The Next Boox Palma E-Reader Won't Be a Phone After All

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The Boox Palma e-reader is unquestionably my favorite gadget from the last few years, but I also get why so many people find it to be a bit confounding: It's a phone-shaped e-ink device that has all the capabilities of a modern Android smartphone, but it doesn't have cellular functionality, which means it can't take calls.

A recent rumor suggested that might be changing soon, but it turned out to be an overstatement: According to a statement I received from a spokesperson for Boox maker Onyx International, the forthcoming "Palma 3" (which might be called something else) still won't work as a phone, though it will have mobile data capabilities.

A Palma phone was rumored

Chatter about a Palma-like device with a cellular modem kicked off in earnest a few weeks ago during IFA 2025, a European trade show akin to CES. At that event, Onyx International showed off the new device to select members of the media, and The Verge published a story surmising that the company was working on a new Palma-like device that would retain the form and e-ink display of the current Palma, but add both cellular connectivity and a color display—two of the most requested features from the device's die-hard fans, at least judging by my observations of the r/Onyx_Boox subreddit over the past few years.

According to The Verge's report, though it wasn't on display on the show floor, a reporter was shown a device that sure looked a lot like the Palma, but which had both a color display (almost certainly the same Kaleido 3 screen found on the Boox Go Color 7) and icons indicating a 4G cellular connection. No concrete details on specs or a release date were provided.

The "Palma 3" will have mobile data only

I followed up with Onyx International to confirm details from the report and try to learn more, and was told, "the device will not include calling functionality; the new Palma only supports mobile data."

In all likelihood, this means that the device will be comparable to a mobile tablet like a wifi + cellular iPad that can load a SIM card and connect to wireless networks, but which can't take cellular calls. Given you can install any app from the Google Play store, you'd still be able to take calls on the go using a voice-over-internet service like WhatsApp.

Currently, there is no information about what the Palma 3 might cost. For $300, the Palma 2 already has a lot of phone-like capabilities, but adding a color screen and a modem (even a data-only modem) will undoubtedly push that number higher. Tariffs aren't likely to help matters either: The Palma 2 has already increased in price from $279 to $299 in the U.S. since its launch, and given that all e-ink screens are made overseas, there's no chance it won't face additional import fees.

There's already an e-ink phone on the market

Personally, I love the Palma because it's more portable than the average e-reader, which means I read more and use addictive apps on my phone less (though the Palma can run most apps, social media isn't very fun on a sluggish e-ink screen). As I still need to carry my phone, for all the usual reasons (messaging, maps, tap-to-pay), it's not the life-changing device it might otherwise be—but there's another device already on the market that could be, for the right user.

For the past few months, I've been playing around with the Bigme Hibreak Pro, a $459 e-reader that looks an awful lot like my Palma 2. In many respects, the Hibreak Pro is a one-for-one match for the Boox device (same dimensions, same e-ink screen, same app store access), but it also has 5G cellular capability. Moreover, in the wake of the Palma rumors, Bigme announced an otherwise identical version of the device with a color display—the Hibreak Pro Color—scheduled for release in October.

A device like this holds a lot of appeal—I'm at a point where I am starting to resent my iPhone's primacy in my life. I'd love carry only one device, and one that doesn't as readily plug me in to the horrors of the internet and social media, but which can still handle the most essential functions (keeping me connected to my family, handling NFC payments, guiding me via Google Maps).

But so far, for me, the Hibreak Pro isn't it—as with other Bigme devices I've tested, I find its software deeply frustrating, and I haven't had the time or energy to devote to installing an alternative launcher. (It doesn't help that the first device I received had a faulty USB-C port, and getting a replacement took a few months.) I generally think Boox makes better devices and less frustrating software than Bigme, so I was initially intrigued at the concept of a Palma phone. Alas.

E-ink phones will always be niche devices

Even if the new Palma was able to make calls, it would still be a device with limited appeal. Despite their lovability, Boox's e-readers definitely aren't as user-friendly as a Kindle. And though the Palma has attracted a cult following (not to mention mainstream attention from outlets like The New York Times), an e-ink phone will always come with drawbacks that make it very unlikely we'll see one from an established tech company like Apple or Samsung. Then there's the matter of carrier support—you certainly wouldn't be able to buy a Palma phone direct from Verizon or T-Mobile, and it's not a sure thing that a Chinese-made niche device would play nice with every domestic carrier.

That's all to say: An e-ink phone might satisfy some diehards seeking a respite from their device addiction, but I wouldn't expect to see too many of them while riding the subway.