The Viwoods AI Paper is a Digital Notepad with Artificial Intelligence Integration for Added Productivity

Viwoods is a Hong Kong-based company that specializes in designing and selling modern, multi-functional digital devices that offer the feel of writing on traditional paper. Meanwhile, viewing content on the e-ink display is virtually glare-free, easy on the eyes and viewable in almost any lighting situation.

From a design standpoint, we’ve seen similar digital notepads from a variety of companies. However, the Viwoods AI Paper is among the first digital notepads to integrate AI chatbot functionality in ways that can boost productivity and streamline common note taking and other work-related tasks.

The Viwoods AI Paper, which runs on the Android operating system, is thin and lightweight. Right out of the box, the device comes with everything needed to use the device for numerous tasks, like note taking, content generation and eBook reading. It can also be used to record, transcribe, and summarize audio and take handwritten content and convert it into editable text.

What’s great about the Viwoods AI Paper is that it’s about the same size and weight as a traditional Letter size (8.5 x 11 inch) notepad, but it’s capable of doing so much more than just serving as a digital note taking device.

Having recently reviewed a handful of popular digital notepads, including the reMarkable Paper Pro, reMarkable Paper Pro Move, TCL NXTPaper 14, and Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, I was excited when the folks at Viwoods provided me with a review unit of its popular AI Paper digital notepad.

While this device lacks a full-color display, I was instantly intrigued by the ways it relies on artificial intelligence tools in so many useful ways, while also providing an intuitive and distraction-free user experience. 

Keep reading to learn more about this productivity tool that’s perfect for people who prefer handwriting over typing when it comes to note taking, brainstorming, sketching, annotating PDF files, generating content and more. 

What Is the Viwoods AI Paper Digital Notepad?

Until now, most digital notepads came with a pen-shaped stylus and could be used to handwrite notes, draw directly on the screen, annotate PDF files, and serve as an ebook reader. What I immediately discovered about the Viwoods AI Paper is that it can handle these tasks but also do much more.

As expected, when being used as a digital notepad, users can choose from a handful of virtual paper templates and then select a virtual writing instrument (such as a fountain pen, ballpoint pen, or highlighter) to use when handwriting on the screen. It’s easy to create single or multi-page notes or create an unlimited number of custom-named virtual notebooks in which notes can be organized and stored. 

Note pages and virtual notebooks can be shared with others via email, or synced and transferred to a user’s computer or mobile device using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or a USB cable connection. Plus, the AI Paper supports several cloud-based file sharing tools, including Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox.

Handwritten notes can also be converted into editable text. It’s just as easy to transfer PDF files to the AI Paper and then use the device to review, annotate, and sign documents. And like so many similar devices, this one can serve as an ebook reader too.

What I found most refreshing about this device are the ways it uses integrated artificial intelligence functionality to perform common, work-related tasks you’d typically turn to a chatbot (like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or Google Gemini) to handle. Most of this added functionality is unlocked when the AI Paper is connected to the internet via a Wi-Fi connection.

You can speak to the AI using your voice, but it responds with text that’s displayed on the screen. The AI Paper does not have a built in speaker, but it can be paired with Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. It works with apps like WhatsApp for calls, but at the moment, the Android version of Audible (for listening to audiobooks and podcasts) isn’t yet compatible.

Right out of the box, here are some of the additional functions the Viwoods AI Paper can handle.

Composing and Proofreading Text-Based Content Using AI

Just like when using a popular chatbot, you can use voice commands or typed prompts to have the AI Paper compose or proofread text-based content on your behalf. This includes email messages, reports, letters, articles, or just about anything else. The AI-generated content can then be viewed, edited, saved, and shared with others. It can also generate summaries of this content in paragraph or bulleted list formats. 

Whether you’re having the AI generate content for you, or you compose it yourself by handwriting it, using the virtual keyboard to type it or dictate it using your voice, this device will proofread whatever content you create before you share it with others. There’s also an option to pair the device with an external wireless keyboard via Bluetooth.

Daily and Meeting Planning Using Templates

The AI Paper can sync with your existing calendar or scheduling software (such as Microsoft Outlook) and then display your calendar and allow you to make changes using voice commands or handwritten annotations.

Plus, the device comes with a variety of templates for daily, weekly or monthly planning, meeting planning, brainstorming and creating all sorts of specialized to-do lists.

It Works as an Ebook Reader Too

In addition to being able to import and then read PDF files using the Viwoods AI Paper, because this is an Android device, you can download and install a popular eReader application, such as the Kindle, Kobo, Libby. or Nook app. That means you can purchase, store and read ebooks in a variety of popular file formats.

