The easiest fix for doomscrolling? An e-reader that sticks to the back of your phone

A couple of summers ago, we collectively decided that books were the hottest accessory, and everyone just…stuck with it. You see it everywhere: dog-eared copies of My Brilliant Friend on cafe tables, someone halfway through a Sally Rooney on the metro. It’s peak performative male behaviour, a tote with A Little Life peeking out like a personality trait. Now, are you even a reader if you’re not part of a book club? Fashion has fully clocked it. Dior has its Book tote, Coach is out here turning books into bag charms, and suddenly the humble act of reading has been rebranded as an accessory.

Of course, the digital version of this story is less aesthetic. This month, readers were collectively annoyed with Amazon after older Kindle models were nudged toward irrelevance. It’s a slightly unsettling reminder that your entire library can be upended by software updates and greedy corporate decisions. And while there are alternatives—Kobo loyalists will tell you at length—not everyone wants to invest in another expensive full-sized e-reader just to avoid the drama.

Which brings us to a very tiny, very online-feeling solution: the Xteink X3. Xteink, for the uninitiated, is a newer e-ink e-reader brand that’s been flirting with the idea that reading devices don’t have to be serious, monolithic slabs. Last year’s Xteink X4 had a bit of a cult following. It came with a 4.3-inch screen, was slightly longer in shape, just a few grams heavier, and still considered impressively portable for an e-reader. The X3 somehow takes that and goes even smaller. And when we say smaller, we mean tiny. Smaller than your phone, somewhere between a gadget and a prop, this $79 device is the kind of thing you can slip into your pocket, tuck into a clutch or attach to the back of your phone like an accessory that might sneak into your next mirror selfie. Yep, it has a magnetic back that gives it that stick-on convenience, similar to those silicone suction phone accessories that are everywhere right now. You can use it while standing in a queue, waiting for a friend who said “five minutes” 20 minutes ago or while sitting in a cab resisting the urge to open Instagram for the 47th time. It’s already up for pre-order and, yes, it’s available in India, too.

The features are quite limited. You get a 3.7-inch e-ink display with 250 PPI, which is surprisingly sharp for something this tiny. It’s lightweight (under 60 gm) and has physical buttons instead of a touchscreen. There’s WiFi, Bluetooth, and microSD storage, plus support for basic formats like EPUB and TXT, so you’re not tied to a store. Add in small extras like “shake to turn page” and a magnetic back, and it leans into being a playful device rather than a serious one.

There are trade-offs, though. The biggest one: no USB-C. Instead, it uses a proprietary magnetic pogo-pin charger, which means one more cable to keep track of...and lose. The screen size can feel cramped (especially if you like larger fonts), and the lack of lighting means you’re not reading in bed unless the lights are on. It’s charming, yes, but also a little high-maintenance in its own tiny way.

Because, the X3 is for the days you don’t feel like carrying a whole device, just something small, discreet, and easy to reach for. So no, you don’t need it. Your current setup—whether that’s a Kindle, a Kobo, or a dangerously tall stack of paperbacks—works just fine. But if you like your gadgets to double as accessories, the X3 is a pretty fun one to have around.