Onyx Boox Palma Review: The Ultimate Digital Minimalist Companion?

Discover why the Onyx Boox Palma is the perfect device for digital minimalists seeking a versatile companion for communication and authentication. In this comprehensive review, we delve into its innovative hardware, explore its use cases, and explain why it surpasses traditional e-readers with its compact, phone-like design. If you would like to jump to a specific section feel free to use the chapters below 👇
00:00 Introduction
00:18 Is it a phone?
01:08 Companion device
01:55 Hardware overview
03:59 Camera review
04:26 Key features
06:01 Boox Palm vs Amazon Kindle

[@KevinGamin]

I’ve been considering a Palma as I am also trying to reduce my eye strain (my eyes turn 50 in August), plus the one handed operation is perfect for when my cat climbs onto my right arm for tummy scritches. I can use the Palma in my left hand with the side buttons. I already own a BOOX Note Air 3C, so I’m very familiar with their technology and quality. For me personally, I get value for the cost of these devices.

[@LauraMalvoyante]

Yes the one handed option does come in handy when my cat sits on me too! The Boox Air 3c looks like a great device too. I may consider it to replace my iPad since the eye ink is much easier on the eyes.

[@minimini4792]

Very helpful review, thank you 😊

[@LauraMalvoyante]

You're welcome, thanks for the kind comment!

[@braillynn4903]

I am considering getting this in the future. My insomnia would benefit from not having blue light.

[@pcdkrop]

Nice review. I pair the device with the Light phone 2 and Remarkable 2, and that works perfectly for me. Hope more will follow the digital detox movement.

[@LauraMalvoyante]

I would love to have the light phone 2. You have a great device combo going for you and I love hearing from others on their digital detox journey!

[@VanGoWanderlust]

This is an interesting combo. Can the light phone act as a wifi hotspot to give the Boox Palma and Remarkable Internet connectivity?

[@pcdkrop]

Yes, it can and i use it like that everyday. But only when I want to synchronize.

[@MelissaWolfer]

Thank you, Laura for your insightful review of the Boox Palma. I am considering getting this device to reduce eye strain. I began my e-ink journey this winter with a Kindle for reading, and then the Supernote for digital notes and journaling. However, neither of these devices will replace apps on my phone, like RedIt, calendar, all email accounts, etc. It has been quite the departure from my 10+years using ipads for similar tasks. I still need the iPad for photo editing and work related tasks, but I am trying to move to e-ink as much as possible to minimize the achy eyes and headaches. If you have any additional thoughts about the Palma and eye strain, please reply to my comment.

[@LauraMalvoyante]

I love e-ink for eye strain and I use my Palma all the time and have never had eye strain like my iPad or iPhone gives me. It’s great for Reddit. I even use it for writing and planning my videos with Google Docs installed and I noticed a lot less eye strain compared to using the Notes app on my iPhone. I am blind in one eye and severely impaired in my other eye so I really rely on this device to get my admin work done. I still use a MacBook for video and photo editing. I am looking for an e-ink tablet to replace my iPad.

[@danwallis7010]

Great review. Love the idea of pairing it with a dumb phone. I love that technology has reached this place.

[@LauraMalvoyante]

Thank you! I feel the same way. I think having everything in one device may not be for everyone but at least we have options nowadays.

[@alajononon]

I really hope the minimalist trend catches on. There's been this shift of all in one devices which is great. But it just seems like all tech is moving towards this same clean and sleek look and I'm just not into it. It was great back in the early 2000s before virtual keyboards were a thing. Having to figure out how to get a full qwerty keypad on a phone or get T9 texting going efficiently and have it all fit in a pocket led to a highly versatile market for cell phones. E-ink seems to have added a similar variable.

[@AndrewStottisTheIndiWerWlf]

I love that you said "authentification" instead of authentication. Gotta love those words that are so close in two languages that share roots. I do that with Spanish words a lot.

[@LauraMalvoyante]

Haha yes I speak fluent Frenglish. I make a lot of slips like this and I don’t even hear the errors when I edit 😅

[@AndrewStottisTheIndiWerWlf]

@@LauraMalvoyante thats ok it's endearing

[@tttyyy949]

Your voice and the tone of it reminds me the computer reading programs :)

[@LauraMalvoyante]

Probably because I spent six years doing programming training videos in my job 🤣

[@tttyyy949]

hah! or it's just AI that took over and pretends to be some Laura youtube person. Since you replied I actually have a question regarding the item. How does the lowest brightness (not turn off, just the lowest setting) looks in completely dark room? Isn't it too bright? @@LauraMalvoyante

[@LauraMalvoyante]

Good question. I just tested and the lowest brightness is pretty low compared to my iPhone 15 (half the brightness of the iPhone at the lowest brightness). @@tttyyy949

[@macbrebonicks8668]

​@@LauraMalvoyante Let's talk😂 even if sound like Rosie the Robot.

[@LauraMalvoyante]

@@macbrebonicks8668 Rosie the robot sounds better than me but I’ll take it 🤣

[@macbrebonicks8668]

I am happy it is not a phone. Hopefully the devices continue to improve and make the device a perfect standalone device. The screencast function on mine worked once while screencasting to my Chromecast and now does not work. Any input?

[@LauraMalvoyante]

Mine works with my chromecast without issues (fingers crossed it stays like this). Have you tried restarting the Palma and resetting the chromecast? It sounds like they are not linking for some reason and it’s probably a bug with the software.

[@macbrebonicks8668]

I need to reset my Chromecast. I also tried to connect to my Roku devices.

