Boox Go Color 7 Gen II review: specs, performance, cost TechTricks365

The Boox Go Color 7 doesn’t reinvent the e-reader — but with its perfect paperback size and crisp color screen, it might just be the best one yet.

Boox continues to roll out new takes on its e-reader lineup, and at this point, AppleInsider has had hands-on time with quite a few. I alone have reviewed at least four others — though I’m willing to bet I might be forgetting some.

So when Boox reached out about its updated 7-inch reader — the one that I’d previously said was my favorite — I was curious to see what had changed.

Spoiler alert: not a whole lot — but there are a couple of meaningful tweaks. The Boox Go Color 7 still delivers a fantastic reading experience in a size that feels like curling up with your favorite paperback. But now it ships with Android 13 and support for the Boox InkSense Stylus.

Boox Go Color 7 Gen II review: Under the hood

The hardware remains largely unchanged. You still get a 7-inch Kaleido 3 Carta 1200 display under glass, capable of rendering up to 4,096 colors. Black-and-white content gets the full 300ppi treatment, while color images display at 150ppi. It’s a crisp, clean screen that works great for everything from novels to comics.

And you’re probably thinking, “I’ll almost never need a color e-ink reader” — which is true. That doesn’t mean that you don’t want one; I happen to think it’s pretty neat.

It’s lightweight — coming in just under 7 ounces and compact enough to slip into your everyday bag. Measuring 6.1 inches tall by 5.4 inches wide and just a quarter-inch thick, it’s what I’d call “daily carry” friendly.

Internally, we’re still looking at a 2.4GHz octa-core CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of onboard storage. You can expand that with a microSD card, which is great if you’ve got a sprawling eBook collection or like to carry around PDFs and audiobooks.

Wi-Fi covers both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, Bluetooth 5.0 is here for pairing headphones or keyboards, and the device charges via USB-C — again, no surprises.

Again, I have to appreciate the ability to change the light between crisp, clear white or a warmer, amber hue. I do a majority of my reading in bed, so I typically have it set to as “warm” as it will go.

Battery life is solid for the size. The 2,300 mAh battery held out for several days before I even thought about plugging it in.

Since it uses USB-C, chances are good you already have a compatible cable lying around. Of course, Boox also includes one in the box.

The speaker and microphone situation remains unchanged — and still feels out of place. The built-in speaker sounds, to put it nicely, rough. I can’t think of a real-world scenario where you’d use it over Bluetooth.

Same with the mic, which I’ve always thought was a bizarre thing to include in an e-reader. I’d rather Boox ditch both and save on cost or space.

Boox Go Color 7 Gen II review: — Software and new stylus support

The biggest internal shift is the move to Android 13, which gives it a slight leg up in terms of longevity and compatibility. For an e-reader that supports full Google Play access, that’s a welcome — if modest — upgrade.

And here’s the other new trick: the Go Color 7 now supports the Boox InkSense Stylus, which opens the door to basic annotation and sketching. It’s still primarily a reader, not a dedicated note-taking device like the Note Air3, but if you want to mark up PDFs or jot something down in a pinch, you can.

Beyond that, you still get support for a laundry list of file formats — PDFs, EPUBs, DOCX, HTML, CBR/CBZ, and more — plus common image and audio formats like PNG, TIFF, and MP3.

Boox Go Color 7 Gen II review: Just the right size

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the form factor, while subjective, is probably one of — if not the most — important decisions you’ll make when buying a daily-carry device. Especially for e-readers, which you’ll spend a lot of time holding if you’re an avid bookworm.

Boox has put out devices that are too big for easy reading and others that are almost too small. But this one splits the difference and lands straight in the Goldilocks zone.

The Go Color 7 hits that sweet spot. It’s big enough to enjoy longer reading sessions, and small enough to bring with you anywhere.

It’s the e-ink reader I reach for when I want to finish a chapter in bed or catch a few pages in the park. If you’re someone who mostly wants to read — and not use your e-reader as an iPad alternative — it’s hard to beat.

Boox Go Color 7 Gen II review: Performance and real-world use

Performance is right in line with previous models. It’s responsive, easy to navigate, and more than capable for reading, web browsing, and light productivity. Just don’t expect to game or watch video — but you already knew that.

The Android interface isn’t my favorite — I’d still love to see Apple make a first-party e-ink reader one day — but for what this is, it works. Android 13 feels a bit more refined, and it does seem a bit snappier than Gen I.

One caveat: don’t treat this like a rugged Kindle. There’s no IP rating listed, and I wouldn’t trust it around water or sand. It’s a great reader — just not a beach-proof one.

Boox Go Color 7 Gen II review: same features you love

One of my favorite design details from the last version makes a return: the wide bezel on one side. It’s such a smart move — it gives your thumb a natural place to grip and helps replicate the feel of a paperback spine.

It still features that programmable button built into the bezel. I use it to turn pages, which prevents me from putting my greasy little hands all over the screen too often.

Boox Go Color 7 Gen II review: who it’s for

If you’re a reader looking for a lightweight, color-capable e-ink device that really mimics the paperback experience, this is it. It’s more portable than the Note Air3, more practical for long reads than the tiny Boox Palma, and now offers some stylus functionality if you need it.

That said, if you already own the last-gen Go Color 7, this version does not justify an immediate upgrade. Android 13 and stylus support are nice, but they’re incremental improvements, not game-changers.

Boox Go Color 7 Review: Pros

• Perfect size for reading
• Android 13 with full app support
• Now supports Boox InkSense Stylus
• Expandable storage
• USB-C charging

Boox Go Color 7 Review: Cons

• Speaker and mic still feel tacked on
• Not a major leap from the previous model

Rating: 4 out of 5

Where to buy the Boox Go Color 7

You can grab your own second-generation Boox Go Color 7 from Boox’s website. If you want the reader alone, it’ll cost you $279.99 — adding in the InkSense Stylus jumps the price to $316.99 — and again, I’m not really convinced it’s needed.

It is also available from Amazon for $279.99 without the InkSense Stylus.