Can this colour e-ink tablet tempt you away from Apple's iPad?

While all of the best tablets have their strengths, battery life isn't one of them: driving a big screen takes a big toll on even the biggest battery. But the Boox Tab Ultra C can run for over a week on a single charge, because it has something most tablets lack: an e-ink display.

Not only that, but it's a colour e-ink display. Don't expect the serious brightness of an iPad Pro's display – even the best e-ink can't deliver that – but it should mean not just much longer battery life but much less eye tiredness too. According to the marketing bumph it will make you feel "delighted, serene and comfortable", which is something Samsung doesn't claim about its Galaxy Tab.

Is the Boox Tab Ultra C a good tablet?

The specifications are solid enough: an octa-core Qualcomm CPU running Android 11, a 16MP camera with OCR software, 4GB of RAM / 128GB of expandable storage and a 6,300mAh battery behind that e-ink screen. 

The display runs in two modes: monochrome at 2,480 x 1,860 resolution, which is 300 ppi, and in colour at 1,240 x 930 pixels, 150 ppi. The colour mode supports a palette of 4,096 colours. It's worth noting that e-ink refreshes more slowly than traditional displays, so some Android apps won't feel as smooth on this display.

The included Pen2 Pro stylus makes it clear what the main use case is for this particular tablet: it's for work, and particularly work that involves digital documents. The device also supports a magnetically attached keyboard, which is an optional extra.

The downside here is the price, which is $599 (roughly £613). That's a lot more than Amazon's similarly scribblesome Kindle Scribe, which is $339 / £319, although that runs Amazon's own Kindle operating system rather than full-fat Android. But I can see this device proving popular in corporate environments: a tablet that runs for a week and can present documents in colour has obvious appeal for mobile workers and client visits.