At around $100, the Boox Picco offers one of the most portable e-reader experiences you can get. You add MagSafe-like capability with a refreshingly simple UI, and you have a delightful way to read, literally wherever you are.
There is an argument to be made for every single shape and size e-readers come in, and they come in so many different sizes it’s hard to keep track. I love the idea of having a 10-inch display that I can skim, but even if it’s perfect for sitting at home and reading anything from novels to comics, I don’t think it provides a very good travel experience
But even smaller devices like the Boox Palma make you choose between bringing a second device or sticking with your phone. Most often, the phone wins out – especially when you have a flexible approach with a foldable like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 I’ve been using daily.
The e-reader so small, it isn’t a second thought
Unlike the other phone-sized e-readers from Boox, the Picco stands at just 4.15 inches tall. The screen measures at just under that – 3.97 inches. It’s essentially the size of a MagSafe or Qi2 wallet – just small enough to fit on the back of your phone with the included magnetic case.
It’s thin, too. A 5.5mm side profile means it slips anywhere a minimal wallet would without issue. That goes for pockets just as well as crossbody bags; perfect for travel.
And that’s where I think I find so much more joy in using this over what would otherwise be considered a small e-reader, like the Palma. I don’t have a lot of excuses not to carry it around when I’m on the go. I’ll throw it in my Bellroy bag when I’m carrying what I’d considered my minimal EDC. It slides into any internal pocket, and it weighs next to nothing.
Magnets are optional
The back of the Boox Picco isn’t magnetic, but the included case is. If you want the thinnest possible footprint, forego the case. But adding it lets you do one of the coolest – and slightly copium-inducing – things with your phone: attach the e-ink device directly to your OLED-laden phone.
It does not work well with an unconventional device like my Galaxy Z Fold 8, but if you have nearly any other device like the Pixel 11, you should get a rather perfect fit. The Picco squares up to the back of any slab phone with Qi2 magnets, whether internal or
But, why? Why slap another device and add weight/thickness to your phone when it’s perfectly capable of displaying e-books?
Because it’s cool! That’s the driving reason. You can make the argument that it doubles your phone’s usability or that it gives you an easy place to store the tiny e-reader. The truth is that it does add extra thickness to your phone, and using your phone with the Picco piggybacking along can be uncomfortable, since your fingers now rest on another display and not a case or phone backing.
You can get used to it, and, as unnecessary as it may seem, it’s a fun way to carry around a much more eye-friendly screen.
Picco doesn’t do anymore than it needs to
The Picco diverts from other Boox devices in another way. It doesn’t run Android, which means you have no access to third-party apps like Google Play Books, Amazon Kindle, or any other store/library. Instead, the Picco uses a companion app to transfer EPUBs from your phone to the tiny e-reader.
I initially opposed this idea when I got a sneak peek during IFA in Berlin this year. But after using it for a few weeks, I’ll admit I’ve come around. But that all comes down to how you consume your media.
I try toers, that means downloading Google Play Books and reading from there; I have my EPUBs uploaded to my own Google Play Books library, so they’re available universally
On the Picco, my approach hasn’t changed much. I take those same EPUBs I have in storage and transfer them from the companion app.
I can understand how the lack of third-party libraries would make the Boox Picco moot. Still, I’ve been a proponent of buying digital books I can store in my own drives, so I can read them wherever, whether that’s the Google Play Books library or from a device like the Picco.
All of that is a roundabout way of saying the Picco, though it doesn’t let you use apps to read, makes it easy to get digital copies loaded and ready to flip through.
It uses a handshake connection that requires you to open the companion app on your phone, hit connect, and do the same on the Picco. Once connected, transferring EPUB files is as easy as selecting them from your phone’s physical or cloud storage and queueing them up. The process takes seconds, and the only issue I’ve had was solved by a force stop and trying again.
The homescreen is simply a carousel of your library, with a delightful little progress bar under each title as they’re sorted. You can access and manage the bookshelf from that page, as well as the minimal “apps” and settings. I appreciate the focus app and reading stats, but the countdown and to-do options require using the companion app. I don’t see the point of those.
It doesn’t even have a control panel. Swiping down from the top surfaces screen brightness and color controls. Even though this little guy is just over $100, it still has a front light controlled by a physical switch on the side. Compare that to e-readers at much higher price points without that game-changing feature.
The buttons opposite don’t control volume. Instead, they’re there for page turning.
It’s just simple and well-designed. Features are there to make reading a better experience, down to granular text controls for your digital books. It does exactly what it needs to do – nothing more, nothing less.
As far as battery goes, it meets my expectations. It’s not massive, so the battery is small in comparison to a smartphone. It still holds its own easily, with an easy week of use if you’re reading for an hour or two a day. Beyond that, it takes little time to charge and does great on idle, which is perfect for such a passive device.
FInal thoughts
The Picco will hit home for you if you want an ultra-portable option for your e-books. The same goes for those who don’t mind the smaller screen and lack of Android or third-party app support.
I get genuine joy every time I pick it up to read where I left off, and I think that’s because it’s so simple and nothing about it feels bloated, even the companion app, which is also straight to the point.
I think it’s been a while since a device has offered that experience for me. Adding the form factor, optional magnetic attachment for your phone, and price tag just gets me to that conclusion sooner.
The Boox Picco is the most adorable e-reader I’ve used, and it’s $109 on Amazon.
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