As someone who actually started reading more with bigger screen sizes[1], this article is really not jiving with me and is light on details. I still don't understand why I'd prefer this to a Kobo. Other than the size, what is the benefit?
[1] I read more with a 7" than a 6" and even more with an 8".
I got an X4 (slightly larger model) less than 2 months ago and I already finished 9 books on it. It is always in my pocket and I started reaching for it instead of my phone during tiny moments of boredom. Sometimes it's just a few paragraphs when I'm waiting for a train, but it is also surprisingly good for longer reading sessions.
I bought a 6 inch model for $60 (it's now double the price) from another brand a couple months ago and I love it. A 4 inch screen is just too small IMHO.
Yeah, the connector they've made is absolutely bananas, wonder what they were thinking? Was there a 3rd-party docking ecosystem they were expecting to be spawned by this, or something? The magnetic connector by itself makes no sense, unless I severely misunderstand how it's supposed to be used in practice.
I was thinking of getting one for exactly the use case you've described here but then I thought, "why don't I just get my phone out and read the ebooks directly on that?"
Can you explain to me why one of these is better for this please?
It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't used an e-reader, but e-paper screens just look more natural, they also don't require a backlight so they can be easier on the eyes. Combined with a matt display, you can comfortably use them in direct sunlight without having to faff about with brightness or finding shade.
Also e-readers have way less distractions than a phone.
Personally I much prefer e-ink when I read for more than 10 minutes or so. The LED light from my phone just makes my eyes tired, while e-ink + "backlight" (guess it's really "kind of from the front light" in reality) just feels like reading normal paper.
The font rendering in the official firmware isn't that great though, especially compared to even a old phone screen. I had much better text rendering with 3rd party firmware.
I recently got an X3 (on a sale £58 with shipping) after deciding between X4 and X3 for a long time and I think I made the right decision. I fits perfectly in my wallet and I don't think about it.
Carrying my regular 6" ereader around feels like I'm taking something with me, it feels like extra weight. I have to either carry it in my hand which is inconvenient or take a rucksack with me when I go for a walk. X3 is so small that it doesn't feel like I'm carrying anything, but it's always there. So when I go for a long walk and decide to take a short break I take it out and read for 10-20min. Same on my commute, I replaced reading the news on my phone with reading for 25-30min on the train.
First think I did was flash Crosspoint on it, because it's lightweight and preserves the battery much like original OS. Battery feels great, I love that it's not touchscreen. Buttons take getting used to, but overall I'm impressed!
it's hard to complain about this device, but here are my random ones:
1. yes, it is small and wonderful to one-handed read with, but _everyone_ around you notices you have a unique, small ereader in your palm. granted, maybe just reflects my self-consciousness. but until these are more ubiquitous, you'll be getting looks on the train/plane.
2. the whole "stick it on the back of your phone" idea is super silly and a bit of a gimmick at least:
2a. I don't want to make my expensive phone larger by volume and weight
2b. I do struggle to not fool around with my phone, and simply using "the back of the phone" is about the equivalent of being given a cigarette upside down as if that will stop me from smoking it.
3. after 14 years of Kindles, it's obvious how much better the eink tech is in premium devices (not a game changer at all, at most a nitpick)
yeah it's a super great device. I got it when prices were a bit lower a few months ago and it was a no-brainer. if you're really into reading and being thrifty/resourceful to get your ebooks, I'd check it out.
> 1. yes, it is small and wonderful to one-handed read with, but _everyone_ around you notices you have a unique, small ereader in your palm. granted, maybe just reflects my self-consciousness. but until these are more ubiquitous, you'll be getting looks on the train/plane.
This is a new complaint I haven't heard, might I ask where in the world this is? I use my X4 Pro out in cafes, beaches and general public in Spain, and I don't think a single person have glanced in my direction because of it. But I also see plenty of other people with their e-readers too, some larger and some smaller, but no one is giving them any looks or side-eyes, it's relatively common here at least.
Hmm, at the end of July I bought a X4 Pro from them for 88.95 EUR (shipping to Spain included), seems they've raised prices since then? Lucky me I suppose.
There is no way shipping alone explains the difference.
I would suspect the majority comes from higher (VAT) tax level; possibly also some indirect overhead because Europe is a more segmented market, and needs a bunch of localization at the very least.
I really didn't think I would, but I really enjoy using my X4. The only thing I wish it had was a backlight. It seems Xteink is hellbent on including pogo connectors on all their other models, and that the original X4 with USB-C was an unfortunate outlier in this regard.
