The iFLYTECH AINOTE Air 2 is an 8.2” compact e-Ink tablet designed to be an all-in-one solution for note takers needing to level up their scribing capabilities. With impressive 4096 pressure-level support, built-in voice-to-text and transcription functionality, multi-language support, eBook and email support, and room to download a handful of other useful productivity apps, there is a lot to appreciate in the AINOTE Air 2. While the feature set is impressive, performance hamstrings the user experience, making it a bit difficult to stomach the $499.99 price point. Let’s dive in and take a look.
One of the best parts of the AINOTE Air 2’s design is the unit’s size. While one can appreciate the notebook size of something like the Super Note A5 X2 Manta, the 8.2-inch screen and 7.6 x 5.4 x 0.02-0.25-inch form factor of the Air 2 is perfect for compact carry into a meeting or conference. Weighing a mere 0.51 lbs, it’s exceptionally lightweight and fits easily into a small bag or purse.
Along with the compact form factor, the AINOTE Air 2 also features 4 microphones, a single speaker and a 5MP camera. The first two hardware choices empower the transcription system, which works fairly well in a lecture or meeting setting where there is predominantly a single speaker presenting. I found the Air 2’s recording and live transcription system to work decently well, though it struggled to distinguish multiple voices and doesn’t make any distinctions between voices in the transcript.
“The iFLYTECH AINOTE Air 2 is an 8.2” compact e-Ink tablet designed to be an all-in-one solution for note takers needing to level up their scribing capabilities.”
Despite these small drawbacks, I am still impressed that the feature is present in an e-Ink tablet. It’s well implemented, too. Simply selecting the record tab on the main menu opens a new file and immediately begins recording the surrounding audio. No extra steps or convoluted process to start capturing audio; it’s a one-button solution that does exactly what is needed, though initial start-up time can be slow; more on this in a moment.
Playback is also possible on the AINOTE Air 2 thanks to the built-in speaker, and while it won’t blow you away with the decibel levels produced, it’s loud enough to hear captured audio clearly. Furthermore, all files, including recorded audio, can safely be stored in the cloud for remote access.
The 5MP camera is an interesting inclusion with the AINOTE Air 2 and is designed to allow for easy document scanning. Unfortunately, while the concept is brilliant, the execution leaves much room for improvement. The camera cannot capture detail well enough for it to be clearly viewed, not just on the AINOTE Air 2 but even on remote devices. While I love the idea here, a better camera is needed for it to be a useful feature.
The included Wacom passive electromagnetic pen, though, is a delight to work with. Note-taking is smooth and responsive. I appreciate the tactile response of the pen to the tablet present with the AINOTE Air 2. Perhaps one of the best elements of the experience, though, is the inclusion of the built-in eraser and sense button that give new levels of control over the writing experience. I spent two days at a conference testing the AINOTE Air 2’s features, and writing with it is a delight.
Thanks to the passive writing pen, there is also no need to be concerned with charging the stylus to allow for easy pick up and writing. It is a smart choice that serves the AINOTE Air 2 well. The battery life, likewise, is solid, providing plenty of power to get you through a work week with regular use.
Another standout feature is the inclusion of additional apps. While it does have built-in ebook and email apps, iFLYTECH also gives users access to some good e-reader and productivity tools such as Kobo Books, Kindle, and Outlook. Having Outlook on an e-ink Tablet has been on my wish list for quite some time, and it’s nice to see it here.
“The iFLYTECH AINIOTE Air 2 is a brilliantly conceptualized tablet that struggles due to poor performance.”
While most everything lighted has been a joy to use, it is all overshadowed by one thematic challenge: performance. While I appreciate all that iFLYTECH has packed into the AINOTE Air 2, its Quad-core 1.8GHz processor and abysmal 4GB of RAM cannot keep up with demanding tasks or functional multitasking. It simply lacks the processing power to manage all the great ideas tucked into the AINOTE Air 2.
If you are working with a single app, performance is acceptable. However, if you try to swap apps quickly or load a downloaded app, the system bogs down until the tablet can catch up to the request. While it’s still technically functional, the wait time is frustrating. This performance issue puts a damper on an otherwise brilliant e-ink tablet experience.
The iFLYTECH AINIOTE Air 2 is a brilliantly conceptualized tablet that struggles due to poor performance. While I want to love the AINOTE Air 2 as it hits so many productivity boxes, sluggish performance on more resource-heavy tasks keeps it from truly being a great tablet. It’s still usable, but simply won’t provide the power needed to run the more demanding features that the AINOTE Air 2 offers.
