Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi: the e-ink tablet with Android 15 and pen, at a super price
The Family
The Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) family hit the market at the end of March with a proposal that puts pressure on the main competitors in the ePaper segment: the base version is a 10.3-inch tablet with a 300 ppi E Ink display, full Android 15 with Play Store, a pen with 4096 pressure levels, and a folio case included in the base price of €419.99.
The Lumi variant costs a few dozen euros more, exactly €449.99, and offers adjustable backlighting. The result is a device that does not excel in one single area but does multiple things well, in a market where competitors tend to specialize and charge for that specialization.
Index
- Design and Hardware
- Android 15 on ePaper
- Writing, Pen, and Reading
- Performance and Audio: Android on Mid-range Hardware
- Prices in Italy
- Who Should Buy It
Design and Hardware
The Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi weighs 364 grams and measures 235x183x4.8 millimeters, making it thinner than the pen itself (9 mm in diameter). It is a device that physically resembles a paper notepad, with the top side hosting the only physical button on the tablet.
The InkSense Plus pen weighs 15.3 grams, has 4096 pressure levels with tilt detection, and attaches magnetically to the side of the tablet or to the case.
The magnetic folio case is included in the package (along with a USB-C cable, quick guide, and pen) and weighs 260 grams: it adds a significant thickness but also serves as a stand for placing the tablet on a desk. The back panel is clean, without extra ports or controls.
The magnetic connection between the tablet and the case is solid, although the removable flap that protects the display can easily be lost. The design is very simple and devoid of unnecessary frills, providing ergonomics that do not make users miss any more expensive models.
Compared to devices like the Boox Palma 2 Pro (which has a color E Ink display), the Go 10.3 Gen II has a black and white panel with a whiter and less grainy background, resulting in sharper text and better readability both indoors and outdoors.
The monochrome 10.3-inch panel has a resolution of 2480x1860 pixels (on both models) for a density of 300 ppi sufficient to make the text indistinguishable from printed text at normal reading distance.
The matte surface eliminates glare that makes traditional tablet displays unusable in bright sunlight, and in direct light conditions, the Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) is perfectly readable (except in places where sunlight reflects directly on the surface).
The Boox EinkWise system offers multiple display rendering modes: the Regal/HD mode is optimal for reading, with text maintaining the best quality; the Speed mode reduces panel refresh lag during web page scrolling or video playback, at the expense of some detail. The compromise is inevitable with E Ink: no mode works perfectly in all scenarios, and the user must get used to switching between them depending on the activity.
The Lumi variant, which we used during our trial period, adds a front light with a color range between 2700K (warm white, tending towards yellow) and about 6000K (cold white), and in the latter case, a slight greenish tint is visible, perceptible to those sensitive to subtle color variations but practically invisible to the average user. Under warm light, the yellow tint is more pronounced but useful for reading at night without exposure to blue light. At night without backlighting, the panel is readable but darker than paper: for this reason, we highly recommend the Lumi version.
In HD mode with Image Smoothing activated, images appear softer and less pixelated; deactivating it gains sharpness but fine details in photos show the structure of the panel.
Another peculiar feature of this product is the presence, under the hood, of an octa-core SoC with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. The bright performance is clearly not the strong point of the Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi, but the processor enables the installation of any application compatible with the Google Play Store. A versatility typically unthinkable in a product of this category. For the target applications of the device (reading, notes, browsing), insomuch, the available power is more than sufficient. The 3700 mAh battery on an E Ink display that consumes very little in standby guarantees several days of autonomy with normal use.
The stereo speakers with output on the bottom edge produce satisfactory quality audio, although somewhat lacking in bass, less rich compared to other models in the family like the Boox Palma 2 Pro, but powerful enough to be heard in a room. It works well for audiobooks and podcasts, less so for music. Connectivity includes dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 and 5 GHz) and Bluetooth 5.1, covering wireless headphones or external speakers. An aspect that should not be underestimated - as already mentioned - is the support for Android 15.
Technical Specifications BOOX Go 10.3 (Gen II) Series
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi (2.4GHz + 5GHz) + Bluetooth 5.1
- Audio: Dual integrated speaker, microphone
- Sensors: Gravity sensor (Auto-rotation)
- Battery: 3,700 mAh Li-ion Polymer
- Dimensions: 235 x 183 x 4.8 mm
- Weight: About 350 g
- Price: $399.99
| Feature | Go 10.3 (Gen II) | Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 10.3" HD ePaper (Paper 1200) | 10.3" HD ePaper (Paper 1200) |
| Resolution | 2480 x 1860 (300 ppi) | 2480 x 1860 (300 ppi) |
| Front Light | Absent (Optimized for sunlight) | Present with adjustable CTM (Warm/Cool) |
| Touch & Stylus | Capacitive + Wacom (4,096 levels) | Capacitive + Wacom (4,096 levels) |
| CPU & OS | Advanced octa-core + Android 15 | Advanced octa-core + Android 15 |
| Memory | 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM | 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM |
Android 15 on ePaper: the killer feature that ReMarkable lacks
This is where the Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) clearly stands out from the direct competition. ReMarkable is a closed ecosystem that does one thing (note-taking), as are Amazon's Kindle and Kindle Scribe products, which are versatile but incomplete. The Boox model is a true Android 15 tablet, complete with a custom launcher that hides much of the standard Android experience to maximize usability with its "core" functions.