If you already use a Kindle, for example, the Kindle app running on the AI Paper will automatically sync your ebook library and provide easy access to the Kindle Unlimited service.

Since the device uses an e-ink display that’s larger than what most popular eReaders offer, the reading experience is comfortable, easy on the eyes and intuitive. I particularly like how the display reduces virtually all glare and can be viewed in almost any lighting situation.

Aince the device itself is so lightweight, it’s comfortable to hold during long reading sessions. Plus, if you place the device on a desk, you can clearly view the screen at an angle.

Recording and Transcribing Audio Content Using AI

Yet another way the Viwoods AI Paper can be useful is for recording audio and then transcribing those recordings into editable text. It can then summarize the recordings. This is handled much the same as when using a popular chatbot. You can initiate the device’s audio recording feature with a button press.

It’s then possible to listen back to the recordings (when using headphones or earbuds), have the device use its AI-driven voice-to-text tool to transcribe the audio word-for-word or create a text-based summary of the recording.  

Use this tool to record memos, capture ideas using your voice or to record meetings, classes or in-person conversations. The AI Paper lacks the ability to easily record and then transcribe or summarize phone calls and video calls, however. 

As with any digital recording device that relies on AI to transcribe and summarize audio content, you’ll experience the most accurate transcription when the recording is clear, lacks background noise and does not have multiple people speaking at once.

More advice for achieving accurate transcriptions from audio recordings can be found in an article I wrote for Inc.com, entitled, “5 Simple Tips to Improve the Quality of Your AI Transcriptions.” 

Annotating and Summarizing PDF Files

Individual PDF files of any length, or groups of PDF files, can easily be imported into the Viwoods AI Paper and then read or annotated. However, thanks to the integrated AI functionality, it’s also possible to have the device summarize content or answer specific questions related to content within those stored PDF files.

This can be done using questions and commands that are spoken or typed. This too is a function you’d expect from a popular chatbot but not most other digital notepads.

Just as there are specialized templates for note taking, meeting planning, daily planning, and creating to-do lists, for example, it’s possible to create your own templates or forms using your computer, save them in the PDF file format, transfer them to the AI Paper and then interact with those templates or forms in a way that caters to your personal workflow. 

One drawback, at least in this version of the operating system, is that the AI Paper can’t work directly with Microsoft Word or Google Docs files. These first need to be transferred into PDF or TXT files on another device and then transferred to the AI Paper.

You Get Lots of Functionality, Plus a Long Battery Life

Like most digital notepads and eReaders that rely on an e-ink display, this one offers an extended battery life. A traditional tablet’s battery lasts up to 10 hours, while a digital notepad without AI capabilities offers a battery life of several weeks. 

I found that the AI Paper is a hybrid between a tablet and a digital notepad or stand-alone eReader. As a result, for the average user, you can expect the device’s battery to last five to seven days between charges. With heavy use, especially when relying on the integrated AI tools, battery life will be a bit shorter. 

How the Viwoods AI Paper Differs from a Traditional Tablet

The Viwoods AI Paper offers a significantly longer battery life than a traditional tablet, such as an Apple iPad. However, this device has a monochrome e-ink display, so it cannot showcase full-color documents, photos or content. Any e-ink display (including this one) has trouble displaying any type of high-resolution animations or video content. 

Furthermore, while the AI Paper is an Android device, its ability to download and install optional apps is somewhat limited, compared to the millions of apps found on the Google Play Store for other Android devices. It’s not a gaming device, video streaming device, designed for use with video-based social media services, or designed for handling other common tasks that require a traditional keyboard, full-color display, webcam, microphones and speakers. 

That said, you can install several dozen apps from the Google Play Store or Viwoods App Store, but the types of apps the device can run are limited to ebook reading apps (like the Kindle, Libby and Notion apps). It can also run apps for Instagram, X and Facebook, for example. With the lack of color and inability to display video, your options using these social media services are limited. 

Any apps that display animations, for example, won’t work. I did test the AI Paper with the Google Chrome web browser, and it worked. However, a variety of common web surfing features integrated into Chrome didn’t work, so I would not rely on this device for seamlessly browsing the web.

The device did work nicely with the Google Gmail app, Microsoft Outlook, AP News, CNN, Microsoft OneNote, NY Times, Microsoft To Do and WhatsApp apps.

Don’t think of the Viwoods AI Paper as a traditional tablet. Yes, there is some overlap in functionality, but this is primarily a notetaking and productivity tool that’s also an eReader. The tasks it’s designed to handle work seamlessly and with an impressive response rate and accuracy.

