This is a direct comparison of the Supernote Manta A5X2 and the Onyx Boox Note Air 5C, two top 10-inch E-Ink tablets. The choice really comes down to this: Do you want a device strictly focused on writing, or do you need one that’s super flexible?
Lets look at the specs, how they feel to use, and which one will cost you less in the long run.
They are different
The Supernote Manta A5X2 and the Boox Note Air 5C are totally different. One focuses on pure writing, the other is super flexible. This difference is the main thing you need to think about when you choose one.
The Supernote Manta A5X2 is built to be just a writing tool. The company, Ratta, made it only for organized note-taking and working without distractions. Its main strength is its closed software (Chauvet OS) and the great feeling when you write on it. The Manta gives up things like video or fast processing power to make the writing feel perfect and last a long time.
But the Boox Note Air 5C is an Android E-Ink tablet that tries to do everything. Since it uses Android 15 and has good hardware and color (E Ink Kaleido 3) , the Note Air 5C can handle almost anything a regular tablet can. This includes heavy apps, editing complex PDFs, and viewing stuff in color. Basically, the Note Air 5C is an E-Ink device trying to do it all.
If you need deep, organized notes, the best writing feel, and a device that will last, the Manta A5X2 is the better, focused choice. But if you require flexibility, support for apps like Notion or OneNote, and need to see color in documents, like charts or school papers, you need the Note Air 5C.
One small but important choice on the Manta shows its focus: it doesn’t have a frontlight. They did this on purpose. Taking away the light layer makes the pen closer to the screen. This really makes the writing feel more like real paper, which is what the Manta is all about.
Hardware
Looking at the specs shows a big difference in speed and screen tech. This changes how you should use the devices.
Monochrome vs. Color
The Manta A5X2 has a big 10.7-inch, 300 PPI E Ink Carta 1300 screen. This screen only shows black and white, but it’s super clear with great contrast. It’s one of the clearest E-Ink screens you can get for reading text and simple diagrams. The flexible design also helps make the device easy to take apart and repair. It runs on a 3600 mAh replaceable battery and uses an RK3566 Quad-Core 1.8 GHz processor with 4 GB of RAM. The OS is Chauvet, based on Android 11.
The Note Air 5C uses the 10.3-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 color screen. Black and white text looks sharp at 300 PPI. But when you look at color (4,096 colors), the resolution drops to 150 PPI. This color screen is great for looking at things like science journals or business reports where color matters. The colors aren’t as bright as a phone screen, but they work well, especially with the frontlight on. The Note Air 5C has a dual frontlight that lets you change the color temperature. You need this light because it helps brighten the color filter, making the 150 PPI color look better when the room is dark. It comes with a 3700 mAh battery , runs on Android 15 , and features an Octa-core CPU with 6 GB of RAM.
Performance
The Boox Note Air 5C is clearly the winner for speed. It has an Octa-core CPU, 6 GB of RAM, and uses BOOX Super Refresh (BSR) technology. This means it loads apps faster, turns pages in big documents smoothly, and handles screen ghosting better. This speed is necessary since it runs the full Android 15 system and heavy third-party apps.
The Supernote Manta A5X2 has an older, slower processor (RK3566 Quad-Core 1.8 GHz) and 4 GB of RAM. Some people say this hardware is “fairly anemic for today’s uses”. The big 10.7-inch, 300 PPI screen makes things even harder because the processor has to push more pixels. The Manta chose screen size and clarity over speed. This means the Supernote is slower than the Boox for things like searching your handwritten notes and just moving around the device. If you’re taking notes fast in a meeting, the Note Air 5C handles PDFs better. It switches pages and shows complicated documents almost “seamlessly,” avoiding the loading pauses or “jumps” you sometimes see on slower E-Ink devices.
Writing Feel
The main reason you buy these is for writing, but they go about it differently.
Tactile Fidelity
Supernote is focused on making the writing feel real. The Manta uses the FeelWrite 2 film on the screen to create a lot of friction, trying to feel like the “uneven grain” of “genuine paper”. If the feel of the pen on the screen is the most important thing to you, you’ll probably like the Manta more.
The signature feature is the Ceramic NeverReplace Nib. This ceramic tip lasts forever, so you never have to buy new nibs. It’s a precise 0.7 mm and has 4096 pressure levels. This means the Manta is built to last. You’ll probably worry about changing the internal battery long before the screen protector wears out.
