The maker of the Onyx BOOX line of eReaders and E Ink tablets is refreshing its entry-level models with the introduction of the new Onyx BOOX Poke4 and Poke 4s.
With 6 inch front-lit displays, 2GB of RAM, and operating systems based on Android 11, both models look like versatile little devices for reading eBooks or even running some third-party Android apps. They could also be competitively priced – while global pricing and availability haven’t been revealed yet, the Onyx BOOX Poke4s will sell for as little as $103 in China, while the Poke4 has slightly better specs and sells for around $140.
Both models are powered by an unspecified 2 GHz quad-core processor from Qualcomm. But the POKE4 has 32GB of storage, an edge-to-edge glass display, a high-res display with 300 pixels per inch, and a slightly slimmer design than the Poke4s, which has a 212 ppi display that’s recessed, and which has just 16GB of RAM.
Here’s how the two new model compare:
| Onyx BOOX Poke4 | Onyx BOOX Poke4s | |
| Display | 6 inches 300 pixels per inch Capacitive touch Edge-to-edge glass 16 shades of grey | 6 inches 212 pixels per inch Capacitive touch Recessed glass screen 16 shades of grey E Ink Carta 1100 |
| Front light | 32 levels of brightness cold and warm color temperature | 32 levels of brightness cold and warm color temperature |
| Processor | 2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chip | 2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chip |
| RAM | 2GB | 2GB |
| Storage | 32GB | 16GB |
| Software | Android 11 BOOX OS 3.2 28 file formats | Android 11 BOOX OS 3.2 28 file formats |
| Battery | 1,500 mAh 35 days standby | 1,500 mAh 35 days standby |
| Wireless | Dual-band WiFi Bluetooth 5.0 | Dual-band WiFi Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 153 x 109 x 6.8mm | 153 x 109 x 7.1mm |
| Weight | 150 grams | 150 grams |
| Price | 949 CNY (~$140) | 699 CNY (~$103) |
The previous-gen Onyx BOOX Poke3 has specs that look very similar to those for the new Poke4, including similar displays, memory, storage, battery, and wireless capabilities.
Onyx has swapped out a 1.8 GHz octa-core processor for a 2GHz quad-core chip in the new models, but as far as I can tell here are the two biggest changes:
- The Onyx BOOX Poke4 series ships with Android 11-based software, while the Poke3 runs Android 10.
- Pricing has dropped: the Poke3 sells for CNY 1180 ($174) in China, or $190 in the US.
via /r/Onyx_Boox, zhihu, and weibo
Does it come with Google play installed? Or it needs some registration work beforehead?
Where to purchase it ,for international shipment? As it is not available on Amazon..
Availability of titles globally is the biggest issue with ereaders. Not ereaders.
can I instal ubuntu on this device?
i need terminal and ssh
No, this is an Android device. Ubuntu isn’t built for epaper displays either. However, you could put an SSH client and even a virtual machine program such as Userland on it. It depends why exactly you’ve asked for those things.
Ubuntu doesn’t support this device. Even a main Linux would be very hard to run, because of closed bootloader, no support from manufacturer, closed drivers, etc.
It is posible you could run terminal and ssh under Android.
If you want e-ink and real Linux support, your option is PineNote. There are some devices with real Linux under the hood, like Remarkable, but company doesn’t support it in that way.