Which Is Better? Boox Tab Mini C or Pocketbook InkPad Color 3? COLOR E-INK COMPARISON

Boox Tab Mini C or Pocketbook InkPad Color 3? That’s a question I got asked quite a lot, which isn’t really a big surprise, because here we have two 7.8 inch Color E-Ink tablets with the same E-Ink Kaleido 3 technology.
But that’s actually where the similarities end, because other than that, those two are very different.
Which one is the better choice really depends on your personal needs. The Boox Tab Mini C offers a lot more functionality thanks to Android and the WACOM note taking capabilities. But it’s also not as comfortable to use in terms of handling and it’s software.
So I’d say the Boox Tab Mini C is a right device if you like to tinker a bit and intent to use Android apps, or want to take notes. The PocketBook InkPad Color 3 is more of a traditional ereader, that’s the right choice if you don’t want to make things overly complicated, like the idea of a digital detox without compromising too much and want to pay a little less.
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🔗 LINKS
► 10% discount in the EU with coupon allesebook for all PocketBook ereaders on pocketbook.de (affiliate): pocketbook.de/de_de/pocketboo...
► PocketBook InkPad Color 3 (affiliate): geni.us/6EXKly
► Onyx Boox Tab Ultra C Pro (affiliate): geni.us/0k2d
► PocketBook InkPad Color 3 Review: • PocketBook InkPad Colo...
► Onyx Boox Tab Mini C Review: • Compact(ish) Color E-I...
► PocketBook InkPad 4 Review: • PocketBook InkPad 4 RE...
Check out the absolutely brilliant LCARS screen by meWho here: www.mewho.com/titan/
🖖WHO AM I
I'm Chalid, and I've been a fan of e-ink technology for a very long time. I've been reviewing e-ink devices since 2010. After more than 100 different e-reader tests for my German website, this channel is dedicated to sharing my experiences with the latest e-readers, other e-paper devices, and sometimes other tech in English as well.
🔗 DISCLAIMER/DISCLOSURE
The tips, tricks and experiences shared are for guidance only; any actions taken based on these are solely at your own risk. Some links in the description contain affiliate links, which means that if you buy something through these links, I will receive a small commission on a purchase at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you so much for supporting the channel.
🔖 TAGS
E-Ink Kaleido 3, Color E-Ink Tablet, Boox Tab Mini C, PocketBook InkPad, PocketBook Ink Pad, Pocketbook InkPad Color3, Pocketbook Color 3, Boox Tab Mini, Color E-Ink E-Reader, Color E-Reader, Color eReader
#boox #pocketbook #eink

[@nagytibor6749]

Thanks for not scratching the screen. I hate reviews when they are destroying the device.

[@BeforetheStorm.]

Perfect timing. Was waiting for a video like this. Great video 👍

[@ReadGameCraftCook]

One thing I would love to see in these review and comparison videos is showing the lowest dimness and max warmth in the dark. I do all of my reading at night and often on devices the screens don't get dim enough in my opinion. In this case the max brightness doesn't really affect me, as I never use my e-reader out in bright sunlight or anything. 🙂

[@ChalidRaqami]

Definitely a fair point and I actually measure that when doing tests for my (german) website. But It's really hard to capture on camera, because most of the time it's too dim. But I'll keep it in mind and will measure it and mention it for my future video reviews as well!

[@SamGoggins]

That was a very helpful review for me. Thanks 🙏

[@denismalinovskiy3914]

Thanks for this long awaited comparison, it was interesting to watch. Also one small point for Pocketbook is the fact that you can install some (small) number of 3rd party apps to the reader. One notable example is KOReader, which can be used instead of the builtin one.

[@ChalidRaqami]

Yes, good point about KOReader. I wanted to keep it simple and mentioning KOReader would have needed a few follow up explanations I think. But that's something I want to explore in another video for Pocketbook in general.

[@davefellows]

I think a key thing to keep in mind is what you want to read. The big benefit with the Boox Onyx devices is you can read Kindle books as well as Library books (via Libby). To me, that's the killer feature. Support for note taking and marking up PDFs is also super cool. I have the Boox Note Air 3C which is great but a bit larger for reading (still ok for me). Looking at getting the Mini C for my wife. Oh, being able to install readwise, medium etc and use that for reading saved articles, web pages etc is super nice. And various magazine apps from the play store. Just a lot more flexible and versatile.

[@karlmunford7000]

The Inkpad is a no brainer if you are strictly looking for an ereader, else its Boox all the way.