Accessing the Play Store is still possible at any time, and from there, you can install practically all apps compatible with Arm processors. The main screen shows the books loaded locally and tabs for the Boox store, notes, apps, and settings. It is not a traditional Android launcher, and this is a merit: it does not feel like a generic tablet with a reading app stuck on top, but a device built around reading and writing that occasionally does other things as well. The quick control panel is also optimized not to take up the entire screen, unlike the stock Android one.
A Google account is not required during the initial setup (a surprising choice for a device with Google Mobile Services), but it becomes necessary to access the Play Store. The built-in AI Assistant, on the other hand, requires an Onyx account. In addition to the Play Store, F-Droid is also supported for those who prefer open-source solutions, and apps can be manually loaded via computer like on any Android device.
Practically, this means you can install Kindle, Google Play Books, Kobo, Moon+ Reader, an RSS client, a browser, or any productivity app without any limitations imposed by Boox. The Kindle Scribe series comes close, but remains within a more controlled ecosystem; the Boox is genuinely open, which can lead to some friction during use - which is actually less intuitive for the average user - but unlocks a myriad of additional possibilities.
Writing and Pen: How It Approaches ReMarkable and Where It Doesn’t
The InkSense Plus pen with 4096 pressure levels and tilt detection is among the best available on the market for E Ink tablets: it is responsive, with no perceivable lag between the pen and stroke, and the surface texture of the panel simulates the grip of paper quite well. Compared to ReMarkable products, the feeling is slightly more "hard" on first touch since the pen does not "give way" simulating the impact with paper, a characteristic present in the competition.
This is a minimal difference that only the most attentive users accustomed to other ecosystems will notice in everyday use. The limits of the pen also emerge with very fine strokes, where minimal pressure can yield less precision compared to a physical pencil stroke, but this is a physical limitation of the technology rather than a defect of the specific product. For any practical use of notes, sketches, and annotations, the pen is excellent.
The note software is, moreover, rich in features: handwriting recognition, shape drawing, image insertion, files, and links, multi-level support, infinite scrolling or single-page view, customizable background templates. For those coming from paper and pen, it may seem overwhelming at first use. There is also a palm rejection issue that mainly manifests when resting the palm on the display before the pen makes contact: with certain gestures enabled, the system can interpret the touch of the palm as an intentional gesture.
By modifying the settings, the problem diminishes significantly, and in daily practice, it becomes marginal once the apprenticeship period has passed.
Reading: Kindle, Google Play Books, and Local Books on the Same Screen
The most concrete advantage of the Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) over ReMarkable and Kindle Scribe emerges here. While the other two products support various formats for reading books and documents, the Boox can directly open the Kindle app or the Google Play Books from the Play Store and read the various contents directly with the apps intended for them, with synchronization of position across all devices using the same account.
The Boox Store also includes a catalog of free eBooks (mainly public domain works), but the formatting of some titles is approximate, so it is not a feature to rely on as a primary content source. The real strength is still compatibility with any local format (EPUB primarily) and with any platform via apps.
For those who already have a library built on a specific platform, Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) is the only E Ink device that allows access without compromises or tricks for installation.
Prices and Comparison with the Competition: The Advantage That Matters
BOOX Go 10.3 Gen2 Lumi ePaper Tablet 10.3" Front Light Monochrome 300 PPI 64 GB Android 15 E-Ink
Price: €449.99
Buy Now
BOOX Go 10.3 (Gen II) is offered at a recommended price of €419.99, while BOOX Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi costs €449.99. Availability is immediate through the official store and on Amazon. The brand guarantees all buyers 10GB of free space on the Onyx cloud service for secure note storage, and also ensures a minimum of three years of software updates starting from the launch moment. Upon purchase, the product includes a folio case, a pen with spare tips, and Android 15 with Play Store, a much more substantial package compared to competitors’ devices.
For Whom It Makes Sense to Buy
Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) makes sense especially for those who do not want to choose between an e-reader, a tablet, and a digital notepad but demand to have everything in the same object. It is the right type of device for those who read a lot, take notes often, and also want the freedom to install apps without being locked into a rigid ecosystem. In this sense, its value lies not in doing any one thing better than all, but in bringing together functions that usually require different products.
It is a particularly sensible choice for students, professionals, researchers, and voracious readers who work across multiple platforms and do not want to rebuild their digital library from scratch. Those who already have books, PDFs, and notes scattered across different services will appreciate being able to access everything directly from the device without particular compromises. The support for the Play Store also significantly alters the equation, as it makes the tablet much more flexible than many "closed" E Ink rivals.
It makes less sense, however, for those who primarily seek the best possible writing experience and do not need anything else. In that case, ReMarkable still likely remains more refined in tactile terms, with a feel closer to paper and a more focused experience. The Go 10.3 (Gen II), on the other hand, sacrifices some purity for the sake of versatility, a choice that not everyone will appreciate in the same way.
The Lumi version is the one I would most confidently recommend to those who often read in the evening or in poorly lit environments. The front backlighting greatly broadens the usage scenarios and makes the product more complete, especially for those who truly want to partly replace a lightweight tablet as well. In short, the Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) is the right product for those wanting an open, flexible, and surprisingly complete E Ink device, accepting some compromises in ease of use and the pure writing feel. It is not the best in a single scenario, but it is among the most convincing for those seeking a single tool capable of covering reading, annotation, and light productivity without being forced to choose a single ecosystem.