I Almost Ignored This Tablet…And That Would Have Been a HUGE Mistake! Bigme B1051C Review

Every leap in technology comes with a trade-off. The Kindle gave us libraries in our pockets… but it took away the smell of paper. The reMarkable made digital notes feel almost like the real thing… but locked us into its own ecosystem. Now there’s this new thing – the Bigme B1051C. It’s trying to do it all: color e-ink, Android apps, AI tools, and even a keyboard. But here’s what I’ve been wondering – does “having it all” actually make us better readers, writers, or thinkers? Or does it just give us more distractions?

Bigme B1051C and its Kaleido 3 display

I honestly wasn’t planning to dive deep into this one. When I first got it, I wasn’t that interested in another Bigme device. But after spending a few weeks with it, I caught myself thinking – hey, this is actually a pretty cool device with a couple of areas for serious improvement. So today, I’m sharing my thoughts and experience with the Bigme B1051C.

🔷 Device Features

The Bigme B1051C stands out with a unique set of features that set it apart from typical e-readers:

• Color E-Ink Screen: Powered by Kaleido 3 technology, it brings comics, magazines, and colorful content to life in a way standard e-readers can’t match.

• Android Apps: Running Android 14, it offers flexibility with access to a wide range of applications.

B1051 Series runs on Android 14 so you can install any Android apps you wish.

• AI Tools: Features like audio-to-text transcription make it a versatile tool for productivity.

• Keyboard Support: Paired with a stylus, it’s designed for both note-taking and light work.

These features make it a hybrid device, blending e-reader simplicity with tablet-like functionality.

🔷 Tech Specs

Here’s a detailed look at what powers the Bigme B1051C:

The Kaleido 3 display is a highlight, using a passive RGB filter over a black-and-white e-ink layer to produce 4,096 colors. However, this means colors are muted, and the white background appears as a soft gray rather than a pure white.

Kaleido 3 technology uses RGB filter that sits on top of b&w microcapsules.

🔷Pricing

Pricing is a critical factor when evaluating premium devices like the Bigme B1051C, and Bigme’s lineup can be a bit confusing due to multiple variants. Each model differs not just in color or storage but sometimes in processors as well. Here’s a clear breakdown of the options:

Bigme B1051C Pricing (April 2025)

Price Comparison

The B1051C (the model I tested) sits at $638 in the US or €606 in Europe, which is steep compared to competitors. For context:

• The Boox Note Air 4C is over $100 cheaper. You can check Boox’s review HERE.

• The reMarkable Paper Pro is about $60 less in the US. I’ve also made review on Paper Pro, which you can find HERE.

Given the premium price, the B1051C needs to deliver exceptional performance to justify its cost, especially when more affordable alternatives are available.

Boox Note Air 4C – Pricing

🔷 Build Quality

Let’s talk about the build, because the Bigme B1051C is impressively sleek.

It’s just 5.5 millimeters thick – thinner than most phones – and weighs 428 grams on its own. Add the stylus, and that bumps up to 442 grams. If you go with the PU leather case, the total weight hits 651 grams, and with the keyboard folio, it lands around one kilogram. So while the core device is light and very portable, adding accessories can make it feel bulkier.

Bigme B1051C is super thin and has a soundbar located at the top.

That thin profile and reasonable weight make it comfortable to hold for extended reading or note-taking. The frame is built with aluminum on the sides and plastic on the back. It feels durable enough, though personally, I would’ve preferred a full metal unibody like the one you get with the reMarkable.

The design does have some smart touches. There’s a top bezel that looks like a soundbar, housing both the speakers and microphones. The rear camera sits flush with the back – no awkward bumps – and there are pogo pins on the bottom for attaching the optional keyboard. On the side, there’s also a microSD card slot for expandable storage, which is always nice to have.

Camera adds document scanning and OCR functionality to this setup.

The bezels have a subtle textured grip that makes it easier to hold in either portrait or landscape mode – a small detail, but one that improves usability.

