This tiny, pocket-friendly e-reader is a double-edged sword. While it's incredibly compact, it's also frustratingly unintuitive and functionally limited out of the box. But here's where it gets interesting: despite its challenges, a growing community of users is working to improve it. The Xteink X4 is even smaller than the Kobo Mini and E Ink smartphones like Boox Palma. It's satisfyingly pocketable, but its lack of useful features like screen lighting and page turn buttons is a letdown. The X4's 4.3-inch E Ink screen is only a bit tinier than the Kobo Mini’s 5-inch panel, but the X4’s bezels are much slimmer, making the e-reader feel significantly smaller. The joy of its size was quickly overshadowed by a major issue: the X4's MagSafe feature, which made it seem like a better alternative to e-reader cases for those wanting a second screen on their phones. However, the odd position of its magnets makes it impossible to stick the e-reader to the back of my iPhone 16 Pro in any usable way. Many X4 users have complained about this, and Xteink explains that the magnetic alignment may not appear perfectly centered on some newer iPhone models. As a work-around, Xteink includes a pair of magnetic adhesive rings that can be stuck to devices to allow for proper alignment.
Despite these challenges, the X4 is incredibly compact. At less than 6mm thick, it takes up very little room in a sling bag and is protected using a basic magnetic folio-style case. The X4 is one of the cheapest e-readers on the market, but its price comes with some compromises, including a 4.3-inch E Ink screen with a 220ppi resolution, which is less than the 300ppi screens on the latest Kindle and Kobo e-readers. You'll see jagged edges on fine text if you look hard enough, but it's enough resolution for a pleasant reading experience. There’s also no screen lighting, so if you’re planning to read before bed, you’ll need a lamp or a flashlight. The X4 features several buttons on its right edge and below its display, but they’re not labeled, and their functionality varies depending on where you are in the UI. Three of the buttons are two-sided and do different things depending on which side you press, adding to the confusion. The X4’s limited and confusing software doesn’t help matters.
The X4 is solely focused on reading, with support limited to TXT and EPUB files, plus images like JPGs and BMPs, which I had limited success loading. There’s no built-in bookstore, so you’ll need to source your own DRM-free EPUB files. While this is easier now thanks to Amazon expanding support for EPUBs, getting ebooks onto the X4 feels harder than it could be. The e-reader doesn’t mount as a storage device when connected to a computer, and while you’re supposed to be able to wirelessly upload files from a browser over Wi-Fi or your phone, I didn’t have much success in getting that to work. The easiest way is to copy files to a memory card using a USB reader, but the X4’s microSD card slot makes inserting and ejecting a memory card difficult without long nails or a paper clip. Reading ebooks is an okay experience, and I’m always a fan of dedicated page turn buttons. But if you’re familiar with a Kobo or Kindle, you’ll find yourself sorely missing options for adjusting text formatting. You only get two font-size choices, three line spacing options, and no way to increase the margins around text. Images and illustrations in ebooks are simply not displayed, most text formatting is ignored, and while you’re supposed to be able to load and use your own font files, it’s another finicky feature I had no success with.
You can jump to different chapters, pages, and bookmarks, or turn on features like auto page turns at set intervals, but doing so requires opening and navigating a series of menus using the X4’s buttons. It feels unnecessarily complicated. It’s an experience you’ll eventually get marginally comfortable with, but not one you’ll ever enjoy. Xteink has released several software updates improving the X4’s UI and usability, but the company hasn’t locked down the e-reader, allowing a growing community to improve it. Installing CrossPoint Reader, an open-source alternative firmware, was a simple process that immediately solved many of the pain points of Xteink’s software. CrossPoint simplifies the X4’s UI, expands the options for how ebooks look, and adds onscreen labels for what each button does. It’s also easy to uninstall, but I don’t think I’m ever going to. The X4 will never replace my Kobo Libra 2 for most of my reading. But over the past few weeks, I haven’t left the house without the tiny X4. It’s a welcome alternative to my phone if I have a few minutes to while away, despite its frustrations. I don’t like recommending devices that require third-party upgrades to be ‘fixed,’ but the work being done by the X4 community makes the e-reader worth considering if pocketability — and a little tinkering — is your priority.
