This Phone-Shaped E-Reader Helped Me Break My Doomscrolling Habit (and It’s on Sale Now)

Overall, 2024 hasn’t been a good year for me for reasons both personal and global, and my smartphone addiction hasn’t done any good for my ever-simmering anxiety. Even though I’ve moved away from one toxic social network in favor of another friendlier one , I still have a tendency to lapse into dark scrolling – which is why Boox Palma has been a godsend for me since I first reviewed it. . in February. And right now it’s on sale . If you have any desire, I think you should buy it.

Palma is a rather unique e-reader from Onyx International, a Chinese company that has slowly built a cult following of e-ink fans over the past decade and a half. white-on-white displays on devices such as the Kindle Paperwhite . Two key things set the Palma apart from any e-ink device sold by Amazon (or Barnes & Noble , for that matter): its shape and its unrestricted operating system. Both are key reasons why this is the best e-reader I’ve ever used, and why I’ve spent the last eight months reading more and using social media less.

It’s so good that I’d easily recommend purchasing it, although Onyx recently released an updated version of the Boox Palma 2 , which I’ll review soon – the differences aren’t too significant (the newer version has a fingerprint scanner, a faster processor and a more recent version of Android , but at the time of this writing it costs $35 more), and either one will serve you well.

Buy now

Buy now

Buy now

Buy now

VIEW 1 MORE

An e-reader that looks (and almost works) like a phone

Before I got Palma, I did most of my reading on my iPhone. I’ve owned several e-ink tablets over the years, starting with the third generation Kindle (the one with the keyboard) that my parents gave me back in 2010. I always found standard proportions. The e-reader’s 6-inch screen is a bit clunky—too square to look like a real book and too big to fit easily in your pocket. I used the larger 7.8-inch Nook Glowlight Plus for a while, and while the extra screen was nice, it was hampered by slow software and difficulty loading library books.

But whether it’s a Kindle or a Nook, I’ve never stuck with one for long as I’ve always found it annoying to carry around a second device that’s too big to easily fit in my pocket, and all that device switching means my book collection scattered throughout the territory. several incompatible ecosystems (Nook, Kindle and Kobo, not to mention Libby, my library’s favorite reading app).

Meanwhile, I always have my phone with me, and it has five different reading apps loaded on it. Unfortunately, my phone also gives me easy access to the rest of the internet, meaning that more often than not, I found myself taking out my phone with the intention of reading and eventually checking my notifications and immersing myself in the latest horror stories in the news, or maybe just mindlessly spinning the dog’s reels.

Palma solves all these problems. It’s essentially the same size as the iPhone 15 Plus, so it’s easy to slip into a pocket, and at 6.13 inches, it’s the same screen size I’ve become accustomed to from years of reading on the phone. But it still has the benefit of a black-and-white e-ink display, which for me means more immersion in what I’m reading and less risk of distraction.

What’s more, it runs on a fairly stock version of the Android 11 operating system with access to the full Google Play store, which means I can download any reading apps I want without having to worry about it. attachment to a specific seller.

Essentially, the Palma offers everything I’ve ever wanted in an e-ink reader, which is probably why I’m still using it almost a year later.

Super responsive screen (for e-reader)

Unlike the extremely clunky screens of most e-readers, which suffer from severe lag that makes even scrolling a web page frustrating, the Palma offers four different refresh modes, from HD (best for reading super-crisp text on a static screen, e.g. when reading a novel), “Balanced” (for scrolling PDF files), “Fast” or “Ultra-Fast”, which can handle scrolling social media feeds at speeds close to what you get on LCD screen. However, oddly enough, the on-screen keyboard is still a bit laggy, with characters appearing a noticeable fraction of a second after you press them.

High performance

With 6GB of onboard RAM, the Palma is certainly fast enough to get your e-books out quickly, and quickly turning pages or skipping chapters isn’t a problem. Navigating a PDF is also quite smooth: if the app allows it (like Neo Reader’s built-in PDF reader), you can pinch your fingers to zoom in and out and enjoy near-instant performance, which is a lot more than I can say. for trying to enlarge a PDF on my old Nook.

The device also allows me to browse the Internet with minimal latency, and apps load quickly enough that I never felt like I was using a smaller device.

Android gives you freedom

My biggest complaint with the various Kindles and Nooks has been that I don’t particularly like the user experience on either device—in general, I think the Kindle and Nook iPhone apps work much better than the more boring e-reader versions.

The beauty of the Palma is that, at the operating system level, it’s essentially a phone – as noted, its fairly unrestricted Android 11 OS offers flexibility you won’t find in any proprietary software on the device. Instead of having to resign yourself to sorting and displaying your books the way your Kindle wants you to, you can choose whatever app(s) you like best, as long as they’re available for download in the Google Play Store (sorry, Apple Books readers). no jailbreak or sideloading required (though you can of course do the latter if you want).

