Boox's Palma 2 Pro turns phone scrolling into E Ink reading

Boox’s $400 Palma 2 Pro packs a smartphone-sized E Ink display into a device that runs full Android and taps into the Google Play store, landing somewhere between a Kindle and a compact tablet. Over two months of testing, a TechCrunch reviewer found the 175-gram device displaced their iPhone as a default reading surface, largely because of its size: thin enough to hold while lying down, unlike boxier dedicated e-readers that often need a grip accessory, and small enough to slip into bags too compact for a full-size Kindle — useful from a physician’s waiting room to an airport gate.

The front-lit display toggles between warm and cool tones and dims low enough for nighttime reading without disturbing someone sleeping nearby, a brightness floor most smartphones can’t reach. Because the Palma 2 Pro isn’t locked to one reading app, owners can install Kindle, Kobo, Libby, and separate apps for audiobooks, podcasts, email, and read-later services, letting the reviewer skip the built-in reader and listen to audiobooks on the same device used for text. That openness, paired with a document-scanning rear camera, a built-in speaker, hybrid-SIM cellular support, and stylus compatibility for notes and PDF markup, turns the device into something closer to a multitool for reading, research, and light productivity — though not every Android app renders smoothly on an E Ink screen, and color content looks noticeably muted next to a phone’s.

Trade-offs showed up in daily use. Battery life ran about 5–7 days, well short of a typical Kindle’s multi-week stretch, though switching off Wi-Fi stretches it further, and the screen displayed noticeable ghosting — faint text left behind from the previous page — clearable with a tap on a dedicated refresh button but potentially tiresome to repeat often. The reviewer’s unit also arrived without the optional stylus, leaving note-taking and PDF markup untested. Boox is readying a cheaper, black-and-white Palma 3 at $340 to replace the standard Palma 2, positioning the Pro as the pricier, color-capable option in the lineup. The reviewer’s verdict: a strong fit for readers craving phone-like flexibility in a smaller package, but not a replacement for Kindle loyalists who prize weeks-long battery life over app access.

Why it matters

The Palma 2 Pro’s bet — a full Android app ecosystem bolted onto E Ink hardware — points toward e-readers competing less on page-turn speed and more on how well they absorb the apps people already use. Expect rival device makers to chase the same formula as demand grows for simpler, less-distracting phone alternatives.