PocketBook Touch HD 3 Review: Waterproof, Format-Flexible, and Still Worth It
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Most e-readers pick one job and do it well. The PocketBook Touch HD 3, released in 2019 as the third device in PocketBook’s Touch HD line, picks almost all of them. Waterproof enough for the bathtub. A frontlight that shifts warmer as the evening goes on. Text-to-speech and Bluetooth for audiobooks. And format support that reads more like a technical spec sheet than a consumer one — CHM, DjVu, FB2, RTF, TXT, alongside the usual EPUB and PDF. Think of it as the multi-tool in your reading bag, not the single, perfectly balanced blade a Kindle is. You give up a little elegance. You get a device that opens almost anything you hand it.
What it is
The Touch HD 3 carries a 6-inch E Ink Carta HD screen at 1072 × 1448 pixels (300 PPI) — sharp, standard for its era, and still perfectly readable today. Behind it: 16 GB of storage, 512 MB of RAM, and a 1500 mAh battery, in a body that weighs 155 grams and measures 161 × 108 × 8 mm. Charging and file transfer both run over Micro-USB, not USB-C, which is worth knowing before you buy if every other cable in your house has already moved on.
The format list is the real selling point
Where a Kindle wants you living inside Amazon’s ecosystem, the Touch HD 3 will open nearly anything: EPUB (including DRM’d copies), PDF, MOBI, FB2, DjVu, CHM, DOC, DOCX, RTF, TXT, and more, plus a built-in ABBYY Lingvo dictionary for looking words up without leaving the page. If you’ve ever been stuck with a document in a format your e-reader refuses to touch, this is the device built specifically so that never happens again. That’s not a marginal feature here — it’s the whole reason PocketBook built a following among readers who deal in formats other than a single retailer’s proprietary one.
Waterproof, and lit for evening reading
PocketBook rated the Touch HD 3 for waterproofing (IPX8 per the official listing), which in plain terms means bathtub and poolside reading without the constant low-grade anxiety a splash usually causes. Pair that with SMARTlight, PocketBook’s adaptive frontlight that warms its color temperature as it gets later, and you’ve got a device built for exactly the two situations e-readers get treated roughest: near water, and right before bed.
Audio, for when you’d rather listen
Bluetooth support means the Touch HD 3 can pair with headphones or a speaker for audiobooks, and it includes text-to-speech for reading any text file aloud — not just titles sold as audiobooks. If you switch between reading and listening depending on the hour, that flexibility is worth more than it looks on a spec sheet.
What to know before buying
This is a 2019 device, and it shows in a couple of specific ways: 512 MB of RAM is modest even by e-reader standards, so page-turn and menu response are noticeably slower than on anything released in the last two or three years. There’s no color screen — if you want E Ink color, look at newer PocketBook or Kobo models instead. And Micro-USB, not USB-C, means budgeting for the right cable if you’ve already replaced every other one you own. None of these are dealbreakers for what the device is built to do; they’re just the tradeoffs of buying something six years into its life instead of six months.
Who this is for
Readers who regularly hit format walls on other devices. Anyone who wants waterproofing without stepping up to a flagship price. People who switch between reading and audiobooks depending on the time of day. It’s a weaker pick if you specifically want the newest processor speed available or a color screen — for either of those, the current PocketBook Era is the better look.
FAQ
Is the PocketBook Touch HD 3 waterproof?
Yes — it carries an IPX8 rating, built for bathtub and poolside reading.
Does it support PDF and DjVu?
Yes, along with EPUB, MOBI, FB2, CHM, DOC, DOCX, RTF, and TXT — one of the broadest format lists of any dedicated e-reader.
Can I listen to audiobooks on it?
Yes, over Bluetooth, and it also offers text-to-speech for reading any text file aloud.
Does it charge over USB-C?
No — it uses Micro-USB. Worth checking you still have a compatible cable before buying.
How does it compare to a similar-era Kindle or Kobo?
See our Kobo vs. Kindle Paperwhite comparison for how the two major ecosystems stack up against PocketBook’s format-first approach.
Curious how the Touch HD 3 sits alongside PocketBook’s other Touch and Sense-series devices? Our PocketBook 630 Sense review covers an earlier device in the lineup, and the PocketBook hub has the full catalog.
