Kindles
and
Kobos
are
relatively
comfortable
to
use,
but
if
those
are
too
big
and
restrictive,
the
smartphone-like
Boox
Palma
is
a
fantastic
alternative
that’s
grown
on
us
considerably.
A
new
model
is
on
its
way,
but
if
you
don’t
need
the
smoother
performance
it
promises,
you
can
save
a
bit
on
the
original
today.
It’s
down
to
$245.99
($34
off)
at
Amazon,
which
is
a
new
all-time
low
price.
The
Boox
Palma
is
a
6.1-inch
smartphone
size
e-reader
that’s
highly
portable.
It
also
runs
on
Android
and
comes
with
the
Google
Play
Store
built-in,
allowing
you
to
download
apps
for
other
digital
bookstores,
newspapers,
note-taking
apps,
and
more.
$246
at
Amazon$280
at
Best
Buy$280
at
B&H
Photo
The
Palma’s
hardware
sheet
and
appearance
resemble
a
smartphone,
but
it
has
neither
calling
capabilities
nor
a
traditional
display.
It
uses
a
6.13-inch
backlit
E
Ink
Carta
1200
display
instead,
offering
a
crisp
300
ppi
resolution.
There’s
a
microphone
and
speaker,
a
microSD
card
slot
for
expanding
its
128GB
of
internal
storage,
volume
buttons
that
can
double
as
page-turning
buttons,
and
even
a
16-megapixel
camera
with
a
flash
for
scanning
documents
and
handwritten
notes.
Its
pocket-stowable
and
one-handed
form
factor
makes
it
more
ideal
for
your
everyday
carry
than
a
full-sized
reader.
One
big
advantage
of
the
Boox
Palma
compared
to
most
ebook
readers
is
that
it
runs
Android
11
with
Google
Play,
so
you
can
supplement
its
built-in
tools
and
apps
by
downloading
anything
else
you
like.
That
means
you
aren’t
locked
into
any
particular
ebook
ecosystem
and
don’t
have
to
ditch
your
favorite
sources.
Missing
your
Amazon
Kindle
library?
Just
download
the
Kindle
app
—
a
much
better
proposition
than
manually
sideloading
everything.
You
can
also
use
your
preferred
music
streaming
service
and
news
apps.
However,
the
laggy
user
experience
that
befalls
any
E
Ink
device
can
be
limiting
outside
of
reading
and
perhaps
some
casual
listening
and
productivity
tasks
(and
even
some
New
York
Times’
crossword
puzzles,
The
Verge’s
David
Pierce
found).
It’s
fine
if
you’re
just
scrolling
through
pages
of
your
monthly
reads,
but
not
ideal
for
social
media
deep-diving
and
other
visually
rich
shenanigans.
The
incoming
Boox
Palma
2
brings
a
faster
octa-core
chipset
and
an
Android
13
upgrade
(and
adds
a
fingerprint
sensor),
but
no
one
has
tested
it
yet
to
find
out
whether
those
changes
will
translate
to
improved
usability
in
a
practical
sense.
If
you’re
looking
to
save
a
bit
and
start
reading
today,
you
may
not
miss
much
by
staying
a
generation
behind.
(Originally posted by Quentyn Kennemer)
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