Honor’s Life S3 is a tiny e-reader that attaches magnetically to the back of a phone, giving book lovers a way to carry a dedicated reading screen without finding another pocket for it.
The device has appeared on Chinese shopping platforms, IT Home reports. It has a 3.68-inch E Ink touchscreen and weighs about 61 grams, with a body measuring 5.6mm thick. That’s extra bulk on the phone, but a compact package for a separate reader.
How does it attach to phones
The S3 includes a magnetic ring for phones or cases that don’t already have magnets, according to GSMArena. A phone therefore doesn’t need built-in magnetic support to accommodate the reader.
Tapping the touchscreen turns pages, and the display has a pixel density of 259ppi. The more pressing question is how much text fits comfortably onscreen. Keeping the font large on a display this small could mean spending more time tapping through pages.
I can see the appeal for a few pages on the train. Whether it stays comfortable through a longer reading session will take hands-on testing.
How do books get onto it
Honor’s Smart Space app handles wireless book transfers, with file support including EPUB and PDF. Readers with an existing ebook collection have a way to load those files onto the S3, which also accepts microSD cards up to 1TB.
Honor claims up to 30 hours of continuous offline reading per charge. How often it needs plugging in will depend on use, so that figure is best treated as a reading-time estimate.
What can US readers get instead
IT Home reports a Chinese price of 359 yuan for the S3, but there’s no confirmed US release, and we couldn’t verify a seller shipping it to US addresses.
The Xteink X4 Pro offers a similar magnetic design with a larger 4.3-inch touchscreen and an adjustable front light. Xteink ships to the US and lists it at $99 through its official store, although it’s currently marked sold out. It’s a close alternative worth checking for a restock if the phone-mounted design is the main attraction.
