Supernote A5 X2 (Manta) Review: The Most Uncompromising E-Ink Notetaker Yet?

In a world where digital notetaking devices are becoming more commonplace, the Supernote A5 X2 — also known as the Manta — stands out not just for its ambitious feature set but for its highly focused approach to professional handwriting and organization. Built around an upgraded 10.7-inch E-Ink Carta 1300 Mobius display, this device offers an advanced note-taking experience paired with a paper-like feel, making it ideal for students, researchers, creatives, and analog-lovers. But at over $600, it isn’t for the casual doodler.

The A5 X2 builds on the foundation laid by its predecessor, the Nomad, with a more robust modular design, a self-healing screen protector, and a nearly wear-free ceramic-tipped stylus. It avoids unnecessary frills and instead doubles down on the core experience of distraction-free writing, seamless organization, and a surprisingly polished software ecosystem that gets better with every update.

There’s no front light, no fancy app store, and no rainbow-colored UI—but what you do get is a clean, tactile, almost meditative digital notebook with organizational depth and reliable performance. Whether you’re journaling daily thoughts, managing research notes, or working through book drafts, the A5 X2 might be the best dedicated tool available.

It’s also one of the most polarizing e-ink devices around. Some swear by its minimalist aesthetic and focused workflow, while others raise an eyebrow at its price tag and ghosting issues. So, does it live up to the hype after nearly two years of buildup? Is the Supernote A5 X2 truly the most uncompromising e-ink device for serious note-takers?

Let’s dive in and break it all down.

Design & Build Quality:

The Supernote A5 X2, or Manta, makes a strong first impression with its sleek yet functional build, despite being composed almost entirely of plastic. The matte white backplate has a soft, almost ceramic-like texture that feels premium in the hand. What’s unique is the tapered design — the sides measure just 3.6mm thick while the center bulges slightly to 6mm — creating an illusion of thinness while maintaining structural integrity. At just 380 grams without the folio, the A5 X2 feels featherlight and comfortable to carry or hold for extended sessions.

One of the standout aspects is its modularity. A removable portion on the rear reveals the accessible motherboard, battery, and microSD slot. While replacement parts aren’t yet publicly available, this hints at future serviceability or upgrades. The 24GB of usable internal storage can be expanded, which is a rarity in the e-ink tablet world.

Build-wise, the device is clearly optimized for notetaking with longevity in mind. While it doesn’t use aluminum or glass like premium tablets, it doesn’t need to — the materials chosen serve their purpose, keeping things light, durable, and pleasant to hold. The device also includes four rubber feet to help it stay secure on surfaces, which proves helpful when used without a folio. The design may not scream luxury, but it speaks volumes about thoughtful engineering and ergonomics aimed at serious users.

Rubber Feet & Half-Folio

The Supernote A5 X2 includes four rubber feet on the rear to prevent slipping during desktop use, and they work quite well—at least when the half-folio isn’t attached. Once the folio is open, it covers the rubber feet entirely, removing their usefulness and leaving the tablet to rely solely on the folio’s grip. This undermines their purpose and feels like a design oversight. The folio itself, while functional, uses physical hooks to latch on, with center hooks feeling solid, but outer ones less secure.

Detaching the folio isn’t straightforward either; it’s a bit fiddly and far less convenient than the magnetic systems used by other e-ink tablets. Though it adds protection, the folio bumps the total weight to 480g—noticeably heavier than advertised. It also raises concerns about how the white plastic back will endure wear without any scratch-resistant coating. Overall, the folio system feels more cumbersome than clever.

USB-C, Security & Performance

The USB-C port on the A5 X2 is smartly positioned at the top, keeping it out of the way while charging and writing—especially useful during longer sessions. Unfortunately, the device lacks a fingerprint sensor, which is becoming standard in many competing e-ink tablets and would have improved overall convenience. Encryption is also absent, which is another missed opportunity, particularly for users handling sensitive content.

On the performance front, the A5 X2 runs fairly smoothly most of the time, though it can feel slightly sluggish when switching between apps or using the on-screen keyboard. This is likely due to the high-resolution InCarta 1300 display demanding more from the internals. While not slow enough to frustrate regular note-taking or document viewing, power users will occasionally notice brief lags. Ultimately, performance is acceptable but not best-in-class.

E-Ink Carta 1300 Mobius Display

The centerpiece of the A5 X2 is its impressive 10.7-inch E-Ink Carta 1300 Mobius display, offering a sharp 300 PPI resolution that ensures every stroke, word, and graphic looks crisp. Built on a flexible plastic substrate instead of glass, the Mobius panel is significantly lighter and more durable than traditional E Ink screens, making it perfect for mobile note-taking. Contrast levels are excellent, and the display performs admirably under various lighting conditions, especially for black-and-white content.

