Inside reMarkable
Going the distance
As the biggest environmental cost of a product is its production, it’s very likely the most sustainable product you can get is the one you already own.
reMarkable 2 is an exceptional device, still one of the world’s thinnest tablets, with battery life measured in weeks, and it features an incredible paper-like experience. It was also designed to last a long time. If you’re happy with it, there’s no need to upgrade.
Usually the longer a piece of technology can keep being used and reused, the more sustainable it is. At reMarkable, we’ve been refurbishing paper tablets since 2019 and encouraging their purchase with a reduced cost. Units that have found their way back to us through our satisfaction guarantee, warranty repairs, or other forms of return are cleaned, reassembled, and sold with the same warranty as a new device. If you’re interested, refurbished units are available for purchase at remarkable.com on an intermittent basis.
One of the things we’ve learnt through this process is the importance of designing for repairability from the bottom up, right from the start. We’ve implemented significant upgrades to the design of reMarkable Paper Pro, making it even easier to repair and refurbish. A new mechanical locking system has been added to the top and sides of the device, so it’s possible to open and repair at our manufacturing partner’s assembly site with significantly fewer components going to waste.
The new repairable design has real, measurable sustainability benefits that we’re thrilled to be able to talk about. Our current estimate is a 74% increase in the number of components that can be retained and reused under repair compared with reMarkable 2, including the rear cover and circuit board. The battery can now be easily replaced, resulting in a 62% reduction in CO2e emissions compared with the production of a new device. And across the entire refurbishment process, we estimate an overall 65% reduction in CO2e emissions compared with a new device.
The refurbishment program, introduced for reMarkable 2, will also now include reMarkable Paper Pro. This work is still in the early stages, but refurbishment is an important component of our work around sustainability and we’re excited to be continuing it with reMarkable Paper Pro.
We were also able to implement a number of design changes to increase overall durability for reMarkable Paper Pro and the Markers. As an example, the new Marker tips are carbon-filled and last twice as long, and the new Markers have been designed to be more resistant to incidental damage.
Hardware is one thing, but meaningful software updates are another important aspect of extending the lifespan of our devices. Hundreds of updates since the launch of reMarkable 2 attest to the support behind our paper tablets and our commitment to building products that last. New features we’ve introduced include handwriting conversion, Screen Share, Read on reMarkable, multitasking, and tags — not to mention Type Folio and text input from our mobile and desktop apps. Our paper tablets get five years of updates from the time they’re no longer available through our webshop, keeping them useful for an exceptionally long time for a technology product.
The changes and improvements we’ve made with reMarkable Paper Pro are representative of our mindset as a technology company. We’re eager to start thinking further than today, and consider the future as well. That’s better thinking.
