Boox Picco e-reader is in the works as a tiny Xteink rival
Boox confirmed the Picco is part of a new Tile lineup, with reported features including a 3.97-inch front-lit e-paper screen.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Boox is preparing a Boox Picco e-reader, a tiny e-paper device aimed at the same pocketable reading niche as Xteink’s small models. Boox confirmed to The Verge that the Picco is in development as part of a new Tile lineup, though it has not announced a price, release date or full specifications.
Good E-Reader first reported details of the device, saying the Picco will use a 3.97-inch black-and-white e-paper display with front lighting. The site also reported that the device will support expanded storage through an SD card slot.
Boox told The Verge the Picco will have an “accessible price point,” but did not define what that means. That leaves the device’s position against Xteink unclear, especially with Xteink’s X4 Pro priced at $99.
What is the Boox Picco e-reader?
The Boox Picco is a small e-paper reader that Boox says belongs to its new Tile lineup. Based on the reported screen size, it is much smaller than conventional e-readers and closer to the phone-sized devices that Xteink has been promoting.
The category is built around short-session reading rather than replacing a full-size Kindle-style reader. Devices this small can fit in more pockets and bags, while front lighting can make them usable in dim settings without relying on a phone screen.
How it compares with Xteink
Xteink’s appeal has come partly from hardware built to live with a phone. The company’s small e-readers can magnetically attach to the back of an iPhone using MagSafe, according to The Verge’s earlier coverage.
Boox has not said whether the Picco will attach magnetically to a phone or use a similar mounting idea. That omission leaves one of the most obvious comparison points unanswered for now.
The display detail reported by Good E-Reader could make the Picco closer to Xteink’s X4 Pro than to the earlier X4. The Verge has described the $99 X4 Pro as a strong tiny e-reader, and its front-lit display is one of the features that makes it more capable than a basic no-light device.
What features are still unknown?
A promotional image appears to show physical buttons on the Picco, according to The Verge. Boox has not said whether the device will rely only on buttons, as the original Xteink X4 did, or whether it will also include a touchscreen.
Software details also remain limited. Good E-Reader reported that the Picco is likely to use a minimal tiled interface with basic apps such as Neoreader, a music player and a podcast player.
That would separate it from the Boox Palma, a more phone-like e-paper device that runs Android. The Picco, based on the details reported so far, appears to be a simpler reader rather than a broad app platform.
Boox has not provided a launch window. Until it does, the main confirmed point is that the company is entering the tiny e-reader field with a new Tile-branded device and a promised lower-cost approach.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.