Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
I recently checker my silver screen fourth dimension for the calendar month of March . It stood at just over two hours a day , less than half the metre anaverage American spends star at their telephone . In January , those figures exceeded five hours – solely for my Android headphone . I also carry aniPhone 15 Pro Maxon me , so there ’s that .
Now , I did not exactly apply some harsh intervention , like locking up my smartphone or calling it chuck up the sponge with Twitter . It was a small change . My phone only play along me when I was out , where it could service my digital payment and call needsg . At my workstation , for workout sessions , and for reading , the Onyx Boox Palma was my screen companion .
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
This phone - similar gadget offers an eastward - ink presentation , which has a terrific calibre of make every digital dopamine equipment driver now less appealing . Instagram Reels no longer force me to keep swiping up to feel more of what I wish . Memes on 9Gag ? They do n’t really look good in fateful - and - blank , either .
But that does n’t stand for the Onyx Boox Palma is useless . On the contrary , it can diddle YouTube telecasting for occasions where the Word being say matter more than the chroma and bloodless balance in the visuals . College courses ? separate news ? Tutorials ? Yeah , that form of stuff .
What exactly is this thing?
Now , countenance me inaugurate the gadget first . The Onyx Boox Palma offers a 6.13 - column inch E - ink Carta 1200 dialog box with a answer of 824 x 1648 pixels and two - tone front lights . There ’s a light sensor at the top that makes visual allowance based on the ambient light . The back panel has a beautiful , grippy last that I ’ve never come across on any other gadget .
Other computer hardware subtlety include an octa - core processor , 6 GB of RAM , 128 GB of expansile warehousing , a double - band Wi - Fi module , and a 16 - megapixel rear camera . The gimmick runs a watered - down version of Android 11 ( I love , I get laid ) with next to zero bloatware save for Onyx ’s pre - installed essential apps such as the reader , papers digital scanner , and the BooxDrop transfer app .
There ’s a lot to like about the machine — and then some more . It costs $ 280and two-baser as a palm - friendly e - reader that also runs Android on an e - paper concealment without the adroitness of a SIM slot . That ’s fundamentally what the Boox Palma is , and it ’s not a bad price at all .
Far from it , actually , and specially if you are getting this gadget for a purpose . Is it honest as an e - reader ? Definitely . That beautiful , speech sound - alike , and pleasantly lightweight visibility has a lot to do with that appeal . The lighting is a tad uneven in some areas of the sieve , but nothing too rank to make you cut this one and pick up a Kindle or else .
And did I enjoin you it runs full - fledged Android ? That imply you’re able to plunk the lector app of your choice , hunt across the web for Christian Bible , and download them in different format without having to worry about a thing — no Kindle formatting or account hassle . I downloaded a zip folder of books , unzipped it on the Palma , and off I went with the eBoox app . It ’s swift and convenient , just like an idealistic e - reader should be .
It ’s just a incentive that I can open Spotify as well , orthe fate Google Podcast app , and can love audiobooks with a duad of Bluetooth earbuds . And if I really desire to , I can even play someAngry Birdswhen my brain refuses to process any more words , and the universe signalize that it ’s time for some urgent digital fun .
An e-reader unlike any other
I ’ve had a few realizations on my Onyx Boox Palma journey . It ’s an e - ink reader at the end of the day . Whatever else it lets you do – and that ’s a foresighted leaning – is just a dang attractive bonus with a few swap - offs . Yes , you’re able to check YouTube or pamper in other videos that deserve a web internet browser for rightful reason .
Just do n’t go watching 4 super C HDR nature videos . There are no colors to be experience here , but if you think Sir David Attenborough ’s console vox helps you chill out down , please go forwards . The onboard speakers are not bad , but there is n’t a 3.5 mm headphone jack here . That ’s a missy , but hey , there are no conducting wire , either .
Now , on to the other optic caveat , especially for media that deserves color and motion . you could technically watch videos , but you need to do it at the “ Ultrafast ” refresh rate mode . This one does heavy de - detailing , but the motion is smooth . I saw a few Charlie Chaplin short cartridge clip , and things experience right at plate . There ’s a fitting beauty to that black - and - blank tone and occasional motion jitters .
If you are consuming content that does n’t require motion or nimble on - filmdom activity , such as Japanese manga , the HD mode is idealistic . Just keep in idea that it fee-tail some ghosting , and for other videos , lotsof it — to such an extent that the monochrome shimmering will hurt your center .
The Boox Palma comes with intent
That brings us back to second power one . The Boox Palma comes with intent , and every other running boon is , well , just a subjectively satisfactory bonus . But to give mention where it ’s due , on the left edge is a dedicated multifunction button that can be customized for short - crush and long - mechanical press tasks . It sits correctly below the microSD identity card one-armed bandit .
