Tag: tablets

Boox Palma Review – Phone-sized Android Tablet with an E-Ink Display

The Boox Palma is an intriguing device that merges the functionality of an Android tablet with the familiar experience of an e-ink display, commonly associated with e-readers like the Kindle. You can see it in action in my latest review.

At first glance, it might be mistaken for a smartphone due to its compact size and form factor, but its real purpose becomes apparent upon closer inspection of its unique display. It’s pricey at $279 (compensated affiliate link) so the audience here may be a bit limited.

The Palma has a 6.13-inch e-ink display with a resolution of 824 by 1648 and a 300 DPI dot pitch, mimicking the display quality of a typical laser printer or printed book. Like the Kindle, it includes a side light that evenly illuminates the screen with an adjustable color temperature. Despite the screen being smaller than the average Kindle, the size and weight—170 grams—make it an option for those who travel frequently and prefer a lightweight, portable reading device.

It also includes a 16-megapixel rear camera, which, while adequate for basic photography, is more suited for document scanning with the included app, which also offers optical character recognition. In fact Boox doesn’t even include a default camera app for photos so you’ll need to get one from the Google Play store. The absence of a front-facing camera and a headphone jack might be a drawback for some users, although Bluetooth and USB-C connectivity are available.

The Palma’s build quality, while predominantly plastic, doesn’t feel cheap. The back of the device features a textured finish that feels like pulpy paper.

One of the Palma’s standout features is its ability to run any Android app, including popular reading apps like Kindle and Nook. The device allows users to adjust the refresh mode settings, optimizing the display performance for different types of content. It should be noted that the high performance modes will degrade the battery life as it must update the screen more frequently.

The battery life is impressive, particularly when used for reading without the side light, offering up to 12-13 hours of usage when using more typical android apps and longer with reading apps that don’t tax its processor.

The Palma also supports basic web browsing, and although it can play videos on apps like YouTube, the experience is suboptimal due to the limitations of the e-ink display. Additionally, while the device is capable of handling emails and simple tasks, the latency in the touch response, particularly when typing, can be frustrating.

In terms of performance, the Palma is powered by an unspecified processor, accompanied by 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, expandable via an SD card slot. While it isn’t designed for gaming or intensive tasks, it handles its primary functions—reading and light app usage—adequately.

One notable limitation is the lack of support for a dedicated stylus, which might have enhanced its appeal for note-taking or drawing.

The device runs on Android 11, and while it’s not the latest version, the company has committed to providing updates for at least three years. However, the latest update provided security patches only up to January of 2024.

The Boox Palma stands out as a versatile e-reader that offers much more flexibility than traditional devices in its category. Its Android foundation allows users to access a wide range of reading apps and customize their experience, making it an appealing option for avid readers who seek more control over their digital library. While it may not replace a smartphone or a more robust tablet, its niche appeal lies in its ability to bridge the gap between a dedicated e-reader and an Android tablet.

Lenovo Tab M9 9″ Tablet Review

My latest video is of the Lenovo M9 tablet. With a nine-inch display, this compact device caught my attention, especially at its current sale price.

The Lenovo M9 tablet is a nice alternative to some of the “no-name” tablets available on the market. The display doesn’t have the highest resolution (800 by 1340), but its smaller size does provide enough pixel density to make it easy to read text and colors are vibrant.

Under the hood, the tablet is powered by a MediaTek Helio G80 processor, along with 3 gigabytes of RAM and 32 gigabytes of storage. While these specs might sound basic, they are sufficient for typical Android tasks. There’s also an SD card slot to augment its limited amount of internal storage.

One of the things that stood out to me was the tablet’s build quality. It boasts a glass front and a metal back, giving it a premium feel that’s not often found at this price point. In terms of ports, it offers a headphone jack and a USB type-C port. The USB-C port only supports USB 2.0 data speeds and does not have a video output feature. The tablet also has stereo speakers that deliver surprisingly decent audio quality.

A feature I found particularly useful was the reading mode. This mode turns the display into a grayscale, mimicking the look of a printed page. It’s not quite e-ink, but it’s a comfortable reading experience that reduces eye strain.

When it comes to performance, the Lenovo M9 handles basic tasks like web browsing smoothly. However, if you’re into gaming, it’s a mixed bag. While casual games like Horizon Chase and Minecraft run well, more demanding games like Roblox can be a bit laggy. But for game streaming, such as Xbox cloud gaming, the experience is seamless.

One concern many have with tablets is the longevity of support. Lenovo has addressed this by providing a clear roadmap for updates. The M9, currently running Android 12, is slated to receive an Android 13 update by the third quarter of this year and will continue to get security updates until April 30th, 2026.

Battery life is another strong point. In my use, I found that it easily lasts 10 to 12 hours, which can be extended by reducing screen brightness.

The Lenovo M9 tablet is a solid choice for those seeking a compact, affordable tablet from a reputable brand. It may not be the most powerful device out there, but it is more than capable of running most of the tasks a tablet like this is typically used for.

Lenovo Tab P11 Gen 2 Tablet Review

My latest video is a review of Lenovo’s second-generation Tab P11 Gen 2 Android tablet. What intrigued me most about this device was its special desktop mode that transforms the tablet experience into more of a desktop environment.

