Diptyx E-reader: A new DIY, book-shaped dual-screen device that's also DRM-free
A new DIY project is farming a lot of upvotes on the e-reader subreddit, with its two e-ink screens, a hinge, and a specific focus on open hardware and user control. The Diptyx E-reader, as it’s called, looks and folds like a paperback. The project’s creator detailed the device and its motivations in recent posts to Hackaday and Reddit, and it appealed to a lot of followers interested in alternatives to closed, DRM-heavy e-readers.
Hardware-wise, the Diptyx runs on an ESP32-S3 chip with 16MB of flash and 8MB RAM, plus an SD card slot for book storage. The device handles charging and file transfers via USB-C. There’s a visible, serviceable interior, and the exterior has what looks like vintage bookplate artwork. Dual e-ink panels are arranged in a landscape resembling a real book, which should deliver a familiar reading experience, and not look like a tablet with a reading app.
The firmware is mostly custom and built to display ePub files. It borrows cues from open-source efforts like Atomic14’s ePub reader. Important for some: there’s no DRM, no sign-in, and no cloud tie-in. Users can tweak font size, rendering, and more directly on the device - which is somewhat rare in mass-market options. A navigation array of buttons replaces swipes, and important preferences are stored in device memory, so settings persist between power cycles.
The origin story is as straightforward as it goes: the designer’s Kobo (Clara BW curr. $139.99 on Amazon) broke, and rather than buy another proprietary reader, they built something themselves. The device is still in pre-launch, and the creator has stated that even the case designs and UI art are original or adapted from classic book ex libris illustrations. All technical details, update logs, and subscription info are available for those interested in testing or following the project.
What’s most important here isn’t just the dual screens, but the creator's emphasis on reader ownership and repairability at a time when mainstream e-readers are heading in the opposite direction. The Diptyx project reads as much like a statement about digital ownership as it does an electronics showcase. The dev adds that the project will launch on Crowd Supply soon, with updates promised in the near-future.
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