 

The screen’s larger size allows for a more spacious writing and reading surface, giving you room to spread out notes or documents comfortably. Despite the flexible display, rigidity feels solid, and there’s no noticeable flex during use. The writing surface also benefits from Supernote’s paper-feel screen protector, enhancing the analog-like experience. Whether you’re sketching diagrams or annotating dense PDFs, the clarity of this screen gives the A5 X2 a substantial edge over many rivals. Simply put, this is one of the best E Ink displays available right now in its size class.

Quick Side-by-Side Display Comparison & Ghosting

When comparing the A5 X2’s display against devices like the Boox Note Air 3 or the Kindle Scribe, the differences are subtle but present. The Supernote offers slightly deeper contrast and a more refined texture that closely resembles real paper, especially when writing. Text appears marginally sharper on the A5 X2 thanks to its consistent anti-glare layer and top-tier 300 PPI resolution. However, ghosting is more noticeable than on many competitors.

Ghosting refers to faint remnants of previous page content left on the screen, and while common in E Ink displays, the A5 X2 seems more prone to it—especially after turning pages or flipping through notes rapidly. Thankfully, the swipe-down manual refresh clears it instantly, but the frequency of use becomes slightly irritating over time. Other devices, like the Boox Note Air 3, seem to handle ghosting better with smarter automatic refresh protocols. For content-heavy users, this might become a small but recurring distraction. That said, for most daily writing and focused work sessions, ghosting won’t derail productivity entirely. It’s a trade-off for the beautifully crisp visuals and tactile writing fidelity.

Pen-to-E-Ink Distance, Pen Latency, FeelWrite 2 Screen Protector

The A5 X2 makes a conscious choice by excluding a frontlight—prioritizing a pure paper-like experience over low-light convenience. This decision, while debatable, brings some real benefits. Without a frontlight layer, the pen tip sits remarkably close to the E Ink surface, enhancing the immediacy and accuracy of strokes.

Latency is measured at just 20ms, and in practice, it feels instantaneous. Combined with the ceramic-tipped stylus and the FeelWrite 2 screen protector, the writing feedback is beautifully balanced—neither too slippery nor overly textured. It mimics pen-on-paper friction without wearing down the nib. Importantly, Supernote has resolved the “sticky start” issue that plagued earlier models. Whether sketching or note-taking, lines are clean and pressure-sensitive. The screen protector also self-heals minor marks, maintaining clarity. However, the lack of illumination does limit use in darker environments, requiring a desk lamp or external light.

Stylus Options

Supernote’s A5 X2 supports any Wacom EMR stylus, giving users a wide range of pen options, but the brand also offers its own lineup tailored for different needs and preferences. These include the Heart of Metal Pen, the Push-Up Pen, the LAMY Safari Twin Pen, and the new transparent LAMY Vista. The Heart of Metal is widely favored for its excellent weight and in-hand balance, providing a premium feel and stable grip over long sessions. In contrast, the Push-Up Pen adds a nostalgic, analog feel with its retractable design but feels too light and plasticky for serious note-taking.

The LAMY Twin is unique in that it features a dual-tip mechanism, allowing users to switch between E Ink and ballpoint, though this raises concerns about accidental screen contact with the wrong tip. The Vista version looks elegant but tends to collect dust within its transparent body, which may diminish its appeal over time. All Supernote pens feature ceramic tips that never wear down and are designed to preserve the screen. These nibs glide smoothly thanks to the self-healing textured screen protector. While you can use third-party EMR pens, the experience is best when paired with one of Supernote’s own styluses. Each offers different advantages, so your best fit will depend on your writing habits and grip preference.

Pen Loop & Handling Issue

The Supernote A5 X2 includes a built-in pen loop located along the edge of the device, which helps keep your stylus securely attached and readily accessible. While it’s a thoughtful addition, the loop does come with a few drawbacks that may affect the overall handling of the device. When a pen is inserted into the loop, especially the heavier Heart of Metal pen, it can cause the device to tilt slightly on a flat surface. This is because the loop lifts the tablet unevenly, preventing all four rubber feet from resting evenly on the desk.

Additionally, if you’re someone who leaves the pen cap in the loop while writing—as many do on the Nomad—you’ll find it obstructs your hand movement more often here due to the thinner profile of the A5 X2’s folio. Supernote includes a swappable loop system that can be replaced or removed, and even offers a dust plug if you decide not to use a loop at all. This modularity is great in theory, but without a magnetic cover, you’re more or less committed to using the folio and the loop system together. As a result, portability suffers slightly, especially when the pen is stowed. Overall, the pen loop is useful, but its execution isn’t as seamless as it could be.

