www-theatlantic-com-xdprpu.txt (15641B)
1 [1]Skip to content 2 3 Site Navigation 4 5 • [2] 6 • 7 [5]Popular[6]Latest[7]Newsletters 8 9 Sections 10 11 □ [8]Ideas 12 □ [9]Politics 13 □ [10]Economy 14 □ [11]Global 15 □ [12]National Security 16 □ [13]Washington Week 17 □ [14]Features 18 □ [15]Technology 19 □ [16]AI Watchdog 20 □ [17]Science 21 □ [18]Planet 22 □ [19]Health 23 □ [20]Philosophy 24 □ [21]Education 25 □ [22]Culture 26 □ [23]Comedy 27 □ [24]Family 28 □ [25]Books 29 □ [26]Fiction 30 □ [27]Photography 31 □ [28]Events 32 □ [29][nav-archiv]Explore The Atlantic Archive 33 □ [30][games_prom]Play The Atlantic Games 34 □ [31]Listen to Podcasts and Articles 35 36 The Print Edition 37 38 [32]View the current print edition 39 [33]Latest Issue[34]Past Issues 40 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 41 [35]Give a Gift 42 • 43 Search The Atlantic 44 [38][ ] 45 Quick Links 46 □ [39][intro_sprint_2_emble] 47 Audio 48 □ [40][crossword_icon_intro] 49 Crossword Puzzle 50 □ [41][archive-thumbnail] 51 Magazine Archive 52 □ [42][YourSubscription_300] 53 Your Subscription 54 • [44]Popular 55 • [45]Latest 56 • [46]Newsletters 57 58 [47] [48] 59 60 • [49]Sign In 61 • [50]Subscribe 62 63 [51]Technology 64 65 This Tiny E-Reader Is the Single Best Piece of Technology in Years 66 67 The $70 Xteink X3 puts Silicon Valley to shame. 68 69 70 By [52]Saahil Desai 71 72 The Xteink X3 e-reader attached to an iPhone. 73 74 Illustration by Jonelle Afurong / The Atlantic. Source: Getty. 75 76 September 6, 2026, 8 AM ET 77 Share 78 Save 79 80 No matter how you read it, The Power Broker is a serious undertaking. The 81 paperback weighs as much as a brick; to avoid lugging around all 1,344 pages, 82 people have cut it apart at the spine and chunked it into sections. Others have 83 organized in-person Power Broker marathon readings that run continuously for 84 three full days. I decided to try something else. 85 86 Over the past several weeks, I’ve spent 10 hours paging through Robert Caro’s 87 masterpiece on an e-reader the size of a credit card. It’s magnetic, and small 88 enough to attach to the back of my iPhone without adding any real bulk to my 89 pocket. (Yes, this does mean that I have a screen on the back of another 90 screen.) It’s called the Xteink X3, and at a glance, it looks like a cheap 91 gimmick: more electronic junk made by unknown brands and sold on Temu and 92 TikTok Shop—the kind of thing influencers are always hawking. (Can I interest 93 you in a programmable LED hat for $11.60? Or how about $20 AirPod look-alikes 94 made by “Fhumsh”?) 95 96 In a sense, it is that. Xteink sounds less like a real brand name than the kind 97 of garbled text you’ll find in AI-slop memes. (Speaking of which, the official 98 website of the China-based company is full of AI-generated photos of people 99 posing with the device.) And indeed, since the X3’s release on Amazon in May, 100 TikTokers and YouTubers have raved about how the device is a steal and you 101 should buy it right now—just click the link in bio. 102 103 [55]From our August 2026 issue: The end of reading is here 104 105 And so I did. On Amazon, the X3 is $69 and tops the “hot new releases” list for 106 e-readers, beating out a slew of Kindles. In person, the Xteink is many things: 107 plasticky. Flawed. Finicky. Nevertheless, it is the single best piece of 108 technology that I have purchased in years. In the two months before getting 109 this cartoonishly tiny e-reader, I finished only one book. In one month with 110 the X3, I read three books without even really trying—and my iPhone’s average 111 daily screen time dipped by 25 minutes. 112 113 The X3 is great because of its size, not in spite of it. (For once, “fun-size” 114 actually lives up to the billing.) Because this is such a runt of a device, you 115 can stick it to your phone and have an e-reader in your pocket at all times. As 116 a result, I’ve found myself reading on my morning commute, in line at a museum, 117 even while waiting through Netflix ads. The display on my Xteink may be roughly 118 half the size of the smallest Kindle, but the text is big enough to easily 119 read. Even after three straight hours of inching through The Power Broker, my 120 eyes weren’t strained. 