Best Smaller eReader?

[everynone]

I'm looking for a smaller eReader to carry around on my person. I've seen alot about the boox palma, but the price and some reviews have me wondering if I need to widen the scope.

Concerns:
1) What's the best way to connect ereaders to calibre? I understand, at worst, you can plug and sync epubs, but I really enjoy syncing highlights/notes via the Content Server on my other devices. I'd like to continue that with an ereader, but I'm not sure how possible that is.

2) I don't really care about size beyond it being small enough to carry one handed or fit in a pocket. "Phone sized" seems an easy indication of that, but it seems most reviews are mostly concerned with 'bigger is better' concerns. So it's hard to tell if

3) no Kindles. Amazon stinks.

[everynone]

seems I can't edit posts yet, but the unfinished thought on 2 is

) I don't really care about size beyond it being small enough to carry one handed or fit in a pocket. "Phone sized" seems an easy indication of that, but it seems most reviews are mostly concerned with 'bigger is better'. So it's hard to tell if a smaller eReader like a Kobo Clara 2E will fit in your pocket because reviewers are too busy wishing the screen was larger

[DNSB]

Without a case, the Clara fits in my shirt pocket but it's a tight fit. Normally, I keep it in it's case and use a jacket pocket.

[Parsley]

Originally Posted by everynone

I don't really care about size beyond it being small enough to carry one handed or fit in a pocket. "Phone sized" seems an easy indication of that, but it seems most reviews are mostly concerned with 'bigger is better'. So it's hard to tell if a smaller eReader like a Kobo Clara 2E will fit in your pocket because reviewers are too busy wishing the screen was larger

Whether or not an ereader will fit in your pockets also depends on their size! My Clara does not fit in most of my RTW pockets, but then, the same is true of nearly all cellphones for me. I'd recommend making templates out of cardboard using the height and width of various models and see how they feel to you.

That said, I do find my Clara to be very easy to carry around with me, as well as easy to hold and read with one-handed. But ereaders are pretty light, so one-handedness is probably true for some larger models as well. I personally wouldn't want to go smaller than 6" since the wordspacing starts getting awkward, but YMMV.

I think you *can* use the Calibre content server for some ereaders (for Kobo, I'm pretty sure it works with KOReader and maybe also the native browser), but I've never done it, and it might not be a great experience. Plus, kobos will sync metadata over USB, and I personally value having the ability to use Calibre to organize books by series and by genre.

No experience with the Boox Palma, sorry!

[twowheels]

I periodically start dwelling on the InkPalm 5 Mini and keep wishing that it was made by a less sketchy company, and it was easier to get in the US without supporting one of AliExpress, Amazon, or Bad eReader.

[Aleron Ives]

Keep in mind that the Boox Palma has the BSR GPU for fast refreshing, so the battery life is much worse than on a normal e-reader. You'd be better off with the Boox Poke series or the Kobo Clara 2E/BW on that count alone.

[John F]

My Clara 2e fits in the back pocket of my jeans and shorts.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by John F

My Clara 2e fits in the back pocket of my jeans and shorts.

Until you sit down and CRUNCH!

[John F]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Until you sit down and CRUNCH!

I've sat on various Kobos in the past and they haven't gone "CRUNCH". It is disappointing that that Kobo is now releasing less rugged readers.

[everynone]

Originally Posted by Aleron Ives

Keep in mind that the Boox Palma has the BSR GPU for fast refreshing, so the battery life is much worse than on a normal e-reader. You'd be better off with the Boox Poke series or the Kobo Clara 2E/BW on that count alone.

I don't have alot of experience with the eReader market, but the Kobo's seem to advertise a battery life that can last weeks right? If the Palma is phone sized, lives in my pocket most of the time... I already charge my phone every night anyways. Is a "much worse" battery life still at least a day's "use" assuming you read... idk... standing around some, maybe at lunch?? I kind of have a hard time conceptualizing the use beyond the times I read on my phone.

[Aleron Ives]

Yes, you'll probably get more than a day of use out of it. My point was that you're sacrificing battery life on the Palma and not getting much in return. BSR is helpful for browsing the web, but the Palma's screen is so small that you'd be better off using another device for that. Unless you really want a device that has a smartphone form factor, you're better off getting a normal 6" e-reader that costs less and rarely needs charging, such as a member of the Poke series.

Kobo has the best integration with Calibre, but a Boox device runs Android, so you can run any software you want. It depends whether you prefer flexibility or a more focused experience. The Palma would have been an amazing alternative to an LCD smartphone if it supported 4G, but it doesn't, so it's just kind of a weird experiment that Onyx did.

[Renate]

Without any experience of the alternatives, I vote for the Onyx Poke5.
Its bezel is a bit smaller than the Poke3.
Both do not have any buttons besides power on the top.

I find that covers add enormous bulk. (I'm looking at you, B&N).
I removed 85% of the back cover on my Poke5 and related internal/external magnets.
The remaining tab is glued onto the back plastic shell of the device itself.
I am so happy with this arrangement that I will do something similar on any future purchase.
(This is the back view. The front looks normal.)

[cartz]

Originally Posted by everynone

I'm looking for a smaller eReader to carry around on my person. I've seen alot about the boox palma, but the price and some reviews have me wondering if I need to widen the scope.

Any of the Hisense devices. They are the best build quality of handheld devices. The InkPalm mini is the best budget option for you.

I have Hisense, Inkpalm and the Palma. For your needs Hisense is best if you can afford it otherwise InkPalm, forget Palma.

[rowe]

^ This. I've also owned Hisense, Inkpalm and Palma.

Compared to the Palma the Hisense A9 / Hi Reader Pro:
- Has a longer battery life
- Fast charges
- Has better lighting (goes lower, warmer, and DC dimmed)
- More robust (very high proportion of Palma posts are about them breaking)
- The ability to unofficially upgrade from Android 11 to 14 by flashing LineageOS
- Has a better case
- Has cellular
- Has ram/storage options

If too expensive, get an Inkpalm.

[neil_swann80]

Pocketbook Verse or Verse pro are nice pocketable devices.