[@chiquita683]

Inkpad needed full android

[@karlmunford7000]

@@chiquita683 Those verses already exist, their called _"BOOX"_

[@joedirt2718]

Can you elaborate please

[@karlmunford7000]

@@joedirt2718 In _'my opinion'_ the best *dedicated colour ereader* is the inkpad, but if your want more from *a colour eink device* such as notes and access to the large array of Apps on the _Play store,_ Boox is, in my opinion the best option though Bigme appears to be catching up fast.

Muchas Gracias!

[@ReadGameCraftCook]

I appreciate the comparison, I thought the pocketbook would for sure have the better contrast and color. I notice some parts of the video, when you show Star Trek there are some lines on the Boox screen. I have been tempted by the Boox and would have gotten the pocketbook if they had some listed for sale on Amazon US. Next year (or this one) I’m hoping someone makes one with side buttons like the Nook Glowlight plus has.

[@luc7976]

The ghosting is dependent on the refresh mode, and Boox allows several options (I think Inkpad none?). So you could get rid of the ghosting with slower refresh rate. Not specified in this video which mode was used. Seems Pocketbook stopped selling almost all of their devices on Amazon US. Not sure if that's permanent or temporary. UPDATE: seems temporary as of 4/7 seems back in stock.

[@ReadGameCraftCook]

@@luc7976ohh that’s ghosting for it. Thanks for the info! Also thank you for the heads up on restock.

[@dnz8484]

Hi, I'm looking for an ebook reader that I can use to read manga's. I got the InkPad Color 3 and returned it because I couldn't view double pages in landscape mode, which is sometimes important for me when I'm reading a manga. Maybe you can also include information about landscape mode in your reviews? Thanks for your videos!

[@vinct7023]

I have the same issue. I guess there are no other options than 1O" e-reader like Boox note Air3 c or Ultra. I was tempted by the new Kobo libra C. Same technology, 7" but much cheaper. Looking at Kobo products I guess they will deliver sooner or later a 10" version of Libra but price wise it will probably closer to 400$ like their equivalent B&W model . At the end of the day, I will probably pick a Boox note air3c or ultra during blackFriday event with hopefully good discount :) PS: I like Boox more because this is an Android version, offering Google store while Kobo is somehow more "limited". Still I would choose Kobo versus Kindle any day for pure e-reader device, just because of the monopolistic attitude of Amazon.

[@luc7976]

UPDATE: after more than a month it seems, Inkpad Color 3 is back in stock at Amazon US. Thanks very much for the great detailed comparison. Unfortunately seems PocketBook stopped selling devices in the US. They still have a storefront at Amazon but all products (except 2) say now 'not available'. 3rd party Amazon retailers also stopped. So for US it's an easier decision I guess... I wish they would reduce those bezels a bit with the Mini Tab C and if possible reduce weight with more efficient CPU. Perhaps a v2 might be coming but they still might keep the design.

[@chefnyc]

Chalid, How does the cold startup time compare? I have the Boox Air 3C and it takes 30 seconds to start the device. I cannot leave Boox on standby and that would be my other question: How fast do they drain the battery if left on standby?

[@denismalinovskiy3914]

So I made a test and it takes about 10-12 seconds for Pocketbook Inkpad Color 3 to start up. But you can also have it display the previous page contents while it's loading up, so subjectively it's even less time. It barely drains battery on standby, it's less than 1% per hour - difficult to measure exactly since I tend to power it off before the night.

[@julieparadise9694]

Why can't you leave the NA3C on standby? I have on and use it with standby over night since Nov 2023; haven't been an issue. Sure, it may loose maybe 3-5 percent over night, but that bothers me less than having the device wake up when I grab it in the morning ad then use it repeatedly throughout the day.

[@denismalinovskiy3914]

​@@julieparadise9694, if you leave it open indefinitely, then the builtin reader software starts glitching - closing unexpectedly, for example. Also, the main screen stops responding to the long press to show the context menu. That's why I'm shutting it down regularly. But if you use 3rd party software, it shouldn't be an issue.

[@julieparadise9694]

@@denismalinovskiy3914 That's possible (glitches when never closing), but since the device got some updates in-between I think these forced restarts solved that for me without noticing. ;-)

[@chefnyc]

I learnt that Android 14 will come with power optimizations for wearable/eink devices. But the Air3C has Android 12. So my assumption is that the OS doesn’t do a good job with “sleeping”. So I let it turn off after the default timeout of 15 min.

[@knghtbrd]

I noticed the InkPad Color 3 had a dark mode button … is that available on the Boox? It's not something that's going to be available to most people with the lighting on the display serving as the way to reduce the light, and it's not something you'd use for comics at all, and I know that dark mode is going to exacerbate some of the limitations of e-ink… But I'd still like the option.

