Boox’s new Picco e-reader is positioning itself as a direct competitor to Xteink’s lineup of ultra-compact devices, promising a front-lit display and accessible price point while leveraging the company’s Tile product line. The 3.97-inch e-reader, slightly smaller than Xteink’s 4.3-inch X4 Pro, aims to capture users seeking portability without sacrificing readability, though key details like pricing, release date, and Android compatibility remain unclear.
Boox’s Tiny E-Reader: A New Challenger in the Market
The Picco’s design appears to prioritize simplicity, with a monochrome E Ink display, front lighting for night reading, and a microSD card slot for expanded storage. According to Theverge, Boox confirmed the device is part of a new “Tile” lineup but provided no specifics about its operating system or features. Good e-Reader noted that to compete with Xteink, the Picco likely needs to stay within a $99 to $129 price range, which could mean limited hardware and a minimalist user interface focused on reading apps like Neoreader, a music player, and a podcast player.
XTEINK is a Chinese technology brand known for creating ultra-thin, distraction-free pocket E-Ink e-readers designed to snap magnetically to the back of a smartphone like a MagSafe accessory. These viral, “purse-sized” devices are engineered for digital minimalism, featuring ultra-light builds, zero notifications, and weeks of battery life. Onyx Boox has realized these guys are controlling the small-sized e-reader market and is working on their own product called the BOOX Picco. The BOOX Picco 3.97inch e-reader is currently being teased by Onyx Boox. As spotted by Good E-Reader, the first one is the Picco, which will feature a 3.97-inch front-lit, black-and-white e-paper display and expandable storage with an SD card slot.
Boox confirmed to The Verge that the Picco is in the works, noting that it’s part of a new Tile lineup and will have an accessible price point,
but without any other details about its plans, like specs, the specific price, or a release date. The announcement of the Picco is an almost direct response to the success of Xteink’s line of pocketable e-readers. The Xteink 3, Xteink 4, and the Xteink 4 Pro (just announced this week) have gone somewhat viral in the last year or so, specifically for their size. The front-lit display could put it on par with Xteink’s new $99 X4 Pro e-reader, which The Verge’s Andrew Liszewski calls the best tiny e-reader you can buy.
However, part of the appeal of Xteink’s little e-readers is their ability to magnetically stick to the back of a phone, and it’s not clear yet if the Boox Picco will have a similar feature.
It appears to have buttons in a promotional image, but it’s also not clear yet if it will rely solely on buttons, like the original Xteink X4, or also include a touchscreen. According to Good E-Reader, the Picco will likely have a minimal, tiled UI limited to basic apps like Neoreader, a music player, and a podcast player, putting it in a very different category than the Android-powered Boox Palma. Onyx has so far limited itself to models similar in size to a smartphone, such as the Boox Palma 2 Pro ($399 on Amazon). That is now changing, as Onyx has confirmed in a teaser that the company is planning a brand-new, particularly compact Boox Tile product line.
Price, Features, and the Android Question
Pricing remains a critical unknown. If Onyx wants to compete against XTEINK, they will have to keep the price down to around $99 to $129 maximum. This will likely result in some sacrifices, such as not using a touchscreen and having very limited tech specs and a custom UI that is geared towards reading and not much else. It is likely it will have a tiled design, which are a series of UI elements that are locked into positioned, so think the Neoreader app for reading, a music player, podcast player and that is about it. For users who want a better experience, such as installing apps, there is always the Palma 2 that retails for 269.99. Michael Kozlowski has written about audiobooks, e-books and e-readers for the past eighteen years, and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Good e-Reader emphasized that Boox would need to keep costs low to compete, which could mean sacrificing touchscreen functionality or advanced specs.
The potential for Android support is a key differentiator. If the Picco follows in the footsteps of other Boox devices, the Picco will run a modified version of Android—which would give it a pretty major leg up over Xteink. One of the Xteink’s most significant drawbacks is that it doesn’t run Android apps, meaning users only have the option of sideloading books into their e-readers. Popular apps like Kindle, Kobo, and Libby aren’t available for use on Xteink devices, but if the Picco runs Android, users could install apps like the Kindle and Kobo ones. However, as noted by Notebookcheck, if Onyx takes a similar technical approach to Xteink, the Boox Picco is not a full-fledged Android device, but rather an e-reader whose software is primarily designed for reading e-books.
Market Implications and Unanswered Questions
The Picco’s success hinges on its ability to balance affordability with functionality. Xteink’s magnetic attachment and minimalism have carved out a niche, but Boox’s Android potential could appeal to users seeking more flexibility. However, without confirmed details on pricing, release dates, or feature sets, the Picco remains a speculative threat to Xteink’s dominance.
For now, the e-reader market faces a showdown between two approaches: Xteink’s focus on simplicity and portability versus Boox’s potential for versatility. As one TechRadar reviewer stated: I love the idea of the Xteink devices but my main hesitation in buying one is the lack of Android, so now I’m going to wait and see if this is a better alternative.
Until Boox provides more clarity, the Picco’s impact remains uncertain.
