Boox Palma 3 Puts Full Android 16 in a Pocket E Ink Reader
Boox has announced the Palma 3, a smartphone-sized black-and-white e-reader priced at $339.99. Availability is listed as coming soon. The Verge
The Palma 3 uses a 6.13-inch E Ink Carta display at 300ppi, or pixels per inch, which keeps text sharp. Carta is the black-and-white e-paper type made for sustained reading. The size keeps it in the pocketable reader group rather than the tablet group. Boox houses it in an anodized aluminum frame with a paperlike fiberglass backplate.
It runs on a Qualcomm Q-6690 octa-core processor, meaning eight cores, with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Storage can be expanded with a microSD card, a small removable memory card. It has a 3,950mAh rechargeable battery, a large capacity for a screen this size to support Android and front-light use.
It includes a 16-megapixel rear camera and a fingerprint reader built into the power button. It ships with Android 16. It also works with the Boox InkSense Plus active stylus, a pressure-sensitive pen sold separately for $46.
The Palma 3 costs $60 more than the prior monochrome model. The Palma 2 launched in 2024 at $279.99. The changes include the move to Android 16, revised chassis materials, fingerprint authentication, and first-party active pen support.
Within the current Palma family, the Palma 3 is the monochrome alternative to the Palma 2 Pro. The Palma 2 Pro uses a 6.13-inch color mobile ePaper display based on Kaleido 3, a filter layer that adds color to e-paper, and runs Android 15. It pairs an octa-core CPU with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. BOOX It also supports 5G connectivity and retails for $399.99 in the U.S. Lifehacker
The broader context here is the split between monochrome and color E Ink in a phone-sized form factor. Color is more versatile for comics, highlighted PDFs, and web content. Monochrome Carta keeps maximum contrast and sharpness for plain text. Boox is keeping both paths available rather than forcing buyers to choose between an older monochrome device and a newer color device.
For readers comfortable managing their own apps, full Android 16 in this footprint is the detail to note. It brings access to standard reading apps, document sync clients, authentication apps, and device management tools that locked-down readers do not offer. It also brings the usual Android upkeep around permissions, background processes, and battery discipline. The microSD slot, fingerprint sensor, and pen input fit that same idea. This is positioned as a secondary networked computer for reading and annotation, not as a single-purpose appliance.
In my view, the stylus is the most interesting trade. Active pen support on a 6.13-inch monochrome screen will not replace a larger notebook for markup. It makes marginal notes, quick corrections, and signature capture practical without carrying a second device. I watched my own kids fill margins once the tool was close at hand, and for commuters, field staff, and anyone clearing a review queue in short sessions, that mix of pocketability, a persistent display, and pen input is hard to match with LCD hardware.
If you are weighing which model to buy, the lineup breaks down by use. The base $339.99 device covers reading, Android apps, and fingerprint unlock. The $46 stylus only makes sense if handwriting or precise annotation is part of the routine. Buyers who want color and cellular flexibility will need to compare the Palma 2 Pro at $399.99 with the sharper monochrome panel and newer OS here. The right choice depends on the job, which is what you would expect from a mature accessory category.
