Review: Supernote A5 X2 Manta Digital Notebook

The digital notebook space isn't a huge world, which makes a new one pretty big news. Especially when that new one is the Supernote A5 X2 Manta, a second generation of the company's original popular digital notebook that came out in 2018 and has been sold out while Supernote made its next model. Supernote has plenty of fans who have been waiting for the A5 X2's arrival, and it's finally here.

The A5 X2 Manta changed a few things: There's a new dual slider on the side for some quick actions like undo and redo, a FeelWrite 2 film screen cover that makes the writing experience feel closer to writing on paper than a tablet, and a modular design that lets you swap out the battery and motherboard if needed. It's lightweight and fun to use, with Supernote's intuitive software and nice range of templates for your notebook pages; I love the weekly agenda, but most of my notebooks use blank pages so I can have free rein to write in any size and style I desire.

But where Supernote really shines, at least in daily use, is with its range of pens. These pens only work with Supernote's digital notebooks (its lineup also includes the Supernote A6 X2 Nomad ($299)) and are easily the most comfortable and best-designed digital notebook pens I've tried. If you want something that feels high-end to write with in a digital capacity, then the Supernote A5 X2 Manta and the LAMY Safari Vista EMR ($89) or the Heart of Metal ($75) pens are for my fellow pen lovers. Plus, the modular design means you can hopefully keep this digital notebook thriving for much longer than any other you'd buy.

Paper Power

The Supernote A5 X2 Manta has a 10.7-inch E Ink screen and a 1920 × 2560 (or 300 PPI) resolution. The screen is covered in FeelWrite 2 film to give it the sensation of writing on paper, rather than writing on a smooth screen. The sensation works, and combined with Supernote's realistic pens, I'd say it feels the closest to a true pen-and-paper feeling that any digital notebook has. It's also incredibly light, weighing only 0.83 pounds without any added folio cover, and including the attachable pen loop. I used it with the Half Folio ($59) which makes the device weigh about one pound total.

There's no front light, so you do need some kind of exterior light source to see the digital notebook and write on it. That's not unusual, nor is the fact that the Supernote doesn't have any color features. While we're seeing more color digital notebooks being offered that also have either a front light or built-in light source—the ReMarkable Paper Pro (7/10, WIRED Recommends) and Kobo Libra Color ($220) for example—the classic digital notebook has neither of these things.

The Supernote Manta is more expensive than the ReMarkable 2, with the ReMarkable 2 and the upgraded Marker Plus costing $5 less than the Manta and its base pen, and $100 cheaper than the best pen Supernote has to offer. Part of what makes the Supernote splurge worth it is the modular design, allowing you to easily access the motherboard and battery if a part breaks or you want to swap in a more powerful option. That's great for both easy fixes and feeling like this is a long-term investment, since you could hopefully repair it for years to come.

There's also a slot to add a micro SD card for more storage, and the device itself has about 32 GB of storage on it (Supernote mentions that the built-in software takes up some of that space, though). In comparison, the ReMarkable 2 has 8 GB of storage and can't be expanded, though the ReMarkable Paper Pro has 64 GB. The Paper Pro is more expensive than the Manta, unless you upgrade to Supernote's higher-end pens.

Brain Game

There's plenty of brain power inside the A5 X2 Manta. It's got a sleek, intuitive interface, and it wakes up quickly when you pick up the Manta and turn it on. The headline and keyword options are handy for keeping track of different sections in your notes, and I find myself using those frequently to keep myself from just making a fresh note for new meetings or semi-related topics. You can choose from 28 templates when you create a new note, and you can design your own, too. To do that, you'll need to upload an image for your design into the MyStyle folder you can access via the Supernote Cloud app, which you can access over iOS, Android, and browser.

You can also choose to make a Word document, or a Real-Time Recognition document that will analyze everything you write in real time so it can instantly convert it to typed text whenever you want. That mode can also allow you to use an on-screen keyboard, but Supernote's keyboards (whether you're naming a new note or typing in a real-time document) aren't very responsive and require slow, precise typing. The new slider bar is a little more responsive, adding some quick shortcuts (like undo and redo) by sliding up or down the bar, but the slider also requires a patient and precise touch.

The Manta also has a built-in art mode, but you'll have to hunt to find it. Unlike other digital notebooks, you can't just switch over to the pencils, but instead you'll need to access the settings and download the Atelier app, which is free and pretty fast to download via Wi-Fi. Once you do that, a little paint palette icon will appear on the top right next to your buttons to make a new note or Word document, allowing you to generate an art file. You'll be able to tell which is which when you see .spd at the end of a file name, which is Supernote's file type for the Atelier program.

Once inside an Atelier file, you'll gain access to seven pencil weights, five ink-pen styles, and three marker options. You can also select the lock button to find two different spray pens, though the lock icon isn't what I would have guessed to symbolize that. You can add layers, too, and a grayscale range of 16 shades of gray (ending in white and black). The drawing tools are responsive to pressure and fun to use.

Pen Station

This review might be for the Manta, but it's also for Supernote's pens that pair with the Manta—and with Supernote's smaller digital notebook, the A6 X2 Nomad ($299). While every other digital notebook company offers about two digital markers, usually a basic option and then an upgrade that often features an eraser, Supernote offers four pens. Not only that, but its Heart of Metal Pen 2 ($75) has 10 color options, something no other digital notebook company offers. Even Supernote's Push-Up Standard Pen ($59) actually looks like a real pen rather than a fancy tablet stylus. Supernote's pens also don't require any charging.

I've been testing the Manta with Supernote's Lamy Safari Vista EMR Pen ($89), a digital notebook version of the famed Lamy Safari pen. It's lightweight and comfortable and looks so real I sometimes grab it and accidentally try to use it in my paper planner. I also really like the Heart of Metal pen, which I tested with the Supernote Nomad last year, though it's heavier than the Lamy. (They weren't joking about the metal!) Both are comfortable to write plenty of notes with, whether you're in six hours of meetings or a five-hour Dungeons and Dragons session. If you're picky about your writing utensil, even if it's a digital one, Supernote is the best option.

The only downside? No erasers. If you think you might be an eraser or keyboard person, then the Supernote, whether this Manta or the smaller Nomad, isn't for you. But if you don't need either of those accessories, it's a great digital notebook for notes and sketches alike.