Likebook Alita bricked (stuck at no battery screen)

Diazepam04 · 07-20-2025, 04:26 PM

Hi all,

Last month I bought a Likebook Alita at the used market (pretty much the only way of getting a non-kindle e-reader in my country without paying double the price due to import fees + shipping). The reading experience was stunning, but it kept freezing (during activity and even boot) if the battery charge was under 80%. I remained using it nonetheless.

That was the only problem with it until a few days ago. Between July 17 and 18, I noticed a battery drop from ~67% to 46% while the Alita was idle. Using it during the day reduced the battery further to 41%. This was the last time I could actually read on it.

On the next day (July 19th), I went on to use it and found the Alita stuck at the bootup screen. I pressed the power button three times (what used to restart it after a freeze) and the no battery screen appeared. Naturally, i plugged the charger and tried to boot it up - without sucess. I've noticed that the red light at the bottom of the screen just wasn't turning off - even if the charger were unplugged.

To resolve this, I decided to open the device and manually unplug the battery (a common occurence for Android phones 10 years ago): with this, the red light turns off, as expected, but plugging the charger returns it to the previous state (not booting; red light always on). I've also tried to connect to the charger while the battery was unplugged - the red light remains on while the charger is connected, but it just won't boot.

I left it charging overnight - the light remained red, not turning green (fully charged). The battery is in fact charged (though maybe not fully?), since it is possible to turn off the red light by unplugging the battery and to turn it on again by pressing the power button once the battery is plugged again, but none of this could actually make it boot.

I've read a few threads about flashing a firmware, but my Alita is not getting recognized via USB. Also, this thread shows that the other problems I was facing may be due to a faulty battery - in my case, I believe I could only get a generic replacement.

Does anyone have any tip? Should I try a generic battery? Is there a way to flash a new firmware in this state? Thanks in advance.

bazz2004 · 08-04-2025, 12:44 PM

Try charging it with a smart usb charger that charges according to what the device's battery needs.

Battery life was awful with the Alita even when it was new and it's worse when wifi is kept on. I found that it needs charging far more often than expected and so try not to let it go below 50%.

Your usb c cable may not be fully wired and only useful for charging. I bought an Anmiel cable that looks top quality but devices are not recognised when connected with it to a computer. No data is passed through it.

If you get the e-reader charged and working check your cable with another device to see if it is recognised.

Diazepam04 · 08-05-2025, 07:49 PM

So far, I've sent the Alita to three local repair shops: the better ones considered it to be a board problem (probably memory related - in fact, my Alita says it has only 2GB of RAM at the settings menu).

At one of the repair shops, I could see it plugged into a smart charger - with the Alita frozen, it was drawing ~0.5A. Most likely, the battery was at 0% during the reading.

I've also realized the following:
- When the tablet freezes, the power LED will remain as it is no matter what (if it is red, it will remain red, even if I unplug the charger, etc.)
- The battery depletes relatively fast when the tablet is frozen (apparently, faster than it would during a normal reading session, but certainly faster than while in standby mode)
- If I perform a 'hard reset' by unplugging the battery, the Alita might actually turn on by pressing the power button or connecting the charger if I'm fast/lucky enough. The first time this happens, it may remain functional for about 1 hour. If I try to repeat the process in order to turn it on again, the Alita will freeze in about a minute. I believe that at some point, the freezes will become so frequent that it will not be possible to boot it up; to actually turn it on again, I'll have to wait a few hours.

bazz2004 · Today, 05:24 AM

The workshops that reckon it has a problem with the board are likely correct. The Alita should have 4Gb memory.

The tiny diode showing red isn't a worry. My Alita charges OK but I can't remember when it last showed green. There is a power management section under user settings that might be worth a visit.

It isn't a great piece of kit and I am still horrified by how much I paid for the Alita new. I was expecting something like an ipad with an e-ink screen on which I could easily add notes to epub files with the stylus. Dream on.

If you paid a lot for the Alita second hand this will hurt but I'd consider throwing it out.

