Honor Life S3 E-Reader Clips Magnetically to a Phone, but Stays China-Only for Now
Honor's Life S3 is a 61g e-reader with a 3.68-inch screen that clips to the back of a phone; it was announced with the Magic 9 series.
The Life S3 uses a 3.68-inch e-paper panel with a pixel density of 259 pixels per inch and measures 5.6mm thick. It can be used while stuck to a phone or carried on its own as a standalone miniature reader. Its footprint and weight are small enough that, in either configuration, it adds little bulk.
Unlike most of its rivals, the device is entirely touchscreen and has no physical page-turn buttons. Most competing small readers either omit the touchscreen altogether or offer both a touchscreen and physical controls.
Citing GizmoChina, TechRadar reported that the Life S3 includes a soft-light eye-protection feature intended to reduce strain during long reading sessions. Honor claims a battery life of 30 hours of continuous use, or up to a week under typical use.
Storage is handled by a microSD card, and the device supports most common ebook and document formats. It runs a custom operating system rather than Android, and books can be transferred wirelessly through the Honor Smart Space app. The absence of Android means users cannot reach the Kindle or Kobo stores from the device.
The Life S3 occupies a position between two existing Xteink models: it has a touchscreen like the Xteink X4 Pro but a screen size closer to the Xteink X3, and it carries the magnetic mounting that both offer and that some competitors, including the Boox Picco, do not. It is marginally thicker and heavier than the Xteink X3, which measures 5.1mm thick and weighs 58g, a small gap that may matter to buyers seeking the slimmest possible device. The Xteink X4 Pro is larger and heavier but provides a bigger 4.3-inch screen.
Honor's main advantage may be brand recognition, though the company does not currently have a large presence outside China. With the Life S3 announced only for that market, it is unclear whether buyers elsewhere will be able to purchase it.
In TechRadar's assessment, the new device offers nothing compelling enough to replace an Xteink X4 Pro already in hand, but the reviewer said he would consider it if he did not already own that model and the Honor product were available.