The enigma surrounding Boox's Palma line deepens with the arrival of the Palma 2 Pro. Is it a phone? Not quite. While it mirrors a smartphone in size and form, sporting an e-ink display, it lacks the fundamental ability to make calls in the traditional sense. It walks a peculiar line, capable of handling mobile data but stopping short of true cellular communication.
The Palma 2 Pro, however, introduces compelling enhancements that might sway the undecided. Imagine a mini digital notebook, small enough to slip into your pocket, yet powerful enough to capture your thoughts and ideas in vibrant color. This new iteration embraces a color screen and stylus support, a feature eagerly anticipated by many.
The device boasts Kaleido 3 color e-ink technology, mirroring the visual experience of the Boox Go Color 7 (Gen II). Furthermore, it supports on-screen writing, promising an improved experience with its "InkSense Pro" stylus. While the writing experience remains to be fully tested, the potential for seamless note-taking on such a compact device is undeniably intriguing.
Beyond the headline features, the Palma 2 Pro offers subtle yet significant upgrades. It operates on Android 15, a step up from the Palma 2's Android 13, and boasts 8GB of RAM, a bump from the previous 6GB. While maintaining the familiar form factor, these incremental improvements contribute to a more refined user experience.
But these upgrades come at a premium. The Palma 2 Pro commands a retail price of $399.99, a substantial increase compared to the Palma 2. This price jump raises questions about the value proposition, especially in a market saturated with feature-rich alternatives.
Alongside the Palma 2 Pro, Boox unveiled the Note Air 5C. This upgrade is far less dramatic, bearing a striking resemblance to its predecessor, the Note Air 4C. The most notable addition is the inclusion of pogo pins, facilitating the use of Boox's new magnetic keyboard cover, transforming the device into an e-ink laptop of sorts.
The Note Air 5C also comes packaged with an upgraded Boox Pen3 stylus, further enhancing its potential as a productivity tool. Befitting its minimal upgrades, the Note Air 5C retains the same price as its predecessor, offering a familiar experience at a familiar cost.
These announcements leave a sense of wanting more. While the new models offer incremental improvements, they don't quite reach the transformative potential some might have hoped for. Perhaps the true silver lining lies in the discounts now available on older Boox devices, making them more accessible than ever before.
