Tag: Sony

About the Column

Many readers are often curious about what the editors at SSPAI actually buy. Through the “Editors’ New Toys” column, we hope to introduce the interesting gadgets and products that our team members have recently started using — and let them personally share what the experience of using these “new toys” has really been like.

Content Note: If any installment of the New Toys column includes commercial content, it will be clearly marked as “Advertisement” within that entry.

@路中南: Yuexingtong X4

• Reference Price: ¥235 (after coupon)

I first heard about this device from a New Toys submission back in August, but it didn’t really convince me to become one of its “cloud shareholders” at the time. Lately, though, there’s been so much discussion about it — and after scrolling through several Taiwanese friends’ posts and expat comments like “I can’t believe this thing only costs thirty bucks!” — I finally asked a friend to help me place an order. (Honestly, this was the first time I ever felt inconvenienced by not having a Xiaohongshu or Pinduoduo account.)

For readers unfamiliar with the Yuexingtong X4, there are a few hardware details worth noting before you buy one:

• It has no backlight, so its ideal use scenarios are outdoors or in well-lit environments — say goodbye to late-night reading under a lamp.
• It doesn’t support touch input; all operations, including typing, are done via physical buttons. The seller claims this improves response time and battery life while preventing accidental touches. That said, it’s still hard to resist tapping the screen instinctively when playing with it.
• One of its main selling points is that it can magnetically attach to the back of your phone, becoming a kind of “second screen.” If that reminds you of that Russian “national gift phone” from a few years back — yes, that’s the idea.
• It runs on a proprietary system and only supports .txt and .epub files.

The white version costs a few dozen yuan more, so I went with the black one. I didn’t really bother checking the other specs before buying — the only thing to note is that the screen has a 220 ppi resolution, roughly the same as my main Xiaomi Duokan e-reader. Since I’m not exactly an avid reader, I figured it would be “good enough.” However, after the device actually arrived, my hands-on experience turned out to be quite different from what I had expected. I’m planning to talk about it in more detail — it’s going to be a bit long-winded, so if you’re curious, bear with me and keep reading.

Received the package right at midnight on Double 11 — props to the logistics team for their dedication. Since it’s a small brand, I didn’t have high expectations for the packaging — it’s very minimal — but the product itself surprised me. It’s unbelievably light and thin. Borrowing Boli’s words from his iPhone Air video, the Yuexingtong X4 is also a “sheet” of electronics — thin enough to rest on a wall switch. The build quality is quite good: the cool aluminum-alloy back feels premium, and the matte, anti-glare glass on the front gives off a crisp, transparent impression without that dull haze you sometimes see. Honestly, it makes me wonder if just the screen alone already costs a lot.

The first thing I did after unboxing was update the system. It shipped with version V2.1.8 and jumped straight to V3.0.5 — pushed out right on Double 11! Along with the V3.0 update, Yuexingtong also released an official Android app. That update cadence is one of the main reasons I trusted and bought it in the end. Whether a team truly cares about its product or not often shows here — and they clearly do. Which brings me to my main point: for just over 200 RMB, this kind of hardware leaves me nothing to complain about (many phone cases cost more than that). But when it comes to software, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. The first issue worth mentioning is font rendering — see the comparison photo below.

The Yuexingtong X4 feels more like an embedded device than an e-reader with actual computing capabilities. It doesn’t support vector .ttf font files; instead, users have to manually convert them into .bin bitmap fonts. That means your rendering result heavily depends on the conversion tool and parameters you use. The system is closed and offers almost no typesetting options, aside from a three-level line-spacing adjustment. For example, when I use my go-to font — the LXGW New Zhixing Song Screen Edition(project link) — the difference becomes clear: on the Xiaomi Duokan Reader with KOReader, font rendering is sharp and takes full advantage of the 220 ppi display; but on the Yuexingtong X4, jagged edges are still obvious. My guess is that this issue lies in the system’s rendering algorithm, which users can hardly influence — we’ll just have to wait for a firmware update.

To comfort my fellow “cloud shareholders,” I’ll add this: the early rendering on the Xiaomi e-reader was just as bad. Both the native Duokan Reader and KOReader were disappointing at first, but one system update later, the improvement was huge — not quite Kindle-300 ppi level, but definitely usable. If Yuexingtong X4 can solve this technical challenge, I’ll happily raise my rating. Typography and layout present a second layer of difficulty beyond rendering — for instance, the forced first-line indentation and full-width punctuation still feel awkward. I really hope the team opens up more layout customization options in the future.