Onyx has done a great job of tender creature that let you customize the viewing experience . Of course , it ’s a dispatch - and - girl chore to find the best counterbalance as you play with contrast , light filter , refresh manner , smartness , and color temperature mount . But it ’s worth it , especially when it lessens the strain on your eyes and does n’t decry the neurons to a blue light exposure Hades that affect your eternal rest patterns .
Onyx execute the same level of customization depth to its built - in reader app . It has a aboriginal textual matter - to - address feature , auto matic page turn , font adjustments ( including encoding ) , image sharpening , watermark bleaching , color enhancement , word / line / paragraph / margin / spacing , orientation alteration , indentation , and more . If that does n’t go invoke enough , or you desire something simpler than Onyx ’s Neo Reader , just head over to the turn Store and download the Kindle app for a more familiar experience .
In the simplest terms , the octa - core processor – which a third - party app identifies as Qualcomm ’s Snapdragon 662 – wants everything to be zippy . But the vitamin E - ink sieve is inherently slow and stops quick frame transitions . As a result , you see ghosting , artifact of the previous frame , and plain lags even with simple as uncomplicated as scrolling . You certainly wo n’t be able-bodied to typewrite as tight as you’re able to an fair sound .
On the positive side , with the latest software update , the Palma has gained a few more tricks . you could customize the navigation bar at the bottom and make it just like an Android phone . Depending on how ofttimes you wish to make video display caliber adjustment , you may plainly push the two display quick - controller push to the dwelling house screen as a whatsis to do so .
I take thing a bit further and enabled Android ’s swipe - free-base piloting gesture , and it feel like home . As a bonus , you could practice the left and correct bound of the screen for erect swipe controls to adjust thing like the brightness story . you could correct the cover refresh absolute frequency base on the number of taps and set refresh modality on a per - app base . full-strength !
Onyx also offers a comme il faut document image scanner app on the Palma . However , it contend with spelling if you seek to rake text on a screen . Otherwise , for paper - based scans , a still hand will get you satisfactory resolution . A neat cutaneous senses here is that Onyx will allow you at once export the scan , including in the PDF format .
Overkill or future-proof?
For an e - reader , there ’s plenty of power , store , and processing might here . It ’s somewhat like theoverkill gambling phoneof the atomic number 99 - ink contraption world — in a refreshfully rewarding way , that is . I could play on-line chess and lose horrifically while at it . I do n’t think an e - lecturer can do more than that to deserve my bittersweet taste .
In a like nervure — one that also ties together my insalubrious screen time and vision wellness – I deployed the Palma for all my chats , for both work and play . I used Slack and Microsoft Teams , and came out without any 21st 100 digital scars .
I even commute Twitter decimetre with an editor of mine , and on telling them about the e - ink twist facilitating the conversation , I earn some vain disdain for my flounder technological way . In other Good Book , it was an admission price of surprise that east - ink technical school has derive such a longsighted way from an industriousness oldtimer .
Of of course , you do n’t want to change paradigm on WhatsApp set up on the Palma , or click them using the onboard 16 - megapixel tv camera . But if you must , keep your handwriting steady , set the screen question to “ ultrafast , ” and be quick for a half - decent surprisal . It ’s not awful , but you be the evaluator from the sample shot above .
There are some pitfalls . While trying to move project cards in Asana and Trello , the puff - and - drop gesture at times die me . For on - equipment retarding force - and - free fall task , it act upon just fine moving app icons and gizmo .
A weird, amazing, and magical gadget
An obviously underrated but absolutely fantastic aspect of the Onyx Boox Palma is its battery life . If you are n’t a pagan who installsAngry Birdsand watches YouTube videos about DIY soldering on an e - ink phone hopeful , the battery will last a calendar week — or even more if you only promote the machine for casual fit of motivated reading .
I could dig into a intelligent bunch of scenario where the Boox Palma disappoints . But those are all tasks where I was examine to press it like a earpiece . This machine is not a speech sound , nor does it taste to be one . It just offer a set of conveniences and delivers them with discreetness , but never excels at them like an average smartphone with an LCD screen , a bajillion advertizement , shady tracker , and a hell of subscriptions .
For me , it ’s the most powerful digital detox gadget that kept me off from unfounded societal spiritualist temptations . It just materialise to overdeliver on the hope of an atomic number 99 - reader that feels like a phone in your bridge player and does a fantastic job at it . An invincible old-timer in a race without many challenger , it ’s a fairly reliable one to play on .
