This tiny, magnetic e-reader can keep you from doomscrolling

It was love at first sight. It was like searching through the mall, going in and out of small shops to look for something, which you can’t find, only to find what you’re looking for. It’s just, I didn’t know I was looking for something like this Xteink X3because I never dared to dream of such an interesting thing: a MagSafe-compatible e-ink reader that would fit into my iPhone like a Pop Socket.

This was so. My life would change forever. I put my hands on the Xteink X3, and I stop scrolling forever. I read more books than ever… which is saying something, since – bragging rights – I read at least 50 books a year. But – not to brag – I probably spend more time on sports than I do reading. I know I don’t usually feel anxious when I limit my time on social media, but alas, the siren song of TikTok lures me. What if instead of opening a social network, I could just turn on my phone and read on a small computer like a Kindle? Can this $80 tool fix it for me?

I have tried reading books (… or downloading from AO3) on my phone, immersing myself in a fictional world, not the president’s memoirs as he threatens destroy the whole world. But something about looking at my phone, where I’m constantly tempted to open Instagram to see whatever Reel has sent me, doesn’t comfort me the way a book or an ink pad like a Kindle does.

I was so excited for my X3 to arrive that I kept refreshing the next link until finally, it was delivered. Although I carefully compared the size of the X3 to my iPhone 16, or my Pop Socket case, I was worried that it might not fit – the old model, Xteink X4 (essentially the same device but slightly larger) only fits on larger phones like the iPhone Pro Max line. But really, the X3 attached to the back of my phone like it was made to fit.

My X3 arrived in the mail about two hours before I had to leave for the Phillies game, so I rushed to pick up the books, because I thought it would be funny to take pictures of what I read in “The Power Broker” in the baseball stadium. Behold, the work of my hands;

For the first few days that I had the X3, I carried it with me on the back of my phone. This made me a little nervous, as I’m used to having a Pop Socket wallet, which means I have a habit of leaving home without my actual wallet. But I found myself using the X3 the way I carried it around in a purse or pocket, rather than putting it on my phone. I don’t know if I’ll keep this, or if I’ll start using an actual case to attach the ereader to, but for now, it’s what feels natural. In addition, my X3 shipped with a very small, beautiful, magnetic case, which perfectly protects the device and its screen and makes it easy to hold. At only $9 for the case, I would recommend getting one. The case can also conduct a magnetic field to your phone, although it’s a little more secure than attaching your X3 by itself.

During my two weeks of testing, I found that the X3 helped me read more. If you’re in line at a coffee shop, or waiting for the bus, you can just pull out your ereader instead of opening Instagram. I didn’t find the small screen too hard to read. But just buying this device won’t change your habits – you have to remember that you have a 3.7-inch screen in your pocket that can fit hundreds of books.

The Xteink X3 is very close to being my dream device, but it’s not there yet. The firmware that the device comes with is pretty good – not unusable, but not natural either. I was expecting this, as the Xteink Reddit community was crying CrossPointHuman-made, free, open source firmware. The process of downloading CrossPoint was a little scary as someone who writes words, not codes – but with the instructions on the CrossPoint website (and several videos), it was easy. I had problems at first, but then I realized it was because I was trying to download the X4 firmware on my X3, so… my bad. Maybe you won’t need YouTube videos anymore!

When you start downloading the manuals and open the firmware source on your X3, you will notice another divisive part of the device: it does not have a USB-C port, unlike the X4. Instead, they use a magnetic charger. Yes, it’s annoying to have another charging cable especially for this device, but I don’t really care. After two weeks of regular use, my X3 has dropped from 100% to 96%, so I don’t think I’ll be using the magnet that often. You don’t need a cable to add new books to your ereader – you can transfer files via Wi-Fi from your phone or computer (I can’t call this method easy to use, but I was able to figure it out without Googling anything).

Speaking of downloading books, that’s another problem. Most of what I read on my Kindle comes from Libby, which is my favorite app (#notsponsored). The Libby app lets you easily borrow ebooks or audiobooks from your library and transfer them to your Kindle. But you can’t get ebooks (legally) on the Xteink ereader, since libraries use secure .epub files that prevent users from copying them (you can’t even read books you buy from Amazon ebook store on non-Amazon devices, because capitalism). This inconsistency is difficult, but it also makes this device unique – it’s a “dumb” device with no software and no touch screen, which sounds incredibly refreshing in the era of AI-powered refrigerators.

It’s not hard to find interesting .epub files to open on the X3, even if you can’t find your Kindle or Libby library. Many good books are in the public domain, which means that they are no longer licensed and can be downloaded for free (I’ve never read “Pride and Prejudice,” so this is the time). A few months ago, I bought all the .epub books by science writers Charlie Jane Anders and Annalee Newitz as part of a charity donation, which should keep me a little busy. If you want, you can convert online articles or blogs to .epubs using a free software like Caliber.

So, did the Xteink X3 do it for me? Am I now a newly reformed woman with a good relationship with social media and have read several classic books that I never read as an English major, since I often take classes with silly titles like “Aestheticus Extremus: The Politics of Precarious Invention in North American Poetry and Poetics”? It’s not that simple. But if you meet X3 halfway and try to use it, then you will protect yourself from more brain damage.