boox

the-android-powered-boox-palma-2-pro-fits-in-your-pocket,-but-it’s-not-a-phone

The Android-powered Boox Palma 2 Pro fits in your pocket, but it’s not a phone

android, boox, e-readers, Google, Tech / /

Softly talking about the Boox Palma 2 Pro

For years, color E Ink was seen as a desirable feature, which would make it easier to read magazines and comics on low-power devices—Boox even has an E Ink monitor. However, the quality of the displays has been lacking. These screens do show colors, but they’re not as vibrant as what you get on an LCD or OLED. In the case of the Palma 2 Pro, the screen is also less sharp in color mode. The touchscreen display is 824 × 1648 in monochrome, but turning on color cuts that in half to 412 × 824.

In addition to the new screen, the second-gen Palma adds a SIM card slot. It’s not for phone calls, though. The SIM slot allows the device to get 5G mobile data in addition to Wi-Fi.

Credit: Boox

The Palma 2 Pro runs Android 15 out of the box. That’s a solid showing for Boox, which often uses much older builds of Google’s mobile OS. Upgrades aren’t guaranteed, and there’s no official support for Google services. However, Boox has a workaround for its devices so the Play Store can be installed.

The new Boox pocket reader is available for pre-order now at $400. It’s expected to ship around November 14.

The Android-powered Boox Palma 2 Pro fits in your pocket, but it’s not a phone Read More »

if-you’re-in-the-market-for-a-$1,900-color-e-ink-monitor,-one-of-them-exists-now

If you’re in the market for a $1,900 color E Ink monitor, one of them exists now

boox, e-ink, Monitors, Tech / /

Color E Ink in its current state requires a whole lot of compromises, as we’ve found when reviewing devices like reMarkable’s Paper Pro or Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft, including washed-out color, low refresh rates, and a grainy look that you don’t get with regular black-and-white E Ink. But that isn’t stopping device manufacturers from exploring the technology, and today, Onyx International has announced that it has a $1,900 color E Ink monitor that you can connect to your PC or Mac.

The Boox Mira Pro is a 25.3-inch monitor with a 3200×1800 resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio, and it builds on the company’s previous black-and-white Mira Pro monitors. The Verge reports that the screen uses E Ink Kaleido 3 technology, which can display up to 4,096 colors. Both image quality and refresh rate will vary based on which of the monitor’s four presets you use (the site isn’t specific about the exact refresh rate but does note that “E Ink monitors’ refresh speed is not as high as conventional monitors’, and increased speed will result in more ghosting”).

The monitor’s ports include one full-size HDMI port, a mini HDMI port, a USB-C port, and a DisplayPort. Its default stand is more than a little reminiscent of Apple’s Studio Display, but it also supports VESA mounting.

Onyx International’s lineup of Boox devices usually focuses on Android-powered E Ink tablets, which the company has been building for over a decade. These are notable mostly because they combine the benefits of E Ink—text that’s easy on the eyes and long battery life—and access to multiple bookstores and other content sources via Google Play, rather than tying you to one manufacturer’s ecosystem as Amazon’s Kindles or other dedicated e-readers do.

If you’re in the market for a $1,900 color E Ink monitor, one of them exists now Read More »