BOOX Palma: the phone-sized e-reader

The Palma looks like a phone but reads like paper. A 6.13″ E Ink screen in a truly pocketable body lets you read your library, Kindle, Kobo, or Libby anywhere, without the distractions of a phone. The Palma 3 brings Android 16 and stylus support to the black and white page; the Palma 2 Pro adds a Kaleido 3 colour screen, more memory and a SIM slot for data on the go.

Open-box deals in this series

BOOX Palma buying guide: the phone-sized E Ink reader

The Palma is the BOOX that changed how people think about e-readers: a 6.13-inch E Ink screen in a phone-shaped body, thin enough to live in a pocket, running the same Android reading apps as a phone but without a phone's glow, notifications or battery anxiety. Three models share that body today: the Palma 2, the newer Palma 3, and the colour Palma 2 Pro. This page explains what the Palma is for, what it is not, and how to choose between them.

A traveller reading on a BOOX Palma 2 Pro at an airport gate, headphones on

A BOOX Palma 2 showing a page of text with the font settings open, resting on a bed

A BOOX Palma 2 in a grey case on a wooden table, home screen with reading apps

What a Palma is for

The Palma replaces the phone for reading, not for everything else. The 300 ppi monochrome page is as crisp as a dedicated e-reader; the warm and cold front light works in bed; the battery lasts days rather than hours; and because it runs Android, Kindle, Kobo, Libby, news apps and RSS readers all install and sign in as they would on a phone. The rear camera scans documents into the library. Volume buttons turn pages, so it reads one-handed on a train.

What it is not is a phone. None of them makes calls or sends SMS on its own. The Palma 2 Pro's SIM slot is for data, so messaging and reading apps work away from Wi-Fi, and that is as close to a phone as it gets.

A man reading on a BOOX Palma at an outdoor café table, iced coffee beside him — Phone-sized, so it reads wherever a phone would.

The Palma lineup

Three models share the Palma body today, and a lot below the glass is common to all of them: the 6.13-inch flat-lens screen, 128 GB of storage plus microSD, a 16 MP rear camera for scanning pages, a fingerprint power button and a 3,950 mAh battery. What separates them is the screen, the engine, and whether they take a pen.

	Screen	What sets it apart	Best for
BOOX Palma 2	Black and white, 300 ppi	The lowest price in the line	Novels, articles, library books
BOOX Palma 3	Black and white, 300 ppi	Android 16, newer chip, Bluetooth 6.0, takes the stylus	Reading plus notes, on the newest software
BOOX Palma 2 Pro	Colour (Kaleido 3), 300 ppi text	Colour, SIM slot for data, more memory, takes the stylus	Comics, magazines, colour notes, reading on the move

The spec-by-spec breakdown of the two older models, what each screen does with real pages and whether the Pro is worth its price live on one page: Palma 2 versus Palma 2 Pro. This guide stays at the series level.

How to choose

If you read text and want the sharpest, brightest page in a pocket, the Palma 2 is the pick, and it costs less. It is the Palma we recommend to anyone replacing a phone-reading habit with something kinder to the eyes.

BOOX 6.13" Palma 2 - Black$349.99

Choose the Palma 3 if you want that same black and white page on the newest software. It runs Android 16 rather than 13, on a newer Qualcomm chip with Bluetooth 6.0, and it takes the InkSense Plus stylus, which the Palma 2 does not. It is the thinnest of the three at 7.8 mm, and the heaviest at about 195 g. There is no SIM slot and no colour: if either of those is what you are after, the Pro is the one.

BOOX Palma 3$447.99

A reader sitting outdoors writing a to-do list on a Titanium Gray BOOX Palma 3 with the InkSense Plus stylus — The Palma 3 takes a pen, which on a pocket screen means lists and margin notes.

Choose the Pro if colour is part of what you read, if you want to read and message on a commute without a Wi-Fi hotspot, or if you want the most memory in the line. Colour E Ink has trade-offs of its own, and the comparison linked above walks through them.

BOOX 6.13" Palma 2 Pro - Black$531.99

Hands holding a white BOOX Palma 2 Pro with a highlighted passage and the text-to-speech controls open — The Pro reads aloud through its speaker, and highlights in colour.

Colour choice

A black and a white BOOX Palma 2 Pro side by side on a stone surface with the InkSense Plus stylus — Black or white: same device, same screen.

