The Onyx Boox Go 7 Color is a brand-new e-reader for 2024. This model is a dedicated book reader with the latest generation of e-paper, Kaleido 3. The screen can display over 4,000 different colours, which makes it ideal for reading digital content such as comics, magazines, webtoons, and PDF files. The big selling points are the physical page-turn buttons, Android 12, Google Play and a thin design, making it portable. Should you buy this e-reader? This review should answer all of your burning questions.
Hardware
The Onyx Boox Go Color 7 has a 7-inch E INK Kaleido 3 color e-paper screen and Carta 1200 for enhanced page turns and performance. The black and white resolution is 1680×1264 with 300 PPI, while the colour content resolution is 1240 x 930 with 150 PPI. The device’s body is sleek black, and the screen is seamlessly integrated with the bezel and protected by a layer of glass. The textured back delivers a paperlike feeling and a secure grip. It adds a touch of sophistication and is easy to hold. Perfectly blending practicality and elegance every time you use it. Thanks to the front-lit display and colour temperature system, you can read during the day or night, including white and amber LED lights. A software slider bar can adjust the lighting with warm and cool LED lights.
One of the standout features is the page-turn buttons. The buttons and their positioning are similar to those on the Onyx Boox Page or the Amazon Kindle Oasis. They are soft and tactile, and the button presses are satisfying, the buttons are positioned on the right side of the screen. If you are left-handed, the e-reader supports auto-rotation.
The Onyx Boox Go 7 series is powered by a quad-core 2.4 GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage. It also features a microSD card slot that can support an additional 1TB of storage. The device supports WIFI Wi-Fi (2.4GHz + 5GHz) and Bluetooth 5.0 and has a built-in speaker, ideal for listening to audiobooks, music, or podcasts. A single microphone is available for voice communication apps. It is powered by a 2300 mAh battery. The dimensions are 156x137x6.4mm, and it weighs 195g.
The Onyx Boox Go 7 Color has Google Android 12 and all the core Google Play Services. You can log in to your Google account and download millions of free and paid apps from the Play Store. This is where you can download apps like Kindle and Overdrive Libby. Suppose you want to sideload your books instead of relying on apps for offline reading. You will likely want to use the stock reading app called Neoreader. It supports pdf, djvu, azw, azw3, doc, doc, docx, epub, fb2, fbz, html, mobi, odt, prc, rtf, sxw, trc, txt, chm, and ppt. If you’re going to sideload your audiobooks, it only supports WAV and MP3, so I would rely on other apps like Audible since you can also listen to them offline.
I like the design of the Go 7 Color; the page-turn buttons stand out since the whole colour scheme is piano black, and the page-turn buttons are silver. The Go 7 is not a premium e-reader; it’s just made of plastic, whereas the Kindle Oasis is made of aluminum. It is essential to know that this is purely a digital book reader with no note-taking functionality, nor does it have a WACOM screen or stylus support. The price is also respectable; it retails for around $249.99 and comes with a free magnetic sleep cover.
Software
The Go 7 Color uses Google Android 12, but it is not a stock version of Android since it uses Boox OS. This is a heavily skinned version that the company has developed, which has a series of bright and bubbly icons and a user interface which makes it easy to click on when using the touchscreen display. One of the ways Onyx differentiates itself from the Amazon Kindle, Rakuten Kobo or the Barnes and Noble Nook is the inclusion of Google Play. Onyx is one of the few brands worldwide to have Play on most of their ebook readers and e-notebooks. Many people will only buy an e-reader with Play since it opens up a world of customization.
The Main UI is at the bottom of the screen. It includes shortcuts to your Library, Bookstore, Apps Storage and Settings. Your library only comprises books you have sideloaded on the stock Neoreader book reader. If you primarily use apps, such as Kindle or Kobo, the books in those apps will not appear in your main library. The bookstore is Onyx branded and only comprises royalty-free content, which is the type of stuff you would find on Project Gutenberg. Apps are where the pre-installed apps are, such as Boox Cloud, Google Drive and many others. Any apps you download from Google Play will also be here. Storage will show a file directory of all your data; inserting an SD card will display its contents. Settings are where you will see all your WIFI/Bluetooth and many other options, such as the number of page turns before a full page refresh is done. You will also conduct firmware updates here. Onyx tends to push out updates a few times a year.
One of the best options is the Control Centre, which you can access from an icon or by tapping on the display’s top middle. This is where you can pair Bluetooth headphones or earbuds to listen to audiobooks, music, podcasts or other audio content. You can access your WIFI network with a login and password. There are also things like AI assistant, Boox cloud storage, Kids Mode, Split Screen, E INK Centre, Screen Shot and a full page refresh. AI Assistant is like a ChatGPT-style chatbot, where you can ask questions and get answers.
