The Palma is a novel e-reader designed to balance life and technology in order to improve attention. For improved focus, it is intended to be a distraction-free gadget.

The company's goals, which involve creating a backup gadget to keep you away from the distractions that come with smartphones, seem to be quite similar to Light Phone's. After seeing yet another intensely divisive U.S. presidential election via the prism of social media, many of us can undoubtedly support that viewpoint.

But figuring out exactly what constitutes a "distraction" versus a necessary function is very subjective. Returning briefly to Light Phone, we observe a product that was purposefully released with a small feature set before adding new features that the firm first considered "nonessential."

We depend on our little pocket communicators for almost every part of our lives, for better or ill. While reducing reliance and distraction are admirable objectives, it might backfire if consumers are denied truly beneficial services.

At least not entirely, the Palma doesn't begin with the same practical simplicity. Because of the nature of its ePaper display, the device has several inherent restrictions. Reading, for instance, is one function that works better on the technology, but it is far less versatile than the screen of a typical smartphone or tablet.

However, the smartphone has access to the Play Store and runs Android, although a few generations behind. Boox Palma 2 features speakers, a camera, a microphone, and Bluetooth. The Palma 2 has a fingerprint reader for privacy and an improved octa-core CPU.

The Palma is one of the excellent compact e-readers that Boox produces. With a strong front light and a 300 ppi display, it has good hardware for reading in bed. However, unless you intend to use the majority of the other capabilities, it is difficult to justify the $280 asking price.