I thought I wanted a frontlight too, but after trying a number of these types of devices and purchasing three of them (Remarkable 2, Kobo Elipsa, and Fujitsu Quaderno Gen 2), I'm convinced that the compromises aren't worth it for a notetaking-focused device. (For an e-reader, it's a different story.)

With a frontlight layer, there's a greater gap between the pen and the e-ink layer, and it makes more of a difference than you'd think in terms of pen feel. (Even the Remarkable 2 isn't that great here because the non-frontlit protective layer feels thicker than it needs to be; Fujitsu did a super job with the Quaderno Gen 2; the pen feels like it's actually in contact with the e-ink surface.) There's also a subtle loss of contrast with the additional frontlight layer.

As much as a clip-on reading light feels hokey, I think it's a better compromise for when you need to read in the dark.

Perhaps the convenience of having one device function as both a notebook and all-round e-reader is not worth the trade-offs you mention.

My 2013 Kobo Aura HD (still in perfect condition!) is a standard item in my bag, and still sees daily use as a bedtime reader. Having Calibre automatically sync reading positions between devices would allow me to leave it at home. Problem solved :)