this post was submitted on 07 Dec 2025
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Reetle’s smartink I is an iPhone case with an e-ink display that lets users flip their device and read books without screen glare.

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[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 64 points 2 months ago

On the knife-edge of being really clever and deeply stupid.

the embedded gadget is powered by AI

Tipping away from clever.

[–] otacon239@lemmy.world 52 points 2 months ago (1 children)

So I looked into it and there’s a few indicators this will either be vaporware or garbage:

  • It’s a Kickstarter with an original funding price of $5000, which is nowhere near enough to fund something this complex
  • AI is being pushed as a major component
  • Video is very high production value in some ways, but very low in others, and before the product is funded
  • No technical explanation of how it’s going to do any of what it claims and no one from the development side is involved in the video. Just a pure commercial.
  • Dozens of news sites I’ve never heard of all repeating the same press release with no real info or interviews

Just to name a few… My guess is that the OS will suffer from being difficult to navigate and unresponsive from all the garbage they try to cram on it and none of it will be intuitive.

[–] Interstellar_1@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] otacon239@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

My inner skeptic sees an app and just knows that they’re collecting everything that goes through it. Not to mention it will probably a brick in a few years. It’s a product that’s a neat engineering accomplishment but I doubt it would actually get much more than a few hours of use on its couple of years of existence before you get your next iPhone that this no longer fits.

Side thought: this could have been a MagSafe attachment which would have made it compatible with a much wider range of models.

[–] alekwithak@lemmy.world 33 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Why do all the cool gadgets only come out for the phones of people who aren't interested in cool gadgets?

[–] BaroqueInMind@piefed.social -2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Isnt Apple design the epitome of "cool" by sacrificing practicality while also having flashy useless features that are only for aesthetics? What are you trying to say here? It sounds like nonsense.

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 22 points 2 months ago (2 children)

You can already get a better version of this that isn't tied to a specific model of phone and just attaches to the back with a magnet and is perfectly usable on its own if you want.

https://www.theverge.com/news/838885/xteink-x4-e-reader-magnetic-apple-iphone-google-pixel

And this product actually exists.

[–] d00ery@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

They're available on AliExpress to ship now. Also thanks, I already have a kobo, android eink reader, and now I think that I might need this 😅

[–] titanicx@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I mean, kinda exists. It's a preorder status set to ship Christmas eve. Have they shipped any? Is it actually existing?

[–] Anas@feddit.dk 3 points 2 months ago

The white version seems to be in stock, only the black one shows up as shipping later. There is a comment elsewhere in this post stating that they got one already

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 1 points 2 months ago

It's currently sold out, but they have been shipping them for a year. They are currently available in allie as well.

[–] SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That's brilliant! Now, when users replace their phone, they also have to replace a second device. Hooray for planned obsolescence!

Lets be honest. When they upgrade their phone they're not gonna bother replacing the ereader thing.

This device is neat in concept, but probably going to be awful in practice.

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Cool in theory but I can guarantee you will not enjoy reading books on that thing

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 months ago

This might finally be a use case for folding phones.

[–] Interstellar_1@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

many people do, not specifically on this but on other compact handheld e-readers.

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Yeah I had a 5 inch one and it’s acceptable if you have nothing else but I just got a kobo and it’s simply night and day

Tho yes there are people who will prefer this but I’m confident the average consumer will not

Tho perhaps the low power notifications or calendaring is useful 🤷‍♀️

[–] Interstellar_1@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

a lot of tech is designed not for the average consumer but for a specific subset of people who want specific functionality

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

I did not consider that here. You’re right

[–] Keeponstalin@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

Kobo is fantastic

[–] fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

A Kobo is a hell of a lot bigger than that.

Phones are tall and narrow. For reading books you don't want to be reading 5 words then having to go down a line. Ebook readers are typically closer to 4:3

[–] Interstellar_1@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I wasn't talking about a kobo. I was taking about something like this https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005010052351492.html

I've also just heard from many people who use devices like this for reading when on the go in the in between time between doing things. It's a neat little device to have.

Edit: Especially people like me with really clear vision

[–] Beacon@fedia.io 8 points 2 months ago

This makes no sense to me. If you don't like glare on your phone then just get a matte screen protector. If you specifically want e-ink then just get a small ebook device that's a similar size to this case.

I just don't see a use case

[–] Suburbanl3g3nd@lemmings.world 6 points 2 months ago

So a yota phone but with more steps?

[–] vogi@piefed.social 6 points 2 months ago

Perfect place to put the upcoming Open Book Touch by @joeycastillo@mastodon.social

[–] phanto@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 months ago

I already have an e-ink second screen that sits on the back of an iPhone... 4? 5? It's collecting dust in a drawer, but I swear this is a recycle of an old project. It's already been done!

Also, I have an old Yotaphone.

[–] mesamunefire@piefed.social 5 points 2 months ago