Aisha Malik, a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch, spent two months testing the Boox Palma 2 Pro and reached a conclusion many phone readers will recognise: the $400 device finally got her to stop reading on her iPhone. In a hands-on review published on October 24, 2026, she describes it as a cross between a Kindle and a compact Android tablet — a phone-sized E Ink gadget that is built only for reading, listening and light note-taking.
That distinction matters, because the Palma 2 Pro isn't trying to replace your smartphone. It runs Android with support for Google Play, so you can install Kindle, Kobo and Libby, plus audiobook, podcast, read-it-later and email apps. For readers tired of eye strain and distraction, the pitch is simple: a pocketable screen that does one job well.
Boox Palma 2 Pro specs and what the review found
The hardware is deliberately phone-shaped rather than tablet-shaped. Boox's device weighs 175 grams, lighter than the iPhone Malik normally reads on, and its front-lit E Ink screen lets users switch between cool and warm lighting, with brightness that can be dimmed to an exceptionally low level. That combination made late-night reading in bed possible without disturbing a sleeping partner — something a bright smartphone screen struggles to match.
But it isn't perfect. At $400, ghosting is a real frustration: text from a previous page can linger when you turn the page or return to the home screen, and while a refresh button in the navigation bar clears it quickly, repeated use may annoy some readers. Scrolling through third-party apps can also feel sluggish, since not all Android apps are optimised for E Ink.
- Weight: 175 grams, lighter than the reviewer's iPhone
- That 2,000mAh battery may sound small, but in practice the device lasted 5–7 days per charge — well short of a Kindle, which can run for weeks. Turning off Wi-Fi stretches it further.
