I love reading — or at least that’s what I tell myself. In reality, I’ve always had a very on-and-off relationship with it, going from devouring books in days to barely opening one for weeks or months on end.
But one constant I’ve realized is that I don’t tend to prioritize reading — if there’s a show I’m binging, a new game I can’t stop thinking about, or simply lots of social engagements to attend, books will generally get put aside until I have more time on my hands.
But then something occurred to me — while I don’t always have long stretches of time that I’m happy to devote to reading, my days are full of short periods that aren’t being filled, like while I’m waiting in line or at a train station, or simply waiting for the kettle to boil. And then there are times when I’m on a train or in a cafe and might want to read, but don’t have a book with me as I travel light.
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With all that in mind, back in late January, I bought the ViWoods AiPaper Reader — a pocket-sized Android ereader that’s small enough to carry with me everywhere alongside my phone — in the hopes that it would get me reading during periods that might otherwise be dedicated to podcasts or simply spent sitting or standing in slightly bored silence.
At the same time, I also had some hope that, since this ereader has full access to the Google Play Store, it might help cure my smartphone addiction — as doomscrolling was likely to be less desirable on an E Ink screen.
A tiny device that was a big reading success
Before buying the ViWoods AiPaper Reader, I hadn’t read much in a while — I had dozens of unread books on my Kindle Colorsoft and big stacks of physical books silently judging me. I might start one, but it wouldn’t stick — life would get in the way, or it wouldn’t immediately grab me enough to reach for it again.
But the ViWoods AiPaper Reader changed that. I loaded up the Kindle app on it and got in the habit of keeping it in my pocket, alongside my phone. Then, almost any time I would previously have switched on a podcast — such as when on a train or in small empty moments of my day — I’d reach for this instead.
It didn’t matter whether I had two minutes or two hours; I’d aim to read something, and because the AiPaper Reader was always in my pocket, there was no excuse not to. I didn’t even have to go to my shelves to grab a book.
It allowed me to build a consistent reading habit and make progress with books even on days when I didn’t have much time, or wasn’t massively in the mood to read. After all, reading a couple of pages while boiling the kettle is still better than nothing, and it all adds up. And best of all, because this device got me back into reading, I’m now more inclined to read my paperbacks than I have been for some time.
Was it all smooth sailing? No, there have been some days and even a few weeks where I would stop carrying the ViWoods AiPaper Reader with me. But so far, I’ve always found it easier to go back to than a larger ereader or a physical book.
An imperfect light and unnecessary AI
This isn’t the perfect pocket-sized ereader. It has a front light but not a warm light, which can make reading at night a bit less comfortable than on some of the best ereaders — especially as the brightness is adjustable, the minimum level is still quite bright.
There’s also the AI-shaped elephant in the room, which even if you know nothing about this device, you’ve probably been wondering about from its name.
Like so much recent tech, the ViWoods AiPaper Reader is trying to cash in on the AI craze; there’s a dedicated AI button that you can press to speak to an AI chatbot, with models from OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek, and Qwen all built in.
These platforms can be used either as general-purpose AI chatbots or in combination with ViWoods’ own apps to, for example, look up definitions of words in the books you’re reading. But personally, I’m tending to just use the Kindle app for reading, which can’t directly communicate with the AI.
Plus, using the ViWoods’ AI functionality requires a Wi-Fi connection, which drains the battery faster than I want from an ereader, and it’s slower to interact with than just pulling up Gemini on my phone.
Beyond AI, some of the other software available on the ViWoods isn’t perfect, either, as while it runs a fairly recent version of Android in Android 16, there’s no promise of any version updates, and ViWoods’ own interface leaves a little to be desired. For example, there’s little explanation of how some features work, and many important settings are hidden away in an ‘advanced settings’ submenu. There’s also an 11-step process to actually authorize and activate the Google Play Store on this device, despite it running Android.
Those gripes aside, I’ve generally been impressed by the ViWoods AiPaper Reader. Its 6.13-inch Carta 1300 screen is big and crisp enough to comfortably read on, its battery lasts me anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on how much I’m using it, and it looks like a genuinely premium device, with a slim, sleek design that’s almost up to the standards you’d expect from a premium brand like Apple.
This didn’t cure my addiction
While the ViWoods AiPaper Reader got me reading again, it was less successful at breaking my doomscrolling habit — though not a complete failure.
I figured that, since it runs Android apps, I could keep my phone in another room when I’m at home, and use the ereader for most things, with its monochrome E Ink screen sure to leave me reaching for it less.
And it somewhat worked for that — when I was disciplined about actually keeping my phone out of reach. But after a while, I got out of the habit, and even when I did keep my phone elsewhere, I’d sometimes encounter things I genuinely wanted it for, like penning a long message. So this wasn’t the perfect solution for me.
I’d perhaps have more luck if I fully replaced my phone with a device like this — and the ViWoods AiPaper Reader does have a SIM card slot, so it can fulfil most smartphone functions. But it lacks speakers and cameras, so you’d be making some unfortunate sacrifices.
Were I serious about that idea, I might invest in something like the Mudita Kompakt instead, as that’s designed specifically as a minimalist E Ink phone. So, if you’re looking primarily for something to break your smartphone habit, I’d suggest a device like that instead (or, perhaps, the similarly distraction-free Balance Phone).
Still, as a secondary function on a device I’m mostly using for books, the ViWoods AiPaper Reader has not been a total failure.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some reading to do.
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