121 122 The device’s size actually helped me develop a different relationship to 123 reading altogether: Because each “page” on the Xteink amounts to just a 124 paragraph or two—and sometimes less—I’m compelled to finish it. And now that 125 I’m onto the next page, I might as well finish that one too. A YouTuber who 126 recently reviewed the Xteink had the same experience—she referred to the 127 uniquely addictive experience of using the device as the “TikTokification of 128 reading.” I know how terrifying that sounds, but consider the outcome: Whenever 129 there’s even a couple of minutes of free time, I now have a healthy alternative 130 to doomscrolling on Instagram. I don’t even have to put my phone down. Flip 131 over the Bad Screen and fire up the Good Screen. 132 133 For all of its charm, the Xteink is a pretty basic piece of hardware. For $70, 134 you get what you pay for. Other popular e-readers now come with AI-powered 135 recaps, high-definition displays, and Android operating systems. Meanwhile, the 136 Xteink has no touch screen, color display, or backlight for reading in the 137 dark. (Xteink recently launched the X4 Pro, a slightly larger and more 138 expensive model that has a reading light and a touch screen.) Just reading a 139 book on the device isn’t necessarily seamless: The preloaded software is 140 horrific and can’t even display book covers or properly format some text. 141 Unlike with a Kindle, you can’t port over books from Amazon with one click. 142 143 In spite of itself, the Xteink X3, in all of its 3.7 inches of glory, has 144 become a viral hit. Online, people have posted photos of their Xteink on trips 145 to the Austrian mountains or the Aegean Sea; one anesthesiologist says he tucks 146 it into his scrubs. People are mounting the Xteink X3 to their kitchen hood to 147 display recipes and are making all sorts of bespoke accessories, including 148 3-D-printed reading lights and a case that looks like a gun ([56]I’m serious). 149 Fans have built their own open-source firmware, Crosspoint, that considerably 150 upgrades the device. The version I downloaded displays reading stats and an 151 array of fonts, and it lets me screenshot pages as I read. Late last month, 152 Crosspoint added the ability to access books on Libby, the popular library 153 ebook app. 154 155 The best thing about the Xteink is not any one feature. It’s that this tiny 156 e-reader is fun in a way so few gadgets are anymore. Despite all our advances, 157 the consumer-electronics landscape of 2026 is predictable and banal. Our 158 laptops, smartphones, and tablets are thinner and more powerful than ever, but 159 that feels like a weak substitute for innovation. Next week, Apple is poised to 160 launch one of its most hyped products in years: a folding iPhone. But even 161 folding smartphones are old news; Samsung released its version in 2019. After 162 shelling out hundreds or thousands of dollars for a new gadget, you might still 163 have to pay for subscriptions [57]and endure annoying ads. Sometimes, your 164 purchases aren’t even really yours. Amazon recently removed the ability to 165 download ebooks you already own and transfer them to non-Kindle devices. 166 167 In other words, we need more gadgets like the Xteink: cheap, simple, and 168 customizable. With few exceptions, these products are now coming out of China. 169 [58]Neck fans from brands such as JisuLife and Civpower have become sensations 170 for helping people endure the summer heat. Anker’s portable projectors and 171 earbuds are both Wirecutter-recommended. Silicon Valley has left a gaping hole 172 in the gadgets markets, and Americans are more than willing to look elsewhere. 173 174 About the Author 175 176 177 [59][origina] 178 [60]Saahil Desai 179 Follow 180 [62]Saahil Desai is a senior editor at The Atlantic. 