When it comes to font generation, there’s actually quite a bit more to talk about. At first, I thought I could just find some random online tool to convert a .ttf font into a .bin file and call it a day — naturally, that didn’t work. After some searching, I came across a paid iOS app called Dianmo, which specializes in converting fonts for devices like this and even offers fine-tuning options: anti-aliasing, text size, spacing, weight, line height, and so on. According to the latest update notes, Dianmo can also push any file — including generated font files — directly to the Yuexingtong using its “Mobile Push” feature. That basically makes it the ideal client in my mind (it can even tweak .ttf files directly, though that part isn’t really necessary).

The reason I turned to Dianmo in the first place was that Yuexingtong’s iOS client is still in beta, and transferring files through the TF card is just too much of a hassle. Writing directly to the TF card is fast and stable, but when using macOS, it tends to create lots of hidden system fragments — and unfortunately, those are visible on the Yuexingtong X4. So what used to take three page turns to find a book now takes six. In addition to the “Mobile Push” function (which is really just the device creating a Wi-Fi hotspot for your phone to connect to), the Yuexingtong X4 also supports local network file transfer under the same Wi-Fi — but it’s painfully slow. It’s an embedded device, after all, so patience is a virtue.

As for some of the hardware quirks I mentioned earlier — here are a few things curious readers might want to know:

• The operation speed isn’t as snappy as you might expect. There’s about a half-second delay — acceptable for reading, but a little frustrating when navigating menus. In short, you can’t operate it too fast.
• The six-button layout looks intimidating at first, but it’s surprisingly easy to get used to. The pair on the right, which resemble volume buttons, become second nature in no time.
• Most official tutorials are hidden away on Xiaohongshu (RED), and there’s no proper website or official documentation online — only third-party reviews. A pity.
• The Yuexingtong X4 has built-in magnets, so you can stick it on your fridge or even horizontally onto the back of an iPhone Pro Max — no magnetic plate required (though it won’t work on the Pro model due to the camera bump). If you want to attach it vertically, you’ll need to add a magnetic ring.
• The package includes a matte screen protector, two decent-quality magnetic rings, and a TF card adapter — a thoughtful touch. The brand’s Xiaohongshu store also sells accessories like magnetic lights and clear cases.

These low-power e-ink devices really do have their own charm. You can even set a custom lock screen wallpaper, so it doubles nicely as a decorative desk piece. Speaking of e-ink gadgets, don’t forget about Quote/0 Excerpt, which is also available on the SSPAI store.

@鲸鱼鱼: OnePlus 15

• Reference Price: ¥3,499 and up

Compared with the previous generation, the OnePlus 15 does bring hardware upgrades — though in some areas, it feels more “restrained.” Has this balance of choices affected its standing as a “good phone”? After using it for a while, I think I’ve found some answers.

Let’s start with the design. Compared to earlier digital-series models, the OnePlus 15 takes a noticeably different direction. Aesthetics are subjective, of course, but personally, I prefer this new, minimal look. The “Raw Sand Dune” colorway features a finely matte-textured metal frame and glass back, which do a great job at resisting fingerprints and feel comfortable to hold. That said, under dim lighting, the light gray tone tends to appear darker — closer to gray than silver.

Flip the phone around and light up the screen, and I can’t help but recall the day my colleague Old Mai unboxed the review unit at dinner — the collective “wow” from the table said it all. The ultra-thin, symmetrical bezels make a striking first impression. In actual use, the reduced black edges enhance immersion — it truly feels like holding a frameless screen. Speaking of the display, OnePlus made a deliberate choice between 165Hz refresh rate and 2K resolution, opting for the former. In hindsight, that may prove to be the right call. OnePlus 15 users are the first to enjoy such ultra-high refresh rates, though some apps still need native optimization — a temporary pain that might make people nostalgic for 2K displays. In daily use, however, the 1.5K screen looks nearly as crisp, while delivering smoother visuals and touch response. Combined with a larger battery and tuned vibration motor, the result is excellent battery life — though the spec changes may take users some time to fully embrace.

Moving to the camera, the biggest shift is from Hasselblad co-engineering to OnePlus’s in-house LUMO imaging. LUMO focuses more on portraits — colors look livelier and more pleasing, with no major loss of detail. Of course, color science is subjective, and without the Hasselblad logo on the body or watermark, the photos feel like they’ve lost a bit of that signature “Hasselblad touch.” On paper, changes to sensor size and focal lengths mean the OnePlus 15 performs better in distant shots and portrait background blur than its predecessor, though it still lags slightly behind imaging flagships in low light.

