The Supernote Nomad is Awesome – It Just Didn’t Start That Way (A Full Review)

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After years of testing minimalist wallets and thoroughly enjoying it, I thought it was time to expand that a bit further into the rest of my life. This primarily was due to the fact I felt like I was constantly being barraged by notifications on my phone, and the feeling that I constantly felt like I needed to be on it, and thus started my journey down the rabbit hole of minimalistic technology (stay tuned for even more than just this).

Anyway, during my lengthy journey, I discovered Supernote and their Nomad! After sending them a quick email, they were kind enough to send out a free sample of the Nomad, the pen, and the folio for me to put through its paces.

Now, when I first opened it. I was surprised to find that I… just didn’t get it. However, after a couple of weeks of integrating it into my life, it has become an invaluable tool that I use all throughout my day to stay organized.

So stick around, as I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about this e-ink tablet. What I like about it, what I don’t like about it, and exactly who should buy this notepad replacement.

What is the Supernote Nomad?

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The Supernote Nomad is meant to replace your notebook – your sketchbook – your journals – planners – to-do lists, and more. What it isn’t meant to be, is just another android tablet that is built to take your time, and keep your eyes on the screen for as long as possible. That is never more evident than the e-ink display that they use. In fact, they have gone so far to make this feel just like paper, that it isn’t even equipped with a backlight.

It includes applications (some need to be downloaded after the fact), such as drawing apps, calendar apps, a journal app, and, of course, a note-taking app. Outside of this, it doesn’t do much else, and that is exactly why I like it so much.

Now, to purchase these three things together (I have the Crystal Nomad, with the Heart of Medal Pen 2, and the Canvas Folio) is a decently high price of $467.00 before tax.

So, is it worth it? That’s what we’ll dig into more now.

What were my first impressions?

I am not an unboxing kinda person, I don’t really enjoy showing off what its like to pull a product out of the packaging, and then pretend that I’m reviewing a product, having only used it for a couple minutes. That’s why, I generally don’t talk about my first impressions, however I’m making an exception with this Supernote Nomad. Why is that? Because I didn’t understand it when I first opened it.

When I first took everything out of the packaging (which, by the way, was really cool), I thought it looked cool but didn’t see the real value in it. Top that off with the fact the screen felt slightly “gummy”, I put it to the side for the night.

Now, I review products for a living, and while I never guarantee coverage when a company sends me a product for free, I always try to give them a fighting chance to impress me, and I did just that in this case.

I started taking all of my notes on the device, signed into every account I could find, updated the software, and downloaded the Kindle and drawing app. Once I started to “settle” myself into the device, I started liking it more and more.

My ultimate goal was for a bit of minimalism in my life, and less time on my phone, and it was doing that. Now, weeks later, I use it throughout the day, every day, and have thoroughly enjoyed it.

What do I like about it?

1. Everything is one place

It took me quite a bit for the Supernote Nomad (Paid Link) to find its place in my daily life, but once it did, it was something I found myself missing when I didn’t have it on me. This is where I take notes when I make phone calls, I “attempt” to draw cards on the drawing app, I read my books on the Kindle, and my to-do’s all life on this device.

The Nomad gives me a considerable amount of peace, knowing that I have everything on me, but I don’t have to look at my iPhone’s screen constantly to stay organized. In fact, the only thing I haven’t found a way to integrate well into my life is the calendar application, as my iPhone calendar is worth the usage.

2. Drawing feels mostly like paper

While the initial feel of the Nomad felt a bit rubbery, that feeling quickly subsided, and now that I am used to it, it feels just like paper! The ability to have that extra resistance that this e-ink screen with a rubbery covering provides a feeling so much better than utilizing something like a rubber-tipped stylus on a slick screen of an iPad. Add the high-quality stylus, the specialized screen, 4096 pressure sensitivity levels, and you have something that much feels like drawing directly on paper than a screen.

3. It’s a really well-built unit

After having used Kindle quite a bit in the past, I wasn’t overly looking at build quality when I was originally offered to receive this unit. However, right off the bat, I could tell this was in a different league than what I was used to. The stylus feels like a high-end pen, the folio seems to be high-quality, and the unit itself may be a plastic build but feels ridged.

