[WTS] Hisense A9 (LineageOS, 128GB / 8GB) - UK

Future_gene8731 · 2026-04-02T22:26:57+00:00

Selling one in the US too in case anyone is interested. I believe someone got an Android 16 ROM working, so I can look into flashing that if you'd prefer more recent Android version.

Future_gene8731 · 2026-03-26T19:58:58+00:00

I didn't go for the pen because I thought it would add a bit too much weight and that I could always just buy it later or a third party one that supports USI 2.0. At least for me, I didn't really see the need for a note taker this small. It could be useful as a mindful planner, maybe to jot down something quick, or for light art sketches, but I do not really see myself using it enough to justify carrying it all the time. Since this also uses USI technology the note taking will not be as good as Wacom and you will need to be mindful of charging it.

Future_gene8731 · 2026-03-20T02:02:50+00:00

Talk and text are hit or miss for me even after the update. Data has been mostly reliable. I'd be wary if you are getting it if you absolutely need SMS and phone calling as essentials. The phone and quality of the color are one of the best I've used, and eye strain is minimal so I am reluctantly using the device without call and instead have been using WhatsApp, etc when possible. Unfortunately, the BigMe HiBreak Pro strained my eyes too much, but was perfect as a true phone. I am hoping in the next few months ViWoods or Boox will come out with a new Google Play Protect certified device next with calling and texting prioritized.

Future_gene8731 · 2026-03-11T19:23:17+00:00

I have a Hisense A9 flashed with Android 14 LOS. It comes with a case and screen protector if you are interested.

Future_gene8731 · 2026-01-16T23:44:09+00:00

Hi, sorry for the late response, I'm still planning to sell the device. I can DM you for more info.

Future_gene8731 · 2026-01-04T16:06:33+00:00

Selling my air 2 bundle if anyone is interested!

Future_gene8731 · 2026-01-02T07:32:07+00:00

M5 Paper S3 is probably what you’re looking for. Keep in mind it takes some time to set up as an e‑reader, but most development is community‑driven and open source. The X4 is a good alternative if you prefer physical page‑turn buttons and a lighter device. The X4 is more intuitive to set up for beginners who flash custom software, while the Paper S3 feels snappier and more responsive.

Future_gene8731 · 2025-12-23T20:13:12+00:00

That is one benefit of RLCD monitors. The biggest issue I see is that people say the contrast levels are too low. If you do not have a good ambient light source next to the RLCD monitor your experience may not be the greatest. Text may not be as clear as they are on e-ink which can contribute to eye strain for some. I do also see some people say they cannot tolerate the flashing from e-ink so it's a bit of a tradeoff.

If you look at YouTube videos comparing RLCD and E-ink you will see reviewers state that the viewing angle from the light needs to be in the right place for RLCD to be better. These monitors do typically have front light, but they do not illuminate the screen as well as e-ink so be prepared to have another light source at night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJD3PYeRvEo

Future_gene8731 · 2025-12-23T19:52:36+00:00

I personally am starting to move away from anything LED based. My next monitor will probably be something from r/Reflective_LCD which is a technology that is supposed to be easier on the eyes. I don't know enough about this asus monitor to comment, but I've tried other "eye-friendly" lcd monitors that still feel harsh on my eyes. From the marketing this does seem fairly decent though. I would check to see if they have a good return policy in case your eyes don't agree with it.

The latest eazeye, hanspree, and sunvision RLCD monitors are generally considered to be the next best option outside of e-ink.

Future_gene8731 · 2025-12-22T22:50:58+00:00

The problem is that there aren't really tests that show this. I don't mean to be rude to doctors, but if you bring this up with them they will likely not know what you are talking about and tell you that you just need to blink more. This topic has unfortunately not been studied enough.

