I wasn’t seeking to change my Kindle, however this Android e-reader made it straightforward

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The brand new and improved Boox Palma 2 Professional from Onyx is the model’s newest digital paper pill, retaining its smartphone-adjacent kind whereas introducing a number of new options: stylus assist, a {hardware} bump, and, most notably, a coloration show. 

Retailing for $399, the Palma 2 Professional additionally will increase in value by $100, options 8GB of RAM as a substitute of 6GB, and is supplied with a brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G processor for quicker load occasions and improved responsiveness. You even have 5G connectivity in a hybrid SIM slot that helps a MicroSD card. 

Additionally: I discovered an E Ink pill worthy of changing my Exceptional, and it is on sale

It is nonetheless fairly small for a digital paper pill, and it nonetheless resembles a cellphone, however nearer inspection reveals a novel, tough texture that resembles paper — or maybe papier-mâché — one thing I’ve but to see on one other handheld gadget.

It feels premium and stable, and the distinctive texture gives a tactile expertise, though I’ve some considerations about how properly this materials withstands moisture or filth. That is one gadget you do not need to set down on a unclean desk, or that errant drop of marinara sauce will stick with you ceaselessly. 

For that purpose, I extremely suggest getting the protecting case, which is not terribly priced at $22, and can preserve it clear and the display screen protected.

The 6.13-inch backlit Kaleido 3 coloration show encompasses a subdued, pure palette that is supposed to resemble a newspaper or print journal, and is extremely customizable with a variety of preset refresh modes and coloration choices. 

Coloration shows are the newest development for E Ink gadgets, displaying up in latest upgrades throughout the board this yr. Though they definitely add worth, I nonetheless keep that coloration — by itself — does not routinely “make it higher”. Shoppers nonetheless need crisp textual content, clear refresh occasions, and responsive UIs, and no quantity of coloration will make up for the dearth of those options. 

That stated, the show on the Palma 2 Professional definitely seems good, with vivid (for an E Ink pill) coloration tones and a practical, paper-like degree of saturation. The Kaleido show’s vary of coloration is straightforward on the eyes however nonetheless simply distinctive sufficient to enhance the expertise. 

Additionally: This Kindle practically changed my Exceptional pill with simply the show itself – however there’s extra

Customers will need to optimize the show with the completely different presets supplied within the menu, as textual content can seem small and faint, and with out the backlight, it’s quite dim. Ghosting is to be anticipated, however fast refreshes clear it up, which is well achieved with the big selection of customizable fast actions.

The display screen itself additionally has a noticeable depth, showing barely distant from the floor, particularly across the bezels. This detracts considerably from the “paper-like” expertise and is the one factor that edges the Palma 2 Professional away from an expressly premium person expertise. Finally, nonetheless, it is a matter of private notion. 

Swiping down from the highest of the display screen will carry up the Management Middle, the place essentially the most generally accessed settings reside. The E Ink Smart menu permits you to alter the refresh mode and the show’s coloration profile, one thing you may need to tinker with, relying on what you are doing. 

HD Mode, for instance, permits for crisper photos with extra vivid colours, ideally suited for viewing graphic novels or magazines the place you are spending extra time on every particular person web page, because it’s barely slower to load. Regal mode is greatest fitted to e-books, with clear textual content and minimal animations. You may as well alter the colour modes right here, with a number of presets or the choice to get granular and produce up sliding scales for distinction and vividness.

Navigating the UI is made simpler with the pen — Boox’ Ink Sense Plus — which is a pleasant stylus in its personal proper however restricted to the gadget’s small dimension. The pen-to-paper expertise is beautiful, with little or no lag and a responsive really feel, however the small show and even smaller floating toolbox within the Notebooks app affords a restricted quantity of room for notes or sketches. 

Additionally: My favourite E Ink pill has a worthy successor – with upgrades in artistic methods

Moreover, the pill’s small dimension leads to inevitable palm interference, and the fast button, positioned proper on the level of the index finger, requires a studying curve to keep away from by accident activating. 

In that sense, I would not suggest the Palma 2 Professional for customers who need it solely for intensive writing or extra detailed sketches — I might suggest the ReMarkable Paper Professional Transfer as a substitute, because it’s extra suited as an e-reader first, with its versatile toolkit and deep properly of software program. That stated, it is completely able to appearing as a notepad for fast ideas. 

Like Onyx’s different Boox tablets, the Palma 2 Professional runs Android 15 and, with entry to the Google Play Retailer, permits customers to entry any downloadable apps and their related ecosystems. 

This is among the foremost attracts of the Boox line of merchandise: from the big selection of customizations to being untethered from anyone ecosystem, customers have unfettered entry to all the massive e-book libraries on the market: Amazon’s Kindle, Google Books, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, Rakuten’s Kobo, and many others. This little gadget will be all of these gadgets without delay. 

The Google Play Retailer remains to be essentially the most numerous in choices, and for anybody who likes to hop between completely different apps (together with e-book fanatics, with assist for Bluetooth earbuds), the Boox Palma 2 Professional has rather a lot to supply.

Additionally: Easy methods to remodel your previous, out of date Kindle into the last word open-source reader

Moreover, the Palma 2 Professional does assist 5G connectivity, however it is not suitable as a standalone smartphone, that means you may’t make calls from the gadget over provider networks, even with a SIM card. Nevertheless, you need to use Wi-Fi-enabled calling apps, akin to WhatsApp. 

This makes the 5G factor solely obligatory for customers who want dependable information web connectivity, however definitely not a requirement for all — or possibly even most — customers. 

When it comes to battery, the three,950mAh lithium-ion polymer cell is well-equipped for dozens of hours of use time, though take into account that preserving it on pace mode with brightness turned all the way in which up will drastically cut back battery life in comparison with a extra modest refresh charge.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

The Boox Palma 2 Professional is a premium, expressly moveable e-reader that provides customers free rein to all the main e-book ecosystems. It is a important improve from the Palma 2 and the unique Palma from final yr, preserving what made the gadget nice whereas innovating on its use case. 

Additionally: This Kindle practically changed my Exceptional pill with simply the show itself – however there’s extra

Its compact dimension is nice for anybody who needs a one-handed gadget, because it handles extra like a smartphone and fewer like a Kindle or pill. Nevertheless, you need to be dedicated to the diminutive kind issue, because the display screen could also be too small for intensive writing or drawing with the stylus, and textual content can seem small and faint in case your settings aren’t optimized. 

At $399, it is not precisely low cost, however it’s not overly costly, both — particularly contemplating its numerous {hardware} and comparability to competing gadgets.