The Onyx Boox Palma is an e-reader in a smartphone-like format that lets you carry your digital reading device in your pocket.
Recent years have seen a return to more compact e-readers, offering an alternative to new models with larger e-ink screens.
While e-reader manufacturers are offering ever-larger models (such as the Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Libra 2 or the new Pocketbook InkPad 4), Onyx has decided to market a very compact top-of-the-range e-reader with a 6.13-inch screen and a resolution of 824 x 1648 pixels.
This Onyx Boox Palma has a screen format close to that of a smartphone. This is not the only thing it has in common with cell phones, since the e-reader also uses the Android 11 operating system.
Google Play is also present, enabling this e-reader to use Android applications found on smartphones: reading applications (Kindle, Kobo, Aldiko) but also other applications (social networks, productivity software, etc.).
👉 See the ONYX BOOX e-readers on Amazon.com
Here are the technical specifications of this Onyx Boox Palma e-reader:
- 6.13-inch E-Ink screen with 824 x 1648 pixel resolution,
- Touch screen with illumination and blue-light filter,
- Qualcomm Octa-core processor,
- 6 GB RAM,
- 128 GB internal storage,
- micro-SD port (up to 1TB storage),
- Bluetooth,
- Wifi,
- USB-C,
- 16 MP camera with LED flash,
- 3,950 mAh Li-ion Polymer battery,
- Dimensions 159 x 80 x 8.0 mm,
- Weight 170 grams,
- Android 11 system.
This e-reader broadly follows the technical architecture of a smartphone, but without the telephony functions.
The 3,950 mAh battery seems to have a high capacity, but as this Onyx Boox Palma uses an Android system, you shouldn't expect as long a battery life as with a conventional e-reader optimized for reading.
It's first and foremost an Android device, a sort of mini-tablet with which you can enjoy your ebook-reading applications, as well as additional functions: a large storage capacity, the ability to use cloud storage applications (Dropbox, OneDrive, for example).
Music and audiobook lovers should also be delighted with Bluetooth 5 connectivity, which will enable speakers, headphones or headphones to be connected to this machine. It's not hard to imagine that the Onyx Boox Palma will come in handy for users of Audible, Spotify or Deezer.
For all things video and gaming, the e-ink screen used does not refresh the screen quickly. So this e-reader should not be used for this type of entertainment.
But the screen is best suited to reading - which is its main advantage. If you use your smartphone to read ebooks and want to try out a device with the same shape and footprint, this Onyx Boox Palma may be of interest to you.
However, if you want a device for reading ebooks that's easy to use and in good conditions, a e-reader is still the best device readily available on the market. You can consult our guide to the best e-readers here.
This Onyx Boox Palma will be available in a few days, and you can order it on the Onyx website for around $280.
👉 See the ONYX BOOX e-readers on Amazon.com
Edit (Februrary 2024) : Onyx has released a new version under the name of Onyx Boox Kant 2.