Latency and Precision
People usually say the Manta feels better to write on , but the Note Air 5C often feels faster because it has more power. Boox made the writing speed much better, getting low latency (around 16 ms in tests). They used the faster processor and BSR tech to draw the ink almost instantly. This makes your handwriting feel “immediate and accurate”.
The Note Air 5C includes the BOOX Pen3 stylus, which has 4,096 pressure levels. The screen also has a new film that adds friction, so it doesn’t feel like writing on glass. Here’s the thing: the BOOX Pen 3 doesn’t have an eraser on the top. If you take a lot of notes and use the top eraser constantly, you might need to buy a different EMR pen, which adds to the overall cost.
Software
The software environment is the most critical difference.
The Boox Note Air 5C runs Android 15, which means you get full access to the Google Play Store. This freedom allows power users to integrate professional apps like OneNote, Evernote, Notion, and specialized PDF viewers. This transforms the device into a versatile E-Ink computing platform. But this flexibility can bring distractions, and the interface, while full of features, can feel “clunky and frustrating at times” compared to the Supernote. Also, Boox needs to keep updating Android to keep up with modern apps and security.
The Supernote Manta A5X2 uses Chauvet OS, which is a custom system based on Android 11. It’s a closed system made to keep you focused and make the writing process work perfectly. It’s okay that it uses older Android 11 because the device runs only its own native apps, which Ratta updates often. It has limits, but the software is much “more user friendly” than the Boox. You can put reading apps like Kindle on the Supernote, but they won’t fully work with the Manta’s built-in features, like note linking.
When you compare native features, Supernote is built to help you make an organized “second brain.” The built-in tools like Outlines, Headers, Tags, and Keywords, are really strong for structured note-taking. If all you care about is deep organization, Supernote is “streets ahead”. Boox’s native app has lots of features, but it’s more general. You get good tools like lasso selection and shape drawing. But its organizational features aren’t as good as Supernote’s dedicated system. The Note Air 5C does have some cool extras: dual speakers for audiobooks, and the power button has a fingerprint sensor for better security. That’s useful if you deal with private company data.
Cost, Reliability, and Support
When you buy one of these for work, you have to think about the long-term cost and how the company treats its customers.
The Supernote Manta A5X2 starts at $505.00 USD for just the device , so you have to buy the pen separately (the Push-Up Standard Pen is $65.00 USD). The Boox Note Air 5C costs around $529.99 USD and the BOOX Pen3 stylus is included. The Boox also supports pogo pins, which let you attach an optional magnetic keyboard. The Manta doesn’t have that.
The Supernote Manta’s modular design is a core feature that lowers the long-term cost. You can change the battery yourself, and even upgrade the motherboard. This makes the Manta last much longer and costs you less over time, since you don’t have to send it back for expensive factory repairs. The ceramic pen also means you never buy new plastic nibs. Overall, the Manta is built for high sustainability and has a very low maintenance cost.
Here’s the problem with Onyx Boox: even though the hardware is faster, people often complain about reliability and support. Users often report screens failing after a few months or parts breaking after a year because of things like battery swelling. Boox support is sometimes slow and people say the company tends to “blame the customer first.” They might make you pay over $300 plus international shipping for repairs if the warranty is up. This risk of bad support is a huge factor when you decide whether to buy. Supernote has a great reputation for sticking with its devices. They send out consistent, useful software updates and have customer support that is open and helpful. For example, one user reported that a template looked wrong after an update, and the Supernote team looked into it, found the problem, and fixed it within a few days. If this tablet is critical for your work, the Manta A5X2’s lower risk and better support often beat the Note Air 5C’s extra speed. The Note Air 5C, though cheaper to start because it includes the pen, has a lower long-term hardware security profile due to its high reported failure rate and inconsistent support.
Which One Should You Actually Buy?
You shouldn’t ask which device is “better.” The question is, which device fits your job better? These two are for two completely different kinds of users.
If you are looking for an amazing writing feel, great built-in tools for structured notes, and a device that will last forever with no need to buy new nibs, you should choose the Supernote Manta A5X2. Its primary strength is being a dedicated, distraction-free tool for structured note-taking (a “second brain”). It has the best tactile feel and durability. Its strong corporate support and low long-term risk make it a safe purchase, even though the processor is slower and it has no color or frontlight.
But if your work requires specific third-party Android apps, or if you have to read color charts and papers often, the Boox Note Air 5C is the necessary choice. Its primary strength is being a flexible multimedia device, excellent for third-party apps and color viewing. It has faster performance and ultra-low latency. It is much faster and more versatile, and it has color and a frontlight. Just know that you are taking a risk on customer support and long-term reliability for that speed and flexibility.
