Onyx BOOX Poke 5: The Pocket Android Reader That Works
Compare this device to the Onyx BOOX C67ML Carta Plus we covered elsewhere on this site — the same company, the same core idea, eight years apart — and the gap is almost funny. The C67ML’s touchscreen reportedly lagged one to two seconds and sometimes didn’t respond at all. The Poke 5 runs Android 11 with a genuine app store, a 2 GHz quad-core processor, and a 300 ppi screen, in a body that weighs 160 grams. Same company. Same premise. A decade of hardware catching up to the idea.
That comparison is the whole reason to include this device in a section otherwise devoted to forgotten, discontinued hardware: the Poke 5 is neither forgotten nor discontinued — it’s a genuinely current, genuinely good small e-reader, and it’s worth understanding exactly where it sits.
What it actually is
Onyx released the BOOX Poke 5 in May 2023, positioned as the company’s most compact 6-inch reader — a pocketable Android e-ink device aimed at people who want a small, light reader that can also run library-lending apps, browse the web, or handle whatever else Google Play offers, rather than being locked into a single manufacturer’s store.
Specifications
| Screen | 6″, E Ink Carta Plus, 1072 × 1448 |
| Resolution | 300 ppi |
| Front light | MOON Light 2 — adjustable warm/cool front light, flicker-free |
| Touch | Capacitive multi-touch |
| OS | Android 11, with Google Play Store access |
| Processor | Quad-core, 2 GHz (Qualcomm) |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Storage | 32 GB internal, microSD expansion |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Port | USB Type-C (OTG-capable) |
| Battery | 1500 mAh |
| Dimensions | 148 × 108 × 6.8 mm |
| Weight | 160 g |
| Formats | EPUB, PDF, DjVu, MOBI, DOC/DOCX, FB2, CHM, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBR/CBZ, plus common image and audio formats |
| Released | May 2023 |
What it’s actually like to use — and what’s wrong with it
The 300 ppi Carta Plus screen puts the Poke 5 firmly in current-generation territory, matching the sharpness of flagship Kindle and Kobo panels rather than trailing behind them the way older BOOX devices did. Full Google Play access means library-lending apps, web browsers, and note-taking tools all run natively rather than requiring the workarounds that older or more restricted e-readers need — this is the single biggest practical difference between a device like this and something like the older BOOX hardware covered elsewhere on this site, or a locked-down Kindle.
The trade-offs are the ones inherent to any Android e-ink device: a 1500 mAh battery has to power a full Android stack rather than a simple reading firmware, so battery life, while still measured in days rather than hours, doesn’t match the multi-week claims of simpler dedicated readers like the PocketBook or Tolino devices covered elsewhere in this collection. Android running on e-ink also means occasional visual artifacting during scrolling or app transitions — inherent to how e-ink refreshes compare to LCD, mitigated but not eliminated by BOOX’s SNOW Field partial-refresh mode. And at 2 GB of RAM, it’s capable but not lavish — heavier apps or a lot of multitasking will show the ceiling faster than on a phone or tablet with more memory.
None of this is a criticism unique to the Poke 5 — it’s the general shape of what you sign up for with any Android e-ink device, and the Poke 5 handles that trade-off about as gracefully as a device this size can.
Who should buy one now, if anyone
This is one of the rare devices in this collection where the honest answer isn’t “buy the modern equivalent instead” — the Poke 5 largely is the modern equivalent, at least within its size category.
Buy one if: you want the smallest, lightest current BOOX reader and don’t need a larger screen for PDFs or note-taking · you want full Android app access — library apps, web browsing, third-party reading software — in a pocketable reading device · you’re comparing it against older BOOX hardware and want to understand what a decade of development actually bought.
Consider something else if: you read a lot of PDFs or technical documents where a larger screen matters — BOOX’s larger-format devices, covered on our BOOX hub, handle that better · you want the longest possible battery life above all else, in which case a simpler dedicated device like a current Kobo or Kindle, covered on our Kobo and Kindle hubs, will outlast it.
Where to find one
As a current device, the Poke 5 is best bought new — check current price through Amazon or the official BOOX store rather than hunting secondhand listings, since this isn’t the kind of discontinued rarity the rest of this collection covers. If you do find a used one on eBay, the usual secondhand checks apply: battery health, screen condition, and confirming it hasn’t been reset to a region-locked firmware.
Questions people actually ask
Does the Poke 5 have full Google Play access?
Yes — it runs Android 11 with Google Play Services and the Play Store, allowing installation of most Android apps, including library-lending apps like Libby.
How does it compare to older BOOX devices like the C67ML?
Dramatically better on every measurable spec — screen resolution, processor speed, RAM, storage, and touch responsiveness. The C67ML was an early, underpowered attempt at the same core idea; the Poke 5 is that idea fully realized. See our C67ML Carta Plus writeup for the full comparison.
Does it have a headphone jack?
No headphone jack is listed in the specifications — audio output is via Bluetooth 5.0 or the USB-C port.
Is this a good first e-reader, or better suited to existing BOOX users?
It works well as a first e-reader if pocket size and Android flexibility matter to you specifically. If you just want the simplest possible reading experience without managing an Android device, a dedicated Kindle or Kobo will be a gentler starting point — see our best e-readers guide for a broader comparison across brands.
Sources: Official ONYX BOOX Poke 5 product page; Gizmochina launch coverage; How-To Geek review; Good e-Reader hands-on review.
This is one of the odd ones. If you own something stranger, we would like to see it — the Miscellaneous E-Readers section exists precisely for devices the rest of the internet forgot.
Disclosure: we earn a commission if you buy through links on this page.
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