Software, User Interface & Android 11

The Supernote A5 X2 runs a deeply customized version of Android 11, purpose-built to prioritize notetaking and distraction-free productivity. Unlike typical Android devices, you won’t find a traditional app drawer or widgets—instead, the interface revolves around accessing notebooks and core productivity tools. There’s no Google Play Store available, though sideloading apps via ADB is supported. Even so, Android apps don’t perform well here due to lack of refresh tuning and interface optimization for E Ink, so this isn’t a device you’d want for multimedia or app-heavy tasks.

The UI supports English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Japanese, but the limited language set may be a dealbreaker for global users. Handwriting recognition, however, supports a wider variety of languages. The user interface is clean, minimal, and geared entirely toward note organization and seamless workflow, with a persistent sidebar and intuitive gestures.

Frequent OTA updates bring meaningful improvements across all Supernote devices, including older models. Some users might wish for more flexibility, like home screen customization or advanced app controls, but Supernote clearly prioritizes stability and consistency over complexity. While not a full Android tablet by any means, the software is excellent for those who want to focus on analog-style productivity in a digital shell.

Missing Homescreen

One of the most debated aspects of the Supernote A5 X2 is the absence of a traditional homescreen. Unlike most Android-based devices, you don’t land on a centralized dashboard with widgets, folders, or app shortcuts. Instead, you’re always dropped directly into your last used notebook or app, which can feel disorienting for some users. Navigation relies on sidebars and manual menu selections rather than a visual overview.

While this aligns with Supernote’s minimalist philosophy, it lacks the structure and quick access modern digital note-takers often expect. Workarounds like creating a linked overview notebook help, but feel like patches for a missing core feature. This design choice favors simplicity, but at the cost of navigation efficiency. For some, this will be a dealbreaker. For others, it’s just part of Supernote’s analog-inspired digital charm.

Device Navigation

Navigating the Supernote A5 X2 is handled through a combination of sidebars and swipe gestures, rather than traditional Android navigation bars. By swiping down on the sidebar, users access the system menu that includes settings, recent apps, and core functions like cloud sync, templates, or shutdown. The left and right sidebars are also customizable — depending on whether you’re left- or right-handed — and can be mapped for undo/redo or quick menu access.

This interface feels intuitive once you’re used to it, but it does come with a learning curve, especially for Android veterans. There’s no app drawer or folder system, and multitasking is limited to switching between recent apps via side gestures. Still, the gesture-based UI remains smooth and responsive for most core functions.

Supernote favors workflow simplicity over multitasking power, and while not as robust as BOOX or Kindle Scribe interfaces, it’s functional for focused use. Minimalism defines the navigation philosophy here. The A5 X2 encourages single-task productivity without distractions. That’s a win for deep work.

Notetaking Features

The Supernote A5 X2 excels when it comes to handwriting features. Its note-taking interface offers three main pen types: a precise needlepoint pen, a realistic ink pen, and a bold marker — each with multiple stroke thicknesses and grayscale levels. You can also select between a regular note or a real-time handwriting recognition note before starting. While regular notes support layering and templates, real-time recognition notes don’t, though they let you search your handwriting instantly.

Supernote’s handwriting engine works offline and supports global search, allowing users to look through all their notes at once. This makes it incredibly easy to organize and retrieve important thoughts. Notes can be tagged with headlines and keywords to build outlines and link pages across notebooks — creating a hyperlinked note network. You can even set calendar events or link pages to web addresses.

Unfortunately, there’s no zoom or panning support in the main notebook app, which may limit artistic or visual workflows. But for structured text-heavy writing, the A5 X2 is unmatched.

PDF Features

PDF handling on the Supernote A5 X2 is practical but not its strongest suit. You can annotate PDFs and EPUBs using the same pen tools available in regular notebooks, which is great for adding handwritten notes or sketches directly to documents. Margin trimming and contrast adjustment features are available to enhance visibility, especially useful for scanned documents. However, once you annotate an EPUB, text formatting can no longer be changed.

There are no advanced view modes like in BOOX devices, and vector PDFs can appear pixelated when zoomed in. While zooming is available via a small preview window, performance during zoom operations could be smoother. You can export your annotated PDFs with all the notes intact. Unfortunately, automatic screen refresh for every few page turns is missing, which can make ghosting noticeable. Still, for basic reading and annotating, the A5 X2 performs reliably, though power users may want more functionality.

