Xteink X3 screen replacement: six phases for the 3.7-inch panel.

# Read this first

# What differs from the X4

Charging, magnet location, and panel spec change what you buy and how you handle the X3.

Xteink has not published an X3 PPI. Figures online do not square with a retail 416 × 240 3.7″ panel: a smaller screen at a similar resolution to the X4 should read higher. Treat resolution and PPI as unconfirmed until you open the device.

# Don't lose the charger

The X3 charges only through a proprietary magnetic pogo-pin cable. There is no USB-C port. Liliputing warned that "loss of the charger could leave the device unusable."

• Keep the magnetic charger in a labeled pouch with the device.
• Buy a spare if Xteink sells one.
• Joshua Lowcock's guide notes a USB-C-to-X3 adapter for under $10. Verify current availability at joshualowcock.com/xteink.

The final charge test after reassembly also runs through these pogo pins. See phase 6.

# Source a 3.7-inch panel

The X3's 3.7-inch panel does not interchange with the X4's 4.3-inch part. What we know:

• The interface is likely SPI, typical of a 3.7-inch class panel. Unverified, and the pin count is unconfirmed.
• Xteink has not published a resolution. Retail 3.7-inch e-ink panels are around 416 × 240. Verify before you buy.
• The most reliable match is a donor X3: a second, cheaper unit you strip for its panel and connector. Save an eBay search for "xteink X3 for parts".

Order a panel only after you have opened the device and matched the ribbon cable by eye. Sourcing options, prices, and the reusable tool kit live on the panels & tools page.

# The bench checklist

Gather this before the heat gun comes out so nothing stalls mid-repair.

• Heat gun, on its lowest setting
• Plastic pry tools and wedge opening picks
• Plastic spudger (for the battery connector)
• A pin for the push-push microSD slot
• Gloves. The cracked panel will have sharp edges
• 90%+ isopropyl alcohol (IPA)
• 0.5 mm double-sided tape
• B-7000 adhesive (or 0.5–1 mm foam tape)
• Cloth-padded clips for the adhesive cure

The full kit, with verified product links and prices, is on the panel & tools page.

# The swap: 6 phases

The six phases below group the same 23 mechanical steps as the X4 teardown. Use that page for extra photos. The notes here flag where the X3 differs.

1. 1

   # Prepare & open the back

   Heat gun · lowest setting Plastic pry tools + picks 1–2 min of heat

   Power the X3 off completely. Hold power until the screen clears, not just sleep. Eject the microSD with a pin (push-push slot) and keep it. Photograph every side. Soften the back-cover adhesive with the heat gun on the lowest setting, held 8–10 inches away. Sweep all four edges for 1–2 minutes until the shell is warm, not hot. Pry from a bottom corner with plastic tools and wedge opening picks to hold the seam.
2. 2

   # Disconnect the battery

   Plastic spudger

   Pop the X3's battery connector straight up off its socket with a plastic spudger. Never lever sideways. That bends the pins. Working with the LiPo battery still connected risks a short if a metal tool touches the board.
3. 3

   # Remove the cracked panel

   Heat gun · brief passes Gloves on

   Trace the ribbon cable from the panel to the board. Flip open its ZIF latch, the small locking tab, before sliding the cable out. Heat the panel edges briefly and lift the glass at a shallow angle.

   X3 delta (unverified, based on the X4 teardown): the magnetic ring sits in the back plate, not the screen assembly. Leave it undisturbed. The ribbon is likely an SPI-type connector. Pin count is unconfirmed. Match it to your replacement panel by eye.

4. 4

   # Clean the frame & clear every shard

   90%+ IPA Good light

   Swab all adhesive residue with 90%+ IPA and let it flash off before the new panel goes in. Hunt down every glass shard under good light. A 1 mm sliver will crack or blank the new panel.
5. 5

   # Fit the new 3.7-inch panel

   0.5 mm double-sided tape VCON within 0.3 V

   Check the VCON tag, the per-panel calibration voltage on a small label. If it's within 0.3 V of the old panel, proceed without adjustment. Lay 0.5 mm double-sided tape around the frame, seat the panel, slide its ribbon into the ZIF connector to the stop line, and press the latch closed until it clicks. Peel the screen-face film off last, just before closing.

6. 6

   # Test before you close, then reassemble

   B-7000 or foam tape Cloth-padded clips Cure 4–24 hr

   Reconnect the battery and power on before gluing anything shut. Once the screen passes, seal the back cover with a thin bead of B-7000 or 0.5–1 mm foam tape. Line up the button and pogo-pin cutouts. The X3 has no USB-C notch. Clamp with cloth-padded clips while the adhesive cures, 4 hours minimum, 24 for full strength.

   X3 delta: charge-test on the magnetic pogo-pin cable, not USB-C.

# Test, diagnose, and finish

First power-on

Ghosting is a normal e-ink refresh behaviour: faint leftover images, not a broken panel. A full refresh or a fresh CrossPoint flash clears it.

If the repair fails

Match the symptom before you touch anything else.

• Blank screen: ZIF connector not fully seated. Remove the panel and reseat the ribbon cable.
• Half the display is dead: Flex-cable pinout mismatch: the wrong panel model.
• Persistent heavy ghosting: VCON voltage mismatch. Reflash the firmware first; if it persists, a VCON hardware adjustment is needed.
• Display fine but the X3 won't charge: Pogo-pin contacts disturbed during reassembly. Reopen and check the magnetic contacts.
• Powers on but buttons don't work: Function-button cable not reconnected to its socket.

After a successful repair

The new panel has no protective layer until you add one. Apply the official Xteink X3 Clear Protector for the 3.7-inch panel, or a flexible PET film, then reflash CrossPoint to clear the display memory and normalise refresh behaviour. Protector and case picks are on protect the new panel. If the X3 won't take a USB flash, rescue it from the SD card.

# Common questions

More X3 guides