Hisense HiReader Unboxing and Hisense Eink Screen Series User Experience

Foreword

I have been using the Hisense e-reader for a while now. From initially purchasing the Hi Reader, then the Touch Lite, to falling down the rabbit hole with the Hisense A9 e-ink phone, I have experienced a total of three Hisense e-ink products.

This article records the unboxing of the Hi Reader and a brief overview of my experiences with these three Hisense e-ink products, focusing mainly on the unboxing. The user experience will perhaps be discussed in detail in a future article~

Packaging Box

Very minimalist design

Unboxing! The packaging box of the Hi Reader is truly the best among these three... The other two are too eco-friendly.

Continuing the unboxing

Appearance

The boxy and straightforward design looks quite good, and the back features a logo and a line of text "life reimagine," which is quite distinctive.

Front

Entering the System

On the first boot, it prompts to set a password. No need, why would a reader need a password?

The Ink Smart Button (墨智键), very useful.

The e-ink screen control setup guide.

Setup complete.

Accessing the Desktop

Hisense has two desktop interfaces, which differ between e-reader hardware (like the Hi Reader / touch lite) and phones (like the Hisense A9);

The e-reader uses a tabbed home screen, somewhat similar to Onyx e-readers but with a higher degree of customization;

The phone (A9) desktop is a traditional smartphone interface that also supports some widgets, making it quite modern.

Bookshelf Tab

This is somewhat not very useful, as it only supports apps like JD Reading and iReader that I don't use and don't have e-ink screen versions.

It's surprising that WeChat Reading (微信读书) is not supported. I'm not sure if it's because WeChat Reading is too aloof to collaborate with these e-reader manufacturers, but it seems most e-readers don't support integrating WeChat Reading.

Bookstore Tab

The bookstore tab is also iReader (掌阅), though it seems it could be changed to JD Reading (京东读书).

Applications Tab

Here you can see all applications and also create folders, etc.

App Folder

The folder's UI is pretty good and supports swiping left and right—it's a design I like.

Settings Interface

Although both are Hisense e-readers, the settings interface of the hi reader and the touch lite are different. This is likely due to differences in UI design. I personally prefer the interface of the touch lite.

Feature: Screensaver Function

This is a major feature of the Hisense series of e-ink screens.

You can set up various different types of screensavers.

My favorite is this clock screensaver.

Comparison with Other Hisense E-Ink Screens

Hisense A9

This is the unboxing photo of the Hisense A9

Just a recycled cardboard box and an instruction manual—no charger, not even a cable. So eco-friendly! 😂

Hisense A9 and Touch Lite

Let's dive straight into the comparison photos.

Left is the Touch Lite.

Right is the Hisense A9.

Touch Lite Settings Interface

Speaking of the Hi Reader's settings interface earlier, I think the Touch Lite settings interface is more aesthetically pleasing.

Of course, the functionality is more or less the same.

Comparison with iQOO Phones

Let's compare it with phones too~

This Hi Reader is about the same size as a phone, and is even slightly larger than my "iQOO Neo5 Vitality Edition" though.

Comparison with Moan Mix7

Let's compare it with a 7.8-inch e-reader.

The significant size difference is still noticeable.

These two have different usage scenarios: one is suitable for reading at home, while the other is portable and ideal for carrying around, replacing mobile phone reading.

Vertical comparison

Summary

To briefly summarize, among Hisense's three e-ink devices, my favorite is still the touch lite.

Reasons:

• Affordable price – For 888 RMB, what more could you ask for?
• Excellent feel – Metal body, much more comfortable than the A9's sharp-edged frame.
• Aesthetic design – Clean and squared-off, far better-looking than the A9.

There was a small episode when buying the A9. I couldn't find the 8+256GB version (around 2300 RMB) anywhere online. Initially, I intended to use it as a backup phone, so I preferred more memory, but in the end, I compromised and purchased the 6+128GB version at the original price (1999 RMB).

However, the A9 was quite disappointing. Online reviews said the Qualcomm 660 processor offered decent performance, and the touch lite was said to use a Qualcomm 4-series processor. But after testing with an app, I found both actually use the 660 processor. Don’t be misled by the name—it’s essentially a rebranded 4-series processor, with average performance...

In terms of performance, the A7’s domestic processor is better, followed by the Hi reader’s, and only then come the A9 and touch lite.

Final verdict: Hisense's e-ink products are quite good—compact and portable, well-suited as a tool for reading during short breaks instead of using a phone. They’re not just for books; you can also browse various content apps, and they’re very eye-friendly 👍. I heard that Hisense has disbanded their e-ink phone team, which is truly a shame. It’s likely we won’t see similar high-quality products for a long time to come.