This $400 shade E Ink machine is sort of a smartphone

Although E Ink expertise is most intently related to E Readers just like the Kindle and Kobo, current units just like the reMarkable Paper Pro Move and the Boox Tab X C have confirmed that there is extra to E Reader expertise than simply tucking into the newest bestseller, with these units permitting customers to attract, draft, write, message and extra.

And now it seems to be like all this productiveness is coming to a smaller machine as Boox has up to date its extremely pocketable Palma line of smartphone-sized E Ink units with the newly-announced Palma 2 Professional, which would be the first pill of its sort to supply superior options designed with each work and play in thoughts.

Bringing a smartphone expertise to an E Ink machine

You’ve got received all the pieces you want however a cellphone app

Credit score: Boox/Canva

The $400 Palma 2 Professional is squarely focused in the direction of these searching for a smartphone-like expertise from a tool that appears prefer it has extra in frequent with a Kindle than an iPhone. The 6.13-inch shade E Ink machine runs Android 15, and is powered by an octa-core processor and 8GB of RAM with 128GB of onboard storage.

The machine additionally options 5G connectivity, a primary for a Palma machine due to a hybrid SIM slot, which can be utilized to both add 2 TB of storage or home a data-only SIM. Apparently, as a result of the machine’s connectivity is proscribed to data-only, it can’t be used for conventional cellphone calls or texting regardless of having two onboard microphones, a receiver, and a speaker on the backside. Nonetheless, although you possibly can’t make calls on the Palma 2 Professional, Boox does tout the flexibility for the machine to work with navigation apps, which is one thing I positively did not count on from an E Ink machine.

Along with all of its connectivity options, the Boox Palma 2 Professional additionally has an adjustable entrance gentle, energy button with fingerprint safety, onboard 16MP digicam with an LED flash, and Bluetooth for connecting to wi-fi headphones. It should even be the primary machine in Boox’s Palma line to help drawing and taking notes with the corporate’s InkSense Plus stylus.

The Boox Palma 2 Professional is offered to pre-order now forward of its launch date on November 7 for $400 and is available in both black and white. The InkSense Plus stylus is just not included however those that want to add one on can accomplish that for an extra $46.

The recognition of E Ink units as a substitute for conventional iPads and tablets has been fascinating to look at, as E Ink units usually value extra and have fewer options than a conventional iPad or Android-based pill. Nonetheless, as I’ve famous earlier than, there are actually some interesting use cases for E Ink over traditional screens, smaller units just like the Palma 2 Professional might have room to develop in recognition as customers look to restrict “unhealthy display time” with their smartphones and substitute it with “good display time” on units like these.