I’ve been a Kindle loyalist since 2009. I’ve owned the Kindle Keyboard, the Paperwhite, the Oasis—I even bought the Scribe and returned it three days later because it was too big to hold in bed. So when I say the Boox Palma 2 is the best e-reader I’ve ever used, I need you to understand: this hurts to admit.
The Palma 2 launched in early June 2026, and it’s already sold out in three restocks. That’s because it’s not just an e-reader—it’s an e-ink phone. Well, kind of. It has Android 14, a 6.13-inch screen, and it fits in your jeans pocket. You can install Kindle, Kobo, Libby, and even Twitter on it. The screen is 300 PPI, same as the Kindle Paperwhite, but because it uses a newer Carta 1300 panel, the contrast is noticeably better. Text looks like it’s printed on paper.
But here’s the real reason I’m switching: it’s got a headphone jack. Yes, in 2026, Onyx Boox is the only company that remembers some of us still use wired headphones. And it has a microSD slot. You can load it with 10,000 books and still have room for your entire music library.
I’ve been using it for two weeks now, and the battery life is insane. I charged it once, left it in airplane mode, and after 12 days of reading about 2 hours per day, it was at 67%. My Kindle Oasis would have died twice by then.
The software is where it gets tricky. Because it’s Android, you have to tweak things. Out of the box, the refresh rate is set to “balanced,” which means you get ghosting if you scroll fast. You have to go into the settings and change it to “speed mode” for apps like Libby. It’s not plug-and-play like a Kindle. But once you set it up, it’s incredible.
I read the new Sally Rooney novel, “Intermezzo,” on it last week. The typesetting was gorgeous. I also read a few issues of The New Yorker. The text was crisp, the images were surprisingly good for e-ink. I even watched a few YouTube videos on it—don’t ask why—and it was strangely mesmerizing in grayscale.
If you’re in the market for an e-reader, here’s my honest ranking right now: 1. Boox Palma 2. 2. Kindle Paperwhite (2024). 3. Kobo Clara 2E. 4. Kindle Scribe. 5. ReMarkable 2. The Palma 2 wins because it’s the only one that does everything. Reading, note-taking, audiobooks, and even light web browsing. It’s a Swiss Army knife, not just a screwdriver.
The only downside? Price. It’s $299, which is $100 more than a Paperwhite. But considering you’re getting Android, a headphone jack, and expandable storage, I think it’s worth it. Just be ready to fiddle with settings. And maybe buy a screen protector—the glass is a fingerprint magnet.
