Review: Viwoods AiPaper Reader: Ultra-sleek mini e-ink tablet

Review unit provided by Viwoods

The Viwoods AiPaper Reader is a 6.1-inch BW e-ink device released in late 2025. This is the third AiPaper product from the company and the earlier two are the 8.2-inch AiPaper Mini and 10.65-inch AiPaper

The AiPaper Reader is a sleek looking device that looks like a phone, supports data SIM, but it actually does not have a microphone or speaker. For this review, I'll refer to the Viwoods AiPaper Reader as the device since I'm not sure whether to call it a phone or tablet.

This is a device that excels at reading text. Price is USD 279 at the time of review. The company provides a 60-day return policy, 14-month warranty and free shipping to selected countries.

Specifications

Things included

• Viwoods AiPaper Reader
• Quick start guide
• SIM ejector
• USB-C to USB-C braided cable
• Case

The case included only protects the back, top and bottom, and that includes the corners. The sides are not protected. The hard case is thin and barely adds any weight and thickness to the device.

Design

The Viwoods AiPaper Reader is a beautiful looking device that's just 6.7mm thick. Weight is 138g so that's considered lightweight.

Corners are rounded off, including the display. Sides are curved so the device feels great in hand. It's a device that's satisfying to look at, and hold. Finishing is wonderful. You can definitely tell effort was put into the design.

The back has a clean design and feels smooth.

The left side only has a nano-SIM tray for a data SIM. The device does not have a microSD card slot.

This device does not have a speaker so it doesn't make any sound. It is possible to make phone calls but you'll need earphones.

A red power button with fingerprint scanner is located on the right. Below are the volume buttons for (your) earphones and a shortcut button to the AI app. There's unfortunately no way to customise the AI button.

The default AI is not connected to the internet and only has data until Feb 2024. Other AI models available are Gemini, DeepSeek and Qwen.

The keyboard is large enough for comfortable typing. The default keyboard does not have voice typing. It is possible to install other keyboards, and can work with voice typing -- there is a microphone on this device.

Display

This device uses a 6.13" Carta 1300 e-Ink display. It's laminated so the e-ink looks like it's on the display surface and viewing angle is fantastic. The matte surface provide good anti-glare and this device has excellent legibility under direct sunlight.

Carta 1300 e-ink canvas is light gray and provides good contrast with the text. Refresh rate is fast, and there are several options for refresh rates. There's minimal ghosting or image retention.

Text looks good with default refresh rate.

And text looks even better with the Best mode.

The display size is small so this is meant for reading text, not suitable for reading comics or PDFs unless you don't mind the constant zoom and pan.

The reading experience is fantastic. The device is incredibly portable and so easy to bring around.

The device only has cool lighting and no warm light. Lighting is quite even without wavy glow pattern at the edges.

Shown in the photo above is the device without front light on the left, and with front light on the right. The e-ink contrast looks great even without front night. There's good contrast even when the room isn't that bright. I would say the contrast is quite similar to newsprint.

Performance

Overall performance is smooth and responsive, limited only by the e-ink tech. With the Fast refresh rate, page flips feels instant. Apps can launch fast too.

OS and software

Viwoods has their own OS on top of Android 16. Google Play Store is not installed by default but there are instructions, and a video tutorial, on how to install Google Play Store.

The device already comes with several e-reader apps installed, such as Kindle, Libby, Kobo Books, New York Times, Financial Times and more. You can also install whatever e-reader app you want.

But otherwise, the device doesn't have many software features, and that's alright.

Battery life

Battery drain is around 4-5% per hour with reading, with internet, but without front light. You can disable Wifi to improve battery life.

Overnight drain is around 3%. You can adjust the settings to disable Wifi and Bluetooth when the device is asleep.

Conclusion

The Viwoods AiPaper Reader is a well made device that looks good and works well. It's made for reading and it's great for reading. Main downside is the battery life I guess but 16-20 hours of battery life is still longer than any typical Android tablet.

Pros and cons at a glance
+ Beautiful design
+ Good build quality
+ Comfortable in hand
+ Extremely portable
+ Comes with a case
+ 4G cellular support
+ Excellent BW e-ink display
+ Excellent reading experience
+ Minimal to no ghosting or image retention
+ Front light is even
- No speaker (for phone calls)
- 4-5% battery drain per hour
- Google Play Store not pre-installed, but can be installed
- Software features are lacking, but that's alright
- No warm front light

Availability

The Viwoods AiPaper Reader is available from the Viwoods online store