Onyx is a major player in digital reading in Asia, and regularly offers new e-readers with innovative designs and technologies. This time, we take a look at two interesting e-readers, the Onyx Boox Leaf 3 and Onyx Boox Leaf 3C.
As their names suggest, these Onyx Boox Leaf e-readers are two sisters who share a broad base of technical features.
The Leaf 3 features a 7-inch e-ink screen in black and white, while **the 3C comes with a Kaleido 3 color e ink screen.
Both e-readers are powered by a fast ARM processor (octa-core) and 3 GB of RAM.
The design is fairly classic for a 7-inch e-reader, as it follows the codes established by the Kobo Libra 2 and Kindle Oasis, i.e. an asymmetrical design with buttons placed next to the screen for ease of handling.
As always with Onyx, the operating system is based on Android, and offers a range of applications. It is undoubtedly possible to add applications by downloading APK files or via the Onyx Store present in this e-reader's software suite.
Screen-wise, there are two E Ink screens to choose from:
- A Carta 1200 HD 300 PPI screen for the Onyx Boox Leaf 3
- A Kaleido 3 screen for the Onyx Boox Leaf 3C.
It should be noted that these e-readers are also not available everywhere, and that you'll have to wait until the end of February 2024 or March 2024 to be able to buy the Onyx Boox Leaf 3C (the color version).
See the ONYX BOOX e-readers on Amazon.com
My opinion on these Onyx Boox Leaf 3 and Onyx Boox Leaf 3C e-readers
As much as the Onyx Boox Leaf 3 with its 7-inch black and white screen offers a solution and an alternative to the Kobo Libra 2 and Kindle Oasis, I find it hard to understand the positioning of the color version.
In fact, Onyx already offers the Onyx Boox Tab Mini C, which is a Kaleido 3 color e-reader with a larger 7.8-inch screen.
The latter seems to me far more relevant for enjoying ebooks and other content in color than the Leaf 3C (which is still not out, by the way).
What's more, Onyx e-readers are imported devices mainly reserved for the Asian market. There are still a few problems with the translation of their interface (even in English), and there are occasional bugs in the applications.
While bugs in the reading applications can be resolved by installing a better reading application (either with the Android Store provided, or by loading an APK), this is not always the case with the operating system, as these Onyx readers are rarely updated.
If you're looking for a good e-reader, I'd recommend checking out our guide to the best e-readers around, and choosing a model designed by a reputable brand that officially distributes its e-readers in the USA.
