[downeaster59]

I recently sold a couple of my old devices on eBay, and decided to buy the Carta C67 ML from Banggood. It arrived a couple of days ago. One of my older devices was a C67 ML (Pearl). I don't have the two of them to do a side-by-side comparison, but my other eReader now is a Boyue T62+ (also Carta), so I'll offer a few comments in comparison with it.

What's new with this new C67? Well, we have a Carta display and 8 GB of storage. Everything else is the same, as far as I can see. Even things that could have been improved with the extra storage space weren't. I'm thinking especially of the 350 MB that the "old" C67 offered for user apps. This new version offers the same 350 MB. So, either be really selective with what apps you install (even with the ability to move at least parts of some apps to internal SD), or root your device and check out apps that allow you to move apps to external SD. You'd think that with all that extra storage in there, Onyx could have given us more space for user apps!

The kernel is unchanged. If you root and use a CPU management app, you'll find only one speed available - 912 MHz. Maximum or minimum. That's it. The CPU runs at top speed all the time. Performance is good, but battery life takes a hit.

There are other little signs that things were done a bit hastily. When I check out storage, I'm told that the total storage is 4 GB, but that I have 6.16 GB of free space! The firmware needs tweaking to fix those little details.

However, there is a lot to like about the C67. There is that extra internal storage space, which is now equal to the Boyue T62. (The T62 gives you 1 GB for user apps, so it still wins that contest.) The C67 has a whiter background than the T62, so contrast is quite good. The Boyue T62 has a creamier background. The C67 comes with Google Play Store pre-installed. It feels light and easy to hold for long periods. The backlight on my unit is quite uniform. I have to look really closely to see any shadowing or lighter spots. Banggood sells the C67 with a case from Onyx. However, Banggood chooses the color, apparently. I got a black one, which actually looks good with the black C67. Battery life isn't as good as the Boyue T62, but the Boyue has a lot more battery stuffed into its casing. Build quality seems fine. Everything works well so far. I haven't tried the audio features yet, but I don't use that in an eReader anyway.

You get the same pre-installed choices for reader apps as other Onyx devices, and can always install others. I like Neo Reader for some things, but for most books, I prefer Onyx Reader. If you have a C67 (or any Onyx device), all the font/margin/etc. options will be familiar. Again, nothing new here.

If you already have a C67 ML Pearl, it may not be worth upgrading. But, if you are looking at one for the first time, I can recommend it. As long as you are okay with the 350 MB user app limitation (or can work around it) and the so-so battery life (the same as the previous C67), you may find this a very good solution. The Boyue T62 wins out in user app space and battery life, but the C67 wins out in portability and contrast. The C67 Carta is a bit more expensive than its older Pearl brother, so that might also be a consideration.

Feel free to ask if you have questions about the C67 Carta.

PS: Although Play Store is pre-installed, Play Store and Google Play Services are in that 350 MB user app partition. That effectively reduces what's available for user apps to about 260 MB, as Play Store and Play Services add up to 90 MB and can't be moved to internal SD.