Battery Life

The Supernote A5 X2 delivers a mixed battery experience depending on use. For reading with the Kindle app and a 15-second page-turn interval, battery life averages around 23 hours—lower than many other E Ink tablets. When using it for intensive notetaking with real-time handwriting recognition, you can expect about 8–9 hours per charge.

There’s a hibernation mode that activates with inactivity, useful for conserving power while reviewing notes. However, it doesn’t seem to impact runtime significantly during active use. The absence of a frontlight should extend battery life, but that advantage is limited. Overall, it’s decent but not best-in-class.

Price & Value for Money

The Supernote A5 X2 comes in at a steep price—around €730 or $600 USD with pen and folio included. At this premium, it’s positioned alongside more feature-packed competitors like the Boox Note Air 3 or the Remarkable 2 Paper Pro. Despite its exceptional writing feel and organization tools, it lacks a frontlight, advanced Android app support, and offers a plastic build.

Compared to devices offering full-color displays or stronger hardware, the A5 X2 may feel overpriced. For those solely focused on notetaking, the investment may be justified. But if you want versatility, the value proposition becomes harder to justify. It’s excellent, but definitely not for every budget.

Pros

• Exceptional writing feel: Thanks to the ceramic-tip stylus, 20ms latency, and textured FeelWrite 2 screen protector, the note-taking experience is incredibly natural and precise.
• Robust display quality: The 10.7″ InCarta 1300 Mobius screen offers crisp, flexible, and durable performance with excellent contrast.
• Advanced note organization: Powerful features like real-time handwriting recognition, keyword tagging, and internal linking make navigating notes seamless.
• Modular and repairable design: Accessible mainboard and battery offer potential for long-term sustainability and hardware upgrades.
• Multiple stylus options: Comes with diverse, high-quality styluses including the heart of metal and Lamy Safari editions.
• Long-term software support: Supernote continues to update older models, ensuring longevity and improving features consistently.

Cons

• No frontlight: Limits use in dim or dark environments unless you have an external light source.
• Pricey: At over $600, it’s one of the most expensive E Ink tablets in its category—comparable to more premium or color-screen alternatives.
• More ghosting than usual: Ghosting is often more noticeable compared to other devices, requiring manual refreshes that may interrupt workflow.

Conclusion

The Supernote A5 X2 is arguably one of the most focused and refined E Ink tablets available today for digital notetakers. Its lightweight yet durable build, superb InCarta 1300 Mobius display, ceramic-tipped stylus, and ultra-low latency deliver a truly paper-like writing experience. The device shines in its organizational features, handwriting recognition, and seamless cross-referencing tools. With Android 11 under the hood, it brings just enough flexibility without being bloated.

However, limitations like the lack of a frontlight, no true home screen, average battery life, and a very high price tag hold it back from being the ultimate all-rounder. Ghosting is more visible than some would like, and the half-folio design adds bulk while subtracting utility. Still, if your primary goal is pure notetaking with excellent tools and minimal distractions, the A5 X2 delivers that in spades. For power users and analog lovers looking to go digital without compromise, this is a worthy choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Supernote A5 X2 support Google Play or third-party Android apps?

• No, it does not support Google Play. However, apps can be sideloaded via ADB, though the Android app experience is limited and not ideal for most users due to ghosting and lack of screen mode controls.

Is the Supernote A5 X2 good for reading eBooks or PDFs?

• Yes, it’s excellent for reading and annotating eBooks and PDFs. The screen is sharp, and note features are well integrated, although zoom quality could be better and ghosting is more prominent than on competitors.

Can I use any stylus with the A5 X2?

• It supports Wacom EMR styluses, and Supernote offers several high-quality options. The default ceramic-tip stylus delivers an exceptional writing experience with no wear.

How is the handwriting recognition on the A5 X2?

• Outstanding. Real-time handwriting recognition works offline, supports many languages, and integrates with note search and content linking.

Is it worth the price compared to other E Ink tablets like reMarkable or Boox?

• If your priority is the best notetaking workflow and long-term updates, yes. But if you want more general-purpose use, color screens, or better Android support, other models might offer better value.

Does it have a backlight or frontlight?

• No. Supernote intentionally excludes a frontlight to preserve a paper-like writing experience, so you’ll need an external light for low-light conditions.

Can I replace the battery or upgrade hardware?

• The design is modular, with accessible internals for future part replacement. However, parts are not widely available yet, so real-world repairability remains to be seen.

• Read also:
• Boox Palma 2 Review
• Bigme HiBreak Pro Review
• Top 6 E Ink Tablets of 2025 Reviewed