To be fair, the OnePlus 15 isn’t chasing the absolute limits of hardware specs. But after experiencing its refined design, premium feel, and smooth user experience from both hardware and software integration, I’d still call it a great phone. The OnePlus 15 represents an upgrade in experience, not just in numbers. That said, I do look forward to seeing a OnePlus that can strike the perfect balance between specs and experience in the future.

@Microhoo：DJI Neo 2

• Reference Price: ¥1,499

Looking back at the first-generation Neo, it now feels more like a proof-of-concept — a Beta product. Its lack of active safety features meant that you actually had to stay more alert to your surroundings while flying it. Even its seemingly simplified controls could easily cause confusion. So, while the Neo’s design philosophy was built around an admirable “zero learning curve” concept, in practice, it still required a fair bit of prior drone-handling experience. Especially after the release of the Flip, I once thought the Neo line might be short-lived — that its vision of “flying freely” might remain just that, a vision.

But a year later, the Neo 2 arrived right on schedule. And thankfully, this is DJI we’re talking about — they didn’t just upgrade the specs, they also revisited the shortcomings of the first generation. With thoughtful refinements and entirely new features, the Neo 2 finally feels like a complete product.

Although DJI doesn’t state it outright, I think the Neo 2’s biggest distinction from other drones is that it’s designed — or rather, meant — to be flown completely independently, without relying on a phone or controller (though it still supports both, along with FPV goggles). This time, the control buttons have been moved to the central axis, perfectly positioned for intuitive, one-handed operation. Combined with voice feedback and a small front display, you can now access around 90% of the drone’s functions without any external device. Whether it’s switching flight modes or adjusting distance parameters, it all feels simple and direct.

To make up for the previous model’s lack of active safety, the Neo 2 now combines LiDAR and a monocular vision system to deliver full 360-degree obstacle avoidance — a feature usually reserved for professional-grade drones. That said, not all “360-degree obstacle avoidance” systems are created equal; performance varies depending on obstacle distance, lighting conditions, and flight speed. Compared with higher-end drones, the Neo 2’s system is, naturally, less sophisticated. And given how unpredictable flight environments can be, I’d still advise against using auto-tracking in dense forests or at night. It’s always worth scouting the area and flight path beforehand.

Still, the Neo 2’s fully enclosed propeller guards and featherlight 150g build deserve praise. Even if it takes a minor tumble — as long as it doesn’t land in water — it’ll likely come out unscathed. Taken together with its active and passive safety designs, the Neo 2 is safe enough for supervised use, meaning even kids can enjoy the thrill of flight, provided an adult is watching and the surroundings are secure.

In my view, the most striking upgrade of the Neo 2 lies in its gesture controls — the main reason I believe it truly shines only when used without a controller. During flight, you can guide the drone’s direction by moving a single open palm, and control its distance by spreading or closing both hands. At present, this gesture control feels more like a fun, futuristic toy trick — perfect for showing off to kids. However, when using it for selfies, you’ll inevitably still want some form of visual monitoring. That’s why I’m really hoping DJI will release a small companion display or, better yet, enable compatibility with smartwatches like the Apple Watch to further simplify the experience.

Since we’re on the topic of filming, it’s worth noting that the Neo 2’s core idea remains that of a compact, intelligent follow-cam drone. Compared to the first generation’s “good enough” level of performance, the Neo 2 has made significant progress. The new model supports up to 4K 60fps video recording, with onboard storage doubled to nearly 50GB. Combined with DJI’s industry-leading image stabilization technology, footage captured in good lighting conditions can rival that of flagship smartphones.

Of course, when compared to DJI’s higher-end drones, the Neo 2’s imaging specs are modest. But that’s by design — it’s meant to be an entry-level, compact drone. Considering its overall experience — especially the precise gesture control and reliable obstacle avoidance — its price point feels like DJI’s way of reshaping the entry-tier drone market entirely. If you’re not chasing pro-grade image quality and simply want to enjoy the thrill of flying and taking photos from above, the Neo 2 is easily one of the best options available. On the other hand, if you care deeply about image fidelity, flight speed, or wind resistance, I believe upcoming models in the Flip series will soon offer comparable gesture and obstacle-avoidance capabilities — perhaps even better ones. So, waiting a bit longer might not be a bad idea either.

@北鸮: Sony Vintage Keyboard

• Reference Price: ¥129

Let’s get this out of the way first — this keyboard is absolutely not worth the price. I bought it mostly for fun, so take this as a lighthearted read.

