to the interface. Onyx has made several modifications to optimize the software for the E ink display and minimize ghosting. The tablet offers four refresh rate settings, allowing users to prioritize higher refresh rates or better resolution on a per-app basis. The navigation ball or button navigation are recommended over swipe gestures for smoother interaction. The device also includes native apps and supports Android apps downloaded from the Google Play Store, making it more versatile than other e-readers. However, the lack of a native retail store to purchase commercial e-books is a drawback.
Performance
The Tab Mini C is powered by a Qualcomm octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM, which provide snappy app performance. The highlight of the device is its excellent pen input, thanks to the Wacom layer. Pen sensitivity is impressive, palm rejection works well, and marking up PDF files is a breeze. The tablet’s battery life is outstanding, lasting several days on a single charge for typical E ink usage. However, intensive apps may drain the battery faster.
Should You Buy It?
The Onyx Boox Tab Mini C is not for everyone, but those who embrace its unique capabilities will appreciate its impressive E ink display and fantastic pen input. The tablet’s full version of Android offers a more extensive range of features compared to Kindle devices. However, the device’s price, comparable to an iPad, and the limited availability of commercial e-books on the device may be a deterrent for some users. Ultimately, if you can navigate the device’s limitations, the Tab Mini C can be a valuable tool for work and school.
<< photo by Julia M Cameron >>
The image is for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual situation.
