This tiny, magnetic e-reader might cease you from doomscrolling

It was love at first sight. It felt like scouring the mall, dipping out and in of sprawling malls seeking a particular, elusive merchandise, solely to lastly discover what you’re in search of. Solely, I didn’t even know I used to be looking for one thing just like the Xteink X3, as a result of I by no means dared dream of one thing so pleasant: a tiny, MagSafe-compatible e-ink reader that would connect to my iPhone like a Pop Socket.

This was it. My life would change endlessly. I’d get my palms on the Xteink X3, and I’d cease doomscrolling endlessly. I’d learn extra books than ever earlier than… which is saying one thing, since – brag – I learn a minimum of 50 books a yr. However – not a brag – I most likely spend much more time on social media than I do studying. I do know that I really feel usually much less anxious once I restrict my social media time, however alas, the siren music of TikTok beckons me. What if as an alternative of opening social media, I might simply flip my cellphone over and skim on a tiny, Kindle-like e-ink display screen? Might this $80 gadget repair me?

I’ve tried studying books (… or downloads from AO3) on my cellphone, immersing myself in a fictional world, fairly than posts from the president wherein he threatens to obliterate an entire country. However one thing about taking a look at my cellphone, the place I’m consistently tempted to open Instagram to see no matter Reel somebody despatched me, doesn’t fairly soothe me the way in which {that a} e book or an e-ink machine like a Kindle does.

I used to be so excited for my X3 to reach that I consistently refreshed the monitoring hyperlink till lastly, it was delivered. Though I had meticulously in contrast the scale of the X3 to my iPhone 16, or my Pop Socket pockets, I nonetheless nervous it won’t match – the earlier mannequin, the Xteink X4 (principally the identical machine however just a little larger) solely match on bigger telephones just like the iPhone Professional Max line. However certain sufficient, the X3 magnetically hooked up to the again of my cellphone prefer it was custom-made to suit.

My X3 got here within the mail about two hours earlier than I needed to depart to go to a Phillies sport, so I rushed to load books onto it, as a result of I believed it will be actually humorous to take pictures wherein I learn “The Energy Dealer” in a crowded baseball stadium. Behold, my handiwork:

For the primary a number of days that I had the X3, I carried it with me on the again of my cellphone. This made me a bit nervous, although, since I’m used to having a Pop Socket pockets, which suggests I’ve gotten within the behavior of leaving house with out my precise pockets. However I discovered that I used the X3 simply as a lot once I carried it in my purse or pocket, fairly than attaching it to my cellphone. I’m nonetheless undecided if I’ll hold this setup, or if I’ll begin really utilizing an actual pockets in order that I can connect the ereader, however for now, that’s what has felt most pure. Plus, my X3 shipped with a really compact, cute, magnetic case, which completely protects the machine and its display screen and makes it just a little simpler to carry. At simply $9 for the case, I’d suggest getting one. The case may magnetize to your cellphone, although it feels a bit much less safe than attaching your X3 alone.

Over my two weeks of testing, I did discover that the X3 helped me learn extra. When you’re in line at a espresso store, or ready for the bus, you’ll be able to simply pull out the ereader as an alternative of opening Instagram. I didn’t discover the small display screen tough to learn on, both. However simply shopping for the machine gained’t change your habits – it’s important to bear in mind that you’ve got a 3.7 inch display screen in your pocket that may match a whole lot of books.

The Xteink X3 is fairly near being the machine of my goals, nevertheless it’s not fairly there but. The firmware that the machine comes with is fairly clunky – not unusable, however not precisely intuitive. I anticipated this, for the reason that Xteink Reddit group was buzzing about CrossPoint, a community-made, free, open supply firmware. The method of downloading CrossPoint was a bit intimidating as somebody who writes phrases, fairly than code – however with the directions on CrossPoint’s web site (and some movies), it was straightforward sufficient. I encountered some difficulties at first, however then I noticed it was as a result of I used to be attempting to obtain the X4 firmware onto my X3, so… my unhealthy. You most likely gained’t even want the YouTube movies!

Whenever you begin loading books and open supply firmware onto your X3, you’ll discover one other divisive side of the machine: it doesn’t have a USB-C port, in contrast to the X4. As a substitute, it makes use of a magnetic charger. Sure, it’s annoying to have one more charging cable particularly for this one machine, however I don’t care that a lot. After two weeks of constant use, my X3 has dropped from a 100% cost to a 96% cost, so I can’t think about I’ll be utilizing that magnetic charger too typically. You don’t even want the wire so as to add new books to your ereader – you’ll be able to switch recordsdata over Wi-Fi out of your cellphone or laptop (I wouldn’t name the method user-friendly, however I used to be in a position to determine it out with out Googling something).

Talking of loading books, that’s one other disadvantage. The vast majority of what I learn on my Kindle comes from Libby, which is my favourite app (#notsponsored). The Libby app permits you to simply borrow ebooks or audiobooks out of your library and ship them to your Kindle. However you’ll be able to’t get these ebooks (legally) onto an Xteink ereader, since libraries use protected variations of .epub recordsdata that deter customers from copying them (you can also’t learn books you purchase from Amazon’s book retailer on non-Amazon units, as a result of capitalism). This lack of compatibility is a disadvantage, nevertheless it additionally makes the machine really feel distinctive – it’s a “dumb” machine that has no apps and no contact display screen, which feels startlingly refreshing in an period of AI-enabled fridges.

It’s not exhausting to search out attention-grabbing .epub recordsdata to load onto the X3, even when you can’t entry your Kindle library or Libby. Plenty of nice books are within the public area, which signifies that they’re now not topic to copyright and could be downloaded free of charge (I’ve weirdly by no means learn “Pleasure and Prejudice,” so the time is now). Just a few months in the past, I purchased your entire .epub catalogs of sci-fi writers Charlie Jane Anders and Annalee Newitz as a part of a charity fundraiser, which ought to hold me busy for fairly a bit. When you wished to, you may even flip on-line articles or blogs into .epubs utilizing a free program like Calibre.

So, did the Xteink X3 repair me? Am I now a newly reformed girl who has a wholesome relationship with social media and has learn a bunch of basic novels that I by no means learn as an English main, since I principally took lessons with ridiculous titles like “Aestheticus Extremus: The Politics of Precarious Invention in North American Poetry and Poetics”? It’s not that straightforward. However when you meet the X3 midway and make a concerted effort to make use of it, then possibly you’ll spare your self from a bit extra brainrot.