Today ’s world is full of colored screens , beguilement , and stress . Sometimes , you just require to step away from it all and take a break for your own well - being . It ’s hard to do , but sometimes , come up the veracious equipment can assist . But what kind of gimmick am I verbalise about ? Say hello to the Boox Palma 2 .
recollect of it like an e - reader , but in the embodiment of a smartphone so it fits in your pocket , and it runs Android . It ’s like anAmazon Kindlebut better for multiple reason , and it can serve if you need a bit of a digital detox .
The Boox Palma 2 is one of the most interesting machine I ’ve tested this year , and I enjoy it .
Boox Palma 2: specs
6.3 x 3.1 x 0.31 inches
6 oz.
Expandable through microSD
Boox Palma 2 microSD card tray and Smart ButtonChristine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
Boox Palma 2: design
The Boox Palma 2 ’s ironware is entirely plastic , which help keep it incredibly lightweight and portable , though it does finger a piece slight . It front like your standard Android phone , though the bezels around the e - ink video display are chunky than on a speech sound like theGalaxy S24 Ultra .
On the back of the Boox Palma 2 is a unique and classifiable grain . It ’s kin to something like a painted wall , which is something I ’ve never reckon or mat up on a gadget before . It help the Palma 2 stand out from the crowd of the smooth cover you ’d witness on other e - readers and phones . I have the white edition , but the Palma 2 also comes in a sleek black colorway .
Overall , the Palma 2 ’s design is grand .
Boox Palma 2 fingerprint/power button and volume buttonsChristine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
Along the left edge of the systema skeletale is a microSD card slot and a Smart Button . The right side of the frame has the fingermark / world power button , as well as volume / pageboy - turn / scrolling buttons . The USB - C charge port is at the bottom , and the Palma 2 also has three-fold microphones and dual speakers at the top and bottom . The rear also has a 16MP photographic camera with light-emitting diode flash for scanning document .
My Boox Palma 2 came with a Flip Fold Case , which keeps the gadget safe from mundane wearable and tear and makes it really feel like an e - reviewer . The cover has a magnetized settlement , and it will wake or put the gimmick to sleep when unfastened or shut , similar to an iPad or Kindle . It even folds back to act as a kickstand . It ’s a unsubdivided little character that bring a courteous touch of elegance to the Boox Palma 2 .
Overall , the Palma 2 ’s designing is fantastic . Since it ’s about the size of myiPhone 16 Pro , it ’s easy to behave around in my sack , which I ca n’t quite do with my Amazon Kindle . It ’s a great size for an e - reader , and I ’m surprised there are n’t more machine like it .
Boox Palma 2: screen
Now , let ’s babble out about the display , which is arguably one of the most unequaled aspects of the Boox Palma 2 .
The Boox Palma 2 has the same 6.3 - in due east - ink Carta 1200 black and white screen with 300 pixels per inch ( ppi ) density as theoriginal Boox Palma . It also features an adjustable front light , allowing you to use it in dimly unhorse environments if need be .
Despite looking like a smartphone , the Palma 2 is an e - reader tablet with a super - compact form factor resembling a phone . As such , there is a slight time lag when interacting with the screen , as with any east - ink twist , and sometimes there ’s ghosting involved , where the premature textbook or image still appears on the screenland . When this happens ( it ’s more prone to materialize when you have a saturnine ground ) , you just involve to refresh the display , which can be quickly done by using the Smart Button .
Otherwise , the vitamin E - ink Carta display looks great . textual matter is sharp and laconic , and photos and video feeling as honorable as you could get them on an e - ink screen . Scrolling is smooth , and the display is fairly responsive to touch input . Overall , this is a heavy minuscule eastward - ink presentation .
Boox Palma 2: software and performance
The first Boox Palma had an octa - core CPU , 6 GB RAM , 128 GB storage , and Android 11 . The Palma 2 has the same 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage , but Boox enunciate it has an “ upgraded ” octa - core mainframe and ship with Android 13 , so it ’s more up - to - date than its herald .
