Best E-Reader for Learning English? Why I Chose the Boox Go 7

👀 Why Do Tablets Hurt Your Eyes?

If you’ve ever tried reading on an iPad or smartphone for long periods, you’ve likely felt eye fatigue or dryness. That’s because LCD and OLED displays emit light directly into your eyes, a process called emissive lighting. It’s like staring into a flashlight for hours.

In contrast, E-Ink displays, used in dedicated e-readers, reflect ambient light just like printed paper. They’re much easier on the eyes and ideal for long reading sessions—especially at night or in low-light conditions.

That’s why I began looking for a good E-Ink device, and here’s what I discovered.

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🔍 What I Wanted in an E-Reader

I had several goals when shopping for an e-reader:

• Comfortable reading without eye strain
• Color display would be a bonus
• Occasional use of TTS (text-to-speech)
• Note-taking wasn’t essential (since I already own an iPad)
• Lightweight and portable
• Ability to install different reading apps
• Not too expensive

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📊 Devices I Considered (Comparison Table)

Device	Display	Note-taking	OS	App Flexibility	Pros	Cons
Kindle Paperwhite	B/W E-Ink, 6.8”	❌	Kindle OS	❌	Affordable, waterproof, great battery	Locked to Amazon ecosystem, no app store
Boox Tab8C	Color E-Ink, 7.8”	✅	Android	✅	Color + note-taking + Android apps	Expensive
Boox Note Air 2 Plus	B/W E-Ink, 10.3”	✅	Android	✅	Excellent for note-taking and PDFs	Bulky and pricey
Boox Leaf3 / Page	B/W E-Ink, 7”	❌	Android	✅	Lightweight, fast	No color or stylus support
Boox Go 7	B/W E-Ink, 7”	❌	Android	✅	Balanced size & performance	No color, no pen input

🔍 Note:
“App Flexibility” refers to the ability to install third-party reading apps such as Kobo, Libby, Google Play Books, and more via an app store.
The Kindle Paperwhite runs on a closed system and does not support installation of external apps. It’s ideal for reading Amazon content but limited outside that ecosystem.

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📝 I Thought About Note-Taking Devices Too…

I seriously considered note-taking e-readers like the Boox Note Air 2 Plus and Tab8C. These are perfect if you want to highlight, annotate, or sketch.

However, I already own an iPad, which covers my digital note-taking needs. So I realized I didn’t need to duplicate that functionality on a second device.
My main goal was comfortable reading, not writing.

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✅ Why I Chose the Boox Go 7

After much comparison, I settled on the Boox Go 7—and I’ve been very happy with it. Here’s what I like:

• 7-inch screen, about 195g: extremely lightweight and portable
• Android-based, so I can install a wide range of apps
• Battery life is great — even when idle, the device shuts down after a few days to save power
• Text-to-speech apps work well, including third-party options
• Most importantly: my eyes don’t hurt anymore, even after long sessions—a huge difference from the iPad

And here’s one more key point:
Since I live in Korea, many local users (including myself) find that Kindle doesn’t support Korean reading apps like RidiBooks or Millie’s Library very well, if at all.
With Boox Go 7’s Android OS and Google Play Store access, I can use any app I need, without limitations.

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📱 Best Apps to Install on Boox Go 7 (For Global Readers)

Boox devices are Android-based, so you’re free to install any reading app from the Play Store.
Here are some recommended apps:

• Kindle – yes, you can still use your Amazon books
• Libby – borrow ebooks from your local library
• Kobo Books
• Google Play Books
• Audible or YouTube Audiobooks
• Moon+ Reader or ReadEra – great for PDFs and EPUBs
• Takibook, RidiBooks, Millie’s Library (for Korean users)

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💬 So Which Reader Is Right for You?

Your Preference	Recommended Device
“I only read Kindle books”	Kindle Paperwhite
“I want color too”	Boox Tab8C
“Note-taking is important”	Boox Note Air 2 Plus
“I want a lightweight, fast reader”	Boox Leaf3, Boox Go 7
“I need freedom to install apps”	Any Boox Android device

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✨ Final Thoughts

There’s no single best e-reader. It all depends on where you live, what you read, and how you read.

For me, the Boox Go 7 offered the right balance between performance, freedom, and portability. It’s not perfect—but it checks all the boxes I care about most.

If you’re deciding between Kindle, Boox, or other readers, I hope my experience helps you find the right device too 😊