[@AndrewStottisTheIndiWerWlf]

Also just a note, making the comparison to a phone to indicate it is overpriced is interesting. It runs Android. So it is effectively a phone without cell service. Almost like the iPod touch used to be if it had an eInk screen and ran Android instead of iOS. But are there really any new android phones on the market under $300? I feel like if you like having access to all of the software that Android affords you, I feel like $279 is a bargain. If none of that appeals to you then it's just not the right device for you.

[@LauraMalvoyante]

Yes putting it that way makes it seem like a good deal indeed. I wish it had NFC as well in order to charge my transport pass though. I can’t complain about the price in comparison to my dumb phone purchase of the Punkt MP02 which on paper is quite useless compared to the Boox Palma.

[@alajononon]

I love what this can do and that its palm sized. How is it for time management and planning? I have severe ADHD and ive been on the hunt for a device that can do planning but isn't an actual smart phone. My priority is can it do google and/or outlook calendar seamlessly. Super bonus points if the developers are focused on thise kinds of features built for the device specifically.

[@LauraMalvoyante]

I use all the Google services including Google calendar with no issues. If the productivity app you need exists in the Google Play Store, you can add it to the Boox Palma (so Outlook and Microsoft service should work fine). The typing experience is a bit slower than a smartphone since the eink has a slower refresh rate of course. I don't have ADHD but I find it easier to focus on the Palma for productivity tasks since other apps are less fun to consume content or scroll through.

[@alajononon]

@@LauraMalvoyante That addressed my concerns perfectly. Thanks so much!

[@eink-reviews]

Have you considered the Hisense A9 eink smartphone?

[@LauraMalvoyante]

Yes I have. I tried ordering one and I got scammed so I ended up getting the Palma. I may try to get one in the future but I am also waiting on some new eink phones to be released.

[@eink-reviews]

What site scammed you?

[@LauraMalvoyante]

hisenseeink.com/products/hisense-a9-pro-e-ink-smartphone-1 I saw afterwards that it’s a known scam and most people buy the device through Aliexpress

[@eink-reviews]

@@LauraMalvoyante yup, that’s what everyone on r/eink says, I got mine from Ali.

[@chenkeith7272]

There was no mention about how rast it is to turn pages in a book. Is it fast? Also what is the sound quality like when you play song tracks? Lastly, is there an english dictionary build in just like the kindle when you press on a word, the definition would appear? Thanks

[@LauraMalvoyante]

I will do a video dedicated to the reading experience but it is fast at turning the pages. Compared to my kindle at least. The sound is good, there are two speakers at the bottom of the device that are clear when listening to music or videos.

[@chenkeith7272]

Thanks. Await your video. Also do mention about the dictionary feature and note taking. $280 very expensive. Kindly also put it near to your kindle so I can see the size comparisons. Thanks

[@LauraMalvoyante]

@@chenkeith7272 Yes there is a dictionary application. I have installed my own notes application from the Play Store. You can download any app you may need.

[@chenkeith7272]

@@LauraMalvoyante what I meant is highlighting the word by pressing down and then take notes within the page you are reading just like the kindle. Not sure whether it is the same in this regard :)

[@LauraMalvoyante]

@@chenkeith7272 yes you can add notes in the default reading application and the Kindle application.

[@Melker63]

Is it possible to drm-authorize this device?

[@LauraMalvoyante]

From the research I’ve done it does not look likes it possible with this device unfortunately. With older Boox devices it possible but not the Palma.

[@Melker63]

@@LauraMalvoyante OK, thanks.

[@deg262]

What os the phone? I've been after a basic phone with HotSpot and USB C

[@LauraMalvoyante]

It’s Android 11 😀

[@jpruban]

Can i access playstore, maps , youtube

[@LauraMalvoyante]

Yes to all three

[@jpruban]

@@LauraMalvoyante thanks for the reply

[@RubberJerky]

All these kind of videos: "is it for you?" And the answer is always "I don't know, decide yourself" ... Feels like a cop out imho

[@LauraMalvoyante]

I get what you mean but I’m not going to push people to buy something. I just give my opinion and let them figure out theirs. I just try to make something people can relate to 🤷‍♀️

[@RubberJerky]

​@@LauraMalvoyanteit was still a good review video 😊

[@HeDoesNotRow]

These kind of videos are NOT FOR YOU. Satisfied?

[@RubberJerky]

@@HeDoesNotRow by this useless comment? Not really...

[@HeDoesNotRow]

Hey don't blame me for making useless comments, you started it! @@RubberJerky

[@zoladkow]

eh, if only it had GPS - would be a killer for offgrid navigation, sadly -cannot find any info on it, even on the companys page. Opportunity missed 🤦

[@LauraMalvoyante]

No it doesn’t have a GPS option. I agree that it would be a great feature for off grid navigation. You can use the location services with a hotspot though but not useful if your off grid 😕

[@brainysmarticus]

Hello and thank you for your video; I was looking for an ereader to read the books I bought both on kindle and Rakuten and thanks to the algorithm, found that they even make eink tablets! Now i am torn between the Boox Palma and Mini.

[@LauraMalvoyante]

Both are great devices. I chose the Palma because it’s easy to hold like a phone. I would love for it to be a color eink device though.

[@brainysmarticus]

@@LauraMalvoyante Maybe the next generation! By the way in the video you wish it would be a phone, Hisense a9, I believe, is a link phone, but I couldn't find it anywhere but on the American website. I think I will choose the tab. It's available on Amazon and I fear the Palma will be too small. I don't have vision issues but I have a lot of trouble reading small prints.