No doubt it's a profit margin game, but I wish the big e-reader companies (Kindle, Kobo) would take a foray into this form factor. The friction of navigating through an Android interface into an app is just enough to negate the convenience benefit of a pocketable device. But the mainstream e-readers are unfortunately just big enough to require a jacket or a bag to carry them in.

I have had the Palma 1 for a couple of years, and don't really think the form factor works. It's too tall and thick to be portable, and with a 18:9 aspect ratio, it's too narrow to be good for reading EPUBs and the like.

While it runs Android apps fine, those that run exclusively in dark mode are barely legible on the screen. It's a smart idea to assign the volume keys to a PgUp/PgDn function, but it only works on the default web browser, which doesn't have adblocking. I use Firefox Android on it, but the VolUp/Down keys don't work on it.

Why can't they just make it a phone?

It looks like a phone. It can use mobile data through sim card. It uses android.

What is going on here?

I don't want to carry two devices where both look like a phone.

One day, Boox might release the Linux kernel source code they're normally obligated to make available under the GPL. Today is not that day. Too bad this issue is slowly becoming irrelevant as times goes on.