Honor has launched the Life S3, a compact ebook reader designed to attach magnetically to the back of a smartphone. While similar rear displays are usually designed as camera preview screens, the Life S3 takes a different approach by giving phones a dedicated display for reading books.

The Life S3 features a 3.68 inch E Ink display with a 259ppi pixel density. It measures just 5.6mm thick and weighs 61g. The reader attaches to compatible phones or cases using magnets, while Honor includes a magnetic ring in the box for devices without built in magnets. A screen protector and charging cable are also included.

The device has a 650mAh battery, which Honor says can provide up to 30 hours of continuous reading thanks to the low power consumption of E Ink technology. Charging is handled through a USB C port, with no apparent support for using reverse wireless charging from a phone.

Books can be transferred wirelessly using Wi Fi 6 through Honor’s Smart Space app. The Life S3 supports EPUB and MOBI formats, along with plain text files and DOC, DOCX, and PDF documents. It also includes a microSD card slot supporting cards of up to 1TB, allowing users to store a large library.

There are two physical buttons on the side, including a function key on the left and a power key on the right. Page turning is handled through the touchscreen. The E Ink display does not have a front light, so users will need to rely on external lighting when reading indoors or read outdoors during the day.

The Honor Life S3 is currently available in China for CNY 360, approximately $54, £40, €47, or ₹5,150. There is currently no information about a global launch.