What it is
What the DuRoBo Krono is
The DuRoBo Krono is a phone-shaped E Ink reader: a tall 6.13-inch screen in a pocket body, running Android, with no SIM and no phone calls. It belongs to the same small class as the Boox Palma, the device most shoppers compare it to, and DuRoBo pitches it for three jobs, in this order: reading, listening to audio and catching quick notes. The Krono product page went up in February 2026, and the store sells it in black or white from three warehouses at two prices, which we cover further down.
These are the figures DuRoBo publishes on its own store, checked on 23 October 2026. We quote nothing the company does not print, and we have not had a Krono in hand, so this review is about what the device is on paper and who that suits, not how it feels after a month.
- Screen: 6.13-inch Carta 1200 E Ink, black and white, 300 ppi, with a front light
- Software: Android with the Google Play Store built in
- Inside: octa-core processor, 6 GB memory, 128 GB storage, 3,950 mAh battery
- Controls: a side Smart Dial you press and rotate
- Extras: Spark AI voice and text notes with AI summaries; DuRoBo also sells it as a music player
- Colours: black or white; a $12.99 TPU case is sold separately
- Price: $279.99 from the US warehouse, in stock on 23 October 2026
The dial and the notes
The Smart Dial and Spark AI notes
Most pocket E Ink readers are a slab of glass with a button or two. The Krono’s one physical idea is a knob on the side. DuRoBo says you press and rotate it to refresh the screen, change the front light, start a recording and move through web pages. On an E Ink screen that is a real convenience: a full refresh clears ghosting from the last page, and on most readers it lives two taps deep in a menu. A dial you can turn with your thumb also scrolls without smearing a finger across a screen that redraws slowly.
Spark AI is the second idea. DuRoBo describes it as a way to capture a thought by voice or by typing, with AI voice recognition turning speech into text and AI summaries condensing it. Think of it as a voice memo app that also writes the memo up. That fits a device you carry everywhere, because the moment you have an idea is rarely the moment you are at a desk. What DuRoBo’s page does not say is where the voice data is processed, whether an account is needed, or whether the AI part needs a connection, so treat it as a feature to test inside the return window rather than a reason to buy on its own.
The moment you have an idea is rarely the moment you are at a desk.The Smart Dial and Spark AI notes
Who it is for
Who the DuRoBo Krono is for
The Krono is for the reader who wants one small screen for every book store. Because Google Play is built in, the Kindle, Kobo and Libby apps install side by side, which a Kindle or a Kobo reader will never allow. The tall 6.13-inch shape slides into a jacket pocket next to your phone, and a black-and-white 300 ppi page is as sharp as a pocket reader gets. Add audiobooks and music through Android apps and you have a device built to replace scrolling on the phone in the queue, on the train, in bed.
It is a weaker fit for three people. The first wants to write: DuRoBo lists no stylus, so marking up a PDF by hand is a job for the Palma 2 Pro or a bigger tablet. The second wants colour for comics, covers or highlights, which needs a Kaleido screen. The third wants a phone; the Krono takes no SIM, and if a phone that rings is the goal, our E Ink phone list sorts the devices that make calls from the ones that only look as if they do.
Versus Boox
DuRoBo Krono vs Boox Palma 2, Palma 2 Pro and Palma 3
The Palma is the device the Krono has to beat, and the timing helps DuRoBo. On Boox’s US store on 23 October 2026 the mono Palma 2 was sold out in every variant, and its successor, the Palma 3, was listed at $339.99 but could not be ordered. The only Palma you could buy was the colour Palma 2 Pro. Prices are US store prices read that day.
| Reader | Screen | Pen | SIM | US price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DuRoBo Krono | 6.13-inch mono, 300 ppi | None listed | No | $279.99, in stock |
| Boox Palma 3 | 6.13-inch mono, 300 ppi | Stylus bundle listed | No | $339.99, not orderable |
| Boox Palma 2 Pro | 6.13-inch colour | InkSense Plus | 5G data | $399.99, in stock |
| Boox Palma 2 | 6.13-inch mono | None | No | $269.99, sold out |
Against the Palma 2 Pro, the Krono saves you $120 and gives up colour, the stylus, 5G data and 2 GB of memory (8 GB against 6). If you only read, none of those four earns its price, and the mono screen is the crisper one for plain text. Against the Palma 3 the two are close on paper, same screen size and the same 300 ppi, and the Krono is $60 cheaper and orderable today. The Palma 3 lists a stylus bundle at $372.99, so a pen is the reason to wait for it. Our Palma 2 Pro review covers what the colour model adds in detail, and the Palma 2 review covers the mono model the Krono most resembles.
Read the small print
Price, warehouses and what DuRoBo leaves out
DuRoBo sells the Krono from three warehouses, and the price depends on which one ships it: $249.99 from Hong Kong, $279.99 from the US and from the EU. On 23 October 2026 only the US warehouse showed stock, in both black and white. So $279.99 is the price a US buyer actually pays. The $249.99 figure you may see quoted is the Hong Kong listing, which was not available to order.
The spec card is short, and some things a buyer would want to know are not on it. DuRoBo names an octa-core processor but not the chip. It does not mention water resistance, a stylus or a SIM, so assume the Krono has none of them. Battery life is given as a 3,950 mAh capacity rather than in days or weeks, which is the honest way to state it for an Android device, because the number depends on the apps you run. None of this is unusual for a young brand, and none of it is a reason to skip the Krono, but anything that decides the purchase for you is worth confirming with DuRoBo before you order. The Krono TPU case is $12.99 if you want one; it is not in the box.
Reading and apps
Reading, apps and audio on the Krono
Google Play is the reason to buy an Android reader, and DuRoBo states it plainly: the Play Store is built in and you can download third-party apps freely. That matters, because some Android E Ink makers ship without Google’s store and leave you to install apps by hand. On the Krono, Kindle, Kobo, Libby, Pocket and a podcast app can sit on one home screen, and 128 GB of storage leaves room for a large offline library and downloaded audiobooks.
Two caveats come with every Android E Ink device, the Krono included. Apps are built for fast colour screens, so video and animation look poor and some apps need their contrast turned up to read well. And a general-purpose Android device invites the same distractions as your phone, which is worth weighing if the Krono is meant to replace phone time. If you would rather choose among Boox readers instead, our best Boox e-reader guide covers the whole range, and the best small e-reader roundup sets pocket readers against Kindle and Kobo.
Verdict
Verdict on the DuRoBo Krono
The Krono is new enough that owners know things no spec card does: how many days the battery lasts with the light on, how the dial feels after a month, whether Spark AI works without Wi-Fi. If you own a Krono, or you weighed one against a Palma and bought the other, tell us what decided it in the comments. We will fold the answers back into this review.
FAQ
Common questions, answered briefly
Is the DuRoBo Krono worth it?
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DuRoBo Krono or Boox Palma 2?
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