In the flourishing market of e-readers, the Onyx Boox Leaf2 White Edition has firmly established itself as a noteworthy contender. With its superior combination of hardware and software features, this e-reader brings a new level of sophistication to the world of digital reading. Let’s delve deeper into its attributes, strengths, and potential drawbacks.
Priced at £210, the Boox Leaf2 offers a value-for-money proposition given its array of attributes. Its aesthetics are simple yet elegant, with a pure white colour that offers a refreshing alternative to the standard black or grey e-readers that populate the market.
Form Factor & Design
Boasting a sleek profile with a 6mm thickness and a lightweight structure at only 170g, the Boox Leaf2 strikes a balance between portability and durability. Its compact dimensions of 156mm x 137mm make it easy to handle, and despite lacking waterproof capability, the device exhibits a solid build quality.
Screen & Display
The 7″ screen size of the Boox Leaf2 is well-suited to a wide variety of reading materials, from novels to comics, technical manuals, and academic papers. The screen, unfortunately, is not flush with the bezel which might affect the overall sleekness of the device, however, there the black version of the Leaf2 does have a flush screen. The impressive 300ppi (pixels per inch) resolution ensures sharp, clear text and images, offering a comfortable reading experience similar to traditional print media.
The device comes with frontlight and warm light options, enhancing the overall reading experience. The warm light makes for a delightful late-night reading experience, reducing strain on the eyes. However, the lack of auto-brightness could be a letdown for some users, requiring manual adjustment based on lighting conditions.
Operating System & Compatibility
A standout feature of the Boox Leaf2 is its Android 11 operating system, which offers access to the Google Play Store. This broadens the range of reading and productivity apps users can install on the device, enhancing its versatility.
The Leaf2 supports a wide variety of file-formats including EPUB, PDF, AZW3, MOBI, DJVU, CBR, CBZ, FB2, DOC, DOCX, HTML, RTF, TXT, CHM, JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, and MP3. The support for image formats and MP3 files opens up possibilities for graphic novels, comics, audiobooks, and music, transcending the traditional scope of e-readers.
Storage & Connectivity
The device comes with a decent 32GB storage capacity, enough to store thousands of books, comics, and documents. Moreover, it includes a Micro-SD slot for further expansion, a feature becoming rarer in contemporary e-readers.
Bluetooth functionality allows users to connect wireless headphones or speakers for audio functions such as text-to-speech or audiobooks. There is also an in-built speaker.
Additional Features
A notable addition is the physical page-turn buttons, a thoughtful inclusion for those who prefer a tactile reading experience. With the auto-rotation feature, users can switch between portrait and landscape orientations effortlessly, adding to the overall usability of the device.
Boox Leaf2 also has a text-to-speech function, which, coupled with the Android OS, can be a significant advantage for those who appreciate this feature, making it a versatile multimedia device.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Boox Leaf2 White Edition is a well-rounded, value-for-money e-reader.
While it does have certain limitations such as a lack of waterproofing, wireless charging, and auto-brightness, its other features, particularly its expansive file compatibility, Android 11 OS, and physical page-turn buttons, make it an appealing choice for many users.
Its price point aligns well with the features it offers, marking it as a worthy contender in the e-reader market. This device seems most suited to users who want a versatile, compact, and tactile reading experience. The Boox Leaf2 White Edition could well be a delightful addition to the gadget repertoire of avid readers and multimedia enthusiasts alike.
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Full Specs
| Product The name of the product/model | Boox Leaf2 |
|---|---|
| Version The version of the product | White |
| Buy Click on the button to buy | |
| Image A picture of the product |  |
| Price The price of the product (in USD) | $199.99 |
| Brand The brand/manufacturer of the product | Boox |
| Screen size The size of the screen (measured diagonally) | 7" |
| PPI The number of pixels per inch (PPI) NOTE: on colour devices, this is the monochrome PPI | 300ppi |
| Storage capacity The storage space of the e-reader | 32Gb |
| Operating System Which O/S the device runs by default | Android 11 |
| Writing Whether the e-reader has writing/note-taking capabilities | ⨯ |
| Frontlight Whether the product has a frontlight | ✓ |
| Warmlight Whether there is temperature control for the frontlight | ✓ |
| Auto brightness Whether the brightness of the e-reader changes automatically based on the exterior ambient light | ⨯ |
| Bluetooth Whether the e-reader support audio via Bluetooth headphones/speaker | ✓ |
| Speakers Whether the e-reader support audio via an onboard speaker | ✓ |
| Touchscreen Whether the e-reader has a capacitive touchscreen | ✓ |
| Waterproof Whether the e-reader is waterproof to IPX8 rating | ⨯ |
| Play store Whether you can install apps from the Google Play Store (e.g. Kindle, Koreader etc.) | ✓ |
| Flush screen Whether the screen is flush with the casing of the e-reader | ⨯ |
| Page-turn buttons Whether the e-reader has physical buttons for turning pages | ✓ |
| Auto-rotation Whether the e-reader automatically changes the screen orientation | ✓ |
| Text-to-speech Whether the e-reader can convert text to speech | ✓ |
| Micro-SD slot Whether the e-reader has a slot for a MicroSD card | ✓ |
| Colour screen Whether the e-reader has a colour screen | ⨯ |
| Ads Whether the e-reader shows ads on the sleep screen | ⨯ |
| Wireless charging Whether the e-reader supports wireless charging | ⨯ |
| Mobile connectivity Whether the e-reader can connect to the cloud over the cellular network | ⨯ |
| Weight The weight of the product | 170g |
| Thickness The thickness of the e-reader | 6mm |
| Height The height of the e-reader | 156mm |
| Width The width of the e-reader | 137mm |
| File formats The file formats that are supported | EPUB, PDF, AZW3, MOBI, DJVU, CBR, CBZ, FB2, DOC, DOCX, HTML, RTF, TXT, CHM, JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, MP3 |
| Colours Which colours this e-reader is available in | White |
| Buy Click on the button to buy |