Tiny $70 Xteink X3 e-reader puts Silicon Valley to shame
A review of the Xteink X3, an ultra-compact, inexpensive e-reader that has gained popularity on social media platforms like TikTok. Despite its low-quality build and questionable branding, the author finds it to be a surprisingly effective tool for reading long-form literature.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing influence of viral, low-cost consumer electronics from overseas marketplaces on Western consumer habits.
The $70 Xteink X3 puts Silicon Valley to shame.
Illustration by Jonelle Afurong / The Atlantic. Source: Getty. September 6, 2026, 8 AM ET Share Save No matter how you read it, The Power Broker is a serious undertaking. The paperback weighs as much as a brick; to avoid lugging around all 1,344 pages, people have cut it apart at the spine and chunked it into sections. Others have organized in-person Power Broker marathon readings that run continuously for three full days. I decided to try something else.
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