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The most difficult part of reviewing e-readers, for me, is myself. For someone with significant attention regulation issues, or ADHD, reading can feel genuinely exhausting. At the same time, it remains essential for professional and personal development – even for a full-cycle video producer like me. That is why I asked for an e-reader. What I received instead was the Bigme B751CS.
Why “instead”? Because this model is nowhere near being positioned as a simple reading device. It is effectively an Android tablet with a color E Ink display, stylus support, unusually long battery life, and enough performance to score around 200,000 points in AnTuTu. It also supports applications ranging from air raid alert notifications and Telegram to external image monitoring from a Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX camera. AnTuTu Benchmark Telegram Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX.
The fact that it uses a color E Ink display and can reach refresh rates of up to 30 FPS only adds to its appeal. And honestly, I can say this right away: I’ll probably end up looking for a 10–11-inch model instead. The pocket-sized form factor of the Bigme B751C turned out to be one of my main issues with the device – which, as you can imagine, is not exactly something that can be “fixed.”
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Bigme B751CS Video Review
Specifications
- Dimensions: 155.7×136.2×7.0 mm
- Weight without case: 220 g
- Display: Kaleido 3, up to 30 FPS
- Backlight: 36 levels, cool/warm
- Processor: MediaTek Helio G50
- Resolution: 1264×1680 B/W, 632×840 colour
- RAM: 4 GB
- Storage: 64 GB eMMC 5.1
- microSD support: yes
- SIM support: no
- Data transfer: Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 5
- Battery: 3050 mAh
- OS: Android 14 + BigmeOS 5
- Charging: USB Type-C, up to 10 W
Positioning and price
I’ll start with the pricing and positioning, because this is where things become slightly confusing. The issue is that there are actually three different versions of the Bigme B751. One is the older monochrome model without any suffixes, priced at around $230. It is not particularly relevant in this case. Another version is the color model with the “C” suffix, featuring a Carta color display and a 2300 mAh battery. It is still available on the official website, although finding it there takes some effort.
The newest version – and the actual subject of this review – is the third model. It carries the “CS” suffix, uses a different display, and is priced at around $250 on the official website. This is the latest revision, and the one I received for review. The confusing part is that neither the packaging nor even the device itself consistently indicates the correct model designation.
At the same time, distinguishing the two color models is actually very straightforward, even visually. The CS version includes an additional set of touch-sensitive buttons next to the two physical ones, the stylus charges via USB Type-C, and the device runs Android 14 instead of Android 11. The proprietary interface has also been updated. In practical terms, if you want the most current version, the easiest way is to look for the color model with the touch controls on the front panel. Especially since the older revision is, somewhat oddly, the more expensive one.
Package contents
As for the included accessories, the Bigme B751CS leaves a generally positive impression. Not because of the number of bundled items, but because the package feels thoughtfully assembled. There is no power adapter included, although a USB Type-A to Type-C cable is provided. It is a fairly basic cable, but that is not really an issue, since the Bigme B751CS supports charging at up to 10 W anyway – 5 V at 2 A.
The package also includes a folio-style protective case, which is highly recommended for everyday use. E-readers are generally more sensitive to pressure and torsion than conventional tablets or smartphones, and their displays typically have less structural protection. The case itself also functions as a stand and includes built-in magnets, allowing the Bigme B751CS to automatically enter sleep mode when the cover is closed. However, there are no additional magnets to keep the cover securely shut, nor are there straps or elastic bands for that purpose.
Next is the stylus. It is a capacitive pen with pressure sensitivity support, USB Type-C charging, and a charging status indicator. The nib – measuring 18.0 × 1.7 mm – is a consumable part and will wear down over time, but the package includes a replacement along with a dedicated tool for removing the old tip. As far as I understand, these nibs are interchangeable across the Bigme B7, Bigme B7 Pro, and B751CS models. Official replacement sets are available on AliExpress at around $10 for a pack of five.
The stylus itself is reasonably well made. According to the documentation, it has a magnetic корпус, but in practice it either does not attach to the e-reader at all, or does so too weakly to remain securely in place. Fortunately, the included case has a dedicated loop that holds the stylus during transport. The pen also features an “eraser” function: a separate rear section recognized by the sensor as an erasing input area – at least within the device’s native drawing applications.
And – a quick note before I forget. Many of you might be wondering how difficult or enjoyable it is to draw on an E Ink display, especially considering that its refresh rate can drop to around 1 FPS in certain modes.
