TechCrunch Picks Holiday Gadgets From $20 Dumb Phones to $499.99 Ice Makers

Q: Does the Boox Palma Pro 2's E Ink screen handle third-party apps well enough to justify its premium price?

Yes—for a specific buyer, but not broadly enough to make it an easy value recommendation. The Boox Palma Pro 2’s main advantage is that its Android-based E Ink screen can run third-party apps like Kindle, Kobo and Libby, which directly solves the biggest limitation of tiny dedicated readers such as the Xteink models. Reviews cited in the additional material say that flexibility makes it much better for people who already read across multiple ecosystems, use library apps, or want audiobooks, podcasts, email and read-it-later tools on one pocketable device. But the screen does not handle those apps like a normal phone or tablet. Multiple reports describe sluggish animations, slow scrolling, choppy interfaces and visible ghosting, especially in apps not optimized for E Ink. That means the device works best when the apps are used mainly for static reading rather than dynamic browsing. It can be tuned with refresh settings, but that is still a compromise, not seamless performance. Whether the premium price is justified depends on use case. At roughly $400, it is expensive for an e-reader, and its battery life of about five to seven days is also well below many traditional e-readers. For someone who wants a phone-sized, eye-friendly reading device with broad app access, reviewers found the tradeoff worthwhile. For someone who mainly wants a smooth, lower-cost reading experience, a Kindle or Kobo-style reader remains the better value.

3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Nov 15

TechCrunch’s holiday guide spotlights reporter-tested gadgets across reading, kitchen, AI, digital detox and health categories, with prices ranging from a $20 Dumb Phone to a $499.99 smart ice maker.
E-readers lead the recommendations, with the $55 Xteink X3 and $99 X4 Pro pitched as standout budget picks, while the $400 Boox Palma Pro 2 and $259 Kobo Libra Colour offer fuller app support or larger screens.
Kitchen gifts skew premium: the $99 Ember Mug 3 drops mandatory app controls, the $449.99 Ninja Crispi combines microwave and air fryer functions, and GoveeLife’s $499.99 nugget ice maker targets buyers obsessed with “good ice.”
Digital-minimalism and niche tech picks include the $59 Brick, $129 Brick Night, $20-plus-plan Dumb Phone, $230 OpenAI Codex Micro and Oura Ring 5 at $399-$499 plus a $5.99 monthly subscription.
The guide reflects a broader holiday-shopping pitch built on products reporters said they would personally use or buy, emphasizing practical favorites over novelty gadgets.