The Palma 2 and Palma 2 Pro come in black and white bodies. It is a taste decision; the screens are identical within each model. White shows the front light's warmth a little more at the edges and hides fingerprints better; black disappears in a dark case. The Palma 3 comes in one finish, Titanium Gray, with a speckled back.

Front and back of a Titanium Gray BOOX Palma 3, showing the speckled back and the 16 MP camera

A BOOX Palma 3 seen at an angle, showing the flat cover-lens screen and the slim titanium-coloured frame

What a Palma does that a Kindle cannot

Kindle, Kobo and Libby run side by side, with purchases and library loans staying inside each app.
EPUB, PDF and comic files open in the built-in reader with no conversion.
A folder in Google Drive or Dropbox can act as your bookshelf.
News, RSS and web readers install from Google Play.
Audiobooks and podcasts play over Bluetooth headphones, and through the speaker on the Pro.

Android wants a little setup. Our guides on setting up a new BOOX, refresh modes and battery life cover the settings that matter, and they apply to both Palmas.

Where the Palma stops and the Go 6 begins

The Palma is tall and narrow, like a phone; the Go 6 is a wider six-inch page in a lighter body. Choose the Palma if you want a reader that travels in a trouser pocket and doubles as a small Android device; choose the Go 6 if you want the classic e-reader shape and a lower price. For a bigger page and page-turn buttons, the Go 7 is the next step. All of them are on the desk in our Oakville showroom.

Cases

The Palma 2 and Palma 2 Pro each have their own magnetic two-in-one case, which protects the screen and folds back for one-handed reading, plus flip-fold and slim TPU options. If the Palma is going in a pocket, a case is the accessory that earns its keep. The Palma 3 is its own size, 159.5 by 78 by 7.8 mm against the Palma 2's 159 by 80 by 8.8 mm, so a case made for an older Palma is not a safe fit; ask us before assuming one carries over.

Buying in Canada

Every Palma we sell is a genuine BOOX unit from an authorized dealer, with the full BOOX manufacturer warranty, free shipping anywhere in Canada from our Oakville location, and our 30-day return policy on new units. Open-box units are inspected, include a free case or cover, and are final sale at a lower price. If you are unsure which model suits you, come and read a page on each; it usually settles the question in a minute.

Frequently asked questions

Is the BOOX Palma a phone?

No. It is shaped like one and runs Android, but it makes no calls and sends no texts on its own. The Palma 2 and Palma 3 are Wi-Fi only; the Palma 2 Pro adds a SIM slot for mobile data, so messaging and reading apps work on the move, but it is still a reader, not a phone.

Which Palma should I buy?

For novels, articles and library books on the smallest budget, the Palma 2. For the same black and white page with a newer engine and pen support, the Palma 3. For comics, magazines, colour highlights, or reading and messaging away from Wi-Fi, the Palma 2 Pro. Our Palma 2 versus Palma 2 Pro comparison goes through that pair in detail.

Is the Palma 3 a colour screen?

No, and it is worth being clear about that before you order. The Palma 3 is black and white, a 300 ppi Carta1200 page like the Palma 2. The Palma 2 Pro is the only colour Palma. What the Palma 3 adds over the Palma 2 is a newer processor, Android 16, Bluetooth 6.0 and support for the stylus.

Can I read Kindle, Kobo and Libby books on a Palma?

Yes. Both Palmas run Android with Google Play, so the Kindle, Kobo and Libby apps install as on a phone and your purchases and library loans stay inside each app. Our guide on Kindle, Kobo and Libby on BOOX covers the settings that make each one read well on E Ink.

Does the Palma fit in a pocket?

Yes. The Palma 2 is 159 by 80 mm and about 170 g; the Palma 3 is a millimetre thinner at 7.8 mm and about 195 g. Either is the size of a mid-sized phone and thinner than most. It goes where a phone goes, which is the whole point of the design.

Can I write on the Palma?

On the Palma 3 and the Palma 2 Pro, with the optional BOOX InkSense Plus stylus. On a 6.13-inch screen that means highlights, margin notes and quick lists rather than pages of handwriting. The Palma 2 has a touch screen but no stylus support.

Are open-box Palmas a good deal?

Usually, yes. Open-box units are inspected, come with a free case or cover, and sell below the new price. They are final sale, so read the listing before you buy. Both Palma models appear as open-box units from time to time.