I actually really like not having backlight, forcing me to use non-directional yellow light during the night reading sessions. I wish all electronic screen were like that.
The backlight of the X4 Pro have configurable "warmth" of the backlight, works pretty good even in completely dark rooms and much better than the eye-train you get from traditional screens.
I had only heard about these things on HN, and thought they were primarily popular as a toy for people to hack on. I didn't realise they are so popular amongst "normies".
I have no current need for one as I am happy with my cheap second hand Kobo but it's great that they exist, especially with the open source alternative firmware. Hopefully they don't clamp down on that in future.
I have one and am very happy with it. I vibe coded a bilingual ebook reader, which is what I bought it for. However a Kindle is a way better deal and is much better as far as screen quality etc. But I like how small my XTEINK X4 Pro is.
I'm tempted, despite being wedded to Kindle. I can search for and borrow a library bok on Libby in 30 seconds, then have it automagically appear on my Kindle; I doubt the experience is so seamless with Crosspoint, and of course the progress won't sync. But otherwise, an e-ink screen on the back of my phone is something I have always wanted. Hey Amazon, how about a Kindle counterpart to this?
Going back a decade or so, I bought a Yotaphone 2, which had a full-sized e-ink display on the rear. Fantastic for any text reading/writing in bright sunlight (I was based in Sydney at the time). Yotaphone is now dead, but I really don't understand why the idea hasn't been taken up by other makers.
> but I really don't understand why the idea hasn't been taken up by other makers.
Same, but now that it quickly looks like smartphone-sized e-ink readers are the 2026 hardware trend, I can see them making a comeback now. Or as an "outside" screen on foldable phones.
But the biggest issue with Kindle is the vendor lock-in and the books don't even belong to you. There were many cases of Amazon deleting books with no refunds. That's why I am not getting any Kindle ever again.
The CEO of this brand once portrayed himself as a first-time entrepreneur, launching a small batch of products at extremely low prices, then raising prices and quickly rolling out new models. But earlier this year, one of his competitors publicly presented a series of allegations that were subsequently substantiated, including that he had actually been involved in multiple previous ventures with a highly questionable track record, and that some of the products' key specifications had been seriously misrepresented.
The company later apologized for the inaccurate specifications, claiming that the misinformation was unintentional. However, it offered neither a recall nor any meaningful compensation to affected customers. Soon afterward, the brand launched yet another new product, only for customers to discover after receiving it that the promotional images were also misleading.
At the end of the day, this brand's business model seems to be little more than assembling cheap off-the-shelf components and using aggressive social media marketing to convince people that they need its products.
Care to link these allegations and substantiated proof/evidence? Not that I don't believe you, but would be nice to read the original source of this, even if it happens to be in another language than English.
I suggest buying M5Stack PaperMono instead. It's an esp32 board with an eink screen and a battery. I bet someone will make an open source firmware for it
As someone who actually started reading more with bigger screen sizes[1], this article is really not jiving with me and is light on details. I still don't understand why I'd prefer this to a Kobo. Other than the size, what is the benefit?
[1] I read more with a 7" than a 6" and even more with an 8".
I got an X4 (slightly larger model) less than 2 months ago and I already finished 9 books on it. It is always in my pocket and I started reaching for it instead of my phone during tiny moments of boredom. Sometimes it's just a few paragraphs when I'm waiting for a train, but it is also surprisingly good for longer reading sessions.
I bought a 6 inch model for $60 (it's now double the price) from another brand a couple months ago and I love it. A 4 inch screen is just too small IMHO.
Same experience with the X4 Pro. Can wholeheartedly recommend. It feels like reading became much more accessible to me all of a sudden.
It's so sad that X4 Pro does not have USB-C.
They have added backlight, but still left charging/connecting to proprietary magnetic adapter.
> It's so sad that X4 Pro does not have USB-C.
Yeah, the connector they've made is absolutely bananas, wonder what they were thinking? Was there a 3rd-party docking ecosystem they were expecting to be spawned by this, or something? The magnetic connector by itself makes no sense, unless I severely misunderstand how it's supposed to be used in practice.
> proprietary magnetic adapter
They're supposedly not proprietary but a standard size that's easily replaced.
I was thinking of getting one for exactly the use case you've described here but then I thought, "why don't I just get my phone out and read the ebooks directly on that?"
Can you explain to me why one of these is better for this please?
It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't used an e-reader, but e-paper screens just look more natural, they also don't require a backlight so they can be easier on the eyes. Combined with a matt display, you can comfortably use them in direct sunlight without having to faff about with brightness or finding shade.
