Boox has announced a new compact ereader called the Picco, joining a growing trend of manufacturers introducing smaller, more portable versions of the traditional e-reader. The device features a 3.97 inch e-paper display, making it small enough to fit comfortably in a pocket and positioning it as one of the more compact ereaders currently available on the market, smaller even than the Xteink X4 Pro, a previously praised device known for its pocket friendly size.
Despite its small footprint, the Picco appears to offer a reasonably capable set of features for its size. The device includes a front lit screen, a feature that has become a standard expectation for ereaders regardless of size, along with a microSD card reader for expandable storage. Since digital books typically take up very little storage space, even a basic 8GB microSD card would be able to hold anywhere between 2,000 and 8,000 titles, giving users more than enough capacity to last through an extended trip or vacation without needing to manage their library closely.
Boox has kept several key details about the device under wraps for now, including its exact weight, official width, battery life, price and release date. The company has indicated that this information will be shared in the near future, though it has hinted that the Picco will carry an accessible price point when it eventually launches. For comparison, the previously mentioned Xteink X4 Pro currently retails for around 100 dollars, giving some indication of where similarly sized devices in this category tend to be priced.
According to Boox, the Picco represents the first product in a new category the company is describing as e-paper devices with diverse form factors. The company already manufactures e-paper tablets and standalone e-paper displays, suggesting the Picco marks an expansion into smaller, more specialized devices built around the same underlying e-paper display technology. With additional details still to be announced, it remains unclear what other form factors Boox may be planning to introduce under this new product category going forward.
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