Mini e-Reader Comparison | Onyx Boox Palma vs Hisense Touch

This is the comparison you have all waited for! The battle of the mini e-Readers. IF you can even call them that anymore.
The Onyx Boox Palma vs the Hisense Touch
VIDEO vs AUDIO, basically.
ONYX:
goodereader.com/blog/product/...
HISENSE:
goodereader.com/blog/product/...
KZbin MEMBER:
Join the Good e-Reader Subscription Program! We would be happy for you to join in on the fun and get access to exclusive content.
/ @goodereader
PATREON:
If you would like to support our channel, consider visiting our Patreon page:
www.patreon.com/user?u=664210...
FOLLOW PETER HERE:
/ @sushi_cars
#kindle
#amazon
#eink
#ereader
#onyx boox
#bigme
#sony
#fujitsu
#quaderno
#remarkable 2

[@Huyndoan]

I ordered a Hisense touch lite. I don’t need a camera, google apps, etc. just a device that reads books and fits in the palm.

[@Huyndoan]

@@Maya-zq8ewnow you can. I bought from AliExpress and Google Play store is preinstalled. Overall the Hinsese is good. But it feels really uncomfortable to hold without a case. I just bought the Onyx Palma as well to compare. The Hisense's screen is not as good as my Kindle paper white 5 and it kinda bothers me. If the Palma's screen is significantly better, I might keep it.

[@dpear3]

Both devices are a form factor I wish there was more representation for in e-readers, I just hope Onyx takes some of the tech from this the Palma and makes a cheaper version. I’m curious how much of a price reduction we’d see if they skipped the camera on the Palma…

[@andrew44r]

Onyx продаёт такое устройство на российском рынке. Называется Onyx Boox Kant. Стоит примерно 200 долларов.

[@slydog7131]

The Onyx Kant is a trimmed down version for the Russian market, but is available in the US for $239 though ECTACO or Walmart, and perhaps elsewhere.

[@TheUltimateHacker007]

Can't have android without a camera unfortunately. Security thing. Only thing they could do is make some altered Linux version like Amazon does but that would increase the price again

[@goodereader]

Yes you can have Android without a camera, the 95% vast majority of devices have Android and no cameras

[@TheUltimateHacker007]

@@goodereader Isn't android owned by Google now? It can't be just the playstore that cant get on a phone without camera

[@amaury1264]

Thank you for doing this comparison, so good to see that you responded to this common request. The screen on the Onyx is significantly better and looks a bit more crisp for reading. This is a shame because I wanted the audio and build quality to be comparable....

[@pspsmallz]

So better audio and build quality on the hisense but vastly superior reading experience on the palma, which is what really matters with an ereader. Better contrast, smooth page turns with better refresh, faster and snappier menus and just generally more reading options on the palma. Thanks for the video. Definitely picking up a palma when it goes on sale eventually.

[@Trojanischer_Esel]

Thanks for the comparison! I like the form factor quite a bit, but I neither need nor do I want a camera and a microphone on a device like this. Speaker makes sense, but is not really needed either in my opinion. A more “dumb” and affordable e-reader with the same form factor would be my dream device.

[@liyanguo]

Thanks for the review. It is exactly what I am looking for and helps me decide.

[@goodereader]

Wow thanks so much. Seriously. KZbin is a very small portion of our business so there's no need to donate any of your hard-earned money. But it is very much appreciated :-)

[@tahirahmed33]

The ONYX BOOX PALMA screen looks very sharp , can you compare it with the HI READER PRO as it using the same eink panel and same specs

[@Joshua-hq4sh]

Just waiting for sim capability in boox, it has my pre-preorder!

[@yubbadubbadubba]

Is there a difference in the screens between the white and black palmas like there was with the leaf 2?

[@Dierre]

I wish they'd just make a phone that works well on US bands

[@goodereader]

Currently the only e-ink phone in the states is the light phone Everything else either works by accident, or you have to make it work using different processes

[@TheUnderMasked]

What other processes?

[@davefink2326]

Will onyx run the apps for my action cameras (DJI, Insta360, GoPro) to monitor outdoor filming via their Wi-Fi/Bluetooth? I use my android now, but of course sunlight bleaches the screen and runs its battery out quickly. I don’t need crazy fast refresh, just monitoring what’s in the frame when the camera’s extended way out on a stick.

[@mudbrick6083]

Do Onyx/Boox products ever go on sale? I just can’t drop $270 on this.

[@allisonconrady1338]

Could you talk about or demo the screen reader setting? I use it to read articles but my older android phone would only read the text on the screen when play was pressed, so I’d have to scroll and press play over and over again. I switched to apple which continues to read a page. I’m unsure what this setting looks like on Hisense or boox but I want to switch to an eink device for reading soon this is my only holdup

[@user-pk4wf7ys9r]

Which is best as a work phone? I want to primary use it for email, slack (office messaging) and may be WhatsApp?

[@christill]

I really like the Hisense in terms of smaller size and the aluminium construction. I really want to see everything in the industry built this way. Shame about Google Play but you have to imagine a Hisense phone with it has to be coming soon. They can’t not do it at this point.