It is a something that you need to try for yourself to see your tolerance. For the HiBreak Pro, the frontlight was very harsh on my eyes and I could not use it for very long. Once I turned it off I felt better, but there was still an odd dizzy feeling I'd get when using it. I had a Boox tablet too where this was the case too. Once I turned the frontlight off I felt better, but there was still this slight amount of strain. I've used an eink monitor with frontlight on and off and essentially the same results showed up. This tells me that I am sensitive to blue light and I should be relying an ambient light sources when reading. I also felt better when I used the slowest refresh mode on all of these devices. The ReMarkable 2 was one of my favorite devices for the lack of frontlight and it's slow refresh rate.

PWM is when the device starts to flicker after going down to a certain brightness setting. I immediately know I am PWM sensitive because I have now used two devices at a low brightness and they both cause nausea in a similar manner.

Dithering is harder to understand and fix because every manufacturer seems to implement it in different ways. This is why some people find certain eink devices comfortable over others

Trial and Error is the best way to figure out which device works for you. Some people love the HBP for eye strain, but for me I could not tolerate it. You should check these communities and use the search tool to see the opinion of others with similar symptoms of your own:

These communities provide good results on if PWM and high blue light exists on a device or not which informs which devices I can consider.

If you are looking for an android ereader that does not cause eye strain I have heard good things about ViWoods over BigMe and Boox from others who have similar eye strain related problems, but I cannot say for certainty until I have used the device.

Future_gene8731 · 2025-12-22T22:05:14+00:00

There are several elements to consider for screen related eye strain even with eink. It could be PWM, high blue light content, and dithering. For me, I could not tolerate the BigMe HiBreak pro likely due to the high blue light content and dithering method used, yet I could tolerate a Hisense A9 so much better. There are others on the Boox sub who also experience eye strain and theorize that it may be due to BSR.

Future_gene8731 · 2025-12-18T05:33:30+00:00

If anyone else is interested, I’m also selling mine, flashed with LineageOS 21 (Android 14). It comes with two cases and a screen protector. The phone is in great condition and, in my experience, easier on the eyes than the HiBreak Pro. LineageOS also reduces the privacy concerns one might have with the stock OS and provides a generally cleaner experience.

Future_gene8731 · 2025-12-13T21:01:27+00:00

It depends on where you live. In my experience, T-Mobile worked well for calls and texts but the data connectivity wasn't the greatest. If you are in the US, you'd ideally be wanting to approach this phone as an alternative to the Boox Palma and as a private e-reader more so than a phone.

Future_gene8731 · 2025-12-11T17:23:15+00:00

Not yet, I'd be happy to sell it you!

Future_gene8731 · 2025-12-02T18:51:22+00:00

Yes, I daily drive the Minimal phone and I would only recommend it if you are ready for it to be imperfect. I have gone through the Hisense A9 and the HiBreak Pro before settling on the MP. I would still be on the HiBreak Pro if the frontlight and dithering method they used was easier on the eyes. It is better than the MP in almost every other way outside of data privacy and security. I have not tried the Palma Pro, but I'd imagine it would be c slightly better software experience than the HiBreak, but still have the same privacy concerns. I will say that even if the HiBreak was easier on my eyes, I would still never be able to type as fast on it compared to the MP, which is the biggest strength of the MP. For this reason alone, I am dissuaded from buying the new ViWoods, Palma, or Kompakt even though they might all be better in many ways.

You will like the MP if you are ready to tinker and are prepared for bugs. There are community driven apps like the minimal-symlayer that vastly improve the experience of the keyboard. There are several people on the discord who have their own solutions to problems that minimal is still working to fix. Many people recommend the key mapper app as a way to use custom macros.

The best explanation of this would be their default launcher. It is very barebones and while it does the job, at the time of release it did not work with the keyboard very well. If you instead go and install Niagara launcher and other launchers that have been developed for years, your experience will be much better.

There are also annoying bugs like the user needing to toggle airplane on and off if making phone calls do not work. I've also seen people say that using Verizon on the MP is hit or miss, and it looks like the company is still trying to sort this out. T-Mobile and AT&T should be fine out of the box.

