BOOX Palma 2.

The Gavler Review.

BOOX Palma 2 Review: An E-Reader Shaped Like a Phone

The BOOX Palma 2 solves a problem no Kindle or Kobo can: it lets you carry your entire reading life — Kindle purchases, Kobo purchases, library loans through Libby, your own EPUB files — on one pocket-sized device, without any of it living on your phone. Ranked fourth on Gavler's Best E-Readers list with a 9.4, it earns that spot on flexibility rather than price: at around $280 to $300 it costs more than a standard Kindle, and the plastic body feels less substantial than a Paperwhite's. If you commute, travel, or simply refuse to be locked into one bookstore, nothing else on this list matches it. If you just want the cheapest, sturdiest way to read plain novels, keep scrolling.

What it actually is

Most e-readers are built around a single company's bookstore. The Palma 2 is built around the opposite idea: a 6.13-inch E Ink panel in a body roughly the size of a large smartphone, running full Android 13 with Google Play access. That single decision changes what the device is for. Instead of choosing Kindle or Kobo, you install both — plus Libby for library ebooks, Pocket for saved articles, and whatever niche reading app your particular collection happens to live in.

At about six ounces (170g) and a footprint that mirrors a large phone, it is genuinely pocketable in a way no 6- or 7-inch dedicated e-reader is — those devices are built to be carried in a bag, not a jeans pocket. For commuters and travelers, that has a second-order benefit NBC Select's reviewer picked up on directly: it doubles as a distraction-free phone replacement. No notifications, no social feeds — just reading, podcasts, and the occasional web page, in something that fits where your phone normally goes.

In use

NBC Select ran a three-month test and came away calling the device format-agnostic, framing that as a genuine break from the ecosystem lock-in every other e-reader on this list imposes to some degree: "the device is format-agnostic, which means you're not locked into one ecosystem — a huge plus over most e-readers." On the display itself, the same reviewer noted the panel handles more than plain text well: "the Palma 2's e-ink screen is crisp and clear — especially noticeable when reading visually rich content like comics or manga." That's a real point of differentiation from cheaper monochrome readers, where dense comic panels and manga pages tend to lose detail.

Battery life held up across the extended test window despite the added overhead of running full Android: "I could get anywhere from one to two weeks between charges during my testing." That's shorter than the multi-week battery life a dedicated Kindle delivers, but it's still an order of magnitude better than a phone, and it's the honest number after three months of real use rather than a lab spec.

Strengths

The pocket-sized 6.13-inch body is the headline feature, and it's not a gimmick — nothing else on Gavler's e-reader list is built to disappear into a jeans pocket the way a phone does. Layered on top of that is the Android/Google Play access: 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM give the device enough headroom to run Kindle, Kobo, and Libby simultaneously without the sluggishness that plagues cheaper Android e-ink tablets. And the one-to-two-week battery, measured across three months of actual use rather than a marketing claim, means the format flexibility doesn't come at the cost of the thing e-readers are supposed to be good at: not needing to be charged constantly.

The trade-offs — who should skip it

NBC Select was direct about the biggest catch: "the Palma 2's $280 price tag is steep and arguably its biggest downside." At that price, or the $300 currently listed across retailers, you're paying a real premium over a $110 Kindle or a budget Kobo Clara — money that buys ecosystem freedom, not a better core reading experience. The build quality is the second honest trade-off: the plastic body doesn't have the same premium feel as a Paperwhite's more refined construction, even though it holds up fine functionally.

There's also a structural limit worth naming plainly: Android runs on this device, but E Ink was never built for scrolling-heavy, animation-heavy apps. Non-reading apps feel sluggish here, so the Palma 2's real value lives entirely in reading and light audio, not in trying to use it as a general-purpose Android tablet. If that's what you're hoping for, a cheap Android tablet with an LCD screen will serve you better. And if you only read plain novels purchased from one store, you're paying the Android premium for flexibility you won't use — a Paperwhite or a Kobo Clara Colour is the smarter value in that specific case.

How it compares

On its own list, the Palma 2 sits directly above the reMarkable Paper Pro — a useful contrast, since the reMarkable solves a completely different problem (writing and sketching, with reading as an afterthought) at more than double the Palma 2's price. One rank up, the Kindle Scribe (2025) is Amazon's answer to note-taking with a stylus, aimed at a different buyer than the Palma 2's ecosystem-agnostic reading commuter. If your priority is simply the biggest catalog with the least friction, the Kindle Paperwhite at rank one remains Gavler's default recommendation — the Palma 2 is the pick for readers who've specifically outgrown that simplicity.

The Gavler verdict

A 9.4, built on genuine reviewer enthusiasm for a category of one: a phone-sized e-reader that runs every bookstore and library app you actually use, without the phone attached. Buy the Palma 2 if you're a commuter, traveler, or multi-platform reader who wants pocketable, ecosystem-free flexibility more than you want the lowest price. Skip it if you read exclusively through one store and want the sturdiest, cheapest path to that single job — in that case, a Paperwhite or Kobo Clara Colour will save you real money without costing you anything you'd actually use.

Common Questions

Is the BOOX Palma 2 worth it in 2026?

For readers who want to escape their phone without giving up multiple bookstores, yes. It ranks fourth on Gavler's Best E-Readers list with a 9.4. The pocketable, phone-shaped body and full Android access to Kindle, Kobo, and Libby in one place are genuinely unique. The trade-off is a roughly $280-300 price tag and a plastic build that feels less premium than a Paperwhite.

Can the BOOX Palma 2 run the Kindle app?

Yes. Because it runs full Android 13 with Google Play access, you can install the Kindle app, Kobo, Libby, and any other reading app side by side on one device — something no dedicated Kindle or Kobo can do, since those platforms lock you into a single bookstore.

How long does the BOOX Palma 2 battery last?

NBC Select's three-month test measured one to two weeks per charge with daily reading and some music streaming — shorter than a dedicated Kindle's weeks-long battery life, but still far ahead of a phone, thanks to the E Ink panel's efficiency.

BOOX Palma 2 or Kindle Paperwhite?

Choose based on what you actually want to solve. If you juggle library apps, own books across multiple stores, or want a phone-free way to carry all of them, the Palma 2's Android flexibility is worth the premium. If you only read plain novels bought from Amazon, the Paperwhite is cheaper, sturdier, and does that one job just as well.