What is the difference between the Supernote A6 X2 (Nomad) and the Supernote A6 X?

Ratta Supernote recently launched the Supernote A6 X2 Nomad, which supersedes the discontinued Supernote A6 X.

In this post, I want to quickly go over the differences between these two e-ink tablets.

Please note that this article was written before the A6X2 has begun to ship, so is based on specifications provided by Supernote rather than hands-on experience with the tablet. For this reason, there may be some speculation/educated guesses regarding details that have not yet been confirmed. I will be recieving an A6X2 in mid-December and will update this article accordingly when I have used the tablet first-hand

First, the similarities…

The A6X2 is the latest generation of Supernote’s A6-sized tablets, and so they have the same 7.8″ screen size (measured diagonally). They are both monochrome, and although I’ve not yet confirmed it, I believe both screens have a resolution of 1404 × 1872 and a pixel density of 300PPI.

Neither the A6X2, nor A6X have a frontlight for reasons that Supernote themselves explain here.

They both have 32Gb of storage space, along with Wifi, Bluetooth, and USB-C connectivity.

And they both have a Wacom layer, which means that any Wacom EMR compatible styluses can be used for writing on the tablet (however, Supernote’s own pens/styluses have been specially designed to work well with their screen, and have a unique ceramic nib that never needs to be replaced).

Both e-ink tablets run Chauvet, which is Ratta Supernote’s bespoke operating system based on Android.This includes a note-taking app, reading app, email client, write-on calendar (that syncs with Google/Outlook calendars), and the Kindle app.

And, now, the differences…

One of the most striking things about the A6X2 is that it has a modular design, which means users can replace components of the tablet if they break, rather than buying a whole new unit. This modularity was not available with the A6 X. Currently, only the battery has been confirmed as being replaceable, however, from the pictures, it appears that it may be possible to swap out other components as well.

The replaceable battery on the A6X2 may explain why it has a slightly lower capacity (2700mAh compared to 2900mAh on the A6X). Supernote no longer need to ensure that the battery will last for the lifetime of the device because a dead battery will not make the tablet obsolete. Whether this will have an impact on how long the battery lasts between recharges remains to be seen, however I don’t expect it to be significant.

The A6X2 benefits from an improved processor/CPU (1.8GHz quad-core, compared to 1.3GHz quad-core on the A6X) and more memory (4Gb compared to 2Gb).

The screen is fitted with Supernote’s FeelWrite2 screen protector, which aims to provide a more paper-like writing feel. This was not available on the A6X – however,I should note that newer A5X tablets are being shipped with FeelWrite2 and customers with an older A5X can buy and fit the screen protector themselves, if they so wish.

In terms of the footprint, the A6X2 is slightly wider and taller (139.2mm x 191.9mm) than the A6X (138mm x 188mm). It is also around 10g heavier. However, it is also slightly thinner at 6.8mm, compared to 7.2mm on the A6X.

Whilst the A6X was only available in white, the A6X2 has two options for the shell; white or crystal/transparent. In addition,

In terms of hardware features, the A6X2 has a MicroSD card slot and g-sensor (for auto-orientation) that were not present on the A6X. It also has two capacitive side-swipe bars on the left and right bezels, whilst the A6X has just one on the right-hand bezel. Not only does this mean the possibility of additional swipe gestures, but it may also be more comfortable for left-handed users.

For software, the A6X2 comes with a new drawing/painting app, which has a multitude of different brush types and will have an option to export in PSD (Adobe Photoshop file format). Ratta Supernote also plan to release a Linux version of their operating system that will allow the community to mod the software to their own needs and requirements.

Although these software updates have been marketed as part of the A6X2 launch, I do expect them to become available on Supernote’s older e-ink tablets as well, so the software in itself may not be a good enough reason to consider an upgrade – however, I personally think that the new hardware provides good enough reason 🙂

Supernote A6 X2 Nomad vs Supernote A6 X

The differences in specifications between the A6X and A6X2 are summarised in the table below. You can also compare a wide range of other e-ink tablets in my giant comparison matrix here.