Best e-Readers in 2023
The Kindle Basic and Boox Page are the best e-readers to buy in 2023. Here's why.
The Basic Kindle (or Paperwhite)
The new basic Kindle is so good that it beats the Paperwhite as the best overall e-reader in my opinion. If you prefer a slightly larger screen at a higher price, then go with Paperwhite. They are essentially the same device, differing only in screen sizes. If you're comfortable using the Amazon book ecosystem, the basic Kindle or Paperwhite is perfect for reading text (but not large format PDFs). They're generally lightweight, have excellent battery life, and great build quality. They come with good customer service (if purchased directly from Amazon) and lots of accessories (e.g., cases, sleeves, and screen protectors), and they're not expensive.
Limitations of Kindle Basic (or Paperwhite):
- No apps, only good at reading
- Locked in the Amazon ecosystem, no other bookstores
- No expandable storage
- Only black and white, no color
- Horrible PDF reading experience
- Limited support for various e-book formats
- Unable to use Bluetooth page turner, keyboard
- Unable to take handwritten notes or annotate directly on your books
If you're ready to jump out of the Kindle ecosystem, the Boox Leaf 2 might be your best choice.
Onyx Boox Page (or Leaf 2)
The Onyx Boox Page (or Leaf 2) is the best e-reader in my opinion. It is better than all other models from all brands on earth. The benefits are summarized below:
- Unlimited books to read: it is full Android, so you can use Kindle, Kobo, or whatever bookstore or reading apps
- Superb display quality: 300PPI e-ink carta screen
- Excellent build quality: unlike the flimsy Poke 2 and 3 models, Page (or Leaf 2) is very well built. The revised design removed the embarrassing over-resemblance of Leaf1 to the reMarkable 2.
- Physical page-turning buttons
- Storage: external SD card support
- Built-in NeoReader: the most powerful e-book reading app now.
- Endless possibility to customize. Again, it is full Android, so you can customize this device in numerous ways.
Limitations of Boox Page (or Leaf 2):
- No pen support, unable to take handwritten notes or annotate directly on your books
- A bit expensive
- Not too many third-party or even first-party accessories
- Could be difficult to get in some markets and get customer service
Other notable devices
Onyx Boox Nova Air C is an alternative to the basic black and white e-readers. It has a color e-ink screen (Kaleido technology). It also supports pen and handwriting. Color makes a huge difference when reading comics/manga or children's books. The NeoReader app enables the relatively small 7.8-inch screen to read larger format PDFs. Kaleido is the best color e-ink we have now, but it is still far from perfect. You should expect a bit of a pixelated look compared to the black and white models.
Hisense e-ink devices. Hisense makes a lot of e-ink devices (Hisense Touch, Hi Reader, Hi Reader Pro, A5, A5 Pro, A5cc, A7, A7cc, A9). Some of them are e-ink smartphones. Although the practicability of using e-ink phones is questionable, Hisense e-ink devices are excellent for ultra-portable reading. All of them support Android apps, but not the Google Play store.
Why not other brands?
Amazon's monopoly on bookstores is the first reason. Kobo, Pocketbook, and iReaders are locked in their own bookstores. If you're okay with their services, they will be perfect for you. But considering a lot of people want to read books from Amazon, having access to Kindle or Kindle apps is important.
The second reason is the reading app. Boyue or Meebook also make great Android e-readers with good displays, but their reading app is not as good as the built-in NeoReader reading app on Onyx Boox devices.
The third reason is availability. I did not include brands that are only available in certain countries or regions. Kindle is global, no doubt. Boox is gradually becoming more available in more markets. They opened up their Amazon.com store. Out of the many Chinese e-reader brands, Boox might have the best availability and customer service in the global market.
Why not Supernote?
Supernote makes some of the best e-ink devices. But if you need an e-reader, they are not optimal. They don't have front light, so you cannot read in the dark (a deal-breaker for me). They support Kindle but no other bookstore. They don't have many reading-related optimizations. They are excellent (if not the best) digital notepads, but not the best e-readers. The same goes for reMarkable devices.
Why not larger screens?
Larger screen devices are much more expensive and not necessarily better in reading texts if you don't need the writing capabilities. They do offer a much-improved PDF reading experience. I would say 10-inch is the best overall screen size for an e-ink device for both reading and note-taking. For just e-reading, I think smaller devices (6-8 inches) are better options.