Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything recently got his hands on a Boox Note Air 3, which uses the same E-Ink Kaleido 3 display technology found in Kobo’s new Clara Colour and Libra Colour e-readers. Before subjecting it to the usual durability tests, he inspected the display using a 230x digital video microscope from Dino-Lite.
Under magnification, the e-ink micro capsules look strikingly different from traditional pixels. Here, we can confirm that it’s an RGB display, meaning it uses primary colors red, green, and blue to create an array of other colors – 4,000 to be exact. While this is significantly less than the millions of colors modern displays produce, it’s suitable for graphic novels or colored comics. E-ink displays are also renowned for their incredible energy efficiency.
Another noteworthy aspect is the difference in resolution between color and black and white modes. In color mode, the Note Air 3 has a resolution of 1,240 x 930 (150 PPI), which doubles to 2,480 x 1,860 (300 PPI) in black and white mode. This variation can be clearly seen under magnification.
The tablet utilizes a durable textured plastic instead of cover glass, which scratches at level four on the Mohs Hardness Scale, with deeper grooves visible at level five. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that Boox has applied a protective plastic sheet over the traditional cover glass. Removing this plastic sheet offers a clearer view of the e-ink micro capsules.
