This upcoming E Ink gadget may very well be the last word dumbphone

Once I tried Boox’s Palma and Palma 2 a couple of months in the past, I could not fairly match both system into my life. For probably the most half, sure elements of the friction so many people appreciated felt like an excessive amount of of a trouble. Nonetheless, it looks as if the China-based firm may very well be engaged on what would possibly find yourself being the primary dumbphone value shopping for.

At IFA in Germany, Boox confirmed off an upgraded Palma with a colour E Ink show, which after all, is a welcome improve over the primary and second technology’s black and white E Ink display, however the important thing new characteristic that caught my consideration is 4G+/LTE mobile connectivity (hopefully, it has a bodily SIM card slot and never simply eSIM). Because of this the subsequent Palma can way more simply work as a fundamental Android smartphone with deliberately restricted options.

Whereas I loved my time with the Palma 2, one among my key points with the E Ink pill is the truth that it relied solely on Wi-Fi connectivity. This meant that if I took it out on the go along with me, I wanted to both tether it to my smartphone, defeating the aim of how I needed to make use of the Palma within the first place, since I wanted to deliver my iPhone 16 Pro, or hook up with public Wi-Fi.

And if you happen to’ve ever tried to make use of the web on a Palma, you may know that it’s kind of of a nightmare, significantly when attempting to maneuver by finicky Wi-Fi authentication screens at Starbucks. For the reason that Palma and Palma 2 aren’t technically smartphones and have been as an alternative designed to be pint-sized e-readers, this is smart, however a typical statement I’ve seen relating to the E Ink pill is how rather more succesful it will be if it featured a knowledge connection. It looks like lots of people purchased the Palma to make use of as a smartphone alternative, somewhat than an e-reader, and it looks as if Boox seen that.

The subsequent-gen Palma may very well be the dumbphone I have been ready for

It is unclear when Boox plans to launch it, although

In fact, the brand new Palma will nonetheless be terrible at doomscrolling social media, significantly with video-focused platforms like TikTok, however that is the purpose of a dumbphone. The addition of a knowledge connection lets me simply obtain Google Chat messages from my companion or Fb Messages from my family and friends, permitting me to maintain tabs on issues which are vital to me, whereas nonetheless that includes sufficient friction to forestall me from aimlessly browsing the web. In concept, I may even take a fast name from this Palma if I wanted to. Because of this I am nonetheless capable of take a wholesome break from the siren name of my smartphone, however I am not that disconnected.

This upcoming Palma may very well be the primary dumbphone that works for me, whereas constructing on what different comparable telephones just like the Light Phone III began. The brand new Palma seems just about similar to the unique Palma and the Palma 2, however there are a couple of upgrades underneath the hood. First off, the e̶-̶r̶e̶a̶d̶e̶r̶ dumbphone options an improve Kaleido 3 colour e-paper show, and it will in all probability run on a brand new model of Android, seemingly Android 14 or Android 15, giving it entry to extra apps in Google’s Play Retailer. The demo version at IFA ran Chinese firmware that does not have entry to the Play Retailer, however that in all probability will not be the case with the North American model of the third gen Palma.

Try the video above from YouTube channel Kit Betts-Masters for a glimpse on the upcoming system. Boox hasn’t formally introduced the third technology Palma — it would not have a launch date or an official identify but, both.