I currently have the Kindle, Nook, and Kobo apps installed, as well as the Libby app (for accessing library books from the Brooklyn Public Library), as well as a format-independent app called Moon+ Reader Pro ( $6.99 for ad-free version ) . I highly recommend this if you need more customization options in your reading app, from font selection to kerning, file sorting, and more.

The point is that any of these apps are open to you – although Onyx has its own default reading app, you are in no way forced to use it.

Listen to audiobooks and podcasts (but bring wireless headphones)

Android support means you can also use the Palma to listen to audiobooks – there’s no headphone jack, but it connects easily enough to your Bluetooth headphones. It has an external speaker – just one; One of the speaker grilles on the bottom of the device is decorative, but the sound quality is mediocre at best.

I tested syncing audiobooks through Audible and the Kindle app, and it worked as expected, as did playing audiobooks downloaded from Libby. There’s enough built-in memory – 128 GB, plus a SIM card tray with a capacity of up to 1 TB – to store a very large amount of audio material. (I’m not a fan of audiobooks, but I downloaded Pocket Casts to try out the Palma as a podcast device. In short: it works well, but I still prefer my iPhone for this since it syncs with my Apple. Watch and automatically connect to my Beats headphones, no pairing required.)

Easily add fonts, screensavers, and more.

What I love most about Palma is that I can connect it to my laptop and easily download books, download new fonts, and do everything you can do with drag and drop. The Android OS isn’t shy about letting me see the file structure and placing files exactly where they need to be. The end result is that if you’re willing to put in a little effort, you can create a truly personalized experience. Set your own lock screen, choose your wallpaper, read on Wingdings: the possibilities are endless.

More than an e-reader (but still not a real phone)

Android support means you can download more apps than just read. You can also download Goodreads, Gmail, Chrome, Bluesky, Reddit or anything else you want.

YouTube in electronic ink

Doing anything other than reading seems like a chore on the Kindle, but you can actually browse the web and even watch videos on the Palma. Turn on a YouTube video and you’ll probably be able to tell what you’re looking at, although the ghosting will get worse the longer it goes on (the screen refreshes when things get too busy, or you can press a button to trigger the refresh manually) . Everything will still look a little grainy, and of course everything is in grayscale, but considering I could barely read my email in the “experimental” web browser of my first Kindle, I’m still very impressed.

Play your games (unless they need color)

If you’re wondering whether the Palma can serve as a gaming device, that’s another definite yes. I downloaded the Tetris app, which worked surprisingly well in super-fast mode. NYT Crosswords works very well for this, but don’t plan on playing Wordle as you won’t be able to tell the difference between the colored squares in grayscale. While I haven’t tried it myself, there are videos online of people trying to play more ambitious games ( like a first person shooter ) and it’s certainly… possible, I think.

Look, I would never say that using any non-reader app on the Palma is a great experience, but they will work, and in some ways their ugliness is comparable to how they would look on a full color LCD , is a blessing – as I noted at the beginning of the review, I use Palma because I want to read more books. When I want to distract myself with an immersive screen, my iPhone can help.

No SIM card support

Although it looks and functions like an Android phone, the Palma can’t replace yours because it doesn’t have SIM card support (as noted, while it has a side-loading card tray, it only accepts memory cards up to 1TB). You can use it to make phone calls over Wi-Fi through a supported app (like Google Voice)—the device has both speakers and a microphone, and also supports Bluetooth headphones. It will also run most messaging apps over Wi-Fi, although they may require a non-SIM phone number to run them. The lack of SIM card support is hardly a deal breaker for me since I had no intention of replacing my phone with another one. electronic ink device. (If this is your goal, check out Hisense , another Chinese company that makes a range of e-ink mobile devices.)

Lack of significant waterproofing.

It also doesn’t feel like a phone at all, at least when it comes to modern flagship devices: the Palma isn’t waterproof. Yes, technically even iPhones are only “waterproof,” but that means “they can withstand being submerged in water for half an hour.” The Palma is “waterproof”: a few drops of rain hitting the display won’t damage it, but if you drop this thing in a bathtub or pool, there’s a good chance it won’t survive.

Water resistance is hardly a universal e-reader feature—the entry-level Kindle doesn’t have it—but it would be a welcome addition to such an expensive device.

Great one-handed reading experience

My mixed reactions to the Palma as an Android device aside, it’s excellent as an e-reader. The form factor is what it is: I personally find the 6.13-inch screen very nice, and the screen resolution of 1648 x 824 at 300 ppi means text is always very clear and readable, especially in HD resolution. Build quality is good: the screen is made from “micro-etched glass” which mostly avoids glare issues, the physical buttons are responsive and easy to press, and the back cover is lightly textured and easy to grip.

You have the ability to turn pages by tapping the touchscreen or using the physical buttons on the right side of the device, making it easy to read with one hand (especially considering how light it is – around 170 grams). While support varies from app to app, most reading apps I’ve tried flip pages forward and back using the volume up/down button. You can also change the reading settings with infinite scrolling using your fingertip or the volume button. An additional button on the left side can be mapped to a number of different functions based on a quick press, long press or double press. By default, a single tap will refresh the screen, which is handy if you’re often annoyed by the faint ghosting that can plague any e-ink screen, but you can also use it to turn pages, advance to the next chapter, and more.