07-20-2025, 04:26 PM	#1
Diazepam04 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2025 Device: Likebook Alita	Likebook Alita bricked (stuck at no battery screen) Hi all, Last month I bought a Likebook Alita at the used market (pretty much the only way of getting a non-kindle e-reader in my country without paying double the price due to import fees + shipping). The reading experience was stunning, but it kept freezing (during activity and even boot) if the battery charge was under 80%. I remained using it nonetheless. That was the only problem with it until a few days ago. Between July 17 and 18, I noticed a battery drop from ~67% to 46% while the Alita was idle. Using it during the day reduced the battery further to 41%. This was the last time I could actually read on it. On the next day (July 19th), I went on to use it and found the Alita stuck at the bootup screen. I pressed the power button three times (what used to restart it after a freeze) and the no battery screen appeared. Naturally, i plugged the charger and tried to boot it up - without sucess. I've noticed that the red light at the bottom of the screen just wasn't turning off - even if the charger were unplugged. To resolve this, I decided to open the device and manually unplug the battery (a common occurence for Android phones 10 years ago): with this, the red light turns off, as expected, but plugging the charger returns it to the previous state (not booting; red light always on). I've also tried to connect to the charger while the battery was unplugged - the red light remains on while the charger is connected, but it just won't boot. I left it charging overnight - the light remained red, not turning green (fully charged). The battery is in fact charged (though maybe not fully?), since it is possible to turn off the red light by unplugging the battery and to turn it on again by pressing the power button once the battery is plugged again, but none of this could actually make it boot. I've read a few threads about flashing a firmware, but my Alita is not getting recognized via USB. Also, this thread shows that the other problems I was facing may be due to a faulty battery - in my case, I believe I could only get a generic replacement. Does anyone have any tip? Should I try a generic battery? Is there a way to flash a new firmware in this state? Thanks in advance.

08-04-2025, 12:44 PM	#2
bazz2004 Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 14745 Join Date: May 2020 Device: Boyue Alita	Try charging it with a smart usb charger that charges according to what the device's battery needs. Battery life was awful with the Alita even when it was new and it's worse when wifi is kept on. I found that it needs charging far more often than expected and so try not to let it go below 50%. Your usb c cable may not be fully wired and only useful for charging. I bought an Anmiel cable that looks top quality but devices are not recognised when connected with it to a computer. No data is passed through it. If you get the e-reader charged and working check your cable with another device to see if it is recognised. Last edited by bazz2004; 08-04-2025 at 12:49 PM.

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08-05-2025, 07:49 PM	#3
Diazepam04 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2025 Device: Likebook Alita	So far, I've sent the Alita to three local repair shops: the better ones considered it to be a board problem (probably memory related - in fact, my Alita says it has only 2GB of RAM at the settings menu). At one of the repair shops, I could see it plugged into a smart charger - with the Alita frozen, it was drawing ~0.5A. Most likely, the battery was at 0% during the reading. I've also realized the following: - When the tablet freezes, the power LED will remain as it is no matter what (if it is red, it will remain red, even if I unplug the charger, etc.) - The battery depletes relatively fast when the tablet is frozen (apparently, faster than it would during a normal reading session, but certainly faster than while in standby mode) - If I perform a 'hard reset' by unplugging the battery, the Alita might actually turn on by pressing the power button or connecting the charger if I'm fast/lucky enough. The first time this happens, it may remain functional for about 1 hour. If I try to repeat the process in order to turn it on again, the Alita will freeze in about a minute. I believe that at some point, the freezes will become so frequent that it will not be possible to boot it up; to actually turn it on again, I'll have to wait a few hours.

Today, 05:24 AM	#4
bazz2004 Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 14745 Join Date: May 2020 Device: Boyue Alita	The workshops that reckon it has a problem with the board are likely correct. The Alita should have 4Gb memory. The tiny diode showing red isn't a worry. My Alita charges OK but I can't remember when it last showed green. There is a power management section under user settings that might be worth a visit. It isn't a great piece of kit and I am still horrified by how much I paid for the Alita new. I was expecting something like an ipad with an e-ink screen on which I could easily add notes to epub files with the stylus. Dream on. If you paid a lot for the Alita second hand this will hurt but I'd consider throwing it out.