BOOX Go7

The BOOX Go 7 has a fast octa-core CPU and 4G cellular, both rare for an E Ink tablet. But the 2300mAh battery ranks in the 1st percentile of our database, dead last. It's a sharp 300 ppi reader with a serious endurance problem.

The octa-core CPU is the star here, ranking in the 83rd percentile. That's well above average for an E Ink tablet, and it shows. Page turns are snappy, apps launch without much waiting, and the Brave browser handles online novels without choking. The GPU sits at the 79th percentile, which matters less for reading but helps with scrolling and UI animations. The 4GB of RAM is mediocre at the 31st percentile, but Android 13 on an E Ink screen doesn't need much. You'll be fine with a few apps open, just don't expect to multitask like a flagship phone.

The 7-inch screen is sharp at 1680 x 1264 and 300 ppi, but it only ranks in the 29th percentile. That's because most tablets in our database have larger, higher-resolution panels. For reading, though, 300 ppi is the sweet spot. Text looks crisp. The front light with warm and cold CTM adjustment is a nice touch for night reading. The refresh modes help too. HD mode for static content, balanced for page turns, fast and ultra fast for scrolling. It's a thoughtful system that makes the E Ink limitations less annoying.

The Go 7 doesn't compete with the Apple iPad Air M4 or the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11. Those are full tablets with LCD screens, massive batteries, and prices to match. The Go 7 is an E Ink reader with tablet ambitions. Against the Xiaomi Pad 7, the Go 7 loses on screen size, battery, and app performance. Against the Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus, it loses on pretty much everything except weight and eye comfort. The real competition is other E Ink devices, and the customer reviews mention the Bigme B6, the Boox Go 7 Color Gen 2, and the Durobo Krono. The Go 7 BW beats those in the eyes of at least one buyer, mainly for reading novels online. But the battery issue is hard to ignore when the whole point is long reading sessions away from a charger.

The Go 7 costs USD 270 in the US, CAD 410 in Canada, and BRL 1,600 in Brazil. In Mexico, the price swings wildly from MXN 5,400 to MXN 10,179 across two listings. That's a MXN 4,779 spread, which is absurd. If you're buying in Mexico, shop around. The cheaper listing is the obvious choice. For the US price, you're getting a sharp E Ink screen, 4G, and a fast processor. But you're also getting a battery that ranks dead last in our database. That's a tough trade-off at this price. The value depends entirely on how much you care about cellular connectivity and how little you care about charging every day or two.

The BOOX Go 7 is a weird one. It's an E Ink tablet with a 7-inch 300 ppi screen, an octa-core CPU, and 4G cellular, which sounds great until you look at the battery. That 2300mAh cell lands in the 1st percentile of our database. Dead last. For a device built around reading, that's a serious problem. The 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM are also underwhelming, sitting around the 30th percentile. But the connectivity is a standout at the 84th percentile, and the CPU is strong too. So you get a fast brain with a tiny gas tank.

And that's the story here. The Go 7 does some things really well. The screen is sharp, the processor keeps Android 13 moving, and the 4G support means you can read anywhere without hunting for Wi-Fi. But the battery life, the stylus situation, and the price all demand careful thought. At 195g it's light enough to hold for hours, assuming the battery lasts that long.

Skip the Go 7 if you read for hours away from a charger. The 2300mAh battery is in the 1st percentile of our database, and that's not something a software update can fix. Also skip it if you want a stylus included, since the InkSense pen costs extra and no other stylus works. If you need more storage for a large library, the 64GB internal storage at the 30th percentile is limiting, though the microSD slot helps. And if you're expecting a tablet experience like an iPad or Galaxy Tab, this isn't that. It's an E Ink reader with a fast processor and a tiny battery.

The BOOX Go 7 is a frustrating product. The octa-core CPU and 4G connectivity are genuinely impressive for an E Ink tablet. The screen is sharp and the front light is well done. But the 2300mAh battery is a dealbreaker for a device built around reading. It ranks in the 1st percentile of our database. That's not a minor flaw, it's a fundamental mismatch. If you need cellular connectivity on an E Ink reader and you're always near a charger, the Go 7 works. For everyone else, the battery alone is reason to look elsewhere.