The reMarkable 2 is an iPad Pro alternative for writers

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Wish the iPad was more like an actual pad? The reMarkable 2 is made with you in mind

reMarkable 2
(Image credit: reMarkable)

The iPad Pro delights many professionals, but there's another tablet targeting the executive class section of the plane — and it just got a new version. Meet the reMarkable 2, a tablet for writing that's been 3 years in the making. 

At $399, the reMarkable 2 is much cheaper than the $599 original model. And among other features, the 0.19-inch thin reMarkable 2 appears to be the thinnest tablet ever, measuring a hair under the 0.20-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e.

The reMarkable 2 pitches itself towards the business conference room in a trailer video that shows off handwriting to text recognition, a feature that's hopefully coming to the iPad soon — and is in Windows. Also, expect better performance in terms of writing and drawing recognition — the reMarkable 2 is rated for 21ms latency, which is the same rating as the Surface Pen and close to the 2nd Gen Apple Pencil's 20ms latency.

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Expect longer battery life, too. While the original reMarkable was rated for 5 days of battery life, the reMarkable 2 is supposed to last two weeks. 

While the reMarkable has all of these remarkably unique features, it's not exactly a straight up iPad replacement. It runs a relatively under-developed operating system named Codex, that's made for devices just like the reMarkable that have digital paper displays. 

That being said, your documents sync across devices, thanks to reMarkable Android and iOS apps, and cloud syncing. It also supports
PDF and ePUB documents, and can export to PDF, PNG and SVG.

the remarkable 2

(Image credit: reMarkable)

You'll have two reMarkable Marker styli options (both attach magnetically to the side of the tablet, like the 2nd gen Apple Pencil). The normal $49 Marker is included with pre-order, but you can get one with a "built-in eraser" for $99.

Also there are two cases. The regular $69 Folio is a sleeve that you insert like normal, while the $99 Book Folio snaps to the reMarkable 2 magnetically.

Wonder when we'll see a new iPad Pro to take on the reMarkable 2? Well, all signs were pointing to March, but the Apple event that could have brought us said high-end tablet is reportedly cancelled. 

That being said, Apple is currently rumored to be delivering a new MacBook Air this week, which would happen without an event. So, we're starting to think that Apple doesn't need a public space to reveal new hardware, and that the next iPad Pro may launch this month anyways. 

Henry T. Casey
Henry T. Casey

Henry was a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.