181 182 Explore More Topics 183 [63]Amazon, [64]iPhone 184 185 Popular Links 186 187 • About 188 189 □ [65]Our History 190 □ [66]Careers 191 • Contact 192 193 □ [67]Help Center 194 □ [68]Contact Us 195 □ [69]Atlantic Advertising 196 □ [70]Press 197 □ [71]Reprints & Permissions 198 • Podcasts 199 200 □ [72]Radio Atlantic 201 □ [73]The David Frum Show 202 □ [74]Galaxy Brain 203 □ [75]Autocracy in America 204 □ [76]How to Touch Grass 205 • Subscription 206 207 □ [77]Purchase 208 □ [78]Give a Gift 209 □ [79]Manage Subscription 210 □ [80]Group Subscriptions 211 □ [81]Atlantic Editions 212 □ [82]Newsletters 213 • Follow 214 215 □ [83] 216 □ [84] 217 □ [85] 218 □ [86] 219 □ [87] 220 □ [88] 221 222 About 223 224 • [90]Our History 225 • [91]Careers 226 227 Contact 228 229 • [93]Help Center 230 • [94]Contact Us 231 • [95]Atlantic Advertising 232 • [96]Press 233 • [97]Reprints & Permissions 234 235 Podcasts 236 237 • [99]Radio Atlantic 238 • [100]The David Frum Show 239 • [101]Galaxy Brain 240 • [102]Autocracy in America 241 • [103]How to Touch Grass 242 243 Subscription 244 245 • [105]Purchase 246 • [106]Give a Gift 247 • [107]Manage Subscription 248 • [108]Group Subscriptions 249 • [109]Atlantic Editions 250 • [110]Newsletters 251 252 Follow 253 254 • [112] 255 • [113] 256 • [114] 257 • [115] 258 • [116] 259 • [117] 260 261 Site Information 262 263 • [118]Privacy Policy 264 • [119]Your Privacy Choices 265 • [120]Advertising Guidelines 266 • [121]Terms & Conditions 267 • [122]Terms of Sale 268 • [123]Responsible Disclosure 269 • [124]Site Map 270 271 TheAtlantic.com © 2026 The Atlantic Monthly Group. All Rights Reserved. 272 273 This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google [125]Privacy Policy and 274 [126]Terms of Service apply 275 276 277 References: 278 279 [1] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/09/xteink-e-reader-best-technology-years/688539/#main-content 280 [2] https://www.theatlantic.com/ 281 [5] https://www.theatlantic.com/most-popular/ 282 [6] https://www.theatlantic.com/latest/ 283 [7] https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/ 284 [8] https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/ 285 [9] https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/ 286 [10] https://www.theatlantic.com/economy/ 287 [11] https://www.theatlantic.com/international/ 288 [12] https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/ 289 [13] https://www.theatlantic.com/category/washington-week-atlantic/ 290 [14] https://www.theatlantic.com/category/features/ 291 [15] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/ 292 [16] https://www.theatlantic.com/category/ai-watchdog/ 293 [17] https://www.theatlantic.com/science/ 294 [18] https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/planet/ 295 [19] https://www.theatlantic.com/health/ 296 [20] https://www.theatlantic.com/category/philosophy/ 297 [21] https://www.theatlantic.com/education/ 298 [22] https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/ 299 [23] https://www.theatlantic.com/category/comedy/ 300 [24] https://www.theatlantic.com/family/ 301 [25] https://www.theatlantic.com/books/ 302 [26] https://www.theatlantic.com/category/fiction/ 303 [27] https://www.theatlantic.com/photography/ 304 [28] https://www.theatlantic.com/atlantic-across-america/ 305 [29] https://www.theatlantic.com/archive/ 306 [30] https://www.theatlantic.com/games/ 307 [31] https://www.theatlantic.com/audio/ 308 [32] https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ 309 [33] https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ 310 [34] https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/backissues/ 311 [35] https://accounts.theatlantic.com/products/gift 312 [39] https://www.theatlantic.com/audio 313 [40] https://www.theatlantic.com/games/daily-crossword/ 314 [41] https://www.theatlantic.com/archive/ 315 [42] https://accounts.theatlantic.com/accounts/subscription/ 316 [44] https://www.theatlantic.com/most-popular/ 317 [45] https://www.theatlantic.com/latest/ 318 [46] https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/ 319 [47] https://www.theatlantic.com/ 320 [48] https://www.theatlantic.com/ 321 [49] https://accounts.theatlantic.com/login/ 322 [50] https://www.theatlantic.com/subscribe/navbar/ 323 [51] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/ 324 [52] https://www.theatlantic.com/author/saahil-desai/ 325 [55] https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/08/reading-crisis-postliterate-age/687618/ 