Boox updates popular Palma E Ink device with color and 5G connectivity

If Amazon’s new lineup of Kindle Scribes didn’t pique your interest, Boox, a long-time player in the E Ink gadget space, might have what you’re looking for. The company’s recently announced Boox Palma 2 Pro and Note Air5 C offer color E Ink displays in two distinct sizes, and unlike the Scribe or reMarkable Paper Pro Move, let you run any Android app you want.

The Palma 2 Pro is the more notable of the two devices. It’s a premium sequel to the Boox Palma, a phone-shaped E Ink device that originally became popular as a “healthy” and less distracting alternative to scrolling on a smartphone. The Palma 2 Pro improves on the original with a 6.3-inch color E Ink screen (a Kaleido display, the same one used on the Kobo Libra Colour) and support for 5G data through a new SIM card slot. The new Palma also runs Android 15, supports Boox’s InkSense Plus stylus for taking notes and includes A-GPS for basic navigation. In other words, it’s a much better smartphone replacement than before.

The Note Air5 C is a bit more familiar. The 10.3-inch E Ink Android tablet is basically a larger version of the Boox Go 7 and Go 7 Color devices Boox announced earlier this year, and an update to the Note Air4 C that’s graced Engadget’s list of best E Ink tablets. The main changes Boox has made to this new model are that it runs Android 15 and supports a keyboard cover through the addition of pogo pins on the back. This makes it easier to type up documents on the device, and theoretically lets it support other accessories down the road. Alongside the keyboard, Boox says the new Note Air’s Pen3 stylus is more comfortable to hold, and includes a removable cap for storing extra tips. Using an E Ink Kaleido display means the Note Air5 C might not offer quite the same experience as an iPad Pro with iPadOS 26, but a newer version of Android and a keyboard gets it a lot closer.

Both of Boox’s new devices are available to order now, and should ship in November. The Boox Palma 2 Pro costs $400, while the Boox Note Air5 C costs $530, or $607 in a bundle with a keyboard cover.