Steve Jobs famously revealed the first iPhone as three devices in one: an iPod, a phone, and an internet communications device.While a smartphone can replace plenty of devices, there are some gadgets that a phone just can't match.A tiny eReader Reading on a phone is a horrible experience I love to read, and I hate how much I doomscroll.
If I'd spent the same amount of time reading as I have doomscrolling over the years, my backlog of books I want to read would be far, far smaller.The trouble is that reading on a phone isn't great.The screen is designed to be readable even in low light, and while the bright display is fine for short bouts of reading, I find it far less comfortable than the E-Ink screens found on most eReaders.
Plus, I'm only a single tap away from distractions like social media apps or the internet.A tiny eReader has changed all that.The Xteink X3 is a 3.7-inch E-Ink device powered by an ESP32 chip that's small enough to keep in my pocket.
Instead of doomscrolling, I can pull out the X3 and read whenever I have a moment or two to spare.I've been reading so much more since I got it.Related 8 Accessories That Allow My Phone to Replace All The Things I'm living the dream.
Posts By Bertel King A Meta Quest virtual reality headset Watching shows and movies on my phone wasn't great Close I love watching shows and movies with my wife, but we don't always like to watch the same things.She's obsessed with true-crime documentaries, which is slightly concerning, and she's not a huge fan of some of the sci-fi shows I like to watch.She regularly watches shows on her iPad, but I don't have a tablet, and I find watching on my phone far from perfect.
I recently found a Meta Quest 2 headset going cheap on Facebook Marketplace, and decided to buy it on a whim, despite it lacking any controllers.It still works with hand tracking, and now I can watch my favorite shows on a virtual cinema screen.It's honestly been a game-changer.
I can throw the headset on when I have a few minutes spare and watch a little more of my current show, but the experience is a world away from watching on my tiny phone and really makes the shows so much more immersive.A Nintendo DS Even the best phone games are a pain to play I've never been a huge fan of mobile games, but a couple of games really got me hooked.The first was Balatro, which is perfectly pitched to make me want to have just one more round.
That led me on to Slay the Spire, which I became even more obsessed with.Both of these games are pretty well suited to a mobile device, but even then, the experience is far from ideal.The text in Balatro is relatively tiny, making it hard to read what a joker does without squinting.
Slay the Spire places the cards at the bottom of the screen, so trying to select them often brings up the app switcher, which gets really annoying.I still wanted something I could pick up and play easily even when my kids were hogging the TV, so I bought an old Nintendo DS as I had back in the day.The games are all designed for the device, so I don't get the issues I do with a phone, and I'd forgotten how much I missed playing Professor Layton games.
An alarm clock Keeping my phone by my bed was not a good idea I used my phone as an alarm clock for years.It took me a long time to realize why this was a bad idea.To use my phone as an alarm, I need to keep it by my bed, so that I can turn off or snooze the alarm when it goes off.
The trouble is that if I keep my phone next to me when I go to bed, I'm more likely to start doomscrolling before I fall asleep or when I wake up in the morning.Instead, I got a retro R2-D2 projector alarm clock.I now charge my phone in my home office, so it's ready when I start work each day.
I'm getting much better sleep because I don't spend an hour before bed trawling through Reddit.A physical remote control Using my phone just felt weird I love smart home tech, and the idea of using my phone as a remote to control my TV, surround sound, and streaming boxes seemed like a great idea.It turned out to be disappointing; having to pull out my phone, open the right app, and tap a screen instead of pushing a physical button just didn't feel great.
I ended up buying a Wi-Fi air mouse and keyboard that's designed in the shape of a remote.I then built a complex automation in Home Assistant that makes the buttons do different things depending on whether I'm watching the set-top box, using a streaming app, or controlling my surround sound system.I now have one remote to rule them all, and using the physical buttons is far better than tapping my phone.
A smartphone isn't always the best option Smartphones can be useful for a lot of things, but they're not always the perfect choice.The gadgets that I've bought have given me a far better experience than my phone ever could.
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