Boox Unveils Color E-Reader With Stylus in Smartphone Size
▼ Summary
– The Boox P6 Pro is a smartphone-sized e-reader launching in China on October 9th, featuring a SIM card tray for mobile data and optional color or black-and-white E Ink screens.
– It includes a 16MP rear camera for document digitization, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, and expandable memory up to 2TB via a hybrid SIM/microSD tray.
– It is unclear if the P6 Pro can make phone calls or send SMS, so it may not fully replace a smartphone like the Bigme Hibreak Pro.
– The color version likely uses an E Ink Kaleido 3 screen with 4,096 colors, displaying black-and-white at 300ppi and color at 150ppi, and has an adjustable front light.
– This is Boox’s first smartphone-sized e-reader with stylus support, running Android for access to the Google Play Store and customizable note-taking apps.
Boox has officially revealed more information about its upcoming smartphone-sized e-reader, the Boox P6 Pro, through a series of posts on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. Following a limited preview at IFA 2025, the device is scheduled to launch in China on October 9th. A key differentiator for the P6 Pro is its integrated SIM card tray, enabling mobile data connectivity and freeing it from a reliance on Wi-Fi alone, a step beyond the Wi-Fi-only Boox Palma. Potential buyers will have the choice between a color E Ink display and a traditional black-and-white screen, though pricing and international release plans remain unannounced.
While full technical details are still pending, the color variant of the P6 Pro is confirmed to include a 16-megapixel rear camera, primarily intended for scanning and digitizing documents. It will also come equipped with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, with expansion possible up to 2TB via a hybrid SIM tray that accepts a microSD card.
It is not yet clear whether the P6 Pro will function as a full smartphone replacement, similar to the Bigme Hibreak Pro, which also uses an E Ink display. Although the mobile data connection will support apps like WhatsApp and Zoom on the go, Boox has not confirmed if the device supports traditional cellular voice calls or SMS messaging.
Early impressions from IFA suggest the color model likely uses an E Ink Kaleido 3 screen, which offers a restricted color palette, similar to the Kobo Libra Colour, capable of displaying 4,096 colors. With this technology, monochrome content appears at a sharp 300 pixels per inch, while color content is rendered at 150 ppi. Both the color and monochrome versions will include an adjustable front light with color temperature settings and an ambient light sensor.
A notable addition is stylus support, making the P6 Pro Boox’s first compact e-reader to include digital pen functionality, a feature already common on the company’s larger e-readers and e-notebooks. It remains to be seen if the writing experience will match the smooth, refined feel of competitors like the Remarkable Paper Pro Move, as performance will depend partly on the processor Boox selects.
A significant advantage of the P6 Pro is its flexibility, thanks to the Android operating system and full access to the Google Play Store. This allows users to install their preferred note-taking applications and choose from a wide range of ebook retailers, offering a level of customization not always available on dedicated e-reading devices.
(Source: The Verge)
