The Onyx Boox Go 6 didn’t free me from the grip of the Kindle Store

I indeed, really Wanted to like the Boox Go 6 e-reader. Most reviewers raved about it Boox Palmaan e-ink replacement for smartphone doomscrolling for its easy-to-read display and accessibility. I thought it was a small tablet-like reading device would have had the same effect. Unfortunately, the Boox Go 6 e-ink reader failed to convert me into a full-time user.

The Boox Go 6’s e-ink screen isn’t a problem for me – I like the 6-inch screen with adjustable backlight and brightness. Text and details on the screen look sharp and crisp even with the backlight turned off. But the display’s slow refresh rate coupled with a mid-range processor made my reading experience slower than a traditional, physical book. It kept me waiting and I hate waiting. No matter what I wanted to read, I had to wait for the screen to reach my finger 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 tested out of the excitement of having near-unfettered access to the Google Play Store. One of the Go 6’s selling points is that it runs on the Android operating system, which makes it easy to download third-party apps and stores. But interacting with the Boox Go 6 can be very frustrating; it hardly makes the open nature of the software attractive.

Open Read

The 2021 Kindle PaperwhiteMy other e-reader also has a comfortable screen and a slim profile. I was hoping to replace it with the Onyx Boox Go 6, which isn’t limited to the Kindle library and its partners. I figured out how to download DRM-free comics and graphic novels via Kindle a long time ago. caliberIt’s a Windows app, but I still don’t have a few third-party libraries I’d like to have, like Google Play Books, which I’ve used for a long time on Android, and this one I’ve started using to grab Romanian ebooks. The Play Store allows me to read my newspapers through mobile apps: the San Francisco Chronicle and New York Times.

Go 6’s Android app offers integrated access to the Google Play Store without requires a third-party solution. It’s easy to set up a Google account on the device, and then you can access the Google Play Store and download apps. But this isn’t a copy-and-paste Android experience. The version of Android 11 running on the Go 6 is not the UI you’re used to on a smartphone. For example, the navigation bar has two additional buttons to refresh the page and access settings – you’ll use this refresh button quite a bit depending on what content you’re reading. If you swipe down from the top left of the screen, the notifications panel will drop. Quick settings are available on the top right. If you’ve used Android on a tablet, it’s fluid on the Go 6, though it often feels sluggish.

While I’m getting San Francisco Chronicle Downloaded to read on Onyx Boox Go 6, I couldn’t sync. New York Times –Where I’m trying to get bang for my buck in undisputed subscriptions. There seems to be an authentication problem that I haven’t been able to resolve yet. (Browser timed out when I tried to log in.) At least, that’s how I got the experience reading it. Chronicle application was relatively painless, except when the Go 6 would fall on me mid-swipe. It helps that these types of mobile news apps are pretty rudimentary. It’s just black text on a white background. Relatedly, if you switch to dark mode, the Go 6 has more difficulty scrolling. I tried browsing Reddit through the Chrome browser on the Go 6 like this, but the screen couldn’t keep up with each page jump.

The only saving grace for the Go 6’s often sluggishness is that the e-reader doesn’t “catch” notifications for Android apps you’ve installed. When the e-reader is turned off and on again, you’re not immediately bombarded with junk notifications for days or weeks old material. You get push notifications from news apps that support it, but it’s rigid. I noticed that it only pushes the most recent alert after the screen is on.

Otherwise, loading books on the Boox Go 6 is fast, though not as easy as dragging and dropping files from point A to point B using a computer. It uses Go 6 instead BooxDropthis creates a bit of a WiFi direct/FTP situation where you can drag and drop files through the browser. I downloaded PDFs of old magazines from the late 90s and DRM-free comics I bought from SilverSprocket. I also uploaded the traditional CBR and EPUB files I’ve collected over the years. The Go 6 comes standard with 32GB of onboard storage. There’s a microSD slot if you want to add more i found is the easiest way to access the massive library of e-books you already have.

What’s in it?

The Go 6 is about two ounces lighter than the Kindle Paperwhite. Its 6-inch E Ink HD Carta 1300 display has a resolution of 1448×1072. The device has bezels, which is good because I like having a bit of chassis to hold on to when lying on my back. Boox also sent a magnetic cover to protect it. I love how sleek the whole package is, and I really liked the look and feel of the device alongside my other daily carry-ons.

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 from any early-gen Android device you’re going to use, though things run more smoothly if you’re not flipping between screens and apps. I found it best to navigate to the app or title I wanted to use and then save it there. Every time I tried to multitask, I got a little annoyed, remembering that the whole point of this device was to slow down. I had to constantly remind myself that there was a 14GB difference in memory between this cute little e-reader and my Pixel 9 Pro smartphone, and that I had to act on that part.

Should you buy the Boox Go 6?

You will find Onyx Boox Go 6 For $150 at Target and Wal-Mart, up to the latest Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon. The Go 6 is a decent alternative to the similarly priced locked Kindle Paperwhite. But just because it works with Android doesn’t mean it works runs away Android apps. Apps provide additional access outside of the e-book ecosystem over an otherwise simple e-reader. Still, I wouldn’t recommend this device for someone new to e-books or digital reading.

If you’re looking for a platform-agnostic, non-OLED solution for nighttime reading, the Go 6 isn’t a bad choice. Just lower your expectations. Remember that an e-ink screen is not the same as a smartphone. But the result is incredible battery life for an e-reader—in my tests, five consecutive days of reading off the charger and loading a digital library of books, comics, and magazines onto one dedicated device. At least the Boox Go 6 reminds you to move slower than the speed of everything these days, even if you have to wait a while for a page to load.