Onyx launches Boox Palma 2 Pro: A $400 phone-sized E-Ink reader built to combat mobile distraction
Featuring a 5.83-inch Carta 1200 panel, Android 13, and hardware page-turn controls, the pocket reader targets users seeking phone-sized utility without notifications.
Technology news
Onyx has officially unveiled the Boox Palma 2 Pro, an upgraded $400 mobile reading terminal engineered specifically to combat digital fatigue and smartphone distraction. Built to mimic the exact dimensions and pocketability of a contemporary smartphone, the Palma 2 Pro swaps out stimulating, saturated OLED panels for a specialized 5.83-inch Carta 1200 electronic paper display outputting at 300 pixels per inch.
While conventional dedicated e-readers like the Amazon Kindle or Kobo Clara utilize square, broad aspect ratios requiring two hands or a bag, the Palma 2 Pro’s slender candy-bar form factor slips comfortably into a pants pocket. Under the hood, the device runs a customized build of Android 13 with full Google Play Store access, enabling users to install long-form reading platforms such as Kindle, Libby, Pocket, and Substack while deliberately lacking cell connectivity to prevent incoming calls and SMS interruptions.
Hardware refinements include an upgraded octa-core processor paired with Onyx’s proprietary BSR (Boox Super Refresh) graphics accelerator, which significantly minimizes ghosting during document scrolling. The chassis integrates physical volume rockers mapped to hardware page turns, a responsive side-mounted fingerprint biometric sensor inside the power button, adjustable dual-tone front lighting, and a 16-megapixel rear camera with LED illumination dedicated to document digitization and instant optical character recognition (OCR).
Priced at $400 in the US, the Palma 2 Pro targets a burgeoning cohort of digital minimalism enthusiasts seeking to replace nocturnal phone doomscrolling with dedicated, reflection-free reading without sacrificing ergonomic handheld convenience.