BOOX Tablet Go Color 7 ePaper E Ink Tablet 4G 64G Front Light (Black)

I got a Go Color 7 at the same time as a Kobo Libre Color 2. I wanted to see which one made the most sense to expand my reading ecosystem but MOST importantly to add physical buttons to my reading device. I had become convinced that my Kindle Paperwhite was terrific EXCEPT that it lacked physical page turning buttons. I probably would have bought an Oasis but Amazon has puzzingly abandoned that line. But I couldn’t be more happy with the Go Color 7, which I found far superior in use to the Kobo.It’s not perfect – the color is faded and ghosting can be an issue, but depending on how you like to read your books that may or may not be a big issue. For me, the ability to add magazines, newspapers, Omnivore, etc. to my device was really a game-changer. I haven’t missed a beat with my use of Kindle or Libby, since both are available on the Boox device, since it runs Android, and I really enjoyed the expansion of my choices in reading apps. If you primarily stick to Kindle and Libby-through-Kindle it may not sound that interesting but I’ve been surprised by how much more I can pull my favorite reading material in now and off my phone – which is critical.I’d also say that the other really important factor is how amazingly light it is, which, when coupled with the physical buttons, has greatly increased the ease of reading. I always got tired of flicking my finger back and forth to tap the screen and I realize now part of that was just how heavy my Kindle was, with or without the cover. In addition, the Boox has a really pleasant back – it feels like paper – and a magnetic cover which is easy to slip on and off. I keep it in the cover and slip it off and hold it in one hand, with a thumb on the page turning button – it’s very easy to hold it in one hand for a long time.The color I could take or leave, but it’s pleasant, especially when reading a magazine or newspaper. I don’t read much in the way of comics but I imagine that would be nice, as well. The ghosting is a little bit more noticeable than with a Kindle, but you can tinker with the settings app by app, and eventually it’s not much of an issue. You still have access to the Kindle app, and the physical form of the device makes it very, very pleasant to read for long periods of time.I guess I could sum it up by saying I’m a LONG time Kindle owner and I have been shocked by this purchase – I bought it mostly just out of curiosity and it has completely replaced my Paperwhite. I did mention the Kobo at the beginning, but I returned it – it just felt like a really nice little device but the fact that I’d be locked into another ecosystem (Kobo’s) just paled in comparison to the Boox GC7. I know both devices can utilize Calibre, so there’s no real advantage to the Kobo (except maybe the ability to use a pen with it, but in my case I had no need for note taking or doodling capabilities on a device I mainly plan to use as an e-reader). So the Boox Go Color 7 is now my everyday reader (and I’ve skipped over it, but I have Audible, PocketCast and Spotify on it too!). I could see Amazon coming out with a color Kindle with physical buttons that might lure me back, but even there I would hate to leave my other apps. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it!

