The Xteink X3: A Tiny Escape from the Digital Cesspool
This device is a slap in the face to every AI powered smart fridge and chatbot that wants to monopolize your attention. The Xteink X3 is a MagSafe compatible, 3.7 inch e ink reader that attaches to the back of your iPhone like a Pop Socket. It costs $80 and its entire purpose is to let you read books instead of doomscrolling on social media. It won’t run any apps, it won’t buzz with notifications, and it won’t let you buy anything. It is a dumb device in the smartest possible way. After testing the X3 for two weeks, the verdict is clear: the hardware is almost perfect, but the software and ecosystem are a hot mess. The factory firmware is clunky and unintuitive, forcing users to seek out CrossPoint, a community built open source firmware that actually makes the device usable. It is a damning indictment of the manufacturer’s priorities that the best experience requires a community hack.
The Problem You Cannot Ignore: No Libby, No Kindle, No USB C
The X3 has a truly infuriating limitation: you cannot legally load books from Libby or Amazon onto it. Libraries use protected epub files, and Amazon locks its books behind proprietary DRM. The device uses a magnetic charger instead of USB C, which means yet another cable cluttering your desk. Battery life is exceptional, losing only 4% over two weeks, so the charger is almost irrelevant. But the device forces you to seek out public domain works or use a program like Calibre to convert online articles into epubs. This is a ridiculous barrier for the average consumer. The X3 is a beautiful, defiantly analog punch in the face to the tech industry’s relentless drive toward more surveillance, more ads, more engagement. It will not fix you on its own. You have to meet it halfway. And if you do, you might just read ‘Pride and Prejudice’ instead of scrolling through a presidential threat. No CVE links are applicable to this article.
Source: Techcrunch
