Huge Battery, Gorgeous Screen, and It Runs Android

Need an eBook reader with fantastic battery life and a high-resolution screen, but don't want to deal with a locked-down OS like the Kindle? The Boyue Likebook P78 might be exactly what you're looking for. At $260, is this the essential accessory to ride out the rest of 2021? We think so.

Who Is Boyue?

Boyue is not a household name when it comes to eReaders, not least because neither you nor I can pronounce it properly, but also because until recently, it was mostly an OEM manufacturer. That means it made the eReaders that were then branded by other companies. But why go to a middle man when you can go direct?

The Boyue Likebook P78 is its newest model, and the successor to the Likebook Mars, which we've previously recommended.

Related: Best eBook Readers of 2021

Likebook P78 Hardware

Measuring a mere 8mm thick, and weighing in at 267g, the Likebook P78 comes in any color you want, as long as that color is dark blue.

Charging and OTG features are provided by the USB-C port on the bottom edge. The power button is on the top right; while you'll also find volume controls for the built-in speakers on the right-hand side.

Why does it have speakers? The Boyue reader app features voice synthesis, for those moments when reading becomes too much effort. Simply pull up the menu, tap the read button, and it'll begin. The voice is understandable but robotic, and nowhere near the quality of Google Assistant or Alexa. I personally couldn't tolerate this for long, but the other alternative is of course to download your favorite audiobook, and just listen to it being read by a professional.

32GB of onboard storage should be plenty for a collection of even the heaviest PDFs, but if you do need more, there's a micro-SD tray on the right-hand side. However, you will need to use the included metal poker tool to remove the tray; it's not quite as easy to slot in as I'd like, but you shouldn't need to do this often.

The design is otherwise not noteworthy, but as they say: you shouldn't judge an eBook by its cover.

Optionally, you can purchase a protective case. This features a semi-rigid back, and the cover supports auto-sleep and wake feature, extending battery life even further.

Internally, the device runs a quad-core 1.4Ghz CPU, backed up by a meager 2GB RAM. You're not buying an eReader for its stunning CPU performance of course, but a reasonably good chipset does help to keep page turns snappy.