The TLDR of it all: I’d buy it again and recommend it. However, make sure you have realistic expectations and you’re ready to customize the device to your liking.I was hesitant to get this due to the numerous comments about the color being too dull, and other complaints regarding ghosting and the UI. I’ve owned various models of kindles for the past 13 years, but I don’t like that I’m limited to the Kindle store or that I can’t read comics due to the Kindles only being black and white. I don’t care for reading on a computer/laptop and don’t own a tablet. I didn’t want to get a tablet because I like the way ereaders are lit for my eyes, but wanted color so I could read comics on it. The Boox seemed like my best option. There seem to be fewer reviews which made it harder for me to figure out if I wanted to buy it. So, I’ve written a fairly long one that will hopefully help some of y’all out.The review will talk about the UI, battery life, ghosting, and color.User Interface:The UI on this definitely takes some getting used to. Because the device runs on android software, there’s a lot that it can do which means there’s a lot to learn about the way it works. The UI is like a combination of a kindle, tablet, and drawing tablet. I reference a drawing tablet because of how customizable the gestures are. Assigning a role function to each gesture is a bit confusing at first, but once you do it the first time it becomes fairly instinctive. My main issue with the gestures is the gestures assigned to the sides of the tablet can be a bit difficult to use while in an app. I think that will go away over time as I learn where the screen ends.I do like that the brightness/saturation/controls can be adjusted by app as opposed to having to change them every time you use a different app. For example, when I use Hoopla it’s programmed to up the brightness and saturation so that the comics are better quality, but those settings change when I open the kindle.I dislike that I can’t uninstall certain apps that come with it like the music function. However, that’s something that pretty much every device has.If you struggle learning new interfaces, I wouldn’t really recommend this unless you’re dedicated to figuring out how it works. The user manual is easy to navigate and easy to understand.Battery Life:The battery life is definitely not as long as my kindle oasis, but this one is programmed to power off after a certain amount of time. I generally prefer my devices to turn off when not using them as opposed to sleeping, so this is really great for me. The power off function also helps prolong the battery life.The battery will run out quicker if you have brightness up or have intense refresh settings, which is to be expected of any device. I have no trouble plugging the device in before going to bed, the same with all my other electronics, so the battery lasting more than a day isn’t an issue for me. I can’t attest to how long the battery lasts without charging because I don’t leave the device on for several days without charging it.The start up speed is slower than my kindle, but I wouldn’t say it’s a significant time difference since the device is turning back on, not coming out of sleep mode. The device does have a sleep mode, and it wakes up very quickly then.Customizing:I like that the Boox lets me customize pretty much everything. I hate that I can’t really put a screensaver on my kindle and that unless I pay to remove them there will be ads. With this device I’m able to put whatever screensaver I want.The gesture customizing is also really helpful just because it makes the device more intuitive for me. You can also organize apps into folders like it’s a phone. The app range is significantly larger and I’ve been able to download Hoopla, Libby, Kindle, and Goodreads. They all work well and I haven’t had any issues so far.Ghosting:I don’t think the ghosting is as bad as others are making it out to be. You can increase the refresh rate in each app to help with it.The only time ghosting is particularly bad is if you were on a page that didn’t have only text. For example, when going to the next page of a comic there’s significant ghosting of the previous panels. However, I have mine set up to manually refresh if I swipe from the bottom of the screen. So I turn the page then swipe up. I don’t mind the extra step since it’s kind of all one motion for me.The ghosting isn’t very bad if I’m using Libby or Kindle for books, but it does automatically refresh every few pages/clicks depending on your settings.Overall, yes there is ghosting, but there’s a lot you can do to minimize it. It just depends on if you’re willing to manually refresh every once in a while and how annoying that’ll be for you.Color:Color is what I was most concerned about since the whole reason I bought the thing was to read comics.Obviously the color isn’t as bright. The device doesn’t have an LED screen so I was never under the impression that the color would be super vibrant. I messed with the settings in Hoopla a lot to get the brightness and saturation to a place I was satisfied with. So, you’ll definitely have to put in the time to get the settings right for you.I feel like the comics look like the Silver-Copper age comics. They’re not as shiny as today’s comics, but they look like they were printed on paper like they used to be. I’ve attached some photos for comparison. I’ve also attached a photo of the comic panel the Boox is displaying for a better look at the color difference.The screenshots on Boox come across in the full color I would get on any LED device once transferred to my phone/computer. The provided panel was taken as a screenshot with Boox.My main complaint with color is when you click to the next page/panel it briefly looks like the device is glitching. Once I realized the device was okay and not going to crash, I just made my peace with it and now it doesn’t really bother me.Overall, I think people are placing unfair expectations on color vibrancy, and that this is a good option for reading comics as long as you’re okay with the older look and not the bright and shiny look we have today.Conclusion:I really like the Boox, and I would recommend it to others. However, you have to go in knowing you’ll have to put in the effort to learn the device and how to customize it to best suit you. I think the effort to do so is really worth it for how the device works once customized. I give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars!

I have owned this device for a few months now and I can honestly say that I love it.I love not being tied down to one ecosystem, love the size, the page turner buttons, and although not perfect, I absolutely love the color.It doesn’t get a 5 star review from me because it isn’t perfect out of the box. You do need to learn how to change the settings to make it look its best. I have zero issues with ghosting since you are able to change refresh rates, the apps DPI, and even how vivid the colors are. The screen is not as bright as a black and white e-ink devices, but that’s expected due to the color. This isn’t my only device, so the battery does last me quite a bit. I find myself charging it every 3-4 weeks. Not as great as the competition, but I think that’s phenomenal for a device that isn’t locked down to one ecosystem and you are able to side load virtually any google app on the market. I absolutely love it and it’s the device I reach for the most out of the 3 I own.