There aren’t that many small e-readers on the market that can be considered current-generation; most of them are outdated. The Xteink X4 e-reader ticks all the right boxes, and not only is it extremely affordable and popular, but it also enjoys a robust hacking community that has revised much of its functionality, including an e-reader app that supports more formats and a ton of quality-of-life improvements.
Why is this e-reader so popular? You can buy it for $69, which is in impulse-buy territory. Some users are unhappy with the limited number of supported picture and e-book reading formats and have prompted them to release custom firmware for the X4 called CrossPoint Reader. This custom firmware provides more text options, such as larger text size, improved text formatting & eBook layouts, Enhanced tools for transferring eBooks to the Xteink X4, and support for additional languages. Currently, the X4 supports only English, Japanese, and Chinese.
Hardware
The display spans 4.3 inches diagonally and boasts a pixel density of 220 PPI. While the Xteink X4 is marketed for a wide array of tasks, the compact screen limits the amount of text displayed on each page, so you’ll often find yourself flipping pages and adjusting lines. However, it excels in showing boarding passes, membership cards, and calendars with ease. It supports various file types, including ePUB, text files, BMP, and JPG. Do keep in mind that the device lacks a touchscreen, so the side buttons play a crucial role in its operation. It also lacks a front-lit display, so you will have to rely on ambient light.
Measuring at 114 x 69 x 5.9 millimetres and weighing only 74 grams, it’s designed for convenience. Instead of a traditional SoC, this e-reader operates on an ESP32, a popular choice among makers. It comes with a 32 GB microSD card and no internal storage. It supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, making content transfers simple and efficient. Although the 650 mAh battery is relatively small, you can expect around 14 days of use with daily sessions of one to three hours.
Software
The stock software is really bare bones. When you turn it on, it displays a cover image and book data for the last book you were reading. It also shows recent books, fire explorer, and settings. The company has also launched a new way to wirelessly transfer files to the X4 via a new Xteink companion app. The book reading software only allows you to read books in EPUB or TXT and display images. JPEG, PNG, or BMP. It has limited font size options, such as small and medium, and poor native formatting for some EPUBs, and no touchscreen support, requiring navigation via unlabelled physical buttons.
If you want to get the most out of your X4, install the CrossPoint custom firmware. Because the official software is closed-source and limited, many users opt for CrossPoint, an open-source firmware replacement that significantly expands the device’s functionality.
- Key Features:
- Better Typography: Adds support for bold and italics, more font sizes, and customizable layouts.
- Improved UI: Features a cleaner menu system, sometimes inspired by classic iPod interfaces.
- Wireless Transfers: Supports importing books via a local IP address or QR code from a phone.
- Performance: Aggressively caches data to the SD card to operate smoothly on the device’s limited 380KB of usable RAM.
- How to Install: Users typically flash CrossPoint using web-based tools like Xteink Flash Tools via a USB-C connection in Chrome or Edge.
Where to Find Downloads
Wrap Up
The Xteink X4 isn’t designed to attract every reader, nor does it strive to be all things to all people. Instead, it caters specifically to those who appreciate the simplicity of a dedicated device and are willing to sacrifice some convenience for enhanced focus. Its sleek hardware design ensures amazing portability, while the software ecosystem encourages users to explore and customize to their heart’s content. What I like most is the ability to attach it to your iPhone with its Magnetic Attachment system that includes a magnetic ring system that allows it to snap onto the back of a smartphone, effectively acting as a secondary reading screen.
Xteink X4
69.99
Pros
- Extreme Portability
- Tactile Navigation
- Low Cost
- Tinkerer-Friendly
Cons
- No Backlight
- No Touchscreen
- Limited Software
- Fragile Build
- No Internal Storage
