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Boox has introduced an ultra-compact E Ink reader designed to ride on your phone instead of replacing it. The new Picco packs a 3.97-inch ePaper screen into a device roughly the size of a playing card and ships with a magnetic ring case that snaps to the back of a smartphone.
Small form, clear purpose
The Picco weighs just 58 g (2 oz), a fraction of most recent E Ink devices that have trended larger. While Boox’s lineup includes tablet-sized models such as the 13.3-inch Tab X C, this model pursues portability and quick access.
The included magnetic-ring case both attaches the Picco to a phone and lets the device stick to metal surfaces like refrigerators, making it easy to keep nearby at home or on the move.
Screen and controls
Boox chose a modest monochrome ePaper panel, running at 235 PPI. The display features anti-aliasing for crisper text and a front light with adjustable warm and cool tones.
Page turns can be handled via the touchscreen or physical buttons. The interface also supports four display orientations to suit different ways of holding the device.
Reading experience and limits
The software focuses on straightforward reading rather than a full Android tablet experience. Users can change fonts, margins, and line spacing to match their preferences.
Because of its tiny screen, the Picco is best suited to short documents, articles, and books rather than dense, multi-column PDFs. It’s pitched as an option to replace a few minutes of smartphone scrolling with a quick reading session.
Storage, connectivity and file transfer
The device ships with a 16 GB microSD card and supports cards up to 2 TB. Built-in Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth are included, and you can move files using the Boox Tiles app, via booxtiles.com, or through a direct USB‑C connection.
Software, utilities and a new product line
Rather than replicating Boox’s tablet software, the Picco offers a pared-back interface centered on reading plus a handful of useful tools. Built-in utilities include a Pomodoro timer, a Todo app, and a Countdown function, and users can set custom screensavers.
Boox is introducing the device under a new category called Boox Tiles, aimed at smaller, lifestyle-oriented ePaper gadgets rather than full-size e-readers.
Price and availability
Preorders went live yesterday, with pricing starting at US$99.99. Shipping is expected by November.
