Onyx BOOX Palma color eReader supports 4G LTE, but doesn’t make phone calls

Onyx BOOX is a company that makes a line of Android-powered eBook readers and tablets with E Ink displays. And over the past few years some of the company's most buzz-worthy products have been the phone-sized Onyx BOOX Palma line of eReaders.

So when the company started showing off a Palma model with a color display and 4G cellular connectivity this summer, it clearly led a lot of folks to wonder if Onyx BOOX was moving into the smartphone space. Now we have a pretty clear answer: nope. The cellular feature only supports data – the device doesn't support phone calls.

via Kit Betts-Masters

What's funny is that according to YouTuber Kit Betts-Masters, who has been testing a prototype of a Palm device with a black and white screen and 4G LTE network support*, it does have a phone app preinstalled. But it doesn't do anything, and when he asked Onyx BOOX about it, the company confirmed that the reason this new model supports 4G LTE is really just to ensure that users can get online from anywhere, whether they're connected to WiFi or not.

This isn't exactly new territory for a mobile device or even for eReaders. Some early Amazon Kindle devices came with cellular modems to let you download eBooks on the go. And since the (as yet unnamed) Onyx BOOX Palma color device runs Android, it's easy to see how it'd be handy to have internet access when away from WiFi, allowing you to stream music, surf the web, or use other apps. After all, many Apple and Android tablets also support cellular networks.

The confusion here most likely arose because the BOOX Palma line of devices already look so much like phones that it felt natural that a model with a cellular radio would be a phone. That inclusion of a phone app in the pre-release software probably didn't help matters.

You could still theoretically use this device as a phone. But you'd have to use a Bluetooth earpiece and a VoIP service for making voice calls over a data-only connection.

Betts-Masters also notes that the prototype hardware is missing some of the other features we've come to expect from modern smartphones, including a front-facing camera and NFC, so it won't support video calls or tap-to-pay mobile payment services.

Some other companies do already offer smartphones with E Ink displays. BigMe has the HiBreak Pro and HiBreak Pro Color. The Minimal Phone has an E Ink screen and a keyboard for thumb typing. The Mudita Kompakt is a crowdfunded minimalist phone. And Hisense has been making E Ink phones for years. But these devices are still pretty rare, as E Ink displays may be easier on the eyes (and the battery) than LCD or OLED, but they tend to have much lower screen refresh rates and even models that support color have a much more limited color palette than other display technologies.

* Betts-Masters notes that it's unlikely Onyx BOOX will actually release a black and white version of its 4G LTE-capable Palma device. While he's using a prototype to help test its cellular capabilities, the retail version will most likely have a color display.

via Kit Betts-Masters and Lifehacker

Liliputing's primary sources of revenue are advertising and affiliate links (if you click the "Shop" button at the top of the page and buy something on Amazon, for example, we'll get a small commission).

But there are several ways you can support the site directly even if you're using an ad blocker* and hate online shopping.

Contribute to our Patreon campaign

or...

Contribute via PayPal * If you are using an ad blocker like uBlock Origin and seeing a pop-up message at the bottom of the screen, we have a guide that may help you disable it. Join 9,538 other subscribers