After a year, ReMarkable has made the Paper Pro a (slightly) better value
My beloved, over-priced E-Ink notepad has gotten a lot of big updates. And it might actually be worth it this time
It’s been a year since I reviewed the ReMarkable Paper Pro, and a lot has changed since then. ReMarkable has dipped into smaller form factors with its new fan-favorite, the Paper Pro Move. At the same time, the Paper Pro went up in price by $50 and remains the same product I checked out last April: it’s super thin, it’s great for distraction-free writing, and it’s still really expensive.
Its whopping $629 price is what looms over the entire Paper Pro experience. It’s the single reason why I told folks not to buy it. If you get an iPad, you can open apps, watch videos, play games, and save hundreds of dollars, all while having the exact same functionality as the Paper Pro. But that conversation has changed… slightly.
ReMarkable has been hard at work making its highest-end E-Ink tablet more capable and a better value proposition than it was a year ago. Through a series of software updates, a lot of features have been added to the tablet since I last reviewed it, and after getting to use them all in my everyday routine, it’s safe to say that the Paper Pro is a much better value than it once was. It might not be a night-and-day difference, but if you were on the fence about getting one in 2026, it might actually be worth it this time.
Biggest improvements I’ve noticed
Handwriting is a lot more useful
The ReMarkable Paper Pro is very handwriting-friendly as it is, and it’s always nice to be able to whip out the pen attached to my tablet to take a quick note during a meeting. But over time, it’s become not just a way to collect your thoughts, but to search for them and organize them, as well.
ReMarkable has built AI into the handwriting feature of the Paper Pro, allowing you to search for documents and notes you’ve taken without having to type on the screen. It draws on the same technologies used for converting your handwriting into text, which the Paper Pro has had for a while (so long as you subscribe to ReMarkable’s Connect subscription).
Over time, I’ve also found myself using the pen more frequently than before. Between journaling and jotting down random thoughts in my head, using the pen feels more like a natural extension of typing than it did previously. The two input methods work closer together than they ever have, bringing the note-taking performance of the Paper Pro near the level of a traditional tablet (y’know, besides the far superior E Ink display).
More compatible with productivity tools than ever before
When I was reviewing the Paper Pro, I downloaded the companion ReMarkable app to my Mac so I could see all of my notes and access them while I worked. Admittedly, the app needs some work (it’s somehow sluggish), but there’s a web app on the way that should resolve some of my woes with it.
Anyway, what drew me to it was how I could take all of my notes, write all of my reviews, and do all my journalistic duties on the Paper Pro, then open them on my chaotic laptop when I needed to. It’s a convenient productivity tool for that reason, on top of the fact you can just toss your documents over to Google Docs, Microsoft OneNote, or even Miro for developing storyboards and complex workflows.
You can also convert your notes from those other services and turn them into notebooks on the Paper Pro. That’s what I did with this editorial: I started it in Google Docs on my Mac, found it in my Google Drive on my Paper Pro, and converted it so I could keep writing on the tablet. This also works with OneDrive and Dropbox. Afterward, you can send it back to where it came from and see all your changes (in a separate document, of course, but it works nonetheless).
There’s also deeper integration with Slack for sending your handwritten notes off to colleagues. I haven’t used this feature much since, well, I try not to think about Slack when I’m writing on my Paper Pro. But if that’s something up your alley, you’ll be glad to know it’s here.
Easier to manage your files
ReMarkable has also made it easier to keep track of your files with better folder tools, tags, and more. It’s much harder not to keep your files organized at this point.
Performance has seen a big boost
I’d also like to mention that the Paper Pro has gotten remarkably (pun intended) faster and more responsive than it was when I first started using it. It’s never been slow for my usage, but I’ve noticed that pages turn quicker, files open faster, and writing handwritten notes feels a bit snappier with less latency.
There were also some features added to the mix that make using the tablet feel more natural, like auto-rotation based on how you’re holding it. It’s also easier to scroll through documents, secure your data, and share notes with colleagues by creating a link directly to them on the web.
Do these make the ReMarkable Paper Pro a better value?
Look, $629 for an E-Ink tablet is a lot of money, not to mention the money you need to spend on a keyboard folio and pen with an eraser. But it seems that ReMarkable knows this, hence its frantic push to roll out more features and make the experience more versatile and accessible.
I still use the Paper Pro the way I did a year ago: as a place to sit, relax, and write out long-form reviews and editorials where notifications and the temptation of social media can’t pry my attention. I can think clearly, get work done, and know that I can send my work anywhere I need to in order to get it out into the world.
Having a dedicated space to write has become a necessity to me in my workflow, which would make the Paper Pro worth every penny if I had bought it myself. For those who have yet to get one, though, the jury’s still out.
Some will appreciate all of the added features that ReMarkable has incorporated over the last year. The experience is truly better, faster, and more useful when you need it most. It’s also still a gorgeous gadget with a big 11.8-inch color screen, an aluminum 5.1mm body, two weeks of battery life, a bright backlight, and amazing accessories.
The conversation around ReMarkable and its mission to get folks to sit and focus on their writing, drawing, and note-taking continues to baffle some who find that versatility in other, multi-faceted gadgets like an iPad or traditional laptop. The Paper Pro remains something completely different, and if you’re willing to pay for it, you’ll get the best experience ReMarkable has shipped yet.
Just be ready to fork over more cash than you might be anticipating.
Buy the ReMarkable Paper Pro
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.