Boox Palma 3 Announced With Android 16, Stylus Support and Premium Build
Onyx Boox has unveiled the Boox Palma 3, a phone-sized e-reader with a 6.13-inch screen, Android 16, stylus support and an aluminum frame. It is priced at $339.99 in the U.S., with a launch discount to $319.99, and is listed as coming soon.
The Palma 3 moves away from the plastic build of its predecessor with an anodized aluminum frame and a textured fiberglass backplate. It ships with Android 16, compared with Android 13 on the Boox Palma 2 and Android 15 on the Onyx Boox Palma 2 Pro. The ViWoods AiPaper Reader also launched with Android 16, according to TechRadar. TechRadar noted that Android version updates are uncommon on such devices, making the launch software more significant for security and app compatibility.
The e-reader also supports an active stylus, specifically the Boox InkSense Plus. The rival ViWoods AiPaper Reader does not support a stylus and does not include a camera. The Palma 3 has a 16MP camera, which TechRadar said could be useful for scanning documents, though it noted limited personal use for a camera on an e-reader.
Most other specs match the Boox Palma 2. The Palma 3 has a 6.13-inch e-paper touchscreen with 824 x 1648 resolution and 300 pixels per inch. It includes 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a microSD card slot, a front light that supports warm and cold color tones, a 3,950mAh battery, a USB-C port, a fingerprint sensor, a speaker and microphones.
Despite being slightly smaller than the Palma 2 at 159 x 78 x 7.8mm, the Palma 3 is 25g heavier at 195g. It is also heavier than the 138g ViWoods AiPaper Reader and the 170g Boox Palma 2 Pro. The Palma 2 Pro offers a color screen and an additional 2GB of RAM, so the Palma 3 may not be a complete upgrade for Palma 2 Pro owners.
The Palma 3 is priced at $339.99, or around £250 or AU$475, with a launch discount bringing it to $319.99, or roughly £235 or AU$450. Pricing for other regions has not been confirmed. For reference, the Palma 2 has been discontinued, while the Palma 2 Pro sells for $399.99, $379.99 or AU$679, and the ViWoods AiPaper Reader retails for $279, £254.99 or AU$399.12.
The Boox Palma 3 cannot be purchased yet, but the company lists it as coming soon. TechRadar reported the announcement on Sept. 16.