This Even Smaller Credit Card-sized E-reader Has One Tragic Flaw

There’s a caller smallest e-reader successful my life. The Xteink X3 is moreover smaller and thinner than Xteink’s X4 while besides improving connected nan X4 pinch refined (but still acold from great) software, simplified buttons, and an improved magnetic equine connected nan back. It’s a amended compact e-reader than nan X4 if utmost portability is your priority, but its slimmer creation comes astatine a unspeakable value that’s a imaginable deal-breaker. Instead of a USB-C port, nan X3 charges done an uncommon magnetic pogo-pin connection.

That was a heartbreaking find while unboxing nan caller X3 because it really comes pinch a fistful of improvements that make it a coagulated upgrade. The X3 is simply a millimeter thinner, a fewer millimeters narrower, and complete half an inch shorter than nan X4. It’s overmuch person successful size to a in installments card, but while nan X3 is conscionable a spot excessively large to compression wrong my slim wallet, I tin gaffe nan 2 into my pouch without noticing immoderate added bulk.

When nan X4 first popped up past December, it wasn’t conscionable its size that caught our attention. Xteink promoted nan X4 pinch images of it stuck to nan backmost of a smartphone for illustration a MagSafe battery, seemingly promising an e-reader that went everyplace your telephone did and a much versatile replacement to e-reader cases. But nan overseas positioning of nan magnets connected nan backmost of nan X4 and its size prevented it from decently piggybacking connected my iPhone 16 Pro without resorting to applying adhesive metallic rings and having it awkwardly bent disconnected nan bottom.

I was thrilled to find nan X3 fits perfectly connected nan backmost of my iPhone 16 Pro, and past erstwhile again disappointed to observe its magnets aren’t beardown capable to support it securely successful place. Magnetic accessories for illustration PopSockets aliases nan OhSnap Snap Grip person a satisfying “thunk” erstwhile attaching them to your phone. Attaching nan X3 to my 16 Pro feels much for illustration nan devices are exchanging a anemic hug. They don’t stay aligned erstwhile holding nan 2 together, and connected respective occasions nan X3 fell disconnected my telephone while being inserted aliases removed from a pocket.

The X3 has a smaller 3.7-inch E Ink show than nan 4.7-inch sheet successful nan X4, resulting successful a somewhat higher 250ppi, but nan reference acquisition remains nan aforesaid and depends connected your comfortableness successful focusing connected a surface this small. I for illustration sticking to a mini font, which demands my reference glasses astatine each times, but if your eyes for illustration a larger font you’ll beryllium often turning nan page because nan X3 tin compression less words connected screen. In that case, you’ll beryllium amended disconnected pinch a larger Kindle aliases Kobo.

There’s still nary surface lighting aliases touchscreen functionality, but nan X3’s fastener layout has been improved. There’s now conscionable a azygous fastener connected either broadside of nan e-reader utilized for scrolling menus and turning to nan adjacent aliases erstwhile page erstwhile reading, positive a brace of two-sided buttons beneath nan X3’s surface for navigating menus and its OS.

Having to retrieve which of nan two-sided buttons I needed to property to make a action aliases jump backmost to a erstwhile surface was 1 of my biggest frustrations pinch nan X4. Xteink has improved nan package connected nan X3 and added contextual onscreen labels supra those buttons… but only connected nan homescreen, which feels for illustration a tease. As you navigate different areas of nan OS, those labels disappear. The UI is still often frustrating and makes it consciousness for illustration Xteink wants you to gain nan correct to usage an e-reader this small.

There are a fewer different package improvements. There are much options for adjusting statement spacing that tin thief compression much matter connected surface and a caller usability wherever you tin shingle nan X3 to move nan page. It worked, but felt for illustration an overseas replacement to nan buttons. Wirelessly transferring books to nan X3 from your smartphone utilizing a mobile app besides worked now, but it was a convoluted and clunky process and it’s still overmuch easier to conscionable popular retired nan e-reader’s microSD paper and transcript ebook files straight to it utilizing a paper reader.

Most of nan limitations pinch nan X4’s software, including conscionable 2 font size choices, persist pinch nan X3. It gives nan e-reader a steep learning curve, and it’s perfectly not a instrumentality I’d urge to anyone looking for nan polished UI acquisition of a Kindle. The fantabulous CrossPoint Reader replacement firmware was nan X4’s redeeming grace, but it doesn’t support nan X3 yet. Dave Allie, who spearheaded nan original improvement of CrossPoint Reader, says X3 support is “basically complete,” but its merchandise is still successful limbo.

Despite package and hardware upgrades that consciousness lacking, I’d still beryllium tempted to urge nan X3 because I simply adore really mini it is. It disappears into immoderate pouch I gaffe it into while still being comfortable to clasp and really publication with. It whitethorn look gimmicky, but complete nan past week unsocial I’ve vanished half a caller while reference successful statement astatine checkout, going done a car wash, and waiting astatine schoolhouse pickup. I don’t for illustration reference connected my phone, and I find nan X3 to beryllium a awesome replacement to dragging my Kobo around. But nan deficiency of a USB-C larboard is simply a existent symptom point.

During my testing of nan X3, I managed to misplace its magnetic charging cablegram for 3 days earlier remembering wherever I had moved it. With nan e-reader’s artillery life rated astatine astir 2 weeks it wasn’t a large rumor to misplace nan cablegram for 3 days, but it could person easy gone missing for a batch longer than that. The institution doesn’t urge utilizing third-party alternatives recovered connected Amazon and only plans to commencement trading replacement cables later this month.

In a world wherever USB-C is now astir standardized crossed each devices, having to support tabs connected a proprietary cablegram feels for illustration excessively overmuch of an inconvenience. Making nan X3 a spot thicker to accommodate a USB-C larboard aliases moreover a wireless charging coil would not person diminished its pocketability aliases portability successful immoderate meaningful way. As overmuch arsenic I want to return nan X3 pinch maine everyplace I go, I don’t deliberation I person immoderate room successful my bosom for a gadget not connected nan USB-C bandwagon.

Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge