Boox Go 6 Gen II review: specs, performance, cost

The Boox Go 6 Gen II is designed to be the ultimate go-anywhere e-reader, but a sub-incremental spec bump may not merit a purchase.

Boox has refreshed its pint-sized pocket e-reader with a minor spec bump and a new design. Let’s see if the Boox Go 6 Gen II is worth picking up or not.

Boox Go 6 Gen II review: Read anywhere, anytime

The original Go 6 is one of my favorites offered by Boox, because it tucks neatly into your hand the same way a paperback novel might. It’s even smaller than the iPad mini, which is my iPad of choice.

Its portable size makes it ideal to slip into a tech bag or a purse. As I said, it’s even smaller than the iPad mini. Hell, you could stash it in the pocket of your hoodie if you were so inclined.

Like most e-ink readers, the 1500mAh battery will last you for days, plural, before you even need to think about topping it up. I found that I got a week’s worth of before-bed reading before I instinctively plugged it in, but realistically I could have probably gotten another two nights before I would have really needed to.

Its front light makes it perfect for reading in bed without disturbing a partner or straining your eyes. I think this is the best use case for this device in general.

Boox Go 6 Gen II review: An iPad mini next to the Go 6 Gen II

I’ve been a big fan of Boox screen light for a while now, and I’m glad to see that it’s included by default on the Go 6 Gen II. Because I tend to read in bed, I often leave it on its warmest setting.

Boox Go 6 Gen II review: Lookin’ slick

This is the second notable Boox redesign I’ve seen since spending my time with the devices. The first was with Boox’s Palma, which I thought had a fantastic redesign.

The Go 6 redesign is a bit more subtle, but welcome just the same. The back has gotten a light texture upgrade, which gives it a more pleasing feel in the hand.

While I received the plum Go 6 for review, it also comes in two other colors: stone and shell. The plum is a deep, rich purple that appears black in most lighting; I am a huge fan of this colorway.

Boox Go 6 Gen II review: Under the hood

The Boox Go 6 Gen II features a black-and-white-only display. They may eventually release a color version, but at this point, this is the only option you’ve got.

It boasts a 1448×1072 (300 ppi) resolution, a 6″ HD ePaper screen, and an octacore processor. That’s the same as the last generation.

Boox Go 6 Gen II review: The crisp, clean screen makes it easy to read in bright daylight.

It also features 32GB worth of storage, just as it did before. Storage is expandable via a Micro SD slot on the bottom of the device, which is appreciated.

The only notable spec bump, at least as far as I can tell, is an upgrade from 2GB to 3GB of RAM. Don’t get me wrong, a 50% increase in RAM is good, but I’m not sure that merits a re-release of the device.

We didn’t even get a new operating system. I am extremely disappointed to find that this little e-reader is running Android 11.

Android 11 came out in 2020 and received its final update in 2024. It’s now a fully unsupported operating system.

The biggest problem I see, personally, is that eventually, support for Android 11 is going to fall off.

Right now, for most apps require Android 10, though many can still run on Android 8. Apps that require more robust security features, such as banking and certain email apps, require Android 12.

Again, I really wish that this would have seen a jump. Even Android 13, which came out in 2022, would have been a better choice.

Boox Go 6 Gen II review: How it performs

For running a six-year-old operating system on 3 GB RAM, the Go 6 Gen II performs pretty well. I didn’t notice a huge downgrade compared to something like the Go 10.3 Gen II, which has Android 15 and 4GB of RAM.

If you’re primarily using it to read books on, and to be clear, that is what you should be using it for, it’s solid. I didn’t find that there was a lot of page lag, and even downloading new books wasn’t a slog.

Browsing the web was quick too, though pages that had a lot of moving elements were expectedly slower. I think this has less to do with the restrictions of the RAM and more to do with the restrictions of the screen.

Even third-party apps, like Amazon’s Kindle app, ran just fine. Considering this is an e-reader and not an iPad, I think that it handles the tasks its been given quite well.

Boox Go 6 Gen II review: It’s not an iPad

This section is less about this specific model and more about e-ink tablets in general.

One of the most annoying things that e-ink tablets have to contend with is the chorus of people in comment sections and Reddit threads reminding you that the tablet is not, in fact, an iPad.

It’s not trying to be an iPad. As I’ve said before, Boox makes no claims that it’s trying to replace your iPad.

It’s trying to replace your Kindle or Nook. That’s what all of these e-ink tablets are trying to do, whether they’re from Boox or ReMarkable or anywhere else.

You’re not going to give up an iPad for a Boox device. And odds are, if you’re reading this review, you already own an iPad.

Instead, imagine an e-reader that is capable enough to swap between reading your favorite novel and perusing longer-form documents at work. Maybe you’re a dork like me and enjoy spending Saturday mornings where you drink your cup of coffee while reading Wikipedia entries on geology on your patio in the sun.

Boox Go 6 Gen II review: The back of the Boox Go 6 has been redesigned with a ridged texture, and black has been replaced with a rich plum color

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It’s nice. Again, I really like Boox products. I get to test them out quite frequently, and it never really feels like they’re competing for my affection against my iPad.

Boox Go 6 Gen II review: Still a downgrade in the stylus department

Like most of Boox’s offerings, the Go 6 Gen II is stylus-compatible. I did not receive a stylus this time around, but like its brethren, this e-reader uses the InkSense stylus, which I have extensive experience with.

I had written at length about the stylus situation in a previous Boox Go review. This time around, I’m not going to go into as much detail, but I will tell you why this is a problem.

Previously, Boox used a Wacom EMR stylus, which uses electromagnetic resonance to communicate pressure and position. The result was a quick, buttery-smooth writing experience.

Now, you get a capacitive touch stylus. Effectively, it works the exact same way your finger does.

It still has 4,096 levels of pressure and a solid response time. It is, however, a notable downgrade from an EMR stylus.

The screen is also small enough that I don’t think this would be a primary note-taking device anyway. Personally, I almost feel as though the stylus is unnecessary on a device this small, but to each their own.

Boox Go 6 Gen II review: In the end, it’s… fine.

It’s hard to get excited about this device, even though it’s probably one of the best form factors that Boox has released.

The redesign is nice, and I love the textured back. I think the device feels sturdy and holds up performance-wise.

Unfortunately, the choice to use Android 11, rather than Android 15, remains baffling. The other second-generation devices all made a leap forward, but Boox decided to leave the poor little Go 6 Gen II behind.

Overall, as far as Boox devices go, I don’t think the Go 6 Gen II is bringing enough to the table to warrant an upgrade. And if I were really pressed on it, I’m not entirely sure the Go 6 Gen II merits a purchase in the first place.

Boox Go 6 Gen II: pros

• Perfect size for on-the-go reading
• E-ink display
• Textured back
• E-ink stylus compatibility
• Great battery life
• Feels sturdy, well made
• Plum is an upgrade over standard black

Boox Go 6 Gen II: cons

• Runs Android 11
• Very minor spec bump over previous generation
• Cramped writing space
• E-ink stylus is capacitive, not EMR

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Where to buy

If you’d still like to purchase your own Boox Go 6 Gen II, you can pick one up from the Boox website for $199.99. If you’d like the InkSense Plus Stylus Bundle, you’ll need to pay $232.99.

The Boox Go 6 Gen II is also available from Best Buy for $199.99.