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Comment by jdalgetty | Hacker News Reader

It's not a phone?

Nope, which is very bizarre. I don't understand the point of the phone form factor if it doesn't have a SIM card slot. It even has a microphone and everything but you can't make calls from it.

If you install signal or WhatsApp would it work?

Yes, if you're on Wi-Fi. It's running Android and even comes with the Play Store. I have one of their larger readers and a lot of apps worked out of the boox.

not if you don't have a WiFi signal available. The part that makes it a cell phone isn't the ability to run messaging apps, it's the cellular modem.

Nope, it's an e-reader in a cell-phone form factor. No modem.

What's confusing is that it's not just a small e-reader. It has a microphone, SD card, the Google Play store, and normal smartphone apps. Everything except cell data / SIM card.

Throwback to ipod touch.

Yeah, good point. Because the iPod touch was also kinda awkward as a product, but it made more sense as a transitionary device when smartphone penetration wasn't fully ubiquitous.

In 2025, the Palma product seems like feature creep since I wouldn't expect smartphone apps to appeal to anyone looking for less distraction. That's how most people use tablets which are dedicated distraction devices stuck on wifi.

I've often wondered why there aren't devices that have all network operations bundled into a removable module; that way you could get both people who want some level of disconnect and those who want a more thorough level of disconnect.

I had one of these[1]. Worst part was that the push-push slot wasn't so secure and modem would crash silently.

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W-SIM

There are attempts at module based electronics. Google had “Project Ara" https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Ara

The HMD fusion budget smartphone has a pogo-pin port on the back for peripherals https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/03/hmd_fusion_review/

Not sure why they fail in the marketplace. Maybe look at other similar market failures like power tools with different interchangable heads? I suspect the sticker price of the individual modules scares consumers.

A hotspot?

LMAO what. I was really impressed and thought of buying one. I was thinking that it could replace my phone, and I wouldn't use phone as much.

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