Onyx Boox makes the best eReaders available to the human species, and there's no debating me on that.The new Boox Picco is a brilliant little pocket eReader that used to come with a MagSafe case, but Boox stopped selling the case with it recently.Third-party sellers haven't clocked this gap yet, so there aren't any alternatives at the moment.
That's why I took matters into my own hands and decided to add that feature myself.What could go wrong? Add How-To Geek on Google Add as Preferred Source Follow on Google Discover Finding the right magnet for the job Sounds easy enough Close It's easy enough to stick an adhesive magnetic ring on phone cases, but making other items MagSafe on your own isn't common.The Onyx Boox Picco has a matte back with a slightly grainy texture, so it's already primed to stick something on it.
I had imagined this would be a very easy addition to make, but I ran into a roadblock very early on.You can find an unnecessary number of magnetic adhesive rings on Amazon, Best Buy, or any such retailer.But these websites are flooded with magnets for phone cases, designed to go on the back of a smartphone.
What I needed was the opposite — a magnetic sticker that goes on the accessory and is magnetically attracted to the phone.Instead of looking for magnetic rings for phones, I then pivoted to magnetic stickers sold by craft stores and suppliers.My first purchase was a flat, round magnetic sticker with 3M adhesive on the back.
These stickers are designed to go on fridges and metal boards, so I estimated the magnetic force would be enough to support the 58-gram Picco eReader.Unfortunately, my first try was a dud.Turns out, it wasn't strong enough to bear the weight of the Boox Picco, even though the magnetic sticker stuck fairly well to the back of my Pixel 10 Pro.
Lesson learned, I ordered a sturdier neodymium magnet instead.Adding magnets to a mini pocket eReader Thickness and circumference matter Neodymium magnets are some of the strongest permanent magnets you can buy.If you have a MagSafe or magnetic Qi2 phone, it has several tiny neodymium magnets embedded inside it.
My quest to make my Boox Picco MagSafe-compatible led me to purchase a small, round neodymium magnet that came with double-sided 3M adhesive.I positioned the neodymium magnet dead center on the back of the Picco and glued it on.The result was functional, but imperfect.
In my excitement, I forgot to check the thickness of the neodymium magnet I purchased and ended up with a 5mm-thick disk.While it clung to the back of my Pixelsnap phone case, Pixel 10 Pro, and MagSafe adapter ring on a random Android phone, the thickness made the Picco jut out like the jawline of a supermodel.One might find it attractive on a person, but it looked comically stupid on my phone.
The side profile was especially funny.What I would do next time Here's what I should have done If you're going to be replicating this experiment, don't repeat my mistake.What I should have done is crystal clear to me now.
Instead of getting a thick neodymium disk, a thin plate would have been much better.Suitable neodymium plates get very expensive and are usually only sold in bulk.So an alternative solution would be to get slim phone mounting plates instead.
Mounting plates are made entirely of metal, so they aren't magnetic in nature.This should be sufficient to magnetically latch onto the back of a magnetic smartphone or case, since the Onyx Boox Picco is extremely lightweight.My favorite mounting plates are from a brand called RollingSquare.
The brand sells mounting plates that are extremely thin and lightweight, measuring just 0.5mm thick.The RollingSquare Edge Pro set costs $49.90 and includes a set of mounting plates, magnetic stickers, and a stand, if you want a comprehensive set with extra accessories to go with it.Those looking to get just the thin metal plate are better off buying the Edge Pro Spare Kit for $19.90 instead.
Related Forget Kindle, here's why I use an Android eReader You can't take away my freedom.Posts 9 By Andrew Heinzman As much as I love Onyx Boox, there is another brand that you should consider I acknowledge my bias towards Onyx Boox.The brand's larger E Ink tablets that run Android are spectacular, but the tinier Boox Picco isn't the top dog in the game.
It's sad that the brand stopped selling the magnetic case for the pocket eReader.If you don't want to spend money on a magnet after already spending $109.99 on the Picco, Xteink has a better option.The Xteink X4 Pro is a similar miniature eReader with a touchscreen and front light, but it one-ups Boox by offering built-in magnets — for $10 less! The only drawback is that it charges via magnetic pogo pins, so you can't use a universal charging method like a USB cable.
Xteink X4 Pro The Xteink X4 Pro is a tiny (4.3-inch) pcoket eReader that adds a touchscreen, a front light, and a big battery to a successful formula.$99 at Xteink Expand Collapse
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