My short answer is simple: you need to switch the device to its highest refresh mode. After that, the input latency is partially offset by the tactile feel of the screen surface, which is arguably the main advantage of drawing on E Ink. However, it does not fully eliminate the delay – that limitation is still noticeable and should be kept in mind.
Design
The Bigme B751CS follows a fairly simple design approach, but it is executed in a restrained and coherent way. The unit I received is white, with a plastic back panel and an aluminium frame along the edges. The back cover has a textured finish intended to resemble leather, which improves grip and gives the device a more refined tactile feel compared to plain glossy plastic surfaces.
On the rear side, there is a ribbed section that is purely decorative. It does not serve a functional purpose on its own, but it does help with orientation by making it easier to sense where the front-side button area is located, since the two elements are aligned opposite each other.
On the side with the buttons, there is a USB Type-C port and a speaker. The opposite side is left empty. The top edge houses the power button, while the bottom edge includes a microphone and a microSD card slot. Although the product description on the official website states SIM card support, this does not appear to be accurate. The slot is not universal; in any case, a nano-SIM does not physically fit.
Ergonomics
The Bigme B751CS is a lightweight and compact device, measuring 155 × 136 × 7 mm and weighing approximately 220 g in its base configuration. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra weighs 214 g. However, a more realistic measurement would include the case and stylus, bringing the total weight to 346 g. The reason this combined figure is more relevant is that it reflects the actual everyday usage scenario, where the device is typically carried and used with its essential accessories attached.
That is why the case should be considered an integral part of the Bigme B751CS setup, since carrying the device without it is not particularly practical – not least because there is nowhere to securely store the stylus. However, the case is not without flaws. While it folds without issues and functions as a stand, the internal mounting is not fully symmetrical.
In practice, this means the B751CS cannot simply be rotated 180° and placed back into the case: one of the retaining clips partially interferes with the power button. The pressure is minor, but still noticeable, to the point where it affects usability. For example, it also prevents convenient charging while the case is used as a stand, since the USB Type-C port ends up positioned at the bottom rather than the top.
Next, somewhat surprisingly, the device includes protection against accidental touches – as much as this is realistically possible on an E Ink touchscreen. It also offers a combination of both physical and touch-sensitive buttons, all of which can be extensively remapped or disabled depending on user preference.
In addition, the overall number of system gestures available for interface control is roughly two to three times higher than what most smartphones provide out of the box. For comparison, achieving a similar level of gesture customization on my Motorola Edge 50 Ultra would require installing a paid third-party application from Google Play.
Overall, controlling the Bigme B751CS is not immediately intuitive, but the interface can be customized quite extensively. With proper configuration, most usability issues can be reduced to a minimum. The trade-off is that this level of control requires time to set up.
Display
The Bigme B751CS is equipped with a hybrid Kaleido 3 display. It is a 7-inch panel with a resolution of 1264×1680 pixels in black-and-white mode, and 632×840 pixels when operating in color mode. The refresh rate depends on the selected E Ink operating mode and can vary from approximately 1 to 30 FPS.
A 30 FPS refresh rate for an e-reader is a strong result. Not record-breaking, but still notable for this category. In fact, similar refresh performance has already been seen in previous reviews, including Bigme’s B13 monitor, where comparable display refresh characteristics were observed. That said, this approach comes with trade-offs, particularly in terms of static image quality and visible ghosting effects.
However, considering that E Ink displays are not typically designed for high refresh rates, even this level of improvement is still a welcome development. At the same time, nothing requires the user to operate the device in 30 FPS mode continuously. A more traditional refresh setting remains available for standard reading use. The core advantage of E Ink technology remains unchanged: reading from such a display is still comparable to reading on paper in terms of visual comfort.
The Bigme B751CS also includes a front light system with two separate LED arrays – 16 warm and 16 cool LEDs. As a result, there are two independent brightness sliders. Adjusting one without the other noticeably changes the overall color temperature of the display, allowing for fine-tuned lighting control.
If you’ve read this far, here’s a small insight. The main limitation of E Ink displays today is no longer refresh rate, but initial input latency. Depending on the application, it can range from roughly hundreds to even thousands of milliseconds. Even the system interface itself does not respond immediately.
That said, it is also worth noting that instantaneous response is not necessarily the design goal here. This is an E Ink display, not an IPS panel, and it is also a touch-sensitive system operating under fundamentally different constraints.
