This New Pocket-Sized E-Reader Is Also a Secret Phone
When I tested the new Viwoods AiPaper Reader for my review published yesterday, I made the mistake of trusting the company’s claims about its capabilities. According to Viwood’s website , this phone-shaped device supports mobile data (specifically, 4G/2.4G Wi-Fi ) , which I tested using a data-only SIM card. Viwoods doesn’t claim anywhere that its new reader can make or receive calls. But it can.
I’d like to say I figured this out myself, but I first saw a Reddit post about it shortly before I went to bed last night. By the time I woke up, I had an email in my inbox from a Viwoods representative asking me to correct the part of my review where I mentioned the device couldn’t receive calls, stating that it actually could, with the right SIM card. The representative explained that while this feature wasn’t advertised, the company views it as a “silent addition” that customers might discover on their own. So this morning, I pulled out the prepaid T-Mobile SIM card I keep on hand for testing different devices, inserted it into the Viwoods AiPaper Reader, and was immediately able to call my wife. As far as I could tell, everything worked perfectly—I wasn’t outside, so I have no idea how reliable the signal was—but with one big caveat.
It’s technically just a phone.
Functionality aside, I wouldn’t call the AiPaper Reader a phone for one rather important reason: it doesn’t have an external speaker , meaning you’ll have to connect Bluetooth headphones or earbuds (there’s no headphone jack) if you want to hear the person you’re talking to. This also means it won’t beep unless headphones are connected, which is perhaps a more serious issue. (At least a call wakes it up.)
Obviously, the inability to answer calls without reaching for headphones seriously limits its usefulness as a phone, so much so that I imagine it’ll be hard for anyone to justify using the Viwoods AiPaper Reader as an e-ink replacement for their Pixel or iPhone. But at the same time, you can make calls. So… great?
It lacks other normal phone features.
Further supporting the “it’s an e-reader that, by some strange coincidence, can also make phone calls” theory is the fact that the AiPaper Reader lacks many other features that are essentially mandatory for modern smartphones, including front and rear cameras, as well as GPS functionality—no, this thing won’t work with Google Maps.
Why doesn’t Viwoods advertise this feature?
This is the most interesting question for me. It seems the AiPaper Reader is trying to compete directly with the new Boox Palma 2 Pro , which has the same dimensions and features, including mobile internet. So why not point out to potential buyers that they can use the AiPaper Reader as a phone as well?
I don’t think the company has any legal grounds for this, since the device isn’t certified by the Federal Communications Commission as a phone. But that’s just my guess. I’ve contacted Viwoods for more information and will update this article as soon as I hear back.