[@tahirahmed33]

Hisense won't release any more eink phones they exited the eink bizness

[@LeviRedrook]

Does your Palma have a tiny rattle in it, in the upper-middle at the height of the camera module? If I tap the back (screen up) at that spot it sounds like a few teeny ball bearings are knocking against each other, and I hear it when I put the palma down on my desk. I don’t hear the sound if I tap elsewhere (lower on the device). I can’t tell if it’s normal or not because functionally the Palma seems fine.

[@slydog7131]

Mine indeed does have a small rattle there, but it's something I would never have noticed without someone mentioning it, and I have to listen carefully.

[@goodereader]

Well that's not good. We checked three of them that we had on hand here, and we haven't been able to find that issue. We will forward this to Onyx

[@LeviRedrook]

​@@goodereader, @slydog7131, Onyx told me it comes from the camera module and you weren’t able to hear it because you need a “very quiet” environment to notice. So I would be interested if you can hear the vibration if you’re actually in silence or not - just to see.

[@bobbyvandam74]

From a smartphone manufacturer website: The camera of your smartphone uses "optical image stabilization." Since the lens unit can't be fixed when the camera is not working, when the smartphone is shaken, the unit hits the cushion structure in the camera unit and makes a rattling sound.

[@Ciprigeek]

Any chance to have a stock firmware to relock the bootloader of mine?

[@markwayne7580]

I don't know if you read my comment on the palma video or not but thank you for the video

[@goodereader]

I do not know, there are 40 people that work in our company, please ask your question again here and we'll try to get to it as soon as possible

[@markwayne7580]

@@goodereaderI meant whan I saw the palma video I wanted to know the difference between the palma and hisense and your video just answered my question lol

[@wedprez]

Can you read Google Books from your library in the Onyx?

[@tahirahmed33]

Yes

[@mamagoth4575]

Is the boox palma screen glossy or is it matte?

[@slydog7131]

Closer to a matte. Reflections are dispersed.

[@antoniobarbalau1107]

thank you ♥

[@parkyx]

Great review as always! Very happy there are more options in the market. BTW, Xiaomi is pronounced more like "siau-mi" not "jiau-mi"

[@user-bm9oh2ll4q]

Can’t wait for the color eink phone. We know it’s coming next year

[@tahirahmed33]

In late 2024 / early 2025 . It will be better than the A7 CC but smaller size around 6"

[@vladislavkaras491]

To my surprise those things are pretty costly! Thanks for the review!

[@hdtravel1]

Onyx Boox Palma is a superior unit - better screen for reading - has google play - this is a BIG deal - it's the winner here - much more readily available to buy also

[@Marc_Yu]

Onyx Boox is a better choice for me although the metal finish of Hisense is more attractive. Currently I am enjoying a lot Boox Ultra 10C Pro.

[@gggbbbq]

610 vs 662???

Thanks for the video! I love my Hisense Touch, but I really miss having Google Play. Will wait to see if Onyx launches a Palma with 4G in the future, then I would definitely buy one. Also, I would like to add that the Touch aparently doesn't have a GPS antenna, while Palma probably does. I tested an offline map on Google Maps without internet on my Onyx Boox Note X2 and it worked, while on the Hisense the location is a mess even when connected to the internet... and when disconnected, it didn't work at all. Does anybody know if the smartphones from Hisense have a GPS antenna? Especially the A9 and the Hi Reader Pro. Thank you!

[@sadiaafrin4825]

Not sure about a9, but I used to use maps on a5. I guess their phones (note specific ereader or music player version) have gps

@@sadiaafrin4825 Great, thank you!

Also, there's something the Hisense Touch does flawlessly. Its face unlock feature is amazingly good! It recognizes my face even in a completely dark room, with its own frontlight being the only source of light, even in a rather low level of brightness, and it works really fast, I was really impressed with it. My Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is way worse in this aspect. I tested with other people, and it seems that the recognition really works, because it only unlocks with my face.

[@tahirahmed33]

Yes A9/HRP has GPS ,as I've used it and I used it on the A7 CC , connect Bluetooth and WiFi when using Google maps it helps the location and and other things , it's not selected on default, select it on the Google maps settings

[@drmoze]

do not need camera or audio or video on an eteader. I wish they made a dedicated READING device in this form factor.

[@ricky865]

Wish ever of the 2 does a color version first and add or don't remove the micro SD card I'll buy it no questions asked.

[@weingonzalez7308]

well i hope available in the market of the philippines

[@JohnnyWin]

If boox got rid of the camera to compensate and made it the build quality of the hisense, it would be perfect.

[@kho5973]

Thanks for the video. There are rumors that Hisense has abandoned the eink product line and has sold all its eink production equipment to Onyx Boox and therefore there is Palma.

