This E Ink Smartphone Is Ripping Out Its SIM Support To Compete Against Boox
Contents
Summary
- Bigme’s HiBreak smartphone is ditching its SIM and turning into an e-reader like Boox’s Palma.
- The HiBreak e-reader will have specs similar to those of the smartphone model, maintaining 275 PPI.
- Bigme likely aims to undercut Boox on Amazon by offering a more affordable e-reader.
One of the latest trends with e-readers is phone-sized e-readers, first explored by Boox with the Palma. Of course, one of the biggest complaints about the Palma and its sequel is that neither are a phone, and what with Hisense really being the only one making E Ink phones (that aren’t sold in the US), this left room in the market for Bigme to fill with the HiBreak, an E Ink smartphone packing 4G that does actually work in the US. This left fans begging for a 5G model, which is coming, known as the HiBreak Pro. Still, with Boox cleaning up with the Palma and Palma 2, it was clear Bigme would need a device that could compete.
Well, thanks to coverage over at Good E-Reader, we now know Bigme is planning to release a HiBreak without a SIM slot, essentially turning the phone into a regular ‘ol e-reader like Boox’s Palma. Details are still light, but Good E-Reader has a video hands-on, so the device indeed exists and should be coming soon despite the fact it still doesn’t have an official name.
Bigme’s HiBreak is ditching its SIM
Expect the same internals as the HiBreak smartphone minus SIM support
Beyond Good E-Reader’s article announcing the new Bigme device sans SIM slot, a video was created showing the e-reader in-hand. While it’s worth acknowledging that the site runs its own store selling e-readers (including the unnamed Bigme discussed in this article), which means it has an incentive to talk up the very devices it covers, the above video appears to honestly discuss what the Bigme HiBreak minus a SIM slot looks, feels, and runs like, offering a solid first look at Bigme’s unamed device.
More or less, this upcoming HiBreak that excludes a SIM will offer the same internals as the smartphone, packing a Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765 (a 2.3 GHz, Cortex-A53 processor) and 128 GB of storage, all while offering 6 GB of RAM. The same 5.84-inch e-paper display still offers 275 PPI, which clocks in slightly smaller than Boox’s Palma, ensuring the HiBreak is plenty pocketable with its 3300 mAh battery. Of course, the device runs Android, apparently 11, and knowing Bigme, it’ll likely stay on this version. There is also an SD slot that supports cards up to 1 TB, with the SIM part of the tray covered with extra plastic. The most significant change appears to be the removal of the SIM slot, and that’s just about it.
For those who haven’t noticed, Bigme sells a lot of its devices on Amazon, and so does its competitor Boox, and one of the hotter items when searching e-readers on Amazon is the Palma 2. The only real competitor at this size and shape in the US has been Bigme with its HiBreak smartphone, and while the HiBreak smartphone already clocks in cheaper than the Palma 2, imagine how much more affordable it can get once SIM support is removed, which is likley Bime’s play, undercut Boox on Amazon and eat its lunch. While it remains to be seen if Bigme has what it takes, the board is set; now we just need to watch the game play out.