A few words about customization as well. The Bigme B751CS includes a dedicated subsystem called Eink Center, which controls the balance between refresh speed, ghosting, contrast, and several related display parameters. The settings appear to be divided into two layers: global and per-application.
The global settings affect only how the E Ink panel renders the image. These changes, for example, are not reflected in screenshots. The per-application settings, on the other hand, affect how the interface itself behaves and is rendered. In practice, the application-level settings are more important if the Bigme B751CS is used as an Android tablet rather than purely as an e-reader.
The reason is that the resolution in color mode is noticeably below HD, which creates scaling issues for many application interfaces. As a result, some apps do not render correctly or scale cleanly on the display. To address this, you can go into Eink Center and adjust the DPI slider in the second tab of the menu. This setting is then saved individually for each application.
Performance
Interestingly, the Bigme B751CS deserves a separate note on performance, because it should not be viewed as a traditional e-reader. A conventional e-reader has a single primary task: rendering static content in standardized formats. For that use case, high processing power is generally unnecessary.
The Bigme B751CS is effectively a 7-inch Android tablet with an E Ink display. It is based on the MediaTek Helio G50 platform, which includes an octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU clocked at around 2 GHz. The GPU is a PowerVR Rogue GE8320. The device is equipped with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of eMMC 5.1 storage, with read speeds of approximately 250 MB/s and write speeds of around 110 MB/s.
One of the known limitations of eMMC 5.1 storage is its relatively lower durability compared to more modern storage standards. On the positive side, the device includes a microSD slot, allowing users to store their library externally if needed.
It is also worth keeping in mind that the Bigme B751CS is best understood as an Android tablet with e-reader functionality, rather than a dedicated e-reader that happens to run Android. It does not force the user into replacing a full-fledged tablet experience, but instead extends its capabilities in that direction.
As a result, you can run games on it, and not only simple titles such as Minesweeper. Turn-based games are fully usable, and even relatively complex titles like The Battle of Polytopia can run on the device. Messaging apps, YouTube, air raid alert monitoring tools, and basic utilities such as alarms are all also available.
In my case, the Bigme B751CS was even connected to Lumix Lab and used to monitor live image feed from a camera.
It is also important not to overlook power efficiency. For example, an AnTuTu benchmark run reduced the battery level by about 22%. For comparison, the same test on a Motorola Edge 50 Ultra resulted in a drop of around 10%.
This difference can be attributed not only to the 12 nm SoC and overall system efficiency, but also to the display itself. In static mode, an E Ink panel consumes very little power. However, under frequent refresh conditions, it becomes significantly less efficient than IPS or AMOLED alternatives. Unlike those display technologies, E Ink is not optimized for high-frequency updates, which becomes a limiting factor under heavy interaction.
In terms of data connectivity, the Bigme B751CS does not support SIM cards. However, it does include Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 5. For a device of this type, that level of connectivity is generally sufficient, and additional cellular support is not necessarily required for its intended use case.
Media capabilities
Starting with the speaker: on one hand, it likely sounds worse than any smartphone or tablet I have used in the last 5–6 years. On the other hand, it performs slightly better than expected for this category, roughly comparable to a basic built-in monitor speaker, just at a lower volume level.
On the other hand, nothing prevents you from installing a media app such as YouTube Music, connecting headphones via Bluetooth, and using the Bigme B751CS for listening to music or podcasts. The main limitation is usability in everyday handling: the volume controls are located on the front panel rather than the edges. As a result, adjusting volume blindly – as you would on a smartphone – is not really possible. In practice, you either need to take the device out of the case and interact with the screen directly, or rely on volume controls built into your headphones, if they support that functionality.
Software
The Bigme B751CS runs the proprietary BigmeOS 5 interface, based on Android 14. Overall, the system includes a substantial number of built-in features and customization options provided by Bigme. There is a wide range of configuration settings and additional functionality available through the OS, and a significant portion of these features work as intended. However, not all of them are equally refined or consistently reliable in practice.
Customization
The physical buttons on the side of the display can be reassigned, including remapping volume controls to functions such as D-pad navigation or page turning.
There are also eight touch-sensitive buttons that can be configured for a wide range of actions, including launching applications. One notable limitation is that screenshot capture is not directly assignable to these touch controls. Screenshots are taken using the standard combination of the power button and volume-down button.
In cases where the volume-down button is reassigned or unavailable, the default screenshot method becomes impractical. However, this can be bypassed by enabling the floating assistant feature, which includes a screenshot option. This overlay can be bound to gestures or a drop-down menu and can be made nearly invisible by reducing its opacity to around 30%.
