Onyx e-readers are ever elusive and new models are in tremendous short supply. This is primarily due to the fact that Onyx focuses on the Chinese market and to a lesser extent Europe. Whenever the company releases a new device they tend to garner headlines, but if you actually want to buy one, good luck.
The Onyx Boox i86 features a 8 inch infrared touchscreen with a resolution of 1600 X 1200 with 200 DPI. This device is employing e-ink Pearl technology, which basically means its not going to give you a robust experience as the Kindle or Kobo which use e-Ink Carta.
Underneath the hood is a Cortex A9 1 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of internal memory and SD card support. Audiophiles will rejoice because this particular model has a 3.5mm headphone jack to listen to audiobooks and music.
Likely the biggest selling factor on the i86 is the fact it has Android 4.0, which allows users to install their own apps. Google Play is bundled on it, but rumors are swirling that Onyx is using an unauthorized version of Play, since the hardware does not meet the minimum requirements for an official license.
This e-reader is only available right now on Amazon and eBay for around $249 US. We purchased one to review for Good e-Reader and should get it in a week or two. Once we receive it, you can expect a comprehensive hands on review to give you a sense if this is good value for the money.
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.