The Next Boox Palma Is a Mini Digital Notebook
Since its release in 2023, the Boox Palma e-reader, along with its successor, the Palma 2, has been the source of much confusion. It’s the same size and shape as a mobile phone and features an e-ink display, but it’s not an e-ink phone because it lacks a SIM card or eSIM slot. Today, Boox’s parent company, Chinese device maker Onyx International, announced the new Palma 2 Pro, and the confusion continues.
As I wrote last month when rumors of the new device first surfaced , the Palma 2 Pro has a SIM card slot, but it’s still not quite a phone—while it can handle mobile data (i.e., browsing the web, streaming video, reading email, or downloading books and other media), it still can’t receive calls like a traditional Android phone. (You can download a web-based voice app like Google Voice or WhatsApp, but they’re not quite the same thing.)
However, the Palm 2 Pro does offer a few select upgrades worth discussing, as does the Boox Note Air 5C, the next in the company’s line of full-color e-ink notebooks.
The Palma 2 Pro features a color screen and stylus support.
While calling was the most requested Palma feature on the Boox subreddit, a color screen and note-taking support tied for second place, and the new Palma will have both, turning it into a mini digital notepad like the reMarkable Paper Pro Move .
In its announcement video, Boox said the device would use the same Kaleido 3 e-ink technology as the Boox Go Color 7 (Gen II), released last year, and like that device, would support on-screen writing. While the Go Color 7 was available with Boox’s signature “InkSense” stylus—the USI 2.0 pen, which I found disappointing during my testing last year —a Boox representative promised an improved writing experience with the “InkSense Pro” in the Palma 2 Pro. (Given my mixed reactions to USI 2.0 styli on other devices I’ve tested , I’ll reserve judgment.)
While these are major changes, the Palma 2 Pro offers a few welcome, if not dramatic, improvements (which is probably why the company doesn’t call it the Palma 3). It’s still available in black and white, but runs Android 15 (versus Android 13 on the Palma 2) and has 8GB of RAM versus 6GB on the Palma 2. Otherwise, it has the same form factor (the new device is 0.8mm thicker and 5g heavier) and the same specs (including a 16MP rear camera, 128GB of storage, an adjustable front flash, and fingerprint unlocking), but it’s still not fully waterproof.
Significant price increase
All these upgrades do come at a significant cost—in the US, the Palma 2 Pro retails for $399.99, a full $100 more than the already pricey Palma 2 e-reader. It’s unclear how much of this price increase is due to tariffs on Chinese-made products, but in other parts of the world, the device will retail for $20 less.
The Palma 2 Pro is now available for pre-order on the Boox website , with a scheduled delivery date of November 7.
The Boox Note Air 5C is a less radical upgrade
The Palma 2 Pro isn’t the only product announced by Boox today. The next version of the Boox Note Air is also coming to the US, though it’s a much less impressive upgrade. In fact, the specs and features listed on Boox’s product page are virtually identical to those of the Note Air 4C, released in 2024. It has the same appearance and form factor (up to 1mm, according to the specs on the Boox website), the same Kaleido 3 color display, the same 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, and virtually the same weight.
Aside from a similar OS update from Android 13 to Android 15, the biggest difference appears to be the addition of Pogo pins to support Boox’s new magnetic keyboard case, transforming the device into something resembling an e-ink laptop. (Boox also makes a keyboard case for its larger Note Max and Tab XC tablets, and I’m very pleased with it.) The package also includes an updated Boox Pen3 stylus, which I have yet to try.
Same price as Note Air 4C.
As befits a minimal update, the Note Air 5C still costs $530 in the US, the same as last year’s model, and you can order it now on Amazon .
It’s a good time to get discounts on older Boox devices.
Frankly, these new product announcements don’t quite live up to my expectations. The Note Air 5C is hardly an upgrade, and given how successfully it helped me cut back on annoying and addictive social media , I’d be thrilled if the Palma could replace my phone. Furthermore, I don’t find the addition of a color screen all that compelling, as color e-ink ruins black-and-white content , and the Palma’s 6.13-inch screen is, in my opinion, too small for comfortable writing (even the 7.3-inch reMarkable Paper Pro Move beats it in this regard).
On the other hand, the launch of new models means some nice discounts on older versions: the Palm 2 is now available for $270 , $30 off its previous price and matching the lowest price recorded during the recent Prime Day sales. Meanwhile, the Note Air 4C is priced at $500 , a $30 discount.