Ever since I started using the Xteink X4, a super basic mini ereader, I’ve been surprised by how much I don’t miss most of the extra features that are available on modern ebook readers.
There’s nothing wrong with having a bunch of features that you’re rarely going to make use of, but I feel like there’s also a place for basic ereaders that just keep things simple.
Most modern ereaders are loaded with features I never use. I just want to read text; I don’t need things like color filter layers, wireless charging, waterproofing, SIM card slots, fingerprint sensors, textured writing surfaces, and endless AI nonsense.
Just give me a basic ebook reader with a clear, crisp E Ink screen, a lightweight and comfortable-to-hold design with page buttons to easily turn pages one-handed, and that’s all I really need.
Frontlights are nice to have as well, but they’re also a nuisance because they still haven’t perfected them. The light layer makes the E Ink screen look worse, and the light distribution is often uneven and plagued with weird color gradients and bright spots.
Touchscreens: Of all the modern features, the thing I miss the least on the X4 is the touchscreen. I’ll take physical page buttons over a touchscreen every day of the week. I don’t highlight, I rarely use a dictionary, and I don’t spend much time navigating the interface. When I’m using an ereader, I just want to read 99.9% of the time, and I don’t need a touchscreen for that.
Waterproofing: I’ve made this arguement before and most people didn’t agree with me, but waterproofing is the most pointless feature ever. First off, the term is a complete misnomer. Most ereaders that advertise this feature are water-resistant at best, and only for short periods of time. We all get stuck paying more for every “waterproof” ereader when maybe 1 in 10000 will get broken due to water damage, and in most cases that’s because of the owner’s negligence.
Wireless Charging: I think wireless charging is a great feature to have on a number of products, but on something like a Kindle that only needs to be charged once every month or two, it doesn’t make sense.
Frontlight Sensors: Does anyone actually like using the auto-adjusting frontlight on Kindles? I only ever hear people complaining about how it doesn’t adjust the light level how they want it to, even though it’s supposed to learn your preferences. Anytime I notice the light adjusting it takes me out of the book so I don’t use it, and it only takes like three seconds to manually adjust it anyway.
Color E Ink: This is the thing I like least about modern ereaders. Color is great for things like highlighting, notetaking, and reading comic books and cookbooks and such. But color is totally pointless when it comes to reading regular ebooks with black and white text. The color layer makes the E Ink screen look darker and less clear. I’d be fine with color E Ink devices as an alternative, but I hate how color E Ink is now replacing BW devices, like how Kobo released the Libra Colour and never released a Libra BW.
We Need More Basic eReaders
Using the Xteink X4 has made me realize there’s still a place for basic ereaders in the modern market. I wouldn’t want to use it as my main and only ereader, but as a secondary device it’s great. Not everything needs to have a frontlight, a touchscreen, 2TB of storage space, an octa-core CPU, waterproofing, and a million different features I’ll never use. Sometimes simple is better.
I agree with many of your points. Another is the current trend to make an e-reader a note taking device. Often, it seems, at the expense of proving a wider range of page formatting options and a bug free reading experience. Reading e-books is, after all, the primary purpose of the device. I do find touchscreens much more valuable than you. And KOReader “gestures” are a wonderful feature. And user definable to boot.
I agree that color makes the screen darker and harder to read, but even in a black and white book I appreciate the color highlights that you can add, and the color headings and hyperlinks even in a basic book. I think color e-ink is a great thing. They should keep offering both B&W and color models.
Waterproofing is quite handy to me as I frequently read my kindle in the pool. But I can understand that this may not be something everyone wants.
I’ve owned e-readers for a long time, going back to my Sony reader. I’ve been happiest I think with the Kindle Voyage, had they come out with a waterproof version of that ,I’d have been (and would still be) very happy with the feature set.
What, you’ve never wanted to read Jaws while lounging on a coral reef 25 feet under the sea?