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 2 Pro adds a Kaleido 3 colour screen, stylus support, more memory and a SIM slot for data on the go.

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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. Two models share that body today, the Palma 2 and the Palma 2 Pro. This page explains what the Palma is for, what it is not, and how to choose between the two.

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. Neither model 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.

Palma 2 or Palma 2 Pro

Both share the same 6.13-inch glass screen with a flat cover lens, 128 GB of storage plus microSD, a 16 MP rear camera, a fingerprint power button and the same body. The Pro changes the screen and adds around it.

	BOOX Palma 2	BOOX Palma 2 Pro
Screen	Carta 1200, black and white, 300 ppi	Kaleido 3, 4,096 colours, 300 ppi text, 150 ppi colour
Memory	6 GB	8 GB
Storage	128 GB plus microSD	128 GB plus microSD
Android	13, with Google Play	15, with Google Play
Connectivity	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi, plus a SIM slot for data
Audio	Microphone, Bluetooth	Speaker, microphone, Bluetooth
Stylus	Not supported	InkSense Plus, optional
Colours	Black, White	Black, White
Best for	Novels, articles, library books	Comics, magazines, colour notes, reading on the move

Who should choose the Palma 2

If you read text and want the sharpest, brightest page in a pocket, the Palma 2 is the pick. The monochrome panel has the higher contrast of the two, the price is lower, and 6 GB of memory keeps several reading apps resident. 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

Who should choose the Palma 2 Pro

Choose the Pro if any of these apply: you read comics, manga or magazines, where colour changes the experience; you highlight in colour; you want to read and message on a commute without a Wi-Fi hotspot; or you want to jot notes with a stylus. Kaleido 3 puts a colour filter over a monochrome panel, so colour arrives at 150 ppi and the page is a shade darker than the Palma 2's; the front light covers most of that. Android 15 and 8 GB of memory also give it the longer runway of the two.

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.

Still torn? Our Palma 2 versus Palma 2 Pro comparison goes deeper into what each screen does with real pages.

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.

Both models 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. Both take the same cases for their model.

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

Each model has its 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.

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 is 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.

What is the difference between the Palma 2 and the Palma 2 Pro?

The screen and what surrounds it. The Palma 2 has a black-and-white Carta 1200 panel, 6 GB of memory, Wi-Fi and Android 13. The Palma 2 Pro has a Kaleido 3 colour panel, 8 GB of memory, a SIM slot for data, a speaker, stylus support and Android 15. Size, storage, camera and battery class are the same.

Which Palma should I buy?

For novels, articles and library books, the Palma 2. 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 the trade-offs in detail.

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. At 159 by 80 mm and about 170 g, it 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?

Only on 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.