The T1 Smartbook is made by a company called Guoyue. This is their second device, the Smartbook V1 was released last year and was Chinese only which limited its appeal. This new model is in English and it is a dedicated digital note taking device with an excellent drawing application, you can also annotate PDF documents and e-books. One of the main selling points is that it runs Google Android 8.1 and supports sideloading apps and alternative app markets.
The Guoyue T1 features a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen with 1680×1624 resolution with 300 PPI. The screen is completely flush with the bezel and protected by a durable glass layer. It has 29 white and amber LEDs. These are used to power the front-lit display and color temperature system. The lights are positioned along the bezel and cast light evenly across the screen. The body design is piano black, it surrounds the e-paper screen as well as the back.
Under the hood is a 1.8 GHz Quad-Core processor, 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. It has speakers on the side of the screen which is useful for listening to audiobooks, podcasts or music. If you don’t feel like using them, it also supports Bluetooth 5.1 for headphones or wireless headphones. You can charge the T1 with the USB-C port and also transfer data. The whole device is powered by a respectable 2300 mAh battery, which usually offers around 3 weeks of battery life.
Drawing and taking notes is why you want to buy this device. The included stylus has a pressure sensitivity of 4,096 degrees, which means the lighter or harder you press, the thicker/thinner the lines will be. Many pens for Wacom displays are batteryless, but not this one. The top of the pen is detachable, with a USB port, you can connect a USB cable to your MAC/PC and charge it. The cap is magnetic, so it is easy to remove. The design of the pen is gray, it has a power button to turn on or off, helps to save battery. It also has a back, forward and eraser button on the sides. I think the stylus has a very interesting design and is free.
You can buy this device today from the Good e-Reader store. We are now an authorized Guoyue dealer, so the all-inclusive price is $399.
Michael Kozlowski has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for twelve years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and The New York Times. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
