Xteink X4 Pro adds touch and a light to its pocket e-reader
The $99 X4 Pro is Xteink’s priciest tiny e-reader yet, with launch support planned for CrossPoint Reader firmware.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Xteink has released the X4 Pro, a $99 pocket-size E Ink reader that adds two features missing from its earlier small models: a touchscreen and a built-in light. The changes make the device a more practical rival to larger e-readers, though The Verge reports that Xteink’s own software still trails the experience offered by Kindle and Kobo devices.
The X4 Pro is available through Xteink’s online store. Its price puts it above the company’s $79 X3 and $69 X4, and closer to Amazon’s $110 entry-level Kindle, according to The Verge.
Xteink’s new model uses a 4.26-inch, 800 x 480 E Ink display. The Verge says the device is slightly smaller and thinner than Xteink’s first e-reader and much smaller than Amazon’s 6-inch Kindle, keeping the company’s focus on portability.
New hardware, with one notable compromise
The thin design comes with a trade-off: the X4 Pro does not include a standard USB-C port. The Verge reports that it instead uses a magnetic pogo-pin connector on the back, with an included adapter that provides USB-C-style connectivity.
The device also keeps magnets on the rear so it can attach to compatible phones. The Verge says the magnets feel stronger than on earlier Xteink models, but not secure enough to inspire confidence when carried in a pocket. When attached to an iPhone 16 Pro, the X4 Pro extended past the bottom of the phone, according to the publication.
Xteink has not dropped physical controls. The X4 Pro includes page-turn buttons on both sides, a power or wake button, a reset button and a touch-sensitive home button below the screen, The Verge reports. Users can also tap the edges of the touchscreen to turn pages.
The Verge said the touchscreen makes the X4 Pro easier to use than Xteink’s button-only readers, though it found touch input less responsive than on Kindle or Kobo devices. In its testing, some taps had to be repeated with more pressure before the device recognized them.
Lighting and software changes
The built-in screen light can be adjusted for brightness and color temperature using sliders in a pull-down menu, according to The Verge. The publication said the lighting is somewhat uneven and brighter near the top of the display, and that the X4 Pro does not currently offer automatic adjustments or scheduling.
Xteink has also revised its interface for touch input. The Verge reports that menus are easier to use, reading settings are more accessible and text spacing and layout controls offer more flexibility. Out of the box, however, the device still offers only one font in two sizes unless users install additional fonts themselves, according to the report.
A major difference at launch is third-party firmware support. Justin Mitchell, the core maintainer of CrossPoint Reader, told The Verge that support for the X4 Pro would be available before customers in the United States could order and receive the device.
CrossPoint Reader is a free alternative firmware for Xteink devices. The Verge says it improves the interface and reading experience, and Mitchell’s Free Ink project now lists Xteink as a hardware partner, which should make the firmware compatible with future Xteink devices at launch.
The Verge concluded that the X4 Pro remains short of the Kindle and Kobo experience, even with CrossPoint Reader installed. For readers who value a very small e-reader, however, it called the X4 Pro the strongest option in Xteink’s lineup.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.