Boox Unveils Picco, a 4-Inch E-Reader Priced at $100

Boox opened preorders this week for the Picco, a palm-sized e-reader with a screen just under 4 inches diagonally, making it roughly the size of a playing card, according to WIRED. The device costs $100 and is expected to ship in November.

What is the Boox Picco?

The Picco is a monochrome e-reader built around a 3.97-inch display with a resolution of 235 pixels per inch, WIRED reported. It runs a streamlined operating system focused on reading, and it is the first device in what Boox calls its "Tiles" lineup — the interface used to organize and open ebooks on the device.

Unlike devices with built-in ebook stores, the Picco relies on users to load their own files. Readers can transfer books over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or a USB-C cable, and the device supports strong compatibility across different ebook formats, according to WIRED.

How much does it cost and when does it ship?

Boox priced the Picco at $100, with shipments expected to begin in November, WIRED reported. Preorders opened the same day as the announcement, September 28, 2026.

At a Glance

• Screen size: 3.97 inches (about the size of a playing card)
• Price: $100
• Shipping: Expected November 2026
• Resolution: 235 pixels per inch
• Storage: MicroSD slot supports up to 2 TB; a 16 GB card is included

What are the Picco's specs?

The Picco includes an adjustable front light that switches between warm and cool tones, physical page-turning buttons on the side of the device, and a touchscreen. Its microSD slot accepts cards up to 2 TB, and Boox includes a 16 GB card with the device, per WIRED's reporting.

The case has a built-in magnetic ring, letting owners attach the Picco to the back of a smartphone. WIRED writer Nena Farrell, who has tested other small e-readers, said she had mixed results attaching a similarly sized device to her phone in past tests "due to both fit and magnet strength," and said she plans to evaluate how well the Picco's magnet performs once she receives a review unit.

How does it compare to other small e-readers?

The Picco enters a market of increasingly compact e-readers. WIRED noted it is smaller than the Xteink X4 Pro, which has a 4.3-inch screen, but slightly larger than the 3.7-inch Xteink X3. It is considerably smaller than Boox's own upcoming Palma 3, which is set to feature a 6.19-inch screen.

Boox already sells one of the more popular small e-readers on the market, the Boox Palma, according to WIRED. The outlet said it remains unclear whether the Picco or the larger Palma 3 will become the company's best-selling model once both devices are available and reviewed.

What else can the Picco do?

Beyond reading, the Picco includes Pomodoro, Todo, and Countdown apps, positioning it as a productivity tool as well as an e-reader, WIRED reported. Boox is framing the added utility apps as a reason for owners to keep the device attached to their phone even when they are not actively reading a book.

WIRED has not yet published a full review of the Picco. Farrell wrote that she plans to test the device once it becomes available and will compare it directly against the Palma 3 when that device also ships.

Timeline

• September 28, 2026: Boox announces the Picco and opens preorders, per WIRED.
• November 2026: Picco shipments are expected to begin, according to WIRED.
• Date not specified: Boox's larger Palma 3, with a 6.19-inch screen, is expected to become available, per WIRED's reporting.

Readers weighing a compact e-reader now have another option alongside devices like the Xteink X3 and X4 Pro, though WIRED noted that none of the smaller alternatives to Boox's lineup offer the built-in ebook stores found on devices like the Kindle or Kobo.

For more consumer tech coverage, see HTT News' recent reporting on Meta's AI-focused subscription plans and adaptive gaming peripherals unveiled by DAREU.