Top 10: Xiaomi ereaders

2023. Xiaomi released the InkPalm Mini 5 Pro Edition



Xiaomi, not one to miss an opportunity to dazzle and befuddle, has unveiled the InkPalm 5 Mini Pro—an exuberantly upgraded sibling to the long-remembered InkPalm Mini 5 of yore. Now sporting a sharper brain in the form of an upgraded processor, a rather generous 64GB of internal storage, and fluently multilingual English support, this pint-sized marvel means business. It flaunts a 5.2-inch E INK Carta HD display, resolutely sticking to a 1280×720 resolution that whispers, “sharp enough, thank you very much.” Powered by the nostalgia-inducing Google Android 8.1, it’s the sort of device that positively revels in letting you slap on third-party apps via the friendly USB-C port or its stock browser. For those with a taste for the esoteric, alternative app stores like Amazon’s or Samsung’s are but a click away. The whole contraption runs for a week straight on its plucky 1,300 mAh battery, making one wonder if it secretly munches on dark matter. Draped in sleek black bezels and silver accents, it achieves a pocketable elegance, a true rarity in the e-reader world. All this wonderment, this fusion of whimsy and tech, comes for the princely sum of $210.


2023. Xiaomi released new Moaan Air e-reader



In a move that could only be described as what would happen if Arthur Dent designed an e-reader while stuck on a Vogon ship, Xiaomi and their cohort company Moaan have launched the Air—a 6-inch E Ink e-reader that’s as slim and slick as a hyperspace byway. Sporting the cutting-edge Carta 1200 e-paper display with a crisp 300 PPI resolution (perfect for seeing the meaning of life clearly, in text), the Air makes a special nod to the North American market with full English support. Yours for $149.99—a sum you might willingly part with once you consider its impossibly thin 7.25 mm profile and feather-light 163 grams. Powering this pocket-sized marvel is an 1800 mAh battery, promising weeks of use for even the most obsessive readers. It charges and transfers data via a nifty Type-C port and comes armed with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.1, so you can seamlessly pair it with headphones and escape into audiobooks or music (and maybe forget about Vogon poetry entirely). Running Google Android 12—a surprisingly modern OS for a bookish device—the Moaan Air allows for sideloading apps or raiding other app markets, including Amazon’s. In short, it’s an e-reader that’s more technologically prepared than most galactic hitchhikers.

2023. Xiaomi unveiles Moaan W8 – e-note with a 10-inch display



In the grand tradition of delightfully peculiar gadgets, Xiaomi’s Moaan W8 e-paper device lands with the grace and subtlety of a poetry-loving alien. Dubbed an “e-note device,” the W8 isn’t merely a screen to read upon; it’s a canvas for the note-taker, equipped with a Wacom layer that makes scribbling on its impressively roomy 10-inch display feel as satisfyingly tactile as jotting down your last will and testament on actual paper. Naturally, Xiaomi’s Moaan Plus Reader defaults to a somewhat shadowy background, casting a charming gloom over the text, though mercifully, the settings allow you to brighten things up if you prefer not to read in murky existential angst. Fancy something different? The W8 graciously accepts other reading apps like Kobo, Amazon Kindle, and Aldiko, opening up a universe of options for the literarily adventurous. At around $450, it’s a price one might happily pay for the sheer delight of a device that seems to know exactly how it feels to enjoy the scratch and scribble of real paper in a digital dimension.


2023. Xiaomi brings back the Inkpalm Mini 2



Xiaomi has collaborated with digital stationery company Kinbor to revive the second generation InkPalm Mini 2, which retains its original hardware but comes with several additional features. These include a luggage tag and stickers featuring an owl reading books, a high-quality traveling pouch made from super high-grade plastic and a ledger with a pen for note-taking and drawing. The unboxing experience is truly unique, offering a plethora of discoveries. The Xiaomi mini e-reader boasts a 5.2-inch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and a pixel density of 284 ppi, runs on Google Android 8.1 and supports the installation of third-party apps such as F-Droid or the Amazon App Store for updates. While the device includes a dedicated e-reading app for sideloaded English ebooks, the majority of the UI is in Chinese.