I came across this keyboard while scrolling through Xiaohongshu — it immediately caught my eye with its nostalgic, early-2000s “economic boom” aesthetic. After a bit of digging, I figured out its background. This batch of Sony keyboards mostly dates back to 10–20 years ago, from the era when Sony was still fully committed to its unified “transparent” design language. This particular keyboard with a built-in flip cover originally came bundled with the VAIO VGC-LT15E, a Core 2–era all-in-one desktop. The machine featured wide transparent bezels and came with wireless peripherals and a remote control — very much in line with VAIO’s design-first philosophy.

Its wireless connection system was quite unique as well. Sony designed a proprietary receiver for its VAIO accessories, and some models even had the receiver built into the computer itself. That gave VAIO users the same kind of seamless integration that Mac users enjoy — though, unfortunately, it didn’t support standard Bluetooth. The versions currently being resold online have likely been retrofitted with a new controller, turning these vintage Sony keyboards into modern Bluetooth-compatible ones with small USB receivers.

The keyboard’s original model number is VGP-WKB5. It’s lightweight but manages to feel metallic. The foldable lid doubles as a palm rest — a bit cold to the touch. Most of the top-row system shortcut keys have been revived, too. One day, I accidentally dropped my phone onto the sleep key — it instantly sent my computer to sleep, so that function works, at least. The Japanese version also comes with a built-in FeliCa card reader, though it’s essentially useless today. I never quite understood why an all-in-one PC keyboard would include one, but maybe it’s just another example of Japan’s peculiar attachment to old tech.

Typing on it is, frankly, nothing special — it’s your typical scissor-switch membrane keyboard. Mine was preserved surprisingly well; the rubber domes haven’t aged much. The typing feel is soft and short-travel, similar to most laptop keyboards. However, perhaps due to the replaced controller or my current preference for mechanical keyboards, it suffers from frequent double keystrokes — it feels like the debounce delay for key presses and releases is set too low. The seller also remapped the Japanese layout into what they thought was a “standard” one, which only made things more confusing for someone like me who’s used to the system’s default key mapping. My nostalgic membrane keyboard experiment ended less than two weeks later.

That said, I knew what I was getting into. I bought it expecting a “beautiful disaster” — a desk ornament, really. As a collectible adorned with SONY and VAIO logos, it’s a little piece of discontinued industrial design. Every once in a while, I pop in some batteries, tap a few keys, and catch a faint whiff of that bygone “future aesthetic.” For a hundred-odd yuan, I’d say that’s money well spent.

@ph: Metal-Cover PopSocket-Style Grip

• Reference Price: ¥50

A while back, I tried my first PopSockets grip and quite liked it — except the moment you look beyond the basic models, the prices stop being friendly. The Huaqiangbei empire, of course, offers countless cheap alternatives, but most of them look… rough around the edges. Then I stumbled upon a shop called POCASE 破壳 (and no, unfortunately, I’m not sponsored), which makes some original metal phone grips. They looked decent in the pictures, so I ordered two to try out.

The store carries quite a few styles, mostly priced around ¥50. Some designs were a bit too ornate for my taste, so I went with the simpler ones — though honestly, I wish they’d skipped the cheesy motivational quote printed on them. Once in hand, the build felt decent: the top plate is full metal and pretty thick, with a nice aged finish that makes it look like an old commemorative coin. The base, however, is less impressive — acrylic with a metallic coating, and the printed text feels cheap. Still, from a normal viewing distance, it looks fine. On the plus side, the magnets are strong — no corners cut there. In testing, the magnetic grip felt comparable to the original PopSockets, so I can trust it when heading out.

Of course, the all-metal design comes at a cost — weight. A regular PopSockets grip with its base weighs around 20 grams, while these two come in at roughly 50 grams each. With a phone and case, the total weight easily hits 300 grams. Thankfully, because of how you hold it — wedged between your fingers — the heft isn’t too noticeable in use. Even after long sessions, I found it acceptable. And since the metal lid is slightly larger than a standard PopSocket, it props the phone up at a better, less reclined angle when used as a landscape stand — definitely more practical.

Lastly, most models come in either silver or black bases, and you can choose between “rotatable” or “non-rotatable” versions. That naming is a bit misleading: even the “non-rotatable” one can still twist around its main axis, just like a PopSocket. The so-called “rotatable” version adds an extra bearing on the top plate, letting it spin freely like a fidget spinner. I tried that one first, but it felt a bit loose and dizzying to look at, so I swapped back to the fixed version — and saved myself the price of three cans of Coke.