326 [56] https://www.theverge.com/tech/970343/e-reader-case-3d-printed-gun 327 [57] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/08/bmw-spiderman-ad/688194/ 328 [58] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/08/neck-fan-jisulife/679418/ 329 [59] https://www.theatlantic.com/author/saahil-desai/ 330 [60] https://www.theatlantic.com/author/saahil-desai/ 331 [62] https://www.theatlantic.com/author/saahil-desai/ 332 [63] https://www.theatlantic.com/tag/organization/amazon/ 333 [64] https://www.theatlantic.com/tag/product/iphone/ 334 [65] https://www.theatlantic.com/history/ 335 [66] https://www.theatlantic.com/jobs/ 336 [67] https://support.theatlantic.com/ 337 [68] https://www.theatlantic.com/contact/ 338 [69] https://www.theatlantic.com/advertising/ 339 [70] https://www.theatlantic.com/press-releases/ 340 [71] https://support.theatlantic.com/hc/en-us/articles/360049974014-Permissions-to-reprint-or-reproduce-content-from-The-Atlantic 341 [72] https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/radio-atlantic/ 342 [73] https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/the-david-frum-show/ 343 [74] https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/galaxy-brain/ 344 [75] https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/autocracy-in-america/ 345 [76] https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/how-to-build-a-happy-life/ 346 [77] https://www.theatlantic.com/subscribe/footer-cover/ 347 [78] https://www.theatlantic.com/subscribe/footer-gift/ 348 [79] https://accounts.theatlantic.com/ 349 [80] https://www.theatlantic.com/group-subscriptions/ 350 [81] https://www.theatlantic.com/atlantic-editions/ 351 [82] https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/ 352 [83] https://www.facebook.com/TheAtlantic 353 [84] https://www.instagram.com/theatlantic 354 [85] https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAtlantic 355 [86] https://twitter.com/TheAtlantic 356 [87] https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-atlantic 357 [88] https://flipboard.com/@theatlantic 358 [90] https://www.theatlantic.com/history/ 359 [91] https://www.theatlantic.com/jobs/ 360 [93] https://support.theatlantic.com/ 361 [94] https://www.theatlantic.com/contact/ 362 [95] https://www.theatlantic.com/advertising/ 363 [96] https://www.theatlantic.com/press-releases/ 364 [97] https://support.theatlantic.com/hc/en-us/articles/360049974014-Permissions-to-reprint-or-reproduce-content-from-The-Atlantic 365 [99] https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/radio-atlantic/ 366 [100] https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/the-david-frum-show/ 367 [101] https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/galaxy-brain/ 368 [102] https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/autocracy-in-america/ 369 [103] https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/how-to-build-a-happy-life/ 370 [105] https://www.theatlantic.com/subscribe/footer-cover/ 371 [106] https://www.theatlantic.com/subscribe/footer-gift/ 372 [107] https://accounts.theatlantic.com/ 373 [108] https://www.theatlantic.com/group-subscriptions/ 374 [109] https://www.theatlantic.com/atlantic-editions/ 375 [110] https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/ 376 [112] https://www.facebook.com/TheAtlantic 377 [113] https://www.instagram.com/theatlantic 378 [114] https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAtlantic 379 [115] https://twitter.com/TheAtlantic 380 [116] https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-atlantic 381 [117] https://flipboard.com/@theatlantic 382 [118] https://www.theatlantic.com/privacy-policy/ 383 [119] https://www.theatlantic.com/do-not-sell-my-personal-information/ 384 [120] https://www.theatlantic.com/advertising-guidelines/ 385 [121] https://www.theatlantic.com/terms-and-conditions/ 386 [122] https://www.theatlantic.com/terms-of-sale/ 387 [123] https://www.theatlantic.com/responsible-disclosure-policy/ 388 [124] https://www.theatlantic.com/site-map/ 389 [125] https://policies.google.com/privacy 390 [126] https://policies.google.com/terms