The Palma 2 also adds a fingermark sensor where the exponent button is . In my usance of the twist , the fingermark sensor has been fast and reliable in unlock the Palma 2 . It ’s actually quite telling .
Since the Boox Palma 2 run full Android 13 , it can be more than just an e - lector . You have approach to the entire Play Store , so you may download television apps and game if you want to . But I think I ’ll wedge to using the Boox Palma 2 as an east - reader character machine because why would I require to ascertain picture or play games on an e - ink display ? That ’s what I have other phones and tablet for . Plus , the full point of the Palma 2 is supposed to be a minimalist machine , and that ’s how I ’ve been using it .
The Palma 2 is fast and responsive for apps and e - books .
While Boox pronounce that the upgraded octa - magnetic core mainframe is fast than its herald , I candidly do n’t reckon it matters too much . consider the machine ’s purpose , it does n’t need to be the fastest gimmick in your repertoire . The Palma 2 is profligate and responsive for apps and e - books , and that ’s what weigh to me .
Boox Palma 2: camera
strangely enough , the Boox Palma 2 is equipped with a single 16MP rear camera and no selfie camera . The camera itself is designed mostly for scanning document , though you could use it to take vintage black - and - whitened photos if you need to .
However , I do n’t cerebrate the photographic camera is necessary or all that helpful . I endeavor to rake a written document with it , and the result were fuzzy and hardly usable . You ’re better off using your iPhone or Android phone to glance over a document with a high - megapixel photographic camera lens .
look at photos is n’t impressive , either . Since it ’s black and white and only 16MP , painting just do out a spot dull , and obviously , it wo n’t capture details very well .
Boox Palma 2: battery life
Inside the Boox Palma 2 is a 3,950mAh barrage . Since this is an tocopherol - ink gadget , a single bearing will last a while , reckon on utilisation . For me , I ’ve been getting at least a workweek of utilization with it , with the light setting on half or zero before I stop up it back in again .
The Boox Palma 2 does n’t come with a power adaptor in the box , but it does have a USB - C cable . Charging it may take a while , depending on the amphetamine of your power adapter , but since the gimmick lasts a while on a charge , you wo n’t require to charge it that often .
Boox Palma 2: price and availability
The Boox Palma 2 is uncommitted to buy immediately from Boox ’s online shop or from retailers like Amazon . It is available in white or black-market and costs $ 280 .
you could alsofind somebundle deal on Boox ’s website . The received bundle ( $ 280 ) includes a free lusterlessness transparent case , or you could get the Flip - fold Protective Case sheaf for $ 286 . These deals do n’t seem to appear on Amazon , so if you require a free case to go with it , you should buy from Boox directly .
Boox Palma 2: verdict
If you have the first Boox Palma gadget , there ’s lilliputian ground to upgrade to this new one . But if you do n’t already have one , the Boox Palma 2 is a unique and interesting buy if you need a pocket - sized e - lecturer running full Android , inflate its overall functionality .
The Boox Palma was already such a great little gimmick that Boox did n’t exchange too much with its successor . The display , as groovy as it is , is still the same as before . The 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage are also the same , and there ’s still the expandible microSD remembering card slot . The upgrade processor does n’t make that much of a dispute in real habit , and the camera is not good .
The Book Palma 2 is a equipment unlike anything else .
On the one hand , it would have been overnice to see Boox make more meaningful acclivity . It could have ameliorate the fictile body to not feel as tenuous as it is , and there is a bit of a crack between the glass and the screen . It also could have been a right opportunity to bring a SIM circuit board tray and rick this into a proper earpiece for minimalists .
On the other hand , even without much alteration from the first Palma , this is still a equipment unlike anything else . If you want an due east - lector that can do more than a Kindle , browse the web , and even fit in your pocket like a earpiece , then the Boox Palma 2 is worth considerateness . At $ 280 , it ’s certainly more expensive than your typical Kindle , but it can also do so much more .