We’ll be doing a giveaway on this one and another Lenovo tablet in the coming weeks so stay tuned! I’ll announce the giveaway plan on this email list.

Lenovo sent me the kit version of this tablet which also packs in a pen and a keyboard/trackpad case and stand. The price point for this entire kit is $299, which I found to be quite reasonable given the premium quality of the accessories.

The tablet is powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 processor. It has 4 gigabytes of RAM and 128 gigabytes of storage. It has a wide 11.5-inch screen, with a resolution of 2000 by 1200, that can go up to a 120Hz refresh rate. This makes the visual experience smoother compared to other tablets that are limited to 60Hz. The display also supports 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, ensuring accurate colors for tasks like photo editing.

The sound quality out of the tablet is nice for the price point, featuring Dolby Atmos sound. It definitely sounded a lot less tinny than some of the lower cost tablets I’ve looked at recently from Walmart and Amazon.

For ports it has a USB Type-C and a headphone jack along with an SD card slot for augmenting its onboard storage. The USB-C port doubles as the charging port but it is not able to output video via HDMI. The more expensive pro version of the tablet does support video output. For biometrics, it lacks a finger print reader but it does offer facial recognition which worked just fine in my testing.

There are two cameras on board, a front-facing 5 megapixel camera that shoots 1080p video and a rear facing 13 megapixel camera. While the cameras are decent for a tablet, I believe smartphones might offer a better photography experience. But the front facing video quality looked great especially for doing web conferencing.

Running on Android 12, Lenovo promises an upgrade to Android 14 in the near future. I should note that I have heard from some viewers who were disappointed that prior versions of Lenovo tablets did not get promised OS updates. Performance-wise, it handled tasks smoothly, from browsing to video streaming. The Wi-Fi 6E radio ensures a seamless online experience.

One feature I particularly enjoyed was the reading mode. It offers a “chromatic” option that warms the display, reducing blue light. There’s also a Mono mode that turns the display black and white, almost mimicking the look and feel of a Kindle e-ink screen.

The included Lenovo Precision Pen 2 tracked nicely on the screen but did have a slight bit of latency. While it might not be the best for intricate artwork due to the slippery screen, it does work well for note taking and doodles.

The keyboard/trackpad case not only offers protection but also comes with a kickstand reminiscent of the Microsoft Surface design. The keyboard, although not backlit, provides a comfortable typing experience with good key travel and tactile feedback.

Lenovo’s “productivity mode” transforms the tablet into a desktop-like interface very similar to what it’s like to run Android apps on a Chromebook. Apps will turn into windowed applications that are layered on top of a desktop interface very similar to Windows. It makes using the device with the keyboard and trackpad much easier.

I also tested its gaming capabilities. Casual Android games like Roblox and Minecraft ran smoothly. For more advanced gaming or higher end PS2 or Gamecube emulation, you might need a device with a more robust processor. But for 99% of the population this is more than adequate. Of note though the performance on this tablet is identical to the 11″ Walmart Onn and Amazon Fire tablets I reviewed a few weeks ago.

In conclusion, if you’re considering the kit version of the Lenovo Tab P11 Gen 2, I believe it offers great value. The combination of premium features, a reasonable price point, and the versatility of both a tablet and a near-laptop experience makes it a worthy contender in the market.

Disclosure: Lenovo sent the tablet to the channel free of charge however they did not sponsor this review, provide any additional compensation, or review or approve this review before it was posted.

New Video: Amazon Fire 7 Tablet

Some of the most popular hardware products from Amazon are their Fire tablets. Their new Fire 7 tablet is the subject of my latest review.

Fire tablets are stock commodity Android hardware running with a forked version of Google’s Android operating system. Because they’re a gateway to digital purchases Amazon makes these things super inexpensive. But even though they are running a version of Android they don’t work with the Google Play store or its apps.

To get the best price on this you need to put up with lock screen advertisements. The ads are getting more aggressive now with some of them featuring video in addition to still images. Amazon does sell versions of the tablet without ads for a little more money.

This new tablet is about twice as powerful as the prior model, with the same guts now as the more expensive 8″ HD tablet. It has double the RAM of the previous model (2GB vs. 1GB) and 16 GB of storage on its base unit vs. 8GB before. Its SD card slot will accommodate up to a 1TB microSD card for additional storage. Even though it is faster it’s much more sluggish vs. an entry level iPad or Samsung tablet. But it’s also half to a third of the price of those devices.

The new Fire 7 has the same look and feel of prior models with large bezels and a plastic casing. But it’s pretty rugged and I would argue more-so than an iPad even without a case on it.

If you’re happy living in the Amazon app ecosystem or just mostly stick to web browsing and media watching (Prime, Netflix, etc), the Amazon tablets are fine. But I’ve found a number of apps where the Amazon version lacks features found in their Google equivalents.

For example the Xbox app does not support GamePass streaming even though the Google Play version does. And because this doesn’t run Google Play services you can’t run any official Google apps like Gmail, Chrome, or YouTube. The Youtube “app” Amazon offers is just a web wrapper of the YouTube website and lacks features found on their android app.

All in this is more of the same from Amazon with a little more performance. If you’ve had good experiences with prior Amazon tablets you’ll like this one. But tablet enthusiasts will feel a bit more restricted unless they hack Google Play onto their device – a process that is not supported by Google or Amazon and comes with some security concerns.