The Onyx Boox Go 6 did not release me from the grip of the Kindle Store

I indeed, indeed, I wanted to like the Boox Go 6 e-reader. Most critics were enthusiastic about the Boox Palmathe e-ink replacement for smartphone doomscrolling, for its easy-to-read display and handling. I think this a small reading device like a tablet would have the same effect. Unfortunately, the Boox Go 6 e-ink reader failed to convert me into a full-time user.

The e-ink screen of the Boox Go 6 is not a problem for me – I like the 6-inch display, which has an adjustable backlight and brightness. Text and details on the screen look sharp and crisp even with the backlight turned off. But the slow refresh rate of the display powered by an average processor made my reading experience slower than a traditional, tangible book. It made me wait, and I hate waiting. No matter what I wanted to read, I had to wait for the screen to hit my fingers before the e-reader would load the desired content. It did this for e-books I stored locally, books I borrowed from Libby, and a few other apps I tried out for the thrill of having nearly unlimited access to the Google Play Store. One of the selling points of the Go 6 is that it runs Android, making it easier to load third-party apps and stores. But interacting with the Boox Go 6 can be so frustrating; hardly makes the open nature of its software alluring, after all.

Open reading

U Kindle Paperwhite of the 2021 erathe other e-reader in my place, also has a comfortable display and a slim profile. I was hoping to trade it for the Onyx Boox Go 6, which doesn’t limit me to the Kindle library and its companions. It took me so long to figure out how to load DRM-free comics and graphic novels to a Kindle Calibera Windows app, but I’m still missing a couple of third-party libraries that I’d like to have on hand, like Google Play Books, which I’ve been using for a long time on Android, and this one app I. started using for capture Romanian ebooks. The Play Store also allows me to read my newspapers through their mobile apps: u San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times.

The Android software of Go 6 offers integrated access to the Google Play Store without need a third party solution. Setting up a Google account on the device is easy, and then you can access the Google Play Store and download Apps. But it’s not a copy and paste Android experience. The version of Android 11 that runs on the Go 6 is not the user interface that you are used to in a smartphone. For example, there are two additional buttons in the navigation bar to refresh the page and access the settings – you will use this refresh button a little, depending on the content you are perusing. The notification panel drops if you drag from the top left side of the screen. Quick settings are available on the upper right side. It’s smooth if you’ve used Android on a tablet, although it often felt slow on the Go 6.

While I had the San Francisco Chronicle loaded to read on the Onyx Boox Go 6, I could not sync the New York Times –maybe the subscription where I try to get my bang for the buck. It seems to be an authentication issue that I haven’t been able to resolve yet. (The browser shuts down when you try to log in.) At least, what I was able to experience by reading the Chronicle The app has been relatively painless, save for the times the Go 6 crashed on me mid-scroll. It helps that mobile news apps of this type are pretty rudimentary. It’s just black text on a white background. Relatedly, the Go 6 has more difficulty scrolling if you go into dark mode. I tried perusing Reddit through the Chrome browser on the Go 6 in this way, but the screen couldn’t keep up with each page jump.

The only saving grace of the frequent slowness of the Go 6 is that the e-reader does not “catch up” in notifications for the Android applications that you have installed. When the e-reader is turned off and on again, you are not immediately bombarded with useless notifications for things from days or weeks ago. You get push notifications from news apps that support it, but it’s tempered. I noticed that it only pushes the most recent alert since the screen has been turned on.

Loading books onto the Boox Go 6 is otherwise fast, although it’s not as simple as dragging and dropping files from point A to point B with a computer. Instead, the Go 6 uses BooxDropwhich creates a bit of a direct WiFi/FTP situation where you can drag and drop files through the browser. I uploaded PDFs of vintage magazines from the late 90s and DRM-free comics I bought from SilverSprocket. I also uploaded traditional CBR and EPUB files that I have collected over the years. The Go 6 comes with a default 32GB of onboard storage. There is a microSD slot if you want to add more I have found it is the easiest method to enter a massive library of ebooks that you may already have stored.

What’s Inside

The Go 6 is a lighter device than the Kindle Paperwhite by nearly two ounces. Its 6-inch E Ink HD Carta 1300 display has a resolution of 1,448 by 1,072. There are bezels on the device, which is good because I like to have a bit of chassis to keep when it’s lying on my back. Boox also sent on the magnetic cover case to protect it. I love how slim the whole package is, and I love the look and feel of the device alongside my other daily carry.

The Go 6 has a 2GHz octa-core processor powering it, plus 2GB of RAM, so it’s not fast. It’s a slower experience ca whatever first-gen Android device you’re using, though things run smoother if you’re not jumping between screens and apps. I found it best to navigate to the app or title I wanted to use and then keep it there. Every time I tried to multitask, I got a little agitated, remembering that the whole point of this device is to slow down. I had to always remember that there was a difference of 14GB in memory between this cute e-reader and my Pixel 9 Pro smartphone and that I needed to do the part.

Should you buy the Boox Go 6?

You will find the Onyx Boox Go 6 at Target and Wal-Mart for $150, about as much as the latest Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon. The Go 6 is a decent alternative to a closed Kindle Paperwhite for the same price. But just because it runs Android doesn’t mean run android app. Apps provide additional access outside of an ecosystem of e-books on an otherwise simple e-reader. However, I would not recommend this device for anyone new to e-books or digital reading.

If you’re looking for an agnostic, non-OLED solution for nighttime reading, the Go 6 isn’t a bad choice. Just temper your expectations. Remember that the e-ink screen is not the same as a smartphone. But the payoff is an incredible battery life for an e-reader – up to five consecutive days of reading the charger in my test – and the ability to load a digital library of books, comics and magazines on a dedicated device. At the very least, the Boox Go 6 reminds you to move slower than the pace of everything else these days, even if you are waiting a while for the page to load.