Since its launch a couple of years ago, Boox has won over fans everywhere with its smartphone-esque Palma series, combining an e-reader with a more pocketable form factor. While the company’s not ready to unveil whatever a third-gen Palma might look like, the newly-upgraded Palma 2 Pro looks pretty enticing for anyone still holding out.
At its core, the Boox Palma 2 Pro doesn’t completely rock the boat (h/t Engadget). It’s still rocking a 6.13-inch display with some pretty bulky bezels surrounding the panel by modern standards, though considering it’s an e-reader and not a traditional smartphone, it’s easy to forgive. Under the hood, you’ll still find 128GB of storage, a 16MP rear-facing camera, and is powered by a 3,950mAh battery. Even its weight is nearly identical, up just 5 grams compared to the original Palma 2.
But the handful of upgrades here are pretty noticeable, and it all starts with that display. The original Carta E Ink panel has been replaced with a Kaleido 3 screen, bringing color to the Palma series for the very first time. Utilizing color E Ink does come with a pretty noticeable PPI downgrade, cutting the standard black-and-white 1648 x 824 panel in half. At the very least, sticking to grayscale still gets you that full resolution. Color isn’t always necessary on a device like this, but even with the decrease down to a sub-480p resolution, it’s nice to see a panel like this on the Palma.
Perhaps owing to its form factor, Boox has also added 5G support to the Palma 2 Pro through a data-only SIM slot. While that’s undoubtedly one step shy of a true smartphone, it’s not all that far off — especially if you prefer to call friends and family over VoIP services rather than using a traditional phone number. Boox even utilized the built-in microSD card slot to deliver dual-SIM functionality, though obviously, you’ll have to sacrifice that expandable storage. GPS support is here, too, with full turn-by-turn directions available.
Under the hood, a bump up to 8GB of RAM should give a little more flexibility to background tasks, while the jump up to Android 15 keeps the device feeling a little more modern. A new (and optional) stylus is also available, allowing you to turn the Palma 2 Pro into a notes machine. At $42, it’s not a massive expense, though you’ll have to carry it separately from the device itself.
At $400 when shipped from a US warehouse, the Palma 2 Pro is $100 more expensive than its non-Pro counterpart (or $130 when you factor in a current discount on the older model). You do get a magnetic case bundle with your purchase, though. The Boox Palma 2 Pro is available in black and white. Models are starting to ship now from its Hong Kong warehouse; US warehouse models will ship in mid-November.
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