A Solution to Doomscrolling
Do you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media, unable to tear yourself away from the endless stream of updates? You're not alone. We've all been there, and it's not good for our mental health.
A Tiny, Magnetic E-Reader to the Rescue
Enter the Xteink X3, a tiny, magnetic e-reader that attaches to your iPhone like a Pop Socket. This device could be the solution to your doomscrolling problem, allowing you to read books and articles on a tiny, e-ink screen that's easy to carry with you.
I was so excited for my X3 to arrive that I constantly refreshed the tracking link until finally, it was delivered. Even though I had meticulously compared the dimensions of the X3 to my iPhone 16, or my Pop Socket wallet, I still worried it might not fit — the previous model, the Xteink X4 (basically the same device but a little bigger) only fit on larger phones like the iPhone Pro Max line.
How Does It Work?
The Xteink X3 is a simple device that connects to your iPhone via a magnetic charger. Once charged, you can load up to 100 books onto the device, which can be transferred via Wi-Fi from your phone or computer.
- The majority of what I read on my Kindle comes from Libby, which is my favorite app (#notsponsored). The Libby app allows you to easily borrow e-books or audiobooks from your library and send them to your Kindle. But you can’t get those e-books (legally) onto an Xteink e-reader, since libraries use protected versions of .epub files that deter users from copying them.
- However, you can find interesting .epub files to load onto the X3, even if you can’t access your Kindle library or Libby. A lot of great books are in the public domain, which means that they’re no longer subject to copyright and can be downloaded for free.
The Verdict
While the Xteink X3 isn't perfect, it's a step in the right direction. It's a "dumb" device that has no apps and no touch screen, which feels startlingly refreshing in an era of AI-enabled refrigerators. If you're looking for a solution to your doomscrolling problem, the Xteink X3 is worth considering. Just be aware of its limitations and don't expect it to fix you overnight.