The Compact Boox Picco Reader Arrives in November with a Touchscreen

In the growing e-reader market, companies are striving to offer smaller and more practical devices for lovers of digital reading. As part of this trend, «Boox» has returned to spotlight its compact «Picco» device, which it had briefly unveiled last July without any notable details. Today, through coverage of the «IFA» tech expo, additional information about this device is available, although the price remains the most prominent mystery.

A Direct Competitor to the Xteink X4

The «Picco» comes as «Boox»'s response to the «Xteink X4» reader, which has garnered wide attention recently. However, the company chose a different path in some details; unlike «Xteink» devices, the «Picco» will not include magnets on the back that allow it to be attached to a smartphone, an option that some users accustomed to this practical feature may miss.

Touchscreen and Customizable Buttons

The device relies on a 3.97-inch e-paper screen, and this time it comes with touch capability, a development welcomed by specialists who considered it a useful addition compared to the «X4 Pro» device. The «Picco» is also equipped with physical buttons for page-turning, distinguished by the ability to customize them to perform different functions depending on how they are pressed:

• A short press to execute a specific action.
• A long press to activate a different function.

This variety gives the user greater flexibility in controlling the device while reading.

Storage Options and Transferring Books

One of the notable aspects is that the «Picco» does not have internal storage memory, but instead relies entirely on a «microSD» card to store books and files. Nevertheless, the company has provided more than one way to transfer content to the device, including:

• Adding files directly to the memory card.
• Transferring via the «USB-C» port, a feature that «Xteink» devices lack.
• Transferring wirelessly via «WiFi» using a companion app.

A Different Operating System from Other Boox Devices

Unlike other «Boox» devices that run on the «Android» system, the «Picco» relies on a simplified operating system based on «Linux». The company has added a set of additional applications to enhance the user experience, including a timer, a to-do list, and a tool for tracking reading statistics.

But this approach has its trade-off; «Boox» is unlikely to open the system firmware as «Xteink» did, which means the device may be less modifiable and customizable by advanced users.

Details Still Unclear

Despite the new information, there are still unknown aspects awaiting disclosure, most notably:

• The final price of the device.
• Battery life.
• Support for «Bluetooth» technology.
• The ability to play audiobooks.

All these details are expected to be revealed during the coming month of November, which is the likely date for the device's official market release. The most important question remains related to the price, which will largely determine the «Picco»'s ability to compete with similar devices in this growing category of compact e-readers.

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