And yes, you also get access to some AI chatbot and AI-driven productivity tools that are built into this device. But for most people, the Viwoods AI Paper can’t fully replace a general purpose tablet or laptop computer. 

Who Will the Viwoods AI Paper Digital Notepad Appeal To?

Anyone who needs to read and annotate a lot of emails, reports, ebooks, and documents will appreciate all that the Viwoods AI Paper can do. It’s also a great tool for note taking with your own handwriting, brainstorming and sketching out ideas. Plus, the AI Paper will generate and organize text-based content, proofread and summarize content and record and transcribe (and then summarize) audio content. 

This makes it useful to business people, creatives, students, digital nomads and anyone who prefers handwriting over typing when interacting with a digital device. The AI Paper will also appeal to avid readers, but you’ll need to download and install a popular eReader app (such as Amazon Kindle).

Compared to other digital notepads, I found that the audio-to-text and handwriting-to-text features are pretty accurate and work quickly. This makes them rather reliable, especially for work-related tasks. 

Working with the Viwoods AI Paper Digital Notepad

Unlike so many similar products, the Viwoods AI Paper comes with a pen-shaped stylus, multiple replacement stylus tips, a protective case, and a USB cable. Right out of the box it’s ready to use. There are no additional accessories to purchase. 

Initially setting up the Viwoods AI Paper takes mere minutes. It’s easier than configuring a traditional Android tablet. If you’re accustomed to working with a full-color screen, having access to the monochrome e-ink display will take some getting used to.

I also found that while each application that comes preinstalled on the device is versatile and powerful, most menus are icon-based, so you’ll need to learn what the various icons represent to gain access to the tools you want or need to use. What these icons do ore represent is not always obvious. So, there is a slight learning curve associated with using this device.

While using this device, I did miss having a full-color e-ink display, like the one found in the reMarkable Paper Pro and Amazon Kindle Scribe. If you want to have easy access to AI tools and features, this is functionality these two devices do not offer, however.

Located below the display, near the bottom of the AI Paper, are three flat buttons that can be used at any time (regardless of which app is running). The left-most button is a “Back” button. 

The middle button is the “Menu” button. Pressing and holding the right-most AI button will activate the AI chatbot or recording functionality. The only other button is the Power button that’s located near the top-right corner of the device. Except for these four buttons, all other interaction with the AI Paper is done using taps, swipes, the stylus, the virtual keyboard (that appears when it’s needed), or voice commands. 

The device’s main Dashboard screen gives you quick access to notes, your calendar, do-to lists and the preinstalled and optionally installed apps. The Mail app allows you to manage one or more email accounts, which among other things, makes it easy to share PDF files, handwritten notes, and recordings with other people.

Once you link your Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox account with the AI Paper, all of your content automatically syncs, so it becomes accessible from your own computers and mobile devices.

My Final Thoughts: Is the Viwoods AI Paper Digital Notepad Worth It?

The AI Paper is great for organizing and working with digital documents while you’re on-the-go. It’s particularly useful if you don’t want to experience distractions from the alerts, alarms, and notifications associated with using a laptop computer or tablet. This device offers a more distraction-free experience that’s adaptable to someone’s personalized workflow and habits. 

Between the ability to handwrite and annotate content, and using the AI to compose, proofread, and summarize content, it’s easy to discover productive ways to incorporate this tool into your daily life. After testing the Viwoods AI Paper, I discovered it’s a well-designed tool with a lot of versatility, customizability and integrated privacy and security features. 

The AI integrations give it more capabilities right out of the box than what most digital notepads and eReaders offer.

While it’s a bit on the expensive side and lacks a full-color display, it was easy for me to see how useful this device could be when handling a wide range of tasks related to working with handwritten or typed text. You get easy access to thousands of pages of content that can be stored locally, so you can work with it even when the AI Paper is not connected to the internet. 

I was particularly impressed with all of the options the AI Paper offers for importing, exporting, storing and sharing content with the user’s own computers, cloud-based file sharing services and other people. Overall, I found this device to be intuitive to use and very customizable. 

I also appreciated all of the different virtual paper templates that come preinstalled on the AI Paper. Another noticeable feature is the lightweight and thin design of the device itself. Plus, since the AI Paper was first released by Viwoods, the company has released multiple system updates that have greatly expanded what’s possible using this device. So, in the upcoming months and years, I’d expect Viwoods to keep up with the fast evolution of AI, and introduce even more functionality to this device. 

For someone who enjoys the feel of working with paper and doesn’t want to give that up to tap the capabilities of a digital device, the Viwoods AI Paper is a useful tool that lived up to my expectations. For the right type of user, it’s definitely worth the $550.00 investment.