For unlocking, you get a fingerprint sensor built into the power button. It’s fast, reliable, and a lot more convenient than entering a password every time.

Fingerprint reader is yet another great hardware addition

As for the speakers – they get surprisingly loud, especially the one built into the top bezel. But sound quality is just okay. It’s fine for voice memos or casual audio, but it’s not something you’d want to use for music or video playback.

Now let’s talk about the stylus. It attaches magnetically to the side, though the magnets aren’t especially strong. Luckily, the flip case has a flap that holds it more securely, which helps if you’re on the go.

Stylus on B1051C reminds me of reMarkable Paper Pro. It’s a good quality mixed with lightweight design.

The pen itself is nicely done. It has a matte texture similar to the reMarkable’s premium stylus and uses Wacom EMR technology, which supports pressure sensitivity, tilt input, and palm rejection – all of which worked well in my tests. There’s also a built-in eraser on the back of the pen, which is genuinely convenient.

What it lacks are side buttons. So if you’re used to quick shortcuts or tool switching with your pen, you might miss those. And while tilt for shading technically works, it’s not particularly accurate or responsive. If you’re a digital artist relying on precise tilt behavior, this likely isn’t the stylus for you.

There’s a built-in eraser on stylus.

🔷 Reading Experience

The reading experience on the Bigme B1051C is pretty versatile, thanks to its 10.3-inch color e-ink display. You’ve got multiple display modes like “Magazine” and “Comic,” which let you adjust refresh rate and visual quality depending on what you’re reading.

Reading on Bigme B1051C is awesome. The screen is responsive, text sharp, and there’s a ton customization to make it suit your reading style.

The screen delivers 300 PPI in black and white and 150 PPI in color. So while the colors add a lot-especially for comics, children’s books, or image-heavy PDFs-they come with a tradeoff in sharpness. Text looks softer, and the color layer gives the background a slightly grayish tone.

In general, color e-ink displays are darker than monochrome ones. That reduced contrast becomes noticeable during longer reading sessions, especially in low light. I often found myself needing the frontlight to stay comfortable while reading.

Different refresh modes allow you to watch different type of content, or even multimedia, on Bigme B1051C.

Now, the frontlight itself is solid. It’s evenly spread and makes the screen pop at full brightness-but it does affect battery life. With the light turned all the way up, you’ll see a noticeable drain over time. On the flip side, with the frontlight off, battery usage is minimal-around 2% per hour.

As for the display modes: “Magazine” and “Comic” make colors more vibrant and help reduce that grainy color e-ink look. But they also increase ghosting. “Video Mode” is more of a niche option-it boosts refresh speed for motion, but the image gets noticeably blurrier. It’s not really suited for reading.

Text contrast and sharpness could be further increased. The reading experience is great, but compared to Carta 1300 (Boox Note Max) you can notice a bit of lack of blackness.

So if you’re mainly reading colorful PDFs or graphic content, the screen works well. But if you’re all about sharp, high-contrast text, you might want to consider the B1051BW instead. You’ll lose color, but gain clarity.

🔷 Writing Experience

The B1051C uses Wacom EMR tech, and on paper, the writing tools are strong-pressure sensitivity, tilt support, and palm rejection are all there. And they work especially well when you’re using Bigme’s built-in Notes app.

But the writing feel? That’s where things could be better.

Writing on Bigme B1051C feels very comfortable. As a left hander, the palm rejection was spot on.

The screen is smooth and glassy, with almost no texture. Writing on it feels more like a whiteboard than paper. If you’re used to the tactile resistance of something like the reMarkable or the Note Air series, you’ll notice the difference right away. It’s usable, but for long note-taking sessions, it can feel a bit too slippery.

The stylus snaps magnetically to the side and holds on well enough. There’s also a little storage flap in the folio case, but honestly, it feels like an afterthought. It’s not that easy to use, and it’s easy to misplace.

Each folio comes with a magnetic flap that adds extra security to stylus

In short: the hardware is solid. But the writing experience would really benefit from a matte or textured screen protector-something to add a bit more friction and make the pen feel more natural against the display.

