What if you could take the ePaper in a book reader and actually use it as paper? That’s the pitch from Boox’s latest release, the Go 6 (Gen 11) ePaper Reader . Not only does it offer a clear, easy-to-read display, but it also includes the InkSense Plus stylus for taking notes on the handheld. I’ve spent time with the latest Go 6 to learn about its dual nature and the Android tools hidden beneath the display.

Boox Go 6 Strategy Unlocks Dual-Mode Utility

The Boox Go 6 (Gen II) repositions the pocket e-reader sector by combining dedicated reading software with note-taking hardware .

It’s all about the modes, and the Boox Go 6 offers two modes in its shell. Modes are more than the apps used on a mobile device. The mode, at least to me, means its use case. Why would you decide to use Device A instead of Device B for a specific task? One answer is because Device A has a better mode for what you want to use it for.

In a world flooded with smartphones that can perform above-average work in multiple modes, single-mode devices are no longer as prevalent as they once were. Two areas where single-mode devices are found are gaming and reading.

The Nintendo Switch is very much a device with a gaming mode; curiously, it also has a mode for complete portability and a mode for use with a dock at home. That said, you wouldn’t reach for a Switch to do word processing. Amazon’s successful Kindle line of e-readers is another example: its established device mode is for reading on a specialised screen, and while it can’t do a few things, such as web browsing, that’s not what it’s designed for.

As a company, Boox has focused on ePaper devices . These range from productivity-focused, tablet-sized ePaper devices right down to small, pocketable, phone-sized eBook readers. These all have the clear mode: reading, or at least consuming books or documents on this screen. You can see secondary modes emerging, such as the Note Air 5C with its detachable keyboard to facilitate document work

Into this space comes the Boox Go 6 (Gen II).

Open Android Software Expands The Boox Go 6 ePaper Ecosystems

The Boox Go 6 leverages full Android OS integration and targeted contrast tuning to differentiate the Go 6 from closed platforms such as the Amazon Kindle .

At first glance, it’s clear what mode this device is intended for: eBook reading. While it is powered by Android and you have a full suite of Android apps, including the Google Play Store, the main interface hides as much as possible to let you use it in its primary mode: an eBook reader.

The launcher app is essentially the eBook reader and your bookshelf, with shortcuts to the Go 6 controls at the bottom. I’ve been using this with the Library tab, the Notebook tab, and the BOOXdrop tab (for file transfers via your desktop’s web browser) as the main apps, with the Apps tab opening the more traditional launcher.

Very few Android apps are set up for an ePaper screen and the limited range of colours. Boox have a lot of experience in this, allowing you to set both a global profile and per-app profiles on contrast and compensation to give you the best visual experience. That opens up the reading experience to text-heavy apps such as Reddit’s community groups and Medium’s author-led magazine app.

Having the ability to run the full portfolio of Android apps is a comfort, but I found myself relying on the Boox for its out-of-the-box features rather than exploring the wider Android ecosystem.

InkSense Stylus Pricing Highlights Accessory Monetization With Boox Go 6

The Boox Go 6excludes the $45 Pen Plus stylus from the base Go 6 purchase price, creating a hardware paywall for its primary productivity function

If you’re just looking for a slightly larger screen for reading than a smartphone offers, the Go 6 has a lot going for it. But there’s another mode that increases your productivity: a digital notebook. There is a catch, of course: you need to purchase this stylus separately . The Go 6 (GenII) costs $199.99, and the Pen Plus stylus costs an extra $45. Making a stylus an additional purchase is not a unique approach for Boox; it can be seen across countless consumer electronic devices, but it does mean that one of the major attractions of the Go 6 (GenII) feels locked behind a one-time paywall.

When used as a notebook, the Go 6 (GenII) is a comfortable size, and the interaction between the stylus and the screen provides sufficient friction and feedback to mimic pen-and-paper. The notes app is not hidden away as an Android app but present front and center in the launcher. You have the option for multiple notebooks, and in each one, you can have as many pages as you like. I set up three notebooks: one for quick day-to-day notes, the second to keep track of information needed for a number of computer games, such as Elite Dangerous, and the third as a baseball scorecard book, using the ability to import PDFs as templates.

The Boox Go 6 Implements An Effective Dual-Function Handheld

It took me some time to remember the advantages of a digital notebook after starting out: you can move text around easily with the lasso tool, you can zoom in and out to write smaller and fit more in gaps, you can print them out as PDF files for later reference or for sharing with others. It is far more convenient to carry one Go 6 than multiple notebooks for baseball, gaming, and day-to-day life—not to mention that these notebooks can be backed up, so if they are lost, they aren’t lost forever.

What the Go 6 offers is utility. The old argument that an eBook reader lets you carry multiple books with little effort is a truth universally acknowledged—and if the Go 6 were just an eBook reader, it would have met its brief.

With its stylus powering a second mode, it is like carrying a second device, but one where the form factor and t he ePaper screen complement both reading and writing . The Boox Go 6 is not a smartphone, and therefore it is not an all-rounder device. It sets out to unlock two modes of use to the best of its ability. That’s a goal it has comfortably achieved.