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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.

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.

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.

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

A hotspot?

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.

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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