Click on a note with the pen, and it will open in edit mode with a configuration toolbar shown across the top. Here you can set up pen type, color, line thickness, and all the other tools you’d want to use to write or draw. I found the editing interface just about perfect in the sense that it balances keeping it simple but still giving you access to the controls you actually need.
The other element I enjoyed in the Note A1 UI is the Inspiration Space. I can easily clip a bit of text from any document (including web pages), save it, and then automatically convert it to text for use in something else or apply any of the other onboard AI-powered tools. It’s one of the best clip-and-save tools I’ve used since I gave up on Evernote.
What I was less thrilled with is the file management system. It works, but there are confusing shortcomings. For example, I couldn’t find a way to open a note in reading mode and then switch to editing from within the note. This seems like a very common use case. But no, you have to exit the note, go back to the main notes menu, and then reopen it in editing mode.
The interface is not very intuitive. I had to consult the manual to figure out how to get two documents open side-by-side, something that works by drag and drop in every other Android device I’ve tested (even those with highly customized UIs).
A Note on Earlier Versions
Curiously for a large publicly traded company, TCL launched the Note A1 via Kickstarter (but clearly already had plenty of the tablet available, which the company fed to YouTube influencers). If you hunt down early reviews of these Kickstarter devices, you’ll notice people complaining about limited app availability, no Google Play Store, and having to sideload apps via F-Droid, the Aurora Store, and other shenanigans.
The Note A1 I tested, and the device that is for sale these days at all major retailers, comes with the Google Play Store preinstalled, making it easy to download any app you need. Accessing installed apps can be a little awkward; they pile up in the sidebar menu, but if you make good use of the ability to customize the launcher, it’s not too difficult to have everything you need close at hand. And for completeness sake, I did install F-Droid and the Aurora Store, and both also work (although if Google carries through with its current development plans for Android, apps installed with F-Droid will stop working on all Android devices next year).
Competition
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
There are two competitors here. The first is an E Ink tablet. If you want the most paperlike possible experience, then the E Ink wins. But you won’t be watching videos or perusing social media. If you want 80 percent of the E Ink experience, but also the ability to use your device as a normal Android tablet, then the Note A1 is the clear winner.