Supernote have released a statement on their social media properties that the long-anticipated Supernote A5 X2 is now scheduled to be released in May/June 2024.
It was previously intended to be released in the first quarter of 2024 – I expected a late March or early April release.
Whilst this will come as a disappointment to many who have been patiently waiting to buy the A5X2 (particularly as production of the A5X has ended), the response from the community has been very positive.
A sweep through the comments on Reddit reveals that many people are appreciative of Ratta Supernote’s transparency and communication.
There has also been an air of excitement about the sneak-peek of specs that Ratta provided with their statement, particularly the 300PPI screen resolution. In addition, it will share the same motherboard as the A6 X2 Nomad and have a ‘semi-folio’ design.
Below is Ratta Supernote’s statement in full followed by some of my own thoughts.
We greatly appreciate the immense interest in the A5 X2, the next generation of our classic-sized A5 X product. In the spirit of transparency, we would like to provide an update on its progress to our valued community.
First and foremost, Supernote is not a brand that seeks attention by constantly releasing new products. We take great care with each generation of our products, striving for true innovation, which inevitably brings some uncertainty to the development timeline. The groundbreaking concepts we introduced with the Supernote Nomad have set a high standard for the A5 X2, and we simply cannot afford to be perfunctory.
We were overly optimistic about releasing the A5 X2 in the first quarter. The sell-out of the A5 X and the limited availability of the Nomad due to higher-than-expected demand as well as a newly cooperated supply chain, have placed significant pressure on us. However, our confidence and commitment remain unwavering because we believe in our product and deeply value the unwavering support of Supernote’s dedicated community.
During the prototyping phase of the A5 X2, we carefully evaluated multiple models and have now finalized the product’s shape, which will be expedited to the next stage. We are thrilled to share some confirmed exciting new features of the A5 X2:
- The screen will boast 300 PPI and be slightly larger in size than its predecessor.
- Compared with its predecessor, it will adopt a semi-folio design for a lighter overall weight, greatly improving the convenience of holding and carrying across different usage scenarios.
- Sharing the motherboard with the Supernote Nomad will notably reduce uncertainty.
Our next challenge is to prepare the structure and production as swiftly as possible, aiming for an expected release date of May to June. We are eager to provide the community with sneak peeks of product design concept images in the near future.
Stay tuned!
Ratta Supernote Team (Reddit)
My own thoughts about the new release date
Whilst I am a little disappointed that I have to wait longer to get my hands on an A5X2 (for me, this is probably the most exciting e-ink tablet I will buy this year), I do understand that things do not always go to plan and I appreciate Ratta Supernote’s transparency in this regard.
They don’t make excuses and clearly admit that they were “overly optimistic” about their release schedule. For me, this also makes me more confident in their products.
Whilst other manufacturers seem to rush new products through the design phase to production and then to the market within months, Supernote hardware releases have several years between them. This gives them more time to iron out bugs and truly innovate, which is demonstrated in the high quality of their products.
And, in the meantime, regular firmware updates mean that their products still become better over time, increasing their longevity and making them more sustainable. For example, Supernote were the first e-ink tablet manufacturer to offer replaceable batteries.
I’m going to go off on a bit of tangent here, but I’m currently reading ‘Slow Productivity‘ by Cal Newport. Cal shares his observations that the current work ethic promotes busyness over productivity, which creates a sort of pseudo-productivity where workers are constantly busy and burned-out but not really achieving anything close to their potential.
To overcome this, Cal offers three principles:
- Do fewer things
- Work at a natural pace
- Obsess over quality
This book has really resonated with me and I will be integrating some of the sage advice into my own workflows.
Of course, I’m not close enough to Ratta Supernote to know how they work but I couldn’t help but draw parallels between ‘Slow Productivity‘ and Ratta Supernote’s own business strategy.
Their products are laser-focussed (designed to be a digital writing pad rather than a fully-fledged tablet), so they essentially do fewer things by not trying to be everything to everyone.
And they also work at a natural pace and obsess over quality to ensure that they develop high-quality and innovative products and get things right first time (which can lead to delayed timelines as it has in this case).
So although I’m a little sad that I have to wait longer-than-expected for my new Supernote, I’m excited to see what innovations the new generation will bring.
About the author
Dan Dutton is passionate about E-ink writing tablets, which bring together the pleasure of writing on paper with the power of digital technology. When he bought his first tablet, he realised that there wasn't a lot of unbiased information available for people that were considering buying an E-ink tablet, and so he built eWritable.
If we see the A5X2 before 2025 it will be a miracle. Ratta can’t even deliver Nomad orders right now, let alone a new product.
Sadly, I also think the A5X2 has will be further delayed because of recent delays with the Nomad shopping.
Dan