🔷 Performance

Performance on the Bigme B1051C has been a pleasant surprise. App launches and everyday tasks feel quick and responsive-much snappier than what you typically expect from an e-ink device.

If you’re jumping between multiple apps, you might encounter the occasional reload, but honestly, it’s rare and totally acceptable considering how smooth things run most of the time.

One standout feature is Global Handwriting. It lets you draw, annotate, or highlight directly within third-party apps-with virtually no latency. It’s Bigme’s version of something like Boox’s Rapid Draw, but here it actually works really well. Once enabled, the handwriting delay drops significantly, making third-party apps a lot more usable for note-taking or sketching. That’s a big improvement over what I’ve seen on devices like the Boox Note Max, where handwriting in third-party apps just felt laggy.

Global Handwriting tool allows you for quick input when using third-party app.

So yeah-Bigme really delivered here. It’s fast, fluid, and gives you the flexibility to use apps beyond the default ecosystem without sacrificing usability.

🔷 Battery

The battery on this thing is a total champ, especially for a color e-ink device. I ran some tests to see how it holds up, and the results were honestly better than I expected. Here’s the breakdown:

Activity	Conditions	Battery Drain
Reading	Wi-Fi on, frontlight off, page turn every 20s	2% per hour
Reading	Wi-Fi on, frontlight at max	3% per hour
Reading	Wi-Fi on, frontlight and warm light at max	4% per hour
Writing	Wi-Fi on, frontlight off	5% per hour (1% every 12.5 min)
Writing	Wi-Fi on, frontlight at max	10% per hour (2% every 12 min)

For reading, you’re looking at just 2% drain per hour with the frontlight off-super efficient.

Battery Usage results for Reading

Even cranking the frontlight to max only bumps it to 3%, and adding the warm light at full blast hits 4%. That’s awesome for such a bright display. Writing is just as impressive: low-impact note-taking sips 1% every 12.5 minutes (about 5% per hour), and even with the frontlight maxed out, it’s 2% every 12 minutes (10% per hour). These are some of the best numbers I’ve seen in this category. Whether you’re reading comics or scribbling notes, the battery holds up like a pro.

Battery Usage results for Writing

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🔷 Cool Features That Stand Out

The Bigme B1051C is loaded with features-way too many to cover without boring you to death. So, I’m just gonna spotlight a few that I think make this thing special and might help you figure out if it’s worth your cash.

Split screen feature. You can resize the windows or swap them with a double tap on the bar.

First off, the real-time voice transcription is a total gem. Seriously, it’s one of the best things about this device. It works shockingly well, even with my less-than-perfect English. I tested it by reading a chunk from a quantum mechanics book, and the transcription was spot-on with barely any hiccups. You can pick a specific dictionary to boost accuracy or use multi-role mode to sort out different speakers. After it’s done, it can whip up a quick summary or a polished version of what was said, and you can export it as a PDF, text file, or share it through other apps. The coolest part? You can scribble handwritten notes while it’s recording, and it all syncs up smoothly. I only noticed a few tiny errors, mostly with punctuation, but for real-time voice work, this is next-level impressive.

Voice-to-text recognition is very impressive. It also allows you to write notes while transcribing the text.

Another neat trick is the document scanning and OCR. The 5MP rear camera lets you scan papers and turn them into text. I tried it with a few random documents, and it worked better than I expected-just a couple of minor mistakes after the OCR kicked in. If you’re always dealing with printed stuff, this could save you a ton of time. The camera’s not amazing, but if you use Video Mode, keep your hands steady, and scan flat, non-glossy pages, you’ll get solid results.

OCR using Scanning document feature. Did couple of tests and results were great; barely no mistakes.

The handwriting-to-text conversion is another win. My handwriting’s pretty messy, but the B1051C still nailed most of it. If your penmanship’s even slightly better than mine, you’re golden. The dual microphones also deserve a shoutout-they’re great for voice recordings and that slick transcription feature, with clear audio every time.

Handwriting-to-text recognition. If it works well with my handwriting, I”m sure it will work even better with yours.

