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I'm an avid bookworm and a big fan of e-readers as well as the many forms they take. Going as far back as the obscure Sony e-reader, E Ink tablets have always been my jam. These days, though, Kindle is the go-to brand for most folks. And with Amazon Prime Day 2025 on the horizon, you're probably looking to buy one. I'm here to tell you not to do so.
Once upon a time, Amazon's Kindle lineup was top-notch. Everyone used to rave about the battery life and durability, and these facts still stand true about the current lineup. However, I find them too limiting considering what's available on the market now. E-paper tablets have good battery life by default thanks to the display technology, so it's not a unique selling point anymore.
Gone are the days when a Kindle was the coolest kid on the block. Its crown has been knocked over by impressive contenders like Onyx Boox, Bigme, and PocketBook. From e-paper tablets running Android or Linux and colored displays to robust stylus support and wide file format compatibility, the competition is stiff.
To be frank, Amazon is trying to compete solely on the basis of an undercutting price at this point. However, I argue that price alone is no longer enough.
Onyx Boox caters to your every reading-related need
Why should you waste $100 or so on a restricted Amazon Kindle with very limited functionality, when you can add a bit more money and get something much more versatile and powerful?
For $150, the Onyx Boox Go 6 destroys the basic $110 Kindle, both of which have a 6-inch 300ppi display. The Go 6 comes with Android 11, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, a microSD slot, and USB OTG support. You can install any app under the sun on it, including your own reading app.
In pale comparison, the base model 6-inch Kindle only has 16GB onboard storage and an extremely constricted OS with no third-party app support. The limited file compatibility means you can't use popular formats like CBR and CBZ for your comics or graphic novels, and there's no memory card slot. If you want more storage or the ad-free variant, you need to shell out more dough.
If you throw in a bit more, you can even score stylus support. The latest Onyx Boox Go 7 goes up against the $160 Kindle Paperwhite, featuring a 7-inch 300ppi E Ink display and 16GB storage. The Go 7 costs $250, but that price hike pays for itself in terms of the upgrades it gets you.
Like any Boox tablet, the Go 7 runs unrestricted Android 13, so you can install all your favorite reading and library apps. If you're feeling particularly naughty, you can install the Kindle reading app on your Onyx Boox to get the best of what Amazon has to offer.
With 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, USB-C OTG support, native OCR to convert handwriting to text, and expandable storage via microSD, you can access a ton of e-books, comics, documents, and files of all manner on the Go 7. It supports stylus input, comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, has a built-in speaker, and is impossibly thin and lightweight.
Yes, you can read e-books and listen to audiobooks via Bluetooth on the 7- or 6-inch Kindle as well, but neither one has a speaker. None of the Kindle tablets do.
The value prospect of a Kindle just isn't as good
Any time you handle an Onyx Boox, going back to a Kindle is tough. It starkly highlights the handicaps of the Kindle OS and the lack of access and features on Kindle e-readers.
An Android-based E Ink tablet is so much easier to navigate out of the box, even if it is your first e-reader ever. I can't say the same for a Kindle. The Kindle OS feels slower, a little more janky, and less user-friendly.
Something as simple as sending e-books to a Kindle can be challenging. If you use the email method, the first one always ends up in spam. You need to go to the Amazon website on your computer to greenlight it.
Onyx Boox makes the process as simple as possible. You can generate a QR code that can be scanned by another device to directly send files. Alternatively, installing a web browser or cloud storage app enables you to directly download your files from the internet onto your e-reader. I like to store all my files on Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive and download them onto my Boox directly.
A better e-reader delivers a superior reading experience
To sum up, an Onyx Boox tablet has an open-ended OS with unlimited potential. You don't have to pause and think about small actions, like whether you can send a certain file to your e-reader or worry about compatibility issues.
Since the Kindle OS is intentionally limited to the Kindle Store and a web browser, it's harder to use other reading platforms such as Libby, Wattpad, Crunchyroll, and WEBTOON. You're also denied the opportunity to seamlessly view and edit documents on a beautiful e-paper screen using apps like Google Docs, Microsoft 365, Adobe, or Canva.
With Amazon's crisp display quality and robust battery life, the basic formula started out right. But with everything else in perspective, it's a world of missed opportunities.
Anything and everything related to reading or writing is easier, more versatile, more interactive, and so much better overall on an Onyx Boox tablet. Regardless of the model, these E Ink tablets don't disappoint. So why should you settle for a cheap Kindle?
Light delight
The Onyx Boox Go 7 is one of the cheapest e-readers offered by the brand, but it doesn't cheap out in any way. Equipped with Android 13 out of the box, this delightfully lightweight, thin, and splash-proof tablet is highly portable and a stellar reading companion. If you're feeling fancy, you can even grab a stylus to inscribe it with.
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