E-readers are available many shapes and types, however nothing fairly as cute because the Boox Go 6 – which is undoubtedly my new favourite e-book system.
Good issues in small packages
Onyx has determined to shrink down the package deal of an everyday e-reader, which is extra akin to a fast sketchpad than an everyday book-style studying companion. I completely adore the Go Colour 7, which I’ve used till lately. This smaller, extra book-focused gadget has made selecting up new and revered titles a lot simpler and not using a second thought.
At 146g, it provides nothing to your EDC. Even with the official case, it’s beneath 300g. Coming immediately from the Go Colour 7, the slimmer chassis has been immediately noticeable. I could have jumped the gun on the “pocket-friendly” title, although. Certain, it might technically slot in a pocket, nevertheless it’s higher in a small bag pocket and even – in my case – a sling. It’s virtually passport-size, which is nice for accessibility.
I nervous that the show on the Boox Go 6 could be too small, nevertheless it’s glorious. The Carta 1300 e-ink display is great. I would really like it to get somewhat brighter, however that’s coming from somebody who’s a smartphone-led nitpicker. Truthfully, the distinction ranges and wealthy, deep blacks imply that studying in virtually any lighting situation is a cinch.
At 300ppi, the 1,448 x 1,072-pixel display handles books with out breaking a sweat. Issues look nice, albeit with somewhat ghosting while you scroll a ton. You possibly can regulate that with varied refresh modes, nevertheless it’s not all that distracting.
Light-weight internals
There may be virtually at all times one constant drawback with e-readers: efficiency. The largest ache level with low-powered Android telephones additionally applies right here as a result of Onyx makes Android-powered e-readers. As a pill, the Boox Go 6 is fairly woeful. It struggles to do trendy Android pill issues. As unhealthy as this sounds as an e-reader, I’d say that efficiency shall be nice.
It makes use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, a low-power chip. I’ve discovered that after the Go 6 is “warmed up,” it’s loads smoother and snappier. Issues nonetheless take some time to load in comparison with a contemporary smartphone, which, though anticipated, is hard to get used to. Then you definately understand you’re not utilizing this as a pill or telephone substitute, and it feels extra in lockstep with different devoted e-readers.
Though there’s solely 32GB of onboard storage, I haven’t felt this has inhibited at any level. Most e-books are tremendous small, so you could possibly have sufficient room for 1000’s of texts, books, and paperwork and nonetheless have room left over. The microSD slot is only a bonus however makes it simpler emigrate your library over to the Boox Go 6 when you’ve got a big library.
There is no such thing as a built-in speaker on the Go 6, however for some unusual motive, there’s a microphone. So meaning you could possibly, in principle, make a voice name however you would want to make use of Bluetooth or USB-C adapters to listen to it. It’s a wierd selection, and having a speaker would have made extra sense, however it’s what it’s.
An older, however acceptable model of Android
Though another Onyx e-reader fashions already run Android 12, the Boox Go 6 comes pre-loaded with the virtually historic Android 11. The upside is that that is probably the most up-to-date model of Android 11 and consists of the February 2024 safety patch. There is no such thing as a phrase on whether or not we’ll get Android 12, nevertheless it’s not an enormous deal for a sole-use gadget like this, because it was initially marketed as coming with the newer OS.
I do want that Onyx had thrown in 4GB of RAM, because the 2GB of onboard RAM hurts the efficiency fairly a bit. As a result of I’ve used this solely as a studying companion, it’s the Kindle app all the best way, and that’s nice. It’s on par with my older Kindle Paperwhite. I can also swap between my studying apps – one thing which frustrates me in regards to the Kindle sequence interval.
One notable drawback proper now could be that the Kindle app can take some time to reply from a chilly begin after a current replace. The app will take upwards of 10 seconds to open, and a pop-up indicating it has crashed generally seems. I don’t encounter this on a regular basis, so it’s onerous to precisely diagnose.
If I go away a e book open and return from sleep, it appears to work simply nice. It solely seems to have an effect on the Kindle software, whereas different studying apps like Google Play Books work as anticipated. The loading occasions aren’t precisely snappy with apps from the Play Retailer, however the pre-installed Boox Neo Reader isn’t a lot quicker.
Many apps will work, however because of the low-power internals, you will have a less-than-optimum expertise. The loading time is probably the most painful side, given the efficiency gulf between the Go 6 and most trendy smartphones. I counsel sticking to fundamental content material consumption; in any other case, you’ll have a nasty time.
One exception to that rule is Google Calendar or another fundamental calendar software. I’ve used Google Calendar right here with zero points as an organizer software. It’s tremendous helpful to have readily available, too, so I extremely advocate it.
Whereas it looks like the efficiency is unhealthy, its necessary to maintain reiterating that this isn’t designed for use like a pill. Anticipated tablet-like efficiency is a path to pure disappointment.
Good battery life
Battery is stable and when idle it makes use of about 4-5% every day if I don’t use the Boox Go 6 in any respect. After I learn, it might go down by about 10-15% per day, however that has assorted relying on how brilliant I set the show and the way lengthy I spent studying.
Contemplating how small a 1,500mAh battery is by trendy requirements, the e-ink display’s low energy draw is basically serving to issues run easily. For most individuals, one cost per week is about what I might anticipate should you learn for an hour day by day. A blast on an 18W charger could have this e-reader charger in approach beneath an hour. I discover that simply topping up every now and then is extra handy and retains me studying for a couple of extra days per cost.
Last ideas
Whereas I like the entire package deal, some little issues with the Boox Go 6 should be addressed in any follow-up. An absence of onboard RAM is inflicting a few of these, however should you simply stick with studying utilizing the default app and even the Kindle software, it’s good for stuffing right into a bag and studying on the go or as a backup to your common studying system at dwelling. That’s what I’ve been treating this as.
Arguably, the most important promoting level is the pocketable dimension. I haven’t discovered a dinky studying companion that I’ve loved utilizing extra. It’s only a enjoyable piece of tech that, whereas it has different options, works greatest for on-the-go readers. You’re getting the pliability and advantages of Android’s huge array of apps however the {hardware} of a superb, stable e-reader.
It’s not low-cost at $149 – which is the most important stumbling block. Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite is simply $10 extra and has some upgrades like expanded battery life and water resistance.
Even so, combining your whole favourite studying companies into one smaller system is certain to be interesting. Are there higher general e-readers? Sure, however not many are value it at this dimension. Fortunately, the Boox Go 6 is out there if the dimensions appeals to you.
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