Although Boox chose not to make its upcoming device publicly available for hands-on demonstrations at its IFA 2025 exhibition space, the company did grant *The Verge*’s Jess Weatherbed an early and exclusive preview. What was shown was not a finalized product but rather an intriguing first glimpse at the next evolution of the Palma — the brand’s distinctive smartphone-sized e-reader. While Boox has been careful to withhold all technical specifications for now, the prototype strongly suggests a major step forward in design and functionality. Most notably, the display appeared to employ a color E Ink panel, a significant upgrade from the black-and-white screens of its predecessors. In addition, the status bar on the device prominently indicated an active 4G+ LTE connection, a subtle but unmistakable detail hinting that the new Palma may, for the first time, function not just as an e-reader with phone-like capabilities but as a fully operational smartphone in its own right.
To properly appreciate the significance of this development, it is helpful to recall the trajectory of earlier Palme models. The two previous generations of the Android-based Palma both relied on a monochromatic 6.13-inch e-paper display. Those versions were lauded for their portability and battery efficiency, yet remained limited in connectivity and display versatility. Boox, however, has long been at the forefront of experimenting with color e-paper technology. In fact, it was one of the very first companies to commercialize readers equipped with color E Ink, launching them years before industry giants such as Amazon with its Kindle line or Kobo followed suit. This history underlines Boox’s reputation as a company that is not merely keeping pace with the market but actively pushing the boundaries of what digital reading hardware can achieve.
Still, while the inclusion of a color screen has clear aesthetic and functional appeal, long-time Palma enthusiasts have often prioritized an entirely different feature: true mobile connectivity. Up to this point, Palma devices have offered only Wi-Fi support, which meant that outside the range of a hotspot or home network, users were effectively cut off from accessing cloud libraries, online articles, or synchronization features. This limitation was especially striking given that the devices already incorporated elements commonly associated with smartphones, including a pair of built-in microphones and even a rear-facing camera. Yet without cellular capabilities, the Palmas were never truly independent devices; they hovered somewhere between an advanced e-reader and a stripped-down Android phone.
The next chapter for the Palma, therefore, raises a host of intriguing questions. Will the upcoming iteration support a traditional SIM card slot, or instead depend on the more modern but less universally supported eSIM technology? Furthermore, which mobile carriers and geographic regions will Boox prioritize for compatibility? These unanswered details will largely determine whether the device ultimately serves as a specialized reader with light smartphone functions or emerges as a viable minimalist replacement for a conventional phone. Comparisons are already being made to competitors such as the Bigme HiBreak Pro, introduced earlier this year, which positioned itself as a distraction-free smartphone alternative designed around the strengths of e-paper technology.
Should Boox deliver on these early hints, the potential audience is clear: individuals who crave a device that reduces the temptations of endless social media scrolling, yet still provides reliable mobile connectivity and superior battery endurance compared to traditional smartphones. While browsing visually intensive platforms on an E Ink screen will likely remain less than ideal, the promise lies in creating a tool designed to encourage focused reading, note-taking, and communication without the constant bombardment of notifications and apps. In this way, the next Palma could represent not only an advance in e-reader technology but also a reimagining of how we balance productivity, leisure, and digital restraint in our daily lives.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/news/772647/boox-palma-e-reader-e-ink-smartphone-4g-cellular
