Due to my line of work, I get to dabble a lot with mobile devices. Smartphones, tablets, wearable tech — you name it, I get to try it. For the most part, when I deal with smartphones and tablets, they typically have fancy OLED displays that look beautiful and colorful. But every now and then, I come across an interesting device that only shows up in black-and-white.
What am I talking about? E-ink devices, of course. The Onyx Boox Palma 2 is the latest gadget to come across my desk, and it’s one that certainly stands out among the crowd. It’s a mobile e-ink device in the form of a phone, and it even runs Android. It’s a device like no other except for its predecessor.
I’ve been using the Boox Palma 2 for the past few days, and while I never knew I wanted something like it, I’m having a great time so far.
A perfectly sized e-reader
Amazon recently announced a whole slew of new Kindle devices, and I was eager to get my hands on the new base model in the Matcha green color. While I still love reading on my Kindle (2024), well, the size isn’t exactly pocketable with most of my clothes. If I want to take my Kindle with me somewhere, I need to make sure that I take a bag that it will fit in.
But the Boox Palma 2 is different. Thanks to the smartphone-like form factor, it’s very close in size to my iPhone 16 Pro (and other similar phones) because of the 6.1-inch e-ink display. I can slide this into my pant pockets with ease, and don’t necessarily need a bag to carry it around in. It also doesn’t feel awkward to hold and carry it out in public without a bag.
The Boox Palma 2 is very lightweight, which adds to the incredible portability. It also has a unique textured back that provides plenty of grip and is completely matte, so there’s no need to worry about fingerprints and smudges while using it. It’s also much easier for me to use the Palma 2 single-handedly than my Kindle. It’s even water-repellent (but not waterproof), so it can handle accidental spills and splashes.
Not your typical Android device
Typically, when I use an Android phone, I’m eager to download and install my personal and work email apps, social media, games, photo-editing apps, and whatever else I need or want. But even though the Boox Palma 2 runs Android 13, I don’t think of it as a regular Android phone or tablet.
However, I’ve been using the Palma 2 differently from my other devices. I go to it when I want a break from my smartphone and don’t feel like endlessly doomscrolling through Threads or Facebook. And since it’s an e-ink display, it’s great for when I want to take a break from blue light screens, which I seem to be staring at way too much these days.
Despite the Boox Palma 2 being an e-ink device running Android, I still think of it more like a dedicated e-reader. And even though it’s not a Kindle, you can easily download e-books onto the device just as you would with a regular Android phone. There’s much more freedom with the Boox Palma 2 compared to a Kindle or other dedicated e-reader, but it’s also not as engrossing or addicting as a phone. It’s been a fantastic middle ground.
Performance, battery life, and other features
You might not know what to expect from a smartphone-like e-reader. You may think since it’s e-ink, it can be a bit laggy when scrolling or navigating through apps. Amazingly, it’s quite good.
I’m a bit surprised, too. I’ve used the browser and visited various webpages, and scrolling is shockingly smooth. There is a bit of ghosting when the webpage has a dark background with white text, but you can refresh the display to get rid of the ghosting effect. This doesn’t occur when it’s a white background with black text.
The Boox Palma 2 also has a dedicated “smart button” on the left edge, which you can program with up to three actions via a single press, double press, or long press. By default, it uses a single press to refresh the display and the AI Assistant for the double press. You can reconfigure these however you’d like, as the button can do many other things like take screenshots, launch apps, multitask, and more. Honestly, it’s what I wish Apple would do with the Action button, but that’s another story.
Boox also added a fingerprint sensor on the power button on the right side of the frame, which wasn’t on its predecessor. The fingerprint sensor is very fast for an e-ink device, which I wasn’t expecting.
Other features include a microphone, speaker, and even a 16MP rear camera with an LED flash for document scanning. The Boox Palma 2 has a microSD card slot (a rarity), so you can expand the storage beyond the default 128GB if you need to. The battery life is also very good, lasting multiple days on a single charge.
The Boox Palma 2 is off to a great start
All of these features make the Boox Palma 2 a very special device. It’s an e-reader that runs Android, looks like a phone, and has multiple features that you’d expect to find on a smartphone — it just can’t make phone calls. It’s not a device that most people necessarily need, but it’s also a fun gadget that will make you experiment and tinker.
I’m still testing the device more for a full review, but so far, I’m enjoying the Boox Palma 2 quite a lot. It’s a refreshing break from the traditional smartphone and tablet devices I usually use, and it’s an excellent option when I want to destress. Stay tuned for the full review.
