The Onyx Boox Leaf 2 might be the best e-reader release of 2022. The device does not take notes or have a WACOM screen, instead it goes back to basics are a premium ebook reader. The major selling points are the manual page turn buttons, which are great for those who like a tectonic experience. If you are left handed, it has a gyroscope, so the orientation can be switched. Page turns and the overall experience is quick and snappy, thanks to the latest generation E INK Carta 1200 display panel. Do you like apps? It has Google Play preinstalled and is running Android 11.
The Leaf 2 is the only e-reader in the world that has two different variants of the same product. The black model, which we have in our studio has a flush screen and bezel design with a layer of glass, which helps protect the e-paper display. The white version has a sunken screen and bezel, with no glass. This is ideal for people who like reading razer sharp fonts and will experience no glare in direct sunlight or with bright overhead lighting. Best of all, they are the same price. The Leaf 2 retails for $199 and comes with a free case from the Good e-Reader Store.
The Onyx Boox Leaf 2 features a 7-inch E INK Carta 1200 display with a resolution of 1680×1264 with 300 PPI. What I like best about this model is the choice. You can choose between a flush screen and bezel, with a layer of glass protecting the screen or a sunken screen and bezel design. You can read at night with the front-lit display and color temperature system. The cool and warm lighting can be blended together to give you an ideal illumination.
Underneath the hood is a Qualcomm 2.0G Quad-core (4 x Arm Cortex-A53) processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage and it also has a SD card slot capable of an additional 512GB of storage. This is a dedicated e-reader with no note taking functionality. This sets it apart from many of the other products in the Onyx portfolio. I can can recommend this model to people who want manual page turn buttons and not be locked into a specific ecosystem like Amazon, Kobo or B&N. The Leaf 2 has Bluetooth 5.0, a speaker, mic, G-Sensor for automatic rotation, and USB-C. It is powered by a 2,000 mAh battery and the dimensions are 156x137x6 and weighs a paltry 160g.
The Leaf 2 is running Android 11 and has full access to the Play Store, so you can download millions of free and paid apps. It comes preinstalled, so all you need to do is input your Google account and you are ready to rumble. Onyx has also included their world-class e-reading app that is one of the best in the business. It supports pdf, djvu, azw, azw3, doc, docm, docx, epub , fb2, fbz, html, mobi, odt, prc, rtf, sxw, trc, txt, chm, ppt.
The retail packing as an all black card stock. There is a cutout of the Leaf 2 on the front, along with the name of the product. On the sides, is the Onyx Boox name and on the back of it is a bunch of tech specs in a myriad of languages. Inside the case is a tool that opens up the SD card and a USB-C cable, in addition to a quick start guide and warranty.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