Also e-readers have way less distractions than a phone.
Personally I much prefer e-ink when I read for more than 10 minutes or so. The LED light from my phone just makes my eyes tired, while e-ink + "backlight" (guess it's really "kind of from the front light" in reality) just feels like reading normal paper.
The font rendering in the official firmware isn't that great though, especially compared to even a old phone screen. I had much better text rendering with 3rd party firmware.
A phone is a gateway to much more than just reading books, so your brain might prefer it.
Also notifications etc
I recently got an X3 (on a sale £58 with shipping) after deciding between X4 and X3 for a long time and I think I made the right decision. I fits perfectly in my wallet and I don't think about it.
Carrying my regular 6" ereader around feels like I'm taking something with me, it feels like extra weight. I have to either carry it in my hand which is inconvenient or take a rucksack with me when I go for a walk. X3 is so small that it doesn't feel like I'm carrying anything, but it's always there. So when I go for a long walk and decide to take a short break I take it out and read for 10-20min. Same on my commute, I replaced reading the news on my phone with reading for 25-30min on the train.
First think I did was flash Crosspoint on it, because it's lightweight and preserves the battery much like original OS. Battery feels great, I love that it's not touchscreen. Buttons take getting used to, but overall I'm impressed!
This could never have been invented in SV. You cannot show large bright colored advertisements on it!
I guess more sensible than Yotaphone. Still annoyed we got 3rd screen on foldables before eink.
it's hard to complain about this device, but here are my random ones:
1. yes, it is small and wonderful to one-handed read with, but _everyone_ around you notices you have a unique, small ereader in your palm. granted, maybe just reflects my self-consciousness. but until these are more ubiquitous, you'll be getting looks on the train/plane.
2. the whole "stick it on the back of your phone" idea is super silly and a bit of a gimmick at least:
2a. I don't want to make my expensive phone larger by volume and weight
2b. I do struggle to not fool around with my phone, and simply using "the back of the phone" is about the equivalent of being given a cigarette upside down as if that will stop me from smoking it.
3. after 14 years of Kindles, it's obvious how much better the eink tech is in premium devices (not a game changer at all, at most a nitpick)
yeah it's a super great device. I got it when prices were a bit lower a few months ago and it was a no-brainer. if you're really into reading and being thrifty/resourceful to get your ebooks, I'd check it out.
> 1. yes, it is small and wonderful to one-handed read with, but _everyone_ around you notices you have a unique, small ereader in your palm. granted, maybe just reflects my self-consciousness. but until these are more ubiquitous, you'll be getting looks on the train/plane.
This is a new complaint I haven't heard, might I ask where in the world this is? I use my X4 Pro out in cafes, beaches and general public in Spain, and I don't think a single person have glanced in my direction because of it. But I also see plenty of other people with their e-readers too, some larger and some smaller, but no one is giving them any looks or side-eyes, it's relatively common here at least.
$70 in the US, 90€ ($105) in Europe :3 https://www.xteink.com/products/xteink-x3
I guess West Coast shipping from China is much cheaper
Hmm, at the end of July I bought a X4 Pro from them for 88.95 EUR (shipping to Spain included), seems they've raised prices since then? Lucky me I suppose.
There is no way shipping alone explains the difference.
I would suspect the majority comes from higher (VAT) tax level; possibly also some indirect overhead because Europe is a more segmented market, and needs a bunch of localization at the very least.
US prices dont include taxes, EU prices do
https://archive.is/Lb2Bf
I really didn't think I would, but I really enjoy using my X4. The only thing I wish it had was a backlight. It seems Xteink is hellbent on including pogo connectors on all their other models, and that the original X4 with USB-C was an unfortunate outlier in this regard.
I actually really like not having backlight, forcing me to use non-directional yellow light during the night reading sessions. I wish all electronic screen were like that.
The backlight of the X4 Pro have configurable "warmth" of the backlight, works pretty good even in completely dark rooms and much better than the eye-train you get from traditional screens.
I had only heard about these things on HN, and thought they were primarily popular as a toy for people to hack on. I didn't realise they are so popular amongst "normies".
I have no current need for one as I am happy with my cheap second hand Kobo but it's great that they exist, especially with the open source alternative firmware. Hopefully they don't clamp down on that in future.
I got one and it is a neat fun device.
And it's pretty hackable, with an open firmware, bunch of community involvement in developing third party alternatives for the default software.
I have even vibecoded random software to run on it.
Mine's screen cracked in a month. Didn't drop it or mishandled it. Be aware that is it much more fragile that a Kindle.
