Onyx Boox Nova Air C

Onyx Boox Nova Air C: At a Glance

The Onyx Boox Nova Air C (sometimes also referred to as the “Nova Air Color”) is one of the few color E Ink eBook readers on the market today, and arguably the most advanced dedicated reading device for color reproduction (as of June 2022).

With a 7.8-inch display and a resolution of 1872×1440 pixels, it offers a pixel density of 300 ppi for black-and-white content—just like its competitor, the PocketBook InkPad Color. The color resolution, as with the competing device, stands at 100 ppi.

The Nova Air C also uses E-Ink Kaleido Plus technology, just like the PocketBook device. This involves a regular E Ink Carta 1200/1250 screen paired with a coating of RGB subpixels.

On-cell touchscreen as a special feature

What sets the Onyx Boox Nova Air C apart is its touchscreen. The so-called “on-cell” touchscreen doesn’t need a separate layer for the capacitive touch sensor, because the required technology is built directly onto the E Ink display.

On-Cell Touch. Image source: E-Ink.com

This reduces the number of plastic layers on the E Ink screen, which in turn improves display quality. Between 2012 and 2015, lots of eBook reader manufacturers used infrared touchscreen technology for exactly this reason. Because the infrared sensors were placed in the device’s bezel, that let them eliminate a layer from the display stack as well.

According to Onyx, compared to the previous E Ink Kaleido display, contrast is increased by up to 30 percent and color saturation by up to 15 percent when the front light is on. With the light turned off, these figures are up to 6 and 14 percent, respectively.

First color eReader with adjustable color temperature

E-Ink Kaleido Plus with color temperature adjustment

Another unique feature of the Onyx Boox Nova Air C is its built-in lighting. Until now, buyers of E Ink Kaleido devices had to go without adjustable color temperature. That’s no longer the case with the Nova Air C, as it can now adapt its color temperature just like many other high-end devices.

Of course, this does have a noticeable impact on color reproduction, which is likely the reason it hadn’t been possible before. However, even so: your eyes and brain acclimate to the color shift—so even with less blue light, you’ll generally still be able to recognize and name all the colors without any trouble. On smartphones, tablets, and PCs, this has worked seamlessly for years.

Android 11 and stylus support

Like all the latest Onyx Boox models, the Nova Air C runs on Android 11. The system is open to custom app installations, which makes its color display useful for far more than just reading. After all, Android apps are usually not designed for the black-and-white displays of conventional eReaders.

Stylus input is also supported. However, unlike the Onyx Note models, a stylus is not included here and needs to be purchased separately if you want one.

Conclusion

The specs of the Onyx Boox Nova Air C are certainly impressive. There’s one thing that hasn’t been mentioned yet: even though it features the most advanced E Ink Kaleido Plus display available, you should keep in mind that some of the quirks of Kaleido technology are still present here—just to a lesser extent.

Specifically: while it’s not a major issue, color saturation still looks somewhat washed out compared to a tablet or smartphone. In my opinion, the bigger drawback is the faint, always-visible RGB subpixel grid. This creates a pattern of small, dark dots across the screen and, without the light on, makes the display noticeably dimmer than standard E Ink Carta eReaders.

If you’re willing to accept these two drawbacks, the Nova Air C is a solid choice if you want to try out the latest color ePaper technology and are looking for an open Android eReader.