This is the ViWoods AiPaper Reader

Every now and then, a device shows up that makes me go, “Huh… okay, they might be onto something here.” That’s basically what happened when I unboxed the ViWoods AI Paper Reader. In a market dominated by Remarkable, Kindle, Kobo, and a handful of niche E Ink tablets, ViWoods is clearly trying to carve out a lane of its own—something closer to a simple, distraction-free reading tablet without the “productivity tool” pressure baked into devices like the Remarkable.

And right off the bat, it feels like ViWoods is directly answering some of Remarkable’s biggest limitations—while intentionally skipping others.

That line basically sums it up. This thing is a reader. Not a notebook. Not a digital journal. A reader.

Let’s set expectations right away:

You cannot write on this tablet.

No stylus, no handwriting, no scribbles in the margins.

This is where some people will check out—and that’s fair. Even I found myself thinking, “I’m a little confused that you can’t write on this… I feel like they should have done that.”

But once you accept it for what it is, the vision becomes much clearer: a compact, well-built E Ink reader that supports the apps that matter.

Because here’s the kicker:

It has access to Kindle, Kobo, Libby, and more—natively.

If you’ve ever felt boxed in by Remarkable’s proprietary limits or Kindle’s walled garden, this open approach will feel like a breath of fresh air.

The hardware itself is surprisingly nice. I grabbed the green version off Amazon—apparently the only color available right now—and honestly, it looks great in person. I’m a sucker for green anyway.

It’s thicker than its “older brother,” the larger ViWoods tablet, and slightly thicker than a typical thin e-reader, but still very comfortable to hold. About the size of an iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max, give or take.

Also… they include a case in the box. Didn’t expect that.

Is it fancy? No. Is it practical? Absolutely. Full corner protection, a snug fit, simple design. It’s the kind of thing that makes a device feel more complete right out of the gate.

The display is where ViWoods really shines.

You get:

It’s not a color E Ink unit (though ViWoods does sell color versions of other models), so everything here is grayscale. But for simple reading? It looks great.

The ghosting is noticeable at times, but switching to fast or ultra-fast refresh makes a big difference. And the screen gets surprisingly bright if you want to read at night.

The form factor honestly just works. Holding it one-handed with the page-turn buttons feels natural. Reading sideways works too once you turn on screen rotation—though it’s clear this is still “E Ink world,” meaning things are a little clunky at times.

This device has a surprising number of physical buttons: volume, page turn, power/fingerprint sensor, and even an AI key.

Yep—an AI key on an e-reader.

Press it and a little chat window pops up. Ask it a question and it’ll fetch you an answer.

Is it necessary? Not at all.

Is it convenient? Honestly… yes.

Imagine reading and wondering, “Wait, who was the 17th president again?” Instead of pulling out your phone (and getting sucked into notifications), you tap the button, get the answer, and get back to reading.

That said, the button placement is very easy to accidentally trigger. Something ViWoods could refine.

This is where ViWoods leaps past Remarkable for the average reader.

Right at launch, the bottom bar already includes:

If your whole reading life exists across multiple ecosystems, this thing basically tells you, “Yeah, go ahead—use all of them.”

It really is a small, simple tablet built to host whatever reading apps you already rely on.

You get some decent mid-range internals:

The lack of speakers means no out-loud audiobook listening—but Bluetooth solves that for most people anyway.

This is not a productivity tablet. Not a writing tool. Not a Remarkable replacement.

But if you’re looking for:

Then this hits the sweet spot.

Honestly, that line captures the whole vibe.

I went into this basically blind—not knowing much about the device at all. But the more I handled it, the more it clicked: this is a dedicated reader for people who want more freedom than the Kindle, and less complication than the Remarkable.

The build is great.

The screen looks fantastic.

The apps included make sense.

The price is competitive.

And the form factor? Genuinely delightful.

This isn’t my full review—just an introduction. But if you’re into E Ink devices or you’ve been hunting for a simple, minimal reader with access to all the major book ecosystems, this is worth a look.

Links will be in the description—both the Amazon link (where I bought mine) and the direct ViWoods link.

If you want me to do a full review, let me know. This might be one of those sleeper devices that ends up being a crowd favorite.

I think that’s the whole point.