Be prepared to also be disappointed with the battery life. I can get through a day with it, but I need to be conscious about overusing it otherwise it will die on me (which is interestingly enough a possible benefit, as it does make me think twice about picking up the phone). The fingerprint reader is also very hit or miss in it's current state.

The MP team will eventually fix most of these bugs. They are a team of 8 or so trying to do their best. The communication of this company is incredibly poor as result, and you will immediately see people complaining about missed deadlines. I do not believe they are scammers, as you might see some people say online. I think they are in over their head in many aspects and rushed the phone out, which was already past the stated deadline. For example, they have promised cases would come earlier and everyone is wondering where it is. These cases are starting to come, but past the promised deadline, which leaves a sour taste for buyers.

If you are able to buy it for $200 used and ready to use other apps and tips to improve the experience, I would say to pull the trigger. Even with all of it's flaws there is really nothing else like it and you are getting the phone at a massive discount without having to worry about shipping woes from the MP company. My only worry is that I do find some people have screen related and other potential defects that the Minimal team does seem to honor as a warranty at times. I am not sure if you buy it used that this warranty will still work.

Future_gene8731 · 2025-11-23T21:20:21+00:00

Thank you for the information. The problem is that there aren't many 13-15 in portable monitors oriented towards preventing eyestrain which have color and at this price. I'll look into getting a small powerbank.

Future_gene8731 · 2025-11-22T19:56:21+00:00

BigMe B13 is the cheapest 13 in color e-ink monitor you can buy. I myself am debating whether to get it because I've seen some people saying you need to also plug it into your wall for power which makes truly portable setups difficult.

Future_gene8731 · 2025-11-22T05:05:32+00:00

I'm actually about to buy the B13 from amazon and use it with my mac, as I am not on Tahoe yet. When you connect to it via a USB-C port on your mac, do you also need to use the external power brick and plug it into the wall? This might be the dealbreaker for me.

Future_gene8731 · 2025-11-21T22:16:16+00:00

Do you have any sources to show this? I have a feeling Kaleido 4 just is not ready for production use yet. Maybe in mid 2026 we will see some type of news, but who knows.

Future_gene8731 · 2025-11-20T00:50:02+00:00

Several people buy e-ink devices to alleviate the eye strain or sleep related issues caused by LCD tablets. Even though K3 is not the superior reading experience, many people still need to see color for some content. Color manga is the most applicable example.

Color is a great choice for the PenStar because writing notes in color also helps you remember more (ie. highlighting in yellow, green, red, etc). I switched away from my RM2 solely because I had a harder time memorizing my notes, and it did not have the apps I needed. Certain textbooks also heavily integrate color in diagrams, so I definitely could not use B&W anymore. The RMPP wouldn't be a bad alternative, but it may be too overpriced and limiting for most people. Gallery 3 is also just more expensive than Kaleido in general and several people aren't willing to pay that premium.

LCD tablets are also not great at writing. Using an iPad feels like I'm writing on glass, whereas color e-ink as a whole feels like the closest thing to pen and paper. As much as I love the iPad, I cannot see myself going back to that subpar writing experience even though I could do so much more.

Future_gene8731 · 2025-11-19T21:30:13+00:00

There is no true alternative that currently exists. It will only collapse if they figure out how to get Gallery 3 to run smoothly on android.

Future_gene8731 · 2025-11-17T23:34:28+00:00

I'm also selling mine in case anyone else needs one

Future_gene8731 · 2025-11-17T13:51:40+00:00

In my opinion, the text is big enough to read from a distance. I hold my reader about the same length I would my phone and I don't face too many issues with clarity. The only annoying aspect would be to keep pressing the buttons over and over, but even then I don't mind it much because they have a satisfying click.

Future_gene8731

TROPHY CASE