We saw the next Boox Palma and… is that a color E Ink screen and cellular connectivity?

It wasn’t on public display at its IFA 2025 booth, but Boox gave The Verge’s Jess Weatherbed a brief but early look at its next Palma smartphone-sized e-reader. The company wasn’t yet willing to divulge any technical specs. Still, the new Palma appears to feature a color E Ink screen, and the device’s status bar also shows a 4G+ LTE cellular connection, seemingly indicating the next Palma could also be a fully-functional smartphone.

The two previous versions of the Android-powered Boox Palma both feature a 6.13-inch black and white e-paper screen, but Boox was one of the earliest adopters of E Ink’s color screen technology and introduced color e-readers long before Amazon and Kobo.

But a color screen isn’t the most requested feature amongst Palma fans. The pocketable e-readers have only offered Wi-Fi connectivity so far. Their functionality has come close to replicating an Android phone, featuring dual microphones and even a camera on the back. But you lose connectivity if you leave the house without a hotspot. 

It’s not yet known if the next Palma will include a SIM card tray, rely on eSim, or what cellular networks it will be compatible with. But like the Bigme Hibreak Pro that was announced earlier this year, it could be a true smartphone replacement for those wanting a more distraction-free experience (browsing social media on an E Ink screen still isn’t easy on the eyes) or better battery life.