Kids Mode is interesting; Onyx is the only brand that does this, aside from Amazon. To use Kids mode, you must register or log in to your Onyx Account, and then you can tweak some settings. You can only have them access things you want, such as the reading app or on an app-by-app basis. Kids’ profiles can be named after your child. When they log in, they won’t see any books an adult might be reading, or you can load in kid-friendly titles. If you are an Amazon user, you can grant them access to your Kindle app. There is also a time option that parents can establish, such as how long you want them to use the Go 10 every day, and a countdown timer will appear at the top.
Part of the control centre is an option called E INK Centre, which is beneficial. This is where you can control global settings to get the most out of your Go 7 Color. You can make all icons and text darker or lighter, depending on your preference. Want to increase the performance of your device? This is where you can set the different speed modes.
- HD Mode is designed for deep reading. Like reading printed books, you can enjoy incredibly sharp text with the least ghosting.
- Under Balanced Mode, BOOX coordinated demands for clear display and intermittent interaction. Quick screen response is assured when you are skimming books or images.
- Fast Mode aims at a smooth experience of browsing websites or activities that involve lots of scrolling. Subtle ghosting may occur, but responsiveness is enhanced.
- Ultrafast mode provides the most rapid response to dynamic content. Though some details may be lost, it lets you watch videos and seamlessly use different apps.
The main software experience is robust. Everything you click on is done so lightning quick. There is little to no lag when opening apps, reading books or using apps. The speed modes allow browsing the web, reading complex PDF files, or coding to perform well.
Reading
The Boox Go 7 Color makes a perfect e-reader for reading books, comics, manga, PDF files, and other digital content. This is because of the colour screen and the 7-inch display. Most digital content takes up the entire screen, with little negative space. Flipping pages is ultra-fast and even faster if you engage in any speed modes from the E INK Control Centre. The page-turn buttons make the entire reading experience very intuitive. The image quality is very pronounced due to the 300 PPI screen.
The e-reading experience starts with the stock app Neoreader, where you can side-load all your content with many options for font sizes, font type, alignment, line spacing and margins. It supports PRC, RTF, Doc, Text, DJVU, PDF, Mobi, FB2, EPUB, CBR and CBZ. CBZ and CBR support is excellent for sideloading Manga files since this is the most popular online format. However, Amazon delivers manga in AZW3 and Kobo/Google via EPUB. You don’t need to worry about forms if you install apps such as VIZ or manga apps. It is also important to note that Google Play Books is also installed by default, so you are not stuck using Neoreader by default.
The Go 7 Color shines when you access Google Play and download your favourite apps. This gives you tremendous flexibility and freedom to use whatever reading or news apps you usually use on your smartphone or tablet. I know many people always install Libby to read eBooks or listen to audiobooks borrowed from the public library. The Kindle reading app is the most popular since it was initially developed for smartphones and tablets. The page turn animation always looks nice and pretty, but it struggles on E INK devices due to the refresh issue. This is why Onyx made enhancements to the app on a system level to eliminate animated page turns, so it is seamless and robust when you turn a page. Over the years, they have optimized many other apps but tend to focus on the writing experience on their extensive line of e-notes. The company has also made enhancements to several productivity apps.
Onyx Boox has a bookstore on this device. However, it primarily sells royalty-free books, the same content you would find just browsing the internet or accessing sites like Project Gutenberg. This bookstore is designed to get people reading immediately, but no bestsellers or books are paid for. You must download dedicated apps to pay for books or use Google Play Books.
I think the Go 7 Color makes a deadly e-reader because of the high-resolution e-paper screen, which makes it easy to read during the day or night. The full-colour screen makes digital content unique. The vast majority of e-readers on the market only use black and white displays, which have been the standard for a long time, but these days, most brands are embracing colour. They know that users want the same experience they would have on their smartphone or tablet but on their e-reader.
Wrap Up
The Go series is an entirely new brand from Onyx Boox that was only launched in 2024. There are two models: Go Color 7 and Go 10.3. I think the 10.3 is the better buy since it has a better build quality, 300 PPI, and can take notes. The UI is better on the 10. Onyx created an entirely new menu system not found on any other device.
If you are looking for a Color alternative to Bigme or Kobo, Go Color 7 deserves a look. It is a free and open experience where crafting your expertise, from screen savers to apps, is a significant selling point. Onyx Boox has been in the game for over 10+ years, so they have good name recognition, and people trust them.
Onyx Boox releases many new devices yearly since it makes its money exclusively selling hardware. It doesn’t make any money with books since they are free, nor does it offer any SAAS schemes, like Remarkable. I recommend the Go 7 if you have an older Boox device or a book reader using the previous generation E INK Kaleido 2.
Onyx Boox Go 7 Color
$249.99
Pros
- Color E-Paper Display
- Bluetooth and Speaker
- Android 12
- Google Play
- Fast and Responsive
Cons
- Single Speaker
- Microphone isn’t great
- Simple, Plastic Design
- Go 10.3 has better value
- Reliant on Android Apps
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.
