Onyx Boox Palma

Video Review

Onyx Boox Palma: At a Glance

The Boox Palma is a very compact eReader that blurs the line between traditional eBook readers and smartphones. The device offers a unique combination of portability and functionality that sets it apart from its competitors. But despite these strengths, the Boox Palma isn’t without flaws.

Display: Small but Mighty

With its 6.13-inch E Ink Carta 1200 display, the Boox Palma is always easy to read. The technology is already familiar from the Kindle Paperwhite. It delivers the excellent contrast you’d expect, so text remains easy to read under a wide range of lighting conditions. The front light with adjustable color temperature ensures hassle-free readability even in the dark.

Thanks to E Ink, perfectly readable outdoors

It’s worth mentioning the front light’s maximum brightness of 380 cd/m², which, as far as I know, is unprecedented for E Ink. In practice, you honestly don’t need levels like that, because the E Ink Carta screen reflects enough light that you can read comfortably during the day without the front light. And at night, you shouldn’t have the light set too bright anyway. Still, that’s a nice bonus if you ever do want to take advantage of the maximum brightness.

Design and handling: Compact with some hard edges

The Boox Palma doesn’t just buck the trend with its display size; it also does so with its form factor. At 170 grams and with clearly visible bezels, the Palma feels surprisingly bulky, yet it still sits very comfortably in the hand.

Short line lengths due to the screen format—you get used to it

The pronounced bezels and slightly curved edges contribute to this impression and make it comfortable to hold even for longer periods. Because of its compactness, you also have to get used to the somewhat unusual 2:1 screen ratio, which results in very short line lengths in eBooks.

Android 11: A mixed bag

Android 11 significantly expands the Boox Palma’s capabilities, but it also brings challenges. The optimizations Boox has made for E Ink result in a largely trouble-free user experience, even if adapting to the black-and-white display sometimes entails compromises.

The Android 11 user interface has been specially optimized for E Ink

Access to the Google Play Store and the ability to install virtually any Android app provide a level of flexibility that would be unthinkable on traditional eReaders. With that flexibility, however, comes complexity, and the Boox Palma requires a bit of a learning curve. Not every app runs perfectly right away, so you’ll occasionally have to tinker with the different display modes to get the best results.

Connectivity: The missing piece of the puzzle

Despite its many features, the Boox Palma lacks what I consider an essential function—the cellular connection.

The absence of a SIM card slot limits its use cases and often has you reaching for your smartphone again. This limitation is especially noticeable because, thanks to its compactness, the device would otherwise have the potential to be a full-fledged smartphone replacement in many respects.

Conclusion: Who is the Boox Palma for?

The Boox Palma is undoubtedly an intriguing device with a lot to offer. Its strengths lie in portability, the versatile usage made possible by Android 11, and excellent readability. The eReader is especially suited to users who want a compact yet powerful reading device that can do more than just display books.

However, the lack of cellular connectivity and the relatively high price remain drawbacks that are hard to ignore.

Overall, the Boox Palma is worth considering for anyone who values flexibility and portability, isn’t put off by the occasionally more complex operation, and is willing to pay a somewhat higher price.

Onyx Boox Palma: Technical Specifications

All information provided without guarantee.