Table of Contents
In the past two weeks, I've reviewed both the 7.8-inch Supernote A6 X2 Nomad and the 10.7-inch Supernote A5 X2 Manta, two e-ink note-taking devices so well-built and smartly designed (by Ratta, a privately held company based in the U.S., Japan, and China), they made me entertain throwing away all of my paper notebooks and embracing a fully digital future.
But I was sent both of these devices to test them out. If I was purchasing one for myself, which one would I buy? While they are perfectly matched in terms of their specs and capabilities, the answer isn't quite as simple as just choosing between screen sizes (or the $160 price difference).
If you're on the fence, here's a rundown of the (few, but notable) differences between the Supernote Nomad and the Supernote Manta—and my recommendation for which one you should by.
They're mostly the same device
If you want to know everything the Supernote Nomad and Supernote Manta can do, you can read my reviews of both devices. But suffice it to say that, as noted, in terms of (most of) their specs and capabilities, the devices are identical.
Both Supernotes use similar e-ink Carta displays (with a key difference I'll outline below). Both offer 300 dpi resolution. Both have the same RK3566 Quad-Core 1.8 GHz processor, the same 4GB of RAM, the same 32GB of storage. They run the same software and do all of the same things.
The biggest difference, in terms of technical capabilities, is that, as a larger device, the Manta has room for a bigger battery than the Nomad: The former has a 3600 mAh battery, while the latter has a 2700 mAh battery. Don't assume that means the larger device will last longer, however—that bigger screen takes more juice to power, and some battery tests have shown the Nomad actually lasts longer between charges.
This all means if you're deciding which device to buy, you'll have to consider other factors.
The screens are different in more ways than size
About those screens: Obviously the Manta's 10.7-inch screen offers a lot more room to write and draw on, but as I noted above, that's not the only difference between it and the smaller Nomad. From what I can gather online (Ratta doesn't advertise what kind of displays the devices use) the Nomad has a Carta 1200 display, while the Manta uses a Carta 1300 display. Functionally, I see not difference in appearance or performance between them, though the Carta 1300 is said to be faster and have a better refresh rate.
But here's the thing: Though the screens of both the Nomad and the Manta are coated with Ratta's "FeelWrite 2 Self-recovery Soft Film," which the company promises offers a better writing experience, and have more or less indistinguishable e-ink displays under the hood, the Nomad's outer screen is made of glass, the Manta's is made of plastic.
As a result, the Manta is noticeably thinner than the Nomad (.14 of an inch at its thinnest point, versus .27 of an inch for the Nomad). The Manta is still heavier, at 375g versus 266g for the Nomad, but the former is designed with a thinner half-folio cover, while the latter uses a full cover; according to my scale, when in their respective cases, the Manta weighs 487g while the Nomad weighs 417g—a significantly smaller difference.
Though I haven't exactly put the two devices through stress tests, the Manta's screen is obviously going to be more durable—it definitely feels like it could survive being knocked off a desk, which is never a bet I'd feel confident making for a device with a glass screen.
The writing experience
The screen differences go beyond the size and weight of the device: The plastic screen of the Manta is appreciably softer to write on with one of Supernote's ceramic-tipped styluses. Though both devices feel pretty good in use, there's noticeably more give when putting the tip of your pen to the surface of the Manta, and the difference isn't subtle.
Which you'll prefer is a matter of taste, but I'd wager most people would opt for the Manta if given an option; especially for longer writing sessions, it just feels more comfortable (and folks in the Supernote Reddit community seem to agree).
To be clear, both devices offer best in class, paper-like writing experiences, but I think the Manta just feels a bit better, akin to writing in a notebook versus writing on a single sheet of paper.
Ease of use
This probably goes without saying, but the Manta's larger screen gives you more room to do everything you might want to do with one of these devices, from taking more notes on a single line to larger text and images when working with PDFs.
In practical terms, this can also mean less tapping around to find the features you want: The Manta's sidebar can hold 20 tools, versus 18 on the Manta.
And the Winner Is...
Paying $299 for a digital notebook is no joke—especially when you're also going to have to shell out another $75 for a stylus to get any use out of it. Plus tax! (And, maybe soon, tariffs.)
But if you're ready to spend more than $400 all-in on a Supernote Nomad, I think you should bite the bullet and pay the extra $160 to get the Supernote Manta—unless you're in love with the Nomad's 7.8-inch carry-anywhere size (which, understandable).
I think if you're picking up a Supernote to organize your life and replace everything you currently do on paper, from taking notes in meetings, to planning to-do and shopping lists, to drawing and sketching, you will come to appreciate the larger screen size—especially if you plan to use the device to read and mark up PDFs.
Yes, the Manta is larger, and thus less portable—but only marginally. The half-folio design gives it a very slim profile, and it will easily slip right into to most any bag. The softer plastic screen is likely more durable (and offers a slightly improved writing experience), so you won't have to worry about treating it too gently.
Put simply, these are very similar devices—so if you've got the means, why not go a little bigger?
