The Xteink X3 is the latest ultra-compact e-reader from Xteink, shrinking the form factor of last year's popular Xteink X4 into a 3.7 cm (1.46 inch) smaller package designed to magnetically attach to the back of a smartphone. It sells for $79 (€73), a slight step up from the X4's $69 (€64) price.
Despite the smaller 3.7 inch screen, the X3 delivers a sharper 250 ppi display compared to the X4's 220 ppi. New hardware additions include NFC, a gyroscope, and an updated button layout. The gyroscope enables a shake-to-turn-page feature in the default software, though physical page-turn buttons remain the primary input method. There's no touchscreen on either model. The same 650 mAh battery from the X4 carries over, rated for up to two weeks of use, but the X3 ditches USB-C in favor of pogo pins and a proprietary magnetic charger.
The device ships with a 16GB microSD card and supports cards up to 512GB. Books load via microSD or wirelessly through Android and iOS companion apps, as there's no built-in store or front light. WiFi and Bluetooth are both supported for file transfers.
One notable caveat for prospective buyers: the open source CrossPoint Reader firmware is not yet available for the X3. The developer is working on a compatible version.
