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A top Kindle rival is getting jazzy with the looks and you’ll probably want this e-reader

Minimalism is out, personality is in.

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Onyx Poke 7 Boox Colours
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Amazon’s Kindle lineup may dominate the e-reader market, but Onyx Boox clearly wants to be the cool kid in the room. And with the upcoming Poke 7 series, it is leaning hard into style. Because honestly, these new e-readers look way more fun than most gadgets in this category have any right to.

What’s new with the Onyx Boox Poke 7 series?

Ahead of its official launch in China on May 21, Onyx Boox has revealed the redesigned look of the upcoming Poke 7 series, and it is a noticeable departure from the usual plain black slab aesthetic most e-readers stick to.

The company appears to be pushing a much more playful and lifestyle-focused design language this time around, with colorful finishes, softer styling, and a cleaner overall look. The new models are expected to sit within Boox’s compact portable lineup, aimed at readers who want something lightweight and easier to carry around daily.

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While full specifications are still under wraps, the Poke 7 series is expected to continue offering Android support, which remains one of Boox’s biggest advantages over Kindle and Kobo devices. That means access to third-party reading apps, note-taking tools, cloud syncing, and a much more flexible experience overall.

Boox clearly understood the assignment

For years, most e-readers have looked like they were designed by someone terrified of fun. Kindles, Kobos, and even older Boox devices largely stuck to the same safe formula: matte black slabs, thick bezels, minimal personality, and what can only be described as “generic tech rectangle” energy. That is why companies like Boox are suddenly standing out. With colorful finishes, Android-powered flexibility, stylus support, and designs that feel closer to lifestyle gadgets than library tools, modern e-readers are slowly evolving beyond “just for reading.”

Devices like the Palma and Poke series are already blurring the line between minimalist tablets and traditional e-readers, and honestly, that shift feels overdue. Because if people carry these things around every day like phones, it makes sense that they should look a little less like office equipment and a little more like something users actually want to show off.

Varun Mirchandani
Varun is an experienced technology journalist and editor with over eight years in consumer tech media. His work spans…
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