I have no doubt the clear back of the crystal edition plays a big part in this, but I have been quite impressed. It should also be mentioned here, that the brand touts repairability as a major factor in your purchase here, and you can tell this can likely be repaired at home by anyone with a small knowledge in repair work.

4. The pen feels like something you want to use

Let me say, I didn’t choose the specifications on the device I received! Rather, Supernote chose them for me and shipped what they thought was best. I’m glad they did, as they shipped the $89 optional Samurai Heart of Metal Pen 2, which is essentially a fancy way of referring to a high-end metal pen-like stylus! This stylus is required for drawing and writing (so you probably should get one and budget for it) and offers a 0.7 mm diameter that theoretically never needs to be replaced.

This fine point, rather than those cheap round rubber stylus’ makes it feel considerably more premium and much more like drawing on real paper (it also is built to never be replaced). The extra heft of the metal pen also feels great in the hands, and the cap clicks into place on either the tip end or the back.

5. The clear back is cool

I’ll be honest, I didn’t dig into all of the different options for this unit before I received it. However, the thing that surprised me most was the crystal edition’s back plate. While it may be a paid option, I think it is quite worth it! Essentially, rather than a standard plastic back, it is completely clear, giving you full view of the internal battery, the hidden SD card slot, and more.

The only unfortunate thing about this whole thing is that the clear back is completely hidden by the magnetic folio, so you’ll only see this if you remove the folio, which is rare for me (however, I’ve found reading books is easier with it removed, due to the lighter weight).

6. The size is great

The Nomad isn’t the only Android based e-ink notepad style device on the market. In fact, there are quite a few! However, what sets the Nomad apart is its compact size (Paid Link). Sure, the brand offers a larger 10.3″ Supernote A5 X (by the way, the new naming theme is considerably better), the smaller 7.8″ version seems to be the sweet spot.

The only time I have felt like I needed a larger display was when I was drawing, otherwise, this smaller form factor is my size of choice. It allows it to be portable, of which I have done quite a bit, when I take it to church to take notes. It also is easy to leave on my dinner table for use when I’m not working, and doesn’t take up to much space on my desk when I am working.

Really, there have been very few times I have been concerned with the size, and I bet you will agree with me.

What do I not like about it

1. The pen wobbles around in the folio

Now, this may seem a bit nit-picky, and likely is, as I do think the Nomad is a fantastic device. However, the high-quality, heavy-duty stylus pen has a major drawback. It tends to rattle around quite a bit and is never quite snugged up to the device in the folios holder.

It’s never fallen out of the device, and never will (likely). However, it wobbles around and definitely doesn’t represent the well-thought-out Nomad as a whole. In the end, it would be nice to have another quick strap near the base of the pen to keep it in place.

2. The file system could be better

After being used to the home screens of Android phones and iPhones over the years, the home screen (which is more of a file system) of the Nomad seems heavily outdated. I wish the device had a true home screen that offered an easy glimpse of all the capabilities of the device (e-reader, drawing, notetaking, etc.) rather than old-school-looking file folders.

In fact, it can be quite difficult to find the file system, and it took me a while of digging to find my way there. Because of that, I think a revamp of how you access applications would be incredibly helpful in future software updates of the device.

Who should buy the Supernote Nomad?

If you are looking for a full Android experience tablet, this isn’t it. The software has been changed so heavily that it isn’t even reminiscent of the Android 11 software that it is based on. However, if you are looking for a device that relieves you of having to stare at a blue light phone or computer all day but allows you to have a device that can replace every notebook, calendar, drawing notebook, “book,” book and to-do list all in one place (that syncs to the cloud), then you are in the right place.

The Supernote Notepad is by no means a cheap alternative (Paid Link) to the products it replaces, but it gives me a metaphorical sigh of relief every time I use it. If that sounds like you, you probably should just get one.

So where should you buy the Nomad?

As of this writing, the only place I have found to purchase the Supernote Nomad is directly on their website. You’ll find links to that here or below! (Paid Link)

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