2021. Xiaomi launches mini e-reader InkPalm 5



Xiaomi’s eco-chain venture InkPalm Technology has introduced a new compact e-paper device called the InkPalm 5. The product is currently available in China for 599 yuan (~$91). The InkPalm 5 e-Reader features a 5.2-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and a pixel density of 284 ppi. The device weighs only 115 grams and is as slim as 6.9mm, making it very portable and easily pocket-sized. Additionally, the mini e-reader includes a high-transmitting glass cover that significantly enhances touch sensitivity. The brand logo at the bottom of the screen acts as a touch button supporting customizable functions. It also offers 24-level dual-color temperature reading light adjustment, a feature typically found on premium e-paper devices. The back cover is touch-responsive and comes in two color choices – gray and green.


2020. Xiaomi launches Pro version of its Mi Book Reader



The new model, Xiaomi Mi Book Reader Pro, is now available for approximately $289 USD. While the first generation of the Mi e-reader had a 6" screen, this version boasts a significantly larger 7.8" display. It features an E INK Carta HD screen with a resolution of 1874×1404 and 300 PPI, along with a front-light system combining white and amber LED lights. Under the hood, it is equipped with a robust 4-core processor, 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage (compared to the 1 GB RAM and 16 GB storage of the previous model). It is powered by a 3,200-mAh battery that reportedly offers up to 70 days of standby time. The e-reader operates on Android 8.1 and includes a USB-C port. It supports EPUB, PDF, TXT, EXCEL, PPT and Docs formats.


2020. Xiaomi launches Moann inkPad X e-reader



Xiaomi has unveiled the Moann inkPad X e-reader—a device with e-Ink technology that runs on Google Android 8 and allows you to sideload your own apps. The InkPad X boasts a 10.3-inch E INK Carta HD display with a resolution of 1600 x 1200 and 250 PPI. It includes a front-lit screen and a color temperature adjustment system. Inside, it features an ARM quad-core Cortex-A7 processor running at 1.8GHz, paired with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It has USB-C, dual-band (2.4GHz/5GHz) WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0. Additionally, it comes with a speaker and a microphone. The device is powered by a robust 3,800 mAh battery.


2019. Xiaomi launches Amazon Kindle-rival - Mi Reader



Chinese tech giant Xiaomi has introduced its first e-book reader - Mi Reader. The device resembles the Amazon Kindle quite closely. Currently in the crowdfunding phase in China, Mi Reader is priced at CNY 579 (about $90). It features a 6-inch HD e-ink display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels and 212ppi. The reader provides 24 preset brightness levels, claimed to deliver over 90% brightness uniformity for comfortable reading in both dim and well-lit conditions. Mi Reader has an anti-glare coating and supports various file formats, including PDF, DOC, XLS, PPT, TXT, EPUB and WPS, as well as Microsoft Office files. The device operates on a customized version of Android. Powered by an 1800mAh battery, it measures 159.2 x 116 x 8.3mm and weighs 178 grams.


2019. Xiaomi released its eInk reader - iReader T6



Xiaomi introduced its first ebook reader, the iReader T6. It is currently available in China for ¥928. Designed to rival the Kindle and other compact e-readers, the iReader T6 features a 6-inch E Ink Carta HD display with a resolution of 1448×1072 and 300 PPI. The screen is flush with the bezel and includes a front light for reading in low light conditions. It is equipped with a 1GHz Freescale IMX6 Solo Lite processor and 8GB of internal storage. The device is powered by a 1500 mAh battery, which should last for several weeks of use. It measures 7.4 mm in thickness and weighs 160 g. The iReader T6 runs on a proprietary Linux-based OS, iReader UI 2.0, which supports all major book and document formats: EBK, TXT, UMD, EPUB, PDF and MOBI. It comes with a pre-installed digital store offering hundreds of ebooks and magazines and also supports file downloads over WiFi.