Then there’s BigmeGPT 4.0, the built-in AI tools. It’s not actually ChatGPT (it’s powered by DeepSeek AI, despite the name), but it’s still handy for stuff like meeting summaries, creative writing, or multilingual voice-to-text. These tools add some real productivity muscle, especially if you’re juggling a lot of tasks.

BigmeGPT works well and uses DeepSeek AI for providing results.

Finally, the keyboard folio. I love it and kinda don’t. Typing on it is great-I had a blast using it in cafes or meetings. But it doubles the device’s weight, and flipping it around to use the screen feels awkward. I’m honestly a little paranoid about breaking it over time. The touchpad’s also a mess-way too sensitive and choppy, so I just stick to the touchscreen. It’s awesome when you’re parked at a desk, but for commuting or on-the-go use, it’s not the vibe. And no, it’s not gonna replace your laptop.

Using keyboard folio with B1051C was a mixed experience due to touchpad being too sensitive.

These features make the B1051C feel like a productivity beast, but some-like the keyboard-come with trade-offs. Still, the transcription and scanning tools alone might be enough to sway you if you’re after a versatile e-ink device.

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🔷 Who’s This Device For?

The Bigme B1051C is a great pick for folks who want a lightweight, portable tablet that’s easy on the eyes thanks to its e-ink display. Its slim design makes it a breeze to toss in a bag for school, work, or a cozy café session. If you’re someone who loves the freedom of Android-think downloading apps like Kindle, Kobo, OneNote, or Google Docs-this thing gives you way more flexibility than those locked-down e-readers that only play nice with their own apps.

The device comes with WPS Office Suita but you can also install Microsoft apps if needed.

It’s also a solid fit if your day involves working with documents and you like jotting notes or annotations right on them. The stylus, with its pressure sensitivity and palm rejection, feels natural, and the handwriting-to-text feature is a time-saver for turning your scribbles into something shareable. For anyone into comics, magazines, or kids’ books, the color e-ink screen is a big plus. It’s not as punchy as a regular tablet, but it’s a huge step up from black-and-white e-ink for colorful stuff. And if you need to type now and then, the optional keyboard folio turns it into a handy little workstation for emails or drafting docs-just don’t expect it to replace your laptop.

This device works really well with colorful PDFs, magazines and comics.

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🔷 Final Verdict: Should You Buy It?

After two weeks of kicking the tires on the Bigme B1051C, I’ve got a good sense of what it’s all about. This is a super versatile e-ink tablet that’s awesome for reading, note-taking, and even some light work. The 10.3-inch Kaleido 3 color display is a standout for comics, magazines, and colorful PDFs, and the Android setup lets you run all sorts of apps, which is a lot more freedom than your average e-reader.

The text is crisp and sharp. YOu can bump up the contrast in the settings if needed

That said, it’s not perfect. The color screen looks great for visuals but isn’t as sharp for text as a black-and-white e-reader, so if you’re reading novels for hours without the frontlight, you might prefer the B1051BW. The software’s a bit rough-some translation hiccups and glitches pop up, and the keyboard folio’s touchpad is more annoying than helpful. Battery life is awesome, but heavy frontlight use or multitasking can eat it up faster. Writing feels good with the responsive stylus and slick handwriting-to-text conversion, but I really missed the paper-like texture you get on devices like the reMarkable. The AI and transcription tools are impressive, but if you’re not using them much, they’re not a dealbreaker.

Reading comics on this thing is very comfortable.

So, should you get it? If you’re after a portable, do-it-all tablet that mixes e-ink reading with note-taking, document work, and Android flexibility, the B1051C is a solid choice. It’s great for creative types, students, or anyone who wants a hybrid device, as long as you’re okay with some software quirks and a slightly less crisp text display. But if you’re all about the absolute best reading experience with super-sharp text, you might be happier with a black-and-white model or another brand. At its premium price, it’s a strong contender with a lot of cool features, but you’ve gotta decide if the versatility outweighs the quirks for you.

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