The device also includes several AI-related applications, including a chatbot called BigmeGPT. It supports both Bigme’s own AI service and DeepSeek integration. The chatbot requires an internet connection and does not function offline, and additional features such as image generation are also cloud-dependent.
A built-in voice translation feature is available as well, which makes use of the device’s microphone. However, it also requires an internet connection and only works after logging into the Bigme AINote service.
The native software turned out to be significantly better than I initially expected. For context, I had not used an e-reader for roughly 10 years before the Bigme B751CS.
The device comes preinstalled with a universal reading application called xReader Pro, which supports formats such as PDF and EPUB, and also allows annotations directly on top of documents and images. This would not be particularly notable on its own, if not for compatibility issues with alternative apps. Initially, I was not aware that a capable reader was already included, and I attempted to install third-party applications from Google Play. Three of them failed to operate without an active internet connection. In my case, reading typically happens in offline conditions, where connectivity is not available – otherwise I would likely be watching videos instead.
Beyond reading, there is a broader set of stylus-related features, including handwriting recognition, drawing support, and three different operating modes. Additionally, since this is an E Ink device, Bigme has implemented an Always-On Display-like function: the screen can be configured to show a calendar, date, and time when idle. This display mode is also customizable in terms of layout and color inversion, and the refresh interval can be set anywhere from 1 minute up to 30.
It sounds great, but there is a nuance: the lock screen/idle display on the E Ink panel is not actually a system-level setting. It is a separate preinstalled application called “Screen saver”. Why it is implemented this way is not entirely clear. However, the fact remains that the Bigme B751CS can effectively function as an E Ink calendar or information display. This is notable, especially since some users purchase dedicated E Ink displays with controllers solely for this kind of always-on information use case.
Bugs / quirks
Unfortunately, the device’s ambitious feature set comes with some trade-offs. One of them is software localization. Certain parts of the interface appear to have been translated without human review. For example, labels such as “Warm Reminder” are used where “Friendly Reminder” would be more idiomatic. While this does not affect core functionality, it can make some features harder to interpret, even when accompanied by visual guidance within the UI.
For example, I initially could not understand why my drawings were not being saved in the “Global handwriting” mode. Only after searching online did I discover that this is not actually an overlay drawing mode, but rather a system-level optimization layer for stylus input across different applications – ranging from native Bigme apps to professional third-party tools and even less common software. This is not explained clearly in the documentation, if at all.
Further issues appear when attempting to use AI-based image generation without an internet connection – the application either crashes or returns an error message. There are also several UI inconsistencies, including clipped or improperly scaled windows in landscape orientation. Handwriting recognition is unstable in some cases, particularly when processing Ukrainian text. Even minor interface elements show imperfections, such as an incompletely rendered Bluetooth icon.
The most problematic issue occurs when enabling maximum refresh rate mode for drawing: in some cases, the screen stops updating entirely. System gestures continue to register, and the interface reacts internally, but the display itself only refreshes manually – typically requiring a double press of the power button to force an update.
This was resolved after updating the firmware to version 1.7, which also noticeably changed the overall interface. Additionally, the issue required switching the refresh setting from “Extreme” to… “Extreme”. It is possible that the problem was related not to the mode itself, but to a specific preset configuration that was behaving incorrectly.
Battery life
The Bigme B751CS is equipped with a 3050 mAh battery. However, the question of runtime is not straightforward, as it depends heavily on how the device is used. If used like a conventional Android tablet – for example, running apps, watching videos, drawing, or gaming – the battery can be drained within a day, or even less under heavy load.
On the other hand, when used primarily as an e-reader, the situation changes significantly. In this mode, the device offers a range of power-saving features, many of which are closely tied to the included case. For example, the device can be configured to enter hibernation when the cover is closed. It can also automatically disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, or switch into airplane mode depending on the selected settings.
To extend battery life even further, you can enable the power-saving mode, which is designed to throttle the processor. It is also recommended to disable automatic screen refresh for ghosting correction and set the lowest available refresh rate. It should also be noted that standby mode via the case functions essentially the same as a standard lock state.
In practical terms, this means that if you use a lock screen setup such as a calendar and clock that updates every minute, it will continue consuming power even while the device is closed in its case.
Under this type of usage pattern, it becomes difficult to define a standardized benchmark for battery performance, as the workload varies too widely. With Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled, the Bigme B751CS can reportedly last around two weeks in standby mode.
