Boox Go Color 7: A compact and versatile colour e-reader
Boox Go Color 7. Pictures: Boox.
While many e-readers offer similar features, the Boox Go Color 7 promises a more immersive reading experience, especially for those who appreciate colour. For everyone else, especially those who only read text-based e-books, the colour e-ink display is overkill.
The Go Color 7’s is lightweight and thin, making it easy to carry around in a bag or even a large pocket. The back of the e-reader has a textured, paper-like finish that enhances grip, though I found using it with the included flip case to be more convenient. The case attaches magnetically and offers protection while ensuring the device remains securely in place.
I love the physical page-turning buttons that allow you to flip through pages without swiping the screen. You can even customise these buttons to suit your preferences, such as using them for volume control in the Kindle app, which can then be configured to turn pages with volume controls.
The Go Color 7 features a 7-inch colour e-ink display. Unlike traditional LCD or OLED screens found on tablets, e-ink technology mimics the look of ink on paper, making it easier on the eyes, especially for extended reading sessions. Adding colour enhances the experience, making it particularly useful for browsing book covers and comics, highlighting text, or reading colour-coded documents.
The device offers a resolution of 300 PPI for black-and-white content and 150 PPI for colour, which is standard for colour e-readers. While black-and-white content appears crisp, the lower resolution for colour content might not be ideal for graphic novels or other highly visual content. The colours aren’t as vibrant as on a tablet or phone, but they add a nice touch for casual reading.
The Go Color 7 offers various refresh modes to optimise the reading experience. These include Normal mode for regular reading, Speed mode for faster refresh rates, A2 mode for smoother scrolling, and Regal mode, which minimises ghosting but introduces a slight flickering. Unfortunately, the device lacks Boox’s Super Refresh Technology (BSR), which could have improved colour display quality and reduced ghosting. The absence of BSR is likely a trade-off to preserve battery life, a crucial consideration for a portable device like this.
This is a reasonable compromise for those prioritising battery life over perfect refresh rates.
The Go Color 7 has a 2,300 mAh battery, which performed admirably during my testing. However, it is an Android device, and by default, it will power off to save battery. A complete startup takes around 30 seconds. You can customise the device to power off from 15 minutes to never, but I put this to a day. That way, I didn’t have to wait for it to power on every time I picked it up, and it still had excellent battery life. I set the auto-sleep mode to five minutes, but it wakes up immediately when you press the power button.
The Go Color 7 runs on Android 12, providing access to the Google Play Store and a wide range of reading apps, including Kindle, BorrowBox, Kobo, and many more excellent reading resources. This versatility means you’re not locked into a single ecosystem, allowing you to consolidate all your reading materials on one device.
While standard Android apps like Instagram or YouTube can be downloaded, they aren’t ideal for the e-ink display.
The device also supports audiobooks through the built-in speaker or Bluetooth headphones. Additionally, it can handle various ebook formats, including ePubs and PDFs, making it a versatile tool for all your reading needs.
The Go Color 7’s interface allows for extensive customisation. In the e-ink centre, you can adjust colour settings, refresh rates, and other display options to optimise your reading experience. While this level of customisation is excellent, you’ll also need to spend some time tweaking settings to get the most out of the device.
The Boox Go Color 7 is a compelling choice for those who want a portable, versatile e-reader with the added benefit of colour. While I love the Go Color 7's portability and versatility, I wish it had pen support because it would make a fantastic notetaking device. I appreciate this is a very niche application, and there are so many other excellent devices with pen support from Boox and many other companies.
€280 Boox
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