The Next Boox Palma E-Book Could Also Be a Phone
The Boox Palma e-reader is definitely my favorite gadget of the last few years , but I can also see why so many people find it a little odd. It’s an e-ink phone-shaped device that has all the capabilities of a modern Android smartphone: in addition to reading e-books, it can run apps from Google Play and even has a camera. But it doesn’t have cellular service, which means it can’t receive calls. Maybe that’s about to change.
According to The Verge, Boox’s parent company, Chinese tech firm Onyx International, is working on a new Palma-like device that would retain the current Palma’s shape and e-ink display but add cellular connectivity and color — two of the most requested features among the device’s diehard fans, at least based on my observations of the r/Onyx_Boox subreddit over the past few years.
The Verge got a look at the supposed Palma successor at IFA 2025, a European trade show similar to CES. While it wasn’t on display, the reporter was shown a device that looked very similar to the Palma, but with a color display (almost certainly the same Kaleido 3 screen as the Boox Go Color 7 ) and icons indicating 4G+LTE cellular connectivity. No specific specs or release date were provided. (You can read more about the device and its image on The Verge .)
Function ultimately follows form
Personally, I like the Palma because it’s more portable than the average e-reader. Because it’s easier to carry around, I read more and use fewer cluttered apps on my phone (while the Palma can run most apps, social media isn’t much fun on the slow E Ink screen). But I still have to carry my phone around for all the usual reasons (messaging, maps, tap-to-pay), so it’s not a life-changing device for me. That might change if Boox actually releases a Palma that can make calls and run messaging apps over cellular.
There are a lot of questions that need to be answered before I can get too excited, though. For one thing, the device hasn’t been officially announced, and there’s no guarantee it’ll be released anytime soon or sold in the U.S. (not all Boox products are available in the U.S.). Then there’s the matter of carrier support — you definitely won’t be able to buy a Palma phone directly from Verizon or T-Mobile, and it’s not a given that a niche Chinese-made device will work well with any U.S. carrier.
We also have no idea what this device might cost. At $300, the Palma already has a lot of the features you’d expect from a phone, but adding a color screen and a modem (and certification for American networks) will undoubtedly increase that price significantly. Tariffs won’t help either: the last Palma 2 cost $299, and given that all e-ink screens are made overseas, there’s no way it will avoid additional import duties.
With all that said, another device already on the market gives me a pretty good idea of what using a Palma phone will be like.
Not the first e-ink phone
For the past few months, I’ve been experimenting with the Bigme Hibreak Pro , a $459 e-reader that’s very similar to my Palma 2 (both devices can be seen in the photo at the top of this article). In many ways, the Hibreak Pro is the Palma’s equal… but it also has 5G cellular support.
This is a very attractive device – I’m starting to get annoyed with the iPhone’s dominance in my life. I’d happily carry around just one device that doesn’t easily connect me to the horrors of the internet and social media, but can still do the most basic things (stay in touch with family, make NFC payments, use Google Maps).
But the Hibreak Pro isn’t perfect for me yet: Like the other Bigme devices I’ve tested , I find the software extremely annoying, and I haven’t had the time or energy to install an alternative launcher. (It doesn’t help that the first unit I received had a faulty USB-C port, and it took me months to find a replacement.) Overall, I think Boox makes better devices than Bigme, so I hope the Palma phone addresses some of these issues.
At this point, that’s still a big question mark. Despite its popularity, Boox e-readers are certainly not as user-friendly as Kindles. And while Palma has developed a cult following (not to mention attention from publications like The New York Times), an e-ink phone will always be a niche interest, meaning we’re unlikely to see one from a major tech company like Apple or Samsung. The Palma phone might appeal to some e-ink fans, but I don’t expect to see many of them on the subway.