Convenient headlight

The screen backlight is comparable to what I’ve experienced with other modern e-readers – you can adjust the brightness and warmth to suit your comfort level – perhaps with a slightly larger visible ‘ring’ around the edge. screen than, say, a Kindle Paperwhite.

I wasn’t very impressed with the auto brightness option, which is designed to set the best brightness level based on the current lighting conditions. I found that it tended to fluctuate between too bright and too dark, even when I sat still in a dark room. Adjusting the lighting manually is easy enough that it doesn’t bother me too much, but it’s worth noting (and turning off).

Good (but not exceptional) battery life

One of the advantages of e-readers is that their main displays absorb energy rather than absorb it. And while the Palma will last much longer on a charge than your smartphone, in my experience (I didn’t do a specific battery test), it doesn’t last as long as the Kindle, especially if you frequently use various apps that require more frequent refreshes, clicks and scrolling.

Reading for an hour or two a day with the front light on will drain the battery by half in less than a week. Once connected (via USB-C), it charges quite quickly. You can stretch this schedule by dimming the lights or reading with the lights off, but my eyes are old and tired so I usually leave them on. I appreciate that I don’t have to charge it every day, but I would prefer not to charge it so often.

What else can Palma do?

After eight months of use, I can confidently say that the Palma does everything I want it to do very well, and a number of things I don’t really need, surprisingly well. It can also do a lot more than what I tried for review purposes only, including scanning documents using the standard Scan to PDF app, and taking photos and videos using the 16MP rear camera (assuming you download the missing camera app , which is strange).

On the device itself, the pictures will look like crap, but if you connect it to your laptop to access them, they will seem comparable to anything you take with a regular smartphone camera – not iPhone quality by any means, but why an e-reader Do you even need a camera?

Risks to Consider (By the way, who is Onyx International?)

The good thing about the Kindle is that if it breaks, you can simply call Amazon customer service to have it fixed or replaced. With Boox Palma, you won’t have that luxury: parent company Onyx is based in China, and Reddit’s e-reading communities are riddled with reports of less than ideal customer service. Even if you consider that most people don’t post their good customer service experiences on Reddit, it’s a concern: Some users are reporting displays failing seemingly spontaneously, and if this happens to you, you will have to replace it. (unless Onyx decides that the limited one-year warranty covers any malfunction, which seems unlikely, at least judging by the comments of grumpy Reddit users ).

As already noted, the operating system is based on Android 11 and cannot be updated. For now, this doesn’t make much of a difference in terms of functionality, but it’s possible that in the future, updates to your reading apps will no longer be compatible with an OS that’s over four years old and has essentially already reached its “end of life” when it comes to security updates. This probably isn’t that important for the device you’ll primarily be reading on, but it’s worth considering if you want to download other apps that might contain sensitive personal data that attackers could somehow gain access to. for an unfixed security issue. .

There’s also the fact that, being a Chinese company, Onyx isn’t subject to the same restrictions and privacy laws as Apple or Amazon, but that’s a well of paranoia I wouldn’t want to dive into. However, that’s more than I can say about some of the members of the r/Onyx_Boox group on Reddit. (Really, the only thing you can learn from looking at my Palm is that I read a lot of science fiction.)

All that said, if you’re in the United States, I definitely recommend buying the device from the Onyx store on Amazon , as you’ll get the usual Amazon benefits including Prime shipping and the ability to connect with their customer. service if you have a problem with your device.

Bottom line

All this functionality comes at a cost—the device retails for $279, although you can currently buy it on Amazon for $245. It’s obviously a lot more than the entry-level Kindle, and is on the same level as the high-end (now discontinued) Kindle Oasis, but it can also do a lot more.

Of course, you should think about what kind of work you actually want your e-ink reader to do, and whether it’s worth paying for the extra bells and whistles. In an ideal world, there would be a “Palma Lite” that would provide all the basic features (form factor, Android OS, quality build, good performance) and fewer extras (like no camera) to keep the cost down.

But all of its features and unique qualities make the Boox Palma the best e-reader for me and by far the best e-reader I’ve ever used. I’ve stuck with it all these months and it’s helped me read more and use my phone less, which is my number one priority when it comes to anything I use for reading (including old-fashioned paper books). I think there’s a good chance you’ll like it too.

Technical characteristics of Boox Palma

• Display: 6.13 inches, 824 x 1648 (300 ppi).

• Processor: Qualcomm Octacore processor

• RAM: 6 GB

• Memory: 128 GB

• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5 (2.4/5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.0.

• Lighting: Front lamp with temperature adjustment.

• Camera: 16 MP rear camera.

• Operating system: Android 11.

• Battery/Charging: 3950 mAh via USB-C

• Size: 159 x 80 x 8 mm

• Weight: 170 g

• MicroSD card support

More…