Despite this light build, it still manages to feel quite robust.
And thats where the positives end for me.
Then there are the software and performance woes.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Thank goodness for BooxDrop!
I found that pages with images on them can take over a second to flip over.
Even battery life is disappointing here.
And while not really a deal breaker, theres no waterproofing here either.
Thats significantly more than the equivalent Kindle or Kobo.
It also happens to be repairable.
The only embellishment on the Go 6 is the Boox branding on the front and rear.
And it makes reading a lovely experience.
Everything is displayed sharp and clear, with very good contrast.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Like all current Boox devices, the frontlight is adjustable for both brightness and temperature.
Other important ones, though, like for the library, are still hidden away.
The initial setup is also annoyingly complicated when it really doesnt need to be.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
The existing Fonts folder has now been linked correctly and that extra step is no longer needed.
Admittedly its a perfectly acceptable choice for an ereader’s operating system, but disappointing nonetheless.
These are accessible at the bottom of the screen.
The rear panel looks good but it’s a smudge magnet
While I find most of the apps useful, the last one is rather superfluous.
These will not be added to the devices library.
You will need to sideload titles if you want to use the native library software.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Multiple restarts of the unit didn’t help, neither did a full factory reset.
Which meant I couldnt download any ebooks I had stored on the cloud.
File transfers also shouldnt be as difficult as I found them to be.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Sure, BooxDrop works a charm, but using a wired connection can be quick.
While that has worked for me previously, I’m not sure what happened this time round.
These are little things, but they do clock up for a user.
Onyx has fixed the issue with the fonts folder in Storage…(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
That said, I can’t emphasize how good the display is for reading.
I think it’s better than the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024), which uses the same screen.
However, it doesn’t offer as much joy reading as the overall user experience isn’t as good.
..which is now correctly linked for third-party fonts(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Pages with images also suffer from significant ghosting, where a dim overlay of the previous page is visible.
In fact, I encountered ghosting even when trying to sign into Google Drive when setting up the rig.
In use, Ive found third-party apps can crash often.
Another disappointment is the battery life.
And this is with the screen light set at low levels.
Wi-Fi, though, was always on, as was Bluetooth.
Switching them off didnt make too much of a difference during my testing.
Top-up time for the battery, however, is quick.
It was fully topped up in 1 hour and 30 minutes.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Performance score: 3 / 5
Should I buy the Onyx Boox Go 6?
You want plenty of storageIf youre an avid reader, the 32GB onboard storage will serve you well.
And if even that is too little, you could always use a microSD card to expand it further.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Or you use the Kindle or Kobo apps on the unit.
You need top performanceThere are too many little software issues and performance problems with the Go 6.
With physical page-turn buttons, it’s ergonomic.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Instead, I used BooxDrop to transfer ebooks, music files and some photos to the Go 6.
The Boox Go 6 (left) has a better, higher contrast display than the 2024 Amazon Kindle (right)(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
The Boox Go 6 (left) displays the same page of the same ebook just as well as the 2024 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (right)(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Some important library settings are hidden away behind 2 taps on the screen
Images on the Boox Go 6 invariably have a ghosting problem…(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
..with a light overlay of the previous page still visible(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
