It's that time of year: The weather's finally starting to cool off, Halloween decor has taken over most of the stores, and tech companies are dropping their fall launches. Last week was Apple's annual September iPhone event, and last night another tech launch hit the books, though this one's a little more niche. (Though I'd still say folding smartphones are in their early days.)
If you're a fan of e-paper devices that use E Ink, a technology that mimics the appearance of ink on paper, you've probably stumbled across Boox's wide range of E Ink digital notebooks and tablets. One of Boox's most popular models is the smartphone-sized Palma, and the company just announced its third-generation Palma along with two other new products.
Here are all three products released last night and what’s available to shop now (and which one I'm most excited to test as WIRED's resident E Ink device tester).
Boox’s New Generation
Courtesy of BooxBoox launched three new E Ink products: the Boox Note Air6 C ($580), Note Mini C ($580), and the Palma 3 ($340).
The Note Air6 C is a new addition to the Note Air line I've previously tested for my guide to the best digital notebooks. These are essentially E Ink Android tablets that come with a stylus, making them an excellent choice for a powerful digital notebook. That remains true with the Note Air6 C, which will run on Android 16 for an even more tablet-style user interface and apps. The C stands for color, since this model has a color screen with a 10.3-inch Kaleido 3 color display. The Note Air6 C also has new firmware that adds Dual Notes so you can annotate two documents side by side. There are also several AI features, including a meeting and audio insights feature and a document summary. Out of the three devices announced, the Boox Note Air6 C is the only one available right now.
The Boox Note Mini C will cost the same as the larger Note Air6 C, but it has a smaller, 8.52-inch screen. It uses the same Kaleido 3 color display but is designed for more on-the-go work and for holding the device in one hand compared to the larger Air6 C. The Mini C and Air6 have fairly similar specs when it comes to power—both models have an octa-core processor, 6 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of storage. You can expand that storage on both devices up to 2 TB with a microSD card. Overall, it's more about size than it is power if you're choosing between them, but the Note Mini C is not on sale yet. Boox says it's coming soon.
Courtesy of BooxSize also comes into play for Boox's final of the three launches. The Palma 3 is the device I'm most excited to check out, as it's the latest iteration of the beloved Palma line. It's another E Ink screen device with an Android 16 base, but it's shaped like a smartphone—“palm-sized.” Boox promotes this as a low-stimulation second screen, and we've liked it as an e-reader option before. The screen isn't color, but it is 6.13 inches with a dual-tone front light and ambient light sensor to adjust to your surroundings. You'll also get a rear camera (promoted for the Palma 2 as great for document scanning rather than photography), dual microphones, and a customizable smart button like the Palma 2 had before it. The Palma 3 also has an aluminum build, which is a new look after the plastic design of the Palma 2. It's due out simply “soon,” with no formal release date. I'm most interested in how it will compare against smaller models like the Xteink.
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