[@goodereader]

Those are rumors. They have NOT abandoned their eink devices

[@sadiaafrin4825]

My long waited comparison but I guess I’ll still stick to my hisense until boox gets a smaller device cause that thing is biig for my hand 😓

[@blackjohnny0]

Good direction. I want something even smaller. Like 4,5'' and no audio. Fuck audio. Its reader! Small, light, fitting to hand. Thats what I want.

[@gggbbbq]

Palma vs hisense A9pro 👍👍👍

[@Bozo---]

love my rooted hisense a9

[@goodereader]

No need to root them anymore :-)

[@d0ugparker]

Argh... I wish you'd switch the title from “Onyx Boox Palma vs Hisense Touch” to “Hisense Touch vs Onyx Boox Palma” so they'd match up with the order of the units on the screen. Regards, DP, Henderson, NV

[@goodereader]

That's worse for SEO Thank you very much :-)

[@d0ugparker]

@@goodereader Ah, I see. Another approach might then have been to swap their positions on the stage so they'd match with the order of their mention in the title. However, while changing a title can happen at any time, a video change demands deleting the previous one and resubmitting a new one, which would have thrown away a lot of clicks-I get that. For the sake of clarity to future viewers, then, please consider a video standard that keeps the order in the title consistent with the order the units appear on the stage. Warm regards, DP, Henderson, NV, USA

[@krist6028]

Tinfoil hat aside. Is this Chinese spyware vs Chinese spyware? The Mozilla foundation had some things to say about the old Onyx products. I wouldn't have cared if this was, say, a Nook (knock yourself out, see what I'm reading), but whereas these are offering more and more functionality, the potential to data mine personal info is far greater. Unless I am confusing similarly named companies/products, which is very possible.

[@slydog7131]

If only a western country made products like these ...

[@tahirahmed33]

Google ans Facebook are big mine for data logging as are ALL the websites with cookies.

[@xoxeverythingeuphoriaxox]

Boox palm 👍🙌 I’m getting

[@slydog7131]

Indeed, if Hisense had Google Play then it would be a contender. Lack of Google Play is the Achilles heal of Hisense, and the better sound quality doesn't make up for it. Besides, sound quality of the Palma is fine. Neither of these are perfect. To get there, I would say 1) Add a sim 2) go color 3) add note taking and a mini stylus, 4) eliminate the bezels, 5) increase the battery life. The form factor is as big as it could be and still be called portable, but eliminating the bezels would make it much more so, and maybe a 5-inch display would be best.

[@SerpentShark13927]

I agree with only 2 of your points, 3) add note taking and mini stylus, 5) Increase the battery life I personally feel that adding anymore would make it feel almost like an exact copy of a phone but just with a technically worse screen. This works as an actual pretty good dumb phone with some extra features. Adding a sim or going color would make it too much like a phone, but thats not the purpose of the device.

[@slydog7131]

@@SerpentShark13927 I wish it was a phone, along with the other things. If you don't want a phone, just don't add a sim. Many apps work best with color. The bezels are wasted space and make it bulkier, but maybe the extra space is needed for internals. I have actually found the battery life to be ok, not super, but quite useable.

[@nukesean]

No chapter timestamps? Really?

[@DarkFire515]

I must be missing something about these phone factor e-readers. I don't see what the use case is. Why would I carry 2 phone-sized devices when I can carry 1 actual phone that does the job of both? Sure, a phone screen isn't as nice to read on as an e-ink display but the convenience factor of carrying only 1 device would outweigh the screen option every time for me. I can totally see the point of an A5 or similar sized device - I love my kindle - but I'm not seeing the point of these phone-sized e-readers.

[@doktorwajter3432]

I am a dumbphone user so a pocketable e-ink Android device sounds like a dream to me. I'm gonna wait for one with stylus support

[@DarkFire515]

@@doktorwajter3432 Good point, that would be a very valid use case.

[@enadegheeghaghe6369]

Reading on your phone also destroys your battery life. Eink devices have much better battery life, not to mention fewer distractions than your phone. I see the small form factor as a positive not a negative.

[@blackjohnny0]

Looks like Onyx has better screen.

[@TeddScheckler]

Boox screens are notorious for failing within months and the warranty is atrocious.

[@FarrFromPerfect]

pity no mini stylus

[@golamrobbanimaruf2660]

i wish I could make phone call with it

[@goodereader]

Well, you can call me you just need to buy the phone version.

[@Jobalblas]

I'll never buy an Onyx device anymore. The battery was bad from the start and is now completely dead after less than 2 years. I've read more complaints about Onyx batteries.

[@comscier]

The hisense have a really glossy screen and too slippery for a ereader. If he reviewed the white palma, it would have been obvious that the boox palma (White version) is a much better ereader. PS, had a hisense touch, which i literally threw to the garbage. The palma and poke5 are the only ones I still uses.

[@cristianmicu]

i will go on a limb say these palm readers have little to no future as ereaders, they are too narrow

[@ShitmanMusic]

how big is the difference from the build in speakers? I would use it only for watchibg youtube innthe kitchen or in the bedroom

[@ShitmanMusic]

how does it compare to an iphone pro?

[@porkopio9468]

I wish for more affordable eink device with android os