This E Ink reader that just about changed my Android cellphone is at an all-time low worth

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Onyx Boox Palma is a $279 e-reader that is designed like a smartphone. It is $30 off for a restricted time.
• It runs on a stripped-down model of Android 11, permitting customers to obtain any app or sport from the Google Play Retailer.
• Lack of mobile connectivity and water and dirt resistance are notable drawbacks however ones most individuals can shoulder.

Once I first found the Onyx Boox Palma, I used to be equal components puzzled and fascinated. Positive, Kindles, Nooks, and different units changing books have been taking off, however did anybody actually need one which’s sized and formed like a cellphone? 

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Had the Boox Palma not been capable of obtain nearly any app on the Play Retailer — due to it being part of a rising breed of Android-powered e-readers — I most likely would not have bit. However after utilizing it over the previous 12 months, particularly throughout lengthy work journeys and the weekly commute, I am so glad I did.

To be clear, the Boox Palma runs on an outdated, stripped-down model of Android 11, and I do not count on the maker to improve to the much less outdated Android 12 anytime quickly. I am form of okay with that, because the system does not want the fanciest animations, digital camera options, and theming capabilities to serve its function.

The 2 foremost advantages of operating Android on such a tool are entry to the Play Retailer, that means you may obtain multiple e-reader app (in addition to TikTok, Instagram, Disney+, and many others., for those who’re feeling unhinged), and deep customization. These are two features you merely will not discover on a mainstream e-reader like a Kindle or Kobo, they usually actually spoil you.  

The app flexibility means you may entry your main (and each) assortment of e-books and audiobooks from varied model shops, and the built-in net browser helps you to devour content material past that. I have been utilizing the native PushRead app to save lots of an inventory of net articles for offline studying. At this level, I’ve gotten into the routine of choosing out 10 to fifteen tales each Sunday and studying them all through the week.

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So far as customizability goes, whether or not you are an Android or iOS person, a lot of the settings, interactions, and gestures ought to be very acquainted. For instance, you may select between navigation buttons or swipe gestures, modify the backlighting, shade temperature, quantity, and extra from the Fast Settings panel by swiping down from the higher proper nook, and even activate a “floating ball” for shortcuts at a faucet.

With time, you may uncover extra elaborate settings like the power to activate paginated scroll (which makes textual content animations much less jarring on a low frame-rate show) and page-turning by way of quantity buttons (nice for one-handed use). This combo of settings alone makes the Boox Palma one of the comfy and burdenless e-readers I’ve examined.

The massive promoting level of the Boox Palma is its pocketable determine, with a 6.13-inch E Ink Carta 1200 show that is manageable with one hand. The micro-etched show offers the monochrome visuals depth and first rate distinction, although I want it had a better refresh fee to completely make the most of the non-e-reader apps on the Play Retailer. That is simply me nitpicking, after all, and to an extent, the {hardware} limitation has prevented me from doom-scrolling TikTok or catching up on YouTube movies.

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There are another neat quirks to the Boox Palma design, such because the textured plastic backing that feels (and appears) low-cost however offers the handset grip and the mappable aspect button that’ll make iPhone 15 Professional customers wonder if the Motion Button actually was revolutionary. For the reason that Boox Palma can double as an MP3 participant, I might’ve cherished to have seen a 3.5mm headphone jack on this factor.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

All that is to say, the Onyx Boox Palma is a really area of interest system that, for the suitable buyer, will deliver loads of satisfaction. I did not assume I would ever fall into the rabbit gap that’s pocket-sized e-readers operating on Android, however right here I’m, months later, able to pack the Boox Palma for each time my subsequent journey comes alongside. 

The E Ink show means I can devour all of the articles and e-books I normally learn on my cellphone with out worrying about eye pressure, and the lighter strategy to Android strikes a steadiness of app availability, person customization, and battery life that lasts me nicely into the second week with reasonable use.