Boox Palma 2 is the latest e-reader that acts like a smartphone
Boox has announced a sequel to its phone-sized e-reader with better performance and Android 13
📖 Boox has announced the Palma 2
📱 It’s a phone-shaped e-reader powered by Android 13
💨 The new version has a faster processor and fingerprint reader
💰 It’s priced at $279.99 and is available for preorder now
An e-reader that’s as easy to hold as your smartphone is a bit of a rarity, but Boox has been making just that for years. To that end, the company has announced the Palma 2, the latest version of its smartphone-sized e-reader that comes with better performance, upgraded software, and all the traits that made the original Palma such an interesting device.
The Palma 2’s big draw is the 6.13-inch Carta 1200 E-Ink display, slightly bigger than the iPhone 16. Most Kindles and other e-readers have 7-inch screens and squared-off aspect ratios, which makes the Palma 2 one of the easiest e-readers you can hold.
Its 1648x824 resolution gives the device a 300 PPI (pixels per inch) so everything looks sharp, and it includes a light sensor for adjusting the backlight and color temperature automatically. You can also choose between four different refresh speeds depending on the type of content you’re consuming, whether it’s a slow-moving e-book or an HD video.
Boox says the Palma 2 has an upgraded octa-core processor compared to the original model which will help speed up performance, and it’s running Android 13 instead of Android 11. This is another appealing feature of the device; the fact you can install any Android app you want on it makes it one of the most versatile e-readers on the market. While it’s not the latest Android 15, it’s at least a step up.
The processor is paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which is identical to the previous Palma. On the back, you’ll find a 16MP camera that Boox says is good for digitizing documents. You also get Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, and dual stereo speakers. The Palma 2 also integrates a fingerprint reader into the power button for the first time for better security.
The 3,950mAh battery should last for a while on a charge, although Boox doesn’t specifiy exactly how much time you have. The Palma 2 is also splash-resistant and weighs just 170 grams.
Unfortunately, you can’t technically use this as a phone. The Palma 2 is an e-reader first that happens to run Android and is shaped like a smartphone. It doesn’t have 5G or a SIM card slot for that reason. While it could be cool to see the Palma 2 fully replace a smartphone, you’d lose out on the battery life and the advantage of “disconnecting” when reading a book.
The Boox Palma 2 is available for preorder now. It’s priced at $279.99 which is more expensive than both Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft, the first Kindle ever with a color E-Ink display. The Palma 2 is available in black or white, and there are a variety of protective covers available as well. Boox expects to ship the Palma 2 beginning November 12.