Charging is also relatively straightforward and can be handled with a basic power bank. Even some rugged smartphones, such as the Blackview Xplore 1 Pro, support 5 W reverse charging, making it possible to recharge accessories like headphones or an e-reader in low-power scenarios.
Real-world usage experience
Normally, this is where I would wrap up the review and move on to conclusions. However, the Bigme B751CS made me reflect on how difficult it can be for a person with deeply ingrained ADHD to maintain focus on specific tasks.
To give some context, I currently have a fairly large amount of reading material stored on the device – including The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison, and Critique of Pure Reason by Kant.
However, I ended up starting – unfortunately for myself – Yucatán Before and After the Conquest by Diego de Landa, with commentary that I understand is by William Gates. It is a demanding text. There is no Ukrainian translation available, and even the English version is difficult to process despite my C2-level comprehension. It becomes even harder to follow when reading it on public transport on the way to work, which is often the only time I can allocate to reading.
The reason I read in English at all is simple: most of the material relevant to my work is not translated into Ukrainian. This includes, in particular, resources on colour theory and design. Since I already consume about 99% of my YouTube content in English in order to later present professional information in a more accessible form, it is logical for written material to follow the same pattern.
At the same time, it is psychologically easier to justify reading this type of literature than purely recreational content, given how limited my time for self-development is. There is often not even enough time for work itself, let alone anything beyond it.
That said, reading mid-20th-century historical literature in a non-native language does feel like a specific form of self-inflicted difficulty. After that, even Kant starts to feel almost straightforward.
So I took a different approach and loaded a large collection of comics instead.
I read Absolute Wonder Woman, Absolute Batman, the visually striking Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow illustrated by Bilquis Evely, and the entire Hellboy collection – essentially gigabytes of material that is relatively easy to consume, with minimal text and a strong visual focus. It works well as a 15–20 minute transition into more text-heavy reading.
The limitation, however, is that a 7-inch screen is simply too small for comics. A standard American comic page measures roughly 26 × 17 cm. On the Bigme, the displayed page area – not the device itself, but the actual rendered comic page in the native reader – is about 8.5 × 13.5 cm, roughly half that size.
Visually, comics on the Kaleido 3 panel look excellent, arguably better than on the Bigme B13, with fewer noticeable artefacts. However, the trade-off becomes clear immediately: readability. Text that is designed to be legible at full page size becomes difficult to read at this scale.
Image quality is not the issue – the artwork remains impressive – but the text requires significant effort to follow. Unfortunately, the native Bigme reader does not provide a zoom function, and two-page spreads are essentially unusable. As for third-party applications, the previously mentioned compatibility limitations make them an unreliable workaround.
Why am I telling you all this? My appetite for reading has run into a cascade of practical constraints. Reading traditional books on the Bigme B751CS itself is largely problem-free: the front light is adjustable, page turning can be mapped to physical buttons, and wake-up from standby is essentially instant. The issue is not the mechanics of reading, but the nature of the content I end up trying to consume – it is often cognitively demanding.
What is easy to process? Comics. But on a 7-inch display, the text becomes difficult to read at a comfortable level. This is exactly why I mentioned at the beginning of the review that I am interested in the Bigme B10, with its 10.3-inch display, which should be significantly better suited for comics, books, and mixed media reading in general. And, as of now, there is no review of that model in this context.
Conclusions
Finally, the conclusion. I would recommend the Bigme B751CS e-reader to users who already enjoy reading and do not have particular difficulties with attention or with managing additional device functionality. If you want not only to read, but also to play games, draw, chat on Telegram, or watch YouTube, the Bigme B751CS is capable of handling all of these tasks.
The device can be heavily customized, allowing it either to operate for weeks on a single charge or to function as part of a desk setup with an always-visible clock and calendar. What it cannot do, however, is overcome its physical size limitations – it is simply too small for comfortable comic reading at standard formatting. Additional drawbacks, such as the absence of the advertised SIM support and certain software inconsistencies, are also worth noting. Nevertheless, within its intended scope, the device remains a capable and flexible tool.
Read also:
- Bigme B7 Pro Review: The Gold Standard for Color E Ink Readers
- Bigme B7 Review: When an E-Reader Tries to Be a Tablet – and Actually Pulls It Off
- Bigme HiBreak S Color review: Smartphone with E ink screen – antidepressant for age of digital overload
- Bigme HiBreak Pro Review: An Almost Ideal E-Ink Smartphone for Digital Detox
Where to buy the Bigme B751CS