[@ChalidRaqami]

No, Boox doesn't have a dark mode. Make sure to check my InkPad Color 3 Review. The Dark Mode isn't perfect (yet), but I agree, it's nice to have.

[@biancaochoa7231]

Can you compare the new kobo color libra to the boox color

[@ChalidRaqami]

Yes, will do a comparison soon :)

[@guischuchardt2081]

Hi @@ChalidRaqami, Will you also make a comparison between the Kobo Libra Color and the PocketBook Ink Pad Color 3? I have already seen a comparison between the Libra Color and the PocketBook Era, and apparently, the screen would be nicer on the Kobo mainly due to additional layers between the screen and the eye on the Era that would degrade the colors, etc. Is it the same with the InkPad Color 3 ? Which one, between the Kobo Libra Color and the PocketBook Inkpad Color 3 has the most beautiful and colorful screen ? Thank you for your reviews ! They are very useful for all of us

[@MarcoM.Voormolen]

This product is all it promises but they forgot to mention that the display is extremely fragile. It's so delicate that you can not take it anywhere because it might break in your bag. The worst thing is that if that happens Onyx is not taking any responsibility (display failure is categorically denied warranty) so you end up with a brick.

[@Astro_Mozart]

Can you install Kindle and Audible Apps? Thanks!

[@ChalidRaqami]

Only on the Boox Tab Mini C, but not on the Pocketbook InkPad Color 3.

[@barsbayraktar]

A Star Trek fan and a good review. Good job!

[@Mahkloompah]

Random question, do you know of any android e-ink tablets that have a remote stylus? I like to read while laying in bed but I can't lay comfortably while holding a device so I often use my phone propped up and then just lay comfortably with my spen in hand clicking the button to navigate to next page but I can't seem to find any e-ink devices that offer air action functionalities with their stylus'

[@aimalis8205]

Bigme have it

[@ChalidRaqami]

Yes, Bigme does have an active stylus with a remote function. But you can use most Android E-Ink tablets with a typical Bluetooth remote. If the app supports that, it should work fine. I think Boox also has a dedicated remote available in their store.

[@BeforetheStorm.]

One question. Can you read pdf files on the pocketbook inkpad 3?

[@denismalinovskiy3914]

Of course you can. It has reflow modes, etc. See the manual at support.pocketbook-int.com/fw/743K3/u/6.8.2480/manual/User_Manual_InkPad_Color_3_EN.pdf

[@AlexTooth112]

Yes

[@ChalidRaqami]

Yes, check out the video at 7:52, I have the same PDF open on both.

[@john_enx]

Onyx Boox Tab Mini C 500€ vs Pocketbook InkPad Color 3 320€ Not so hard decision... its just a book alternate and 300€ is already too much.

[@luc7976]

I see 380 Euro for Tab Mini C on Amazon in Europe (and US it's about 400). Typically it's about 80 Euro/dollar difference.

[@ryandonaldson7369]

DON'T BUY FROM BOOX After 2 months of having my Mini Tab C the screen breaks. After talking to customer service they claimed there was some external force that caused it and it wouldn't be covered under warranty. This was in their case in a bookbag with other sensitive electronic none of which had an issue like this. They said I can pay another $270 to fix it. I think I'll just take the loss of $400 before it ends up being a loss of $670.

[@deadpossum100]

Sounds and looks like you are using an AI voice dub over, it's a bit uncanny and I liked your original voice.

[@ElegantSkies]

Is that what that is? I'm like why does it sound like he has 3 different accents 😂

[@evilphuk]

Wait that’s not his voice?

[@Maria-rt6pd]

Please don’t buy it . I bought it and it’s very slow and ghosting issues and the screen kept flashing. When I emailed customer service for return they tell you it’s normal. But n their website this tab mini c is advertising as super smooth experience. They tried everything but refused to gave me their return addresses. Until the 4 th time I ask to return and quoted the law in the uk for returning online purchases. Told them their refusal is breaking the law. I finally got it returned.

[@GirlyEnglishGamer]

Don’t buy which one ? You’re not specific about which of the 2 products you’re talking about.

[@mcinnocent]

@@GirlyEnglishGamer I think he is talking about Boox, because he is talking about the website with tab mini C ;-)

[@adaml.5355]

Boox Tab Mini C...running 3 nearly 4 versions out of date Android with 4 years outdated security updates. It should be avoided for that alone!

[@ChalidRaqami]

That's unfortunately an issue with essentially every E-Ink device with Android. While I can live with the outdated Android version, because E-Ink doesn't benefit from the many visual changes the latest versions bring, not getting the latest security patches regularly definitely sucks.

[@GeorgeTsiros]

I just want a phone with a 6.5" oled display, or larger, that is rectangular. No holes or rounded corners :(