The Boox Palma plugged a glaring gap in the market by bringing e-readers to a smartphone-sized form factor. It just made so much sense for folks who wants to travel with an eye-friendly ebook device in their pocket. The Boox Palma 2 Pro is the latest iteration of the pocket-sized e-reader.
The big update here is the brand new color screen, as all previous versions of the Palma were equipped with grayscale displays. That should make it a better device for reading comic books and magazines, all while retaining the epaper characteristics that make it much more pleasant to read for extended periods.
The Boox Palma Pro 2 is equipped with a 6.13-inch Kaleido 3 display, which is the same panel used in e-readers like the Kobo Libra Colour. As with those e-readers, pixel density is much better in grayscale mode at 300 ppi (1648 x 824 resolution), although it still looks pretty decent in color at a much lower 150 ppi (824 x 412 resolution). Do note, this isn’t a full color display, as it’s only able to show up to 4,096 different hues. Still, having the option to show items in all those colors is going to be much appreciated. It uses the outfit’s Super Refresh technology, which aims to minimize the ghosting that’s so common in these types of displays, with a dual-tone front light that automatically adjusts to the ambient light in your immediate vicinity, ensuring it stays readable in any lighting condition. And yes, you can adjust the light manually
More than an e-reader, the new pocket-sized Palma is compatible with the outfit’s stylus (Boox InkSense Plus), allowing you to annotate books, jot down ideas, and even sketch illustrations like other note-taking tablets. Do note, the device itself isn’t bundled with the stylus, so you’ll have to get that as a separate purchase.
The Boox Palma Pro 2 comes with a hybrid SIM slot that can accommodate either two SIM cards at a time or one SIM card and one SD card. Either way, this allows you to turn your e-reader into a phone-like device with an always-available internet connection. It won’t let you make calls or send messages using telecom networks, though, as it only supports data-only SIM cards. Since it’s designed to live in your pocket similar to a smartphone, it comes with a whole bunch of features you don’t normally see in other e-readers. That includes a 16MP rear camera (complete with LED flash), a built-in GPS radio (yep, it’s an e-reader with a GPS), a built-in speaker, and built-in dual microphones.
Other features include an octa-core CPU, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of onboard storage, a 3,950mAh battery (no listed rating, though), a fingerprint reader on the power button, and a USB-C slot with OTG support. It runs Android 15, by the way, complete with support for all sorts of third party apps via the Play Store, allowing you to use the device to stream music, record voice notes, and a whole lot more.
The Boox Palma Pro 2 comes out November 7th, priced at $399.99.