Mine cracked the other day as well in my pocket! Fairly surprised and sad as now I have to finish those books on my smartphone
I have one and am very happy with it. I vibe coded a bilingual ebook reader, which is what I bought it for. However a Kindle is a way better deal and is much better as far as screen quality etc. But I like how small my XTEINK X4 Pro is.
I would be interested in a bilingual ebook reader. Do you have a repo for the project?
The fact that you can use it one-handed is the killer feature for me, both for reading and as a generic dashboard/remote control for stuff in my home.
It's great on public transport too.
My cynical take: these cute little things still end up in landfills, and my 5+ year old phone runs the kindle app just fine.
https://archive.is/Lb2Bf
After the x4 was marketed as having MagSafe that would work with a phone, while the magnet doesn’t align with MagSafe.
Neat little esp32 eReader with the standard bs around the company.
I'm tempted, despite being wedded to Kindle. I can search for and borrow a library bok on Libby in 30 seconds, then have it automagically appear on my Kindle; I doubt the experience is so seamless with Crosspoint, and of course the progress won't sync. But otherwise, an e-ink screen on the back of my phone is something I have always wanted. Hey Amazon, how about a Kindle counterpart to this?
Going back a decade or so, I bought a Yotaphone 2, which had a full-sized e-ink display on the rear. Fantastic for any text reading/writing in bright sunlight (I was based in Sydney at the time). Yotaphone is now dead, but I really don't understand why the idea hasn't been taken up by other makers.
Review (overly lengthy) from 2014: https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/technology/phones/yotaphone-...
> but I really don't understand why the idea hasn't been taken up by other makers.
Same, but now that it quickly looks like smartphone-sized e-ink readers are the 2026 hardware trend, I can see them making a comeback now. Or as an "outside" screen on foldable phones.
- Libby on Xteink: https://www.theverge.com/tech/976390/xteink-x3-x4-x4-pro-e-r...
- There's KOReader sync in Crosspoint
But the biggest issue with Kindle is the vendor lock-in and the books don't even belong to you. There were many cases of Amazon deleting books with no refunds. That's why I am not getting any Kindle ever again.
I've owned several Kindles, and haven't bought a single ebook from Amazon.
My public library books are DRMed with Adobe and officially you're supposed to read them on your phone lol. But it is easy to convert them.
The X3 seems nicest as it’s smallest and a good deal lighter.
"In a sense, it is that. Xteink sounds less like a real brand name than the kind of garbled text you’ll find in AI-slop memes."
I think it's a great name. To me it reads like "extend e-ink", crazy how perception can be so different.
XT eink. For whatever XT has ever stand for with computers. XT has been around for ages with various meanings. So it is rather tech letters for me.
I read it as a play on extinct & ink
but no usb-c port? Nooooooooooo!
NOBODY asked for a proprietary pogo pin usb cable. shame on you!!!!
The CEO of this brand once portrayed himself as a first-time entrepreneur, launching a small batch of products at extremely low prices, then raising prices and quickly rolling out new models. But earlier this year, one of his competitors publicly presented a series of allegations that were subsequently substantiated, including that he had actually been involved in multiple previous ventures with a highly questionable track record, and that some of the products' key specifications had been seriously misrepresented. The company later apologized for the inaccurate specifications, claiming that the misinformation was unintentional. However, it offered neither a recall nor any meaningful compensation to affected customers. Soon afterward, the brand launched yet another new product, only for customers to discover after receiving it that the promotional images were also misleading. At the end of the day, this brand's business model seems to be little more than assembling cheap off-the-shelf components and using aggressive social media marketing to convince people that they need its products.
Care to link these allegations and substantiated proof/evidence? Not that I don't believe you, but would be nice to read the original source of this, even if it happens to be in another language than English.
X4 pro launched in July and I could buy it for 89€ now it costs 119€. And I bought the x3 in June for 50€ now it’s 89€.
So yeah that’s the strategy
I suggest buying M5Stack PaperMono instead. It's an esp32 board with an eink screen and a battery. I bet someone will make an open source firmware for it
> M5Stack PaperMono
Is that actually a product intended for consumers though? Looks more like a development board than a product for "normies", like the Xteink stuff.
They still run the same thirdparty firmware. Seeed Studio has the reTerminal Sticky too.
M5 device are cool but they do have that, as ugly as it is useful, functional diagram printed on the back...
> including that he had actually been involved in multiple previous ventures with a highly questionable track record
Considering Kindle's Bezos who's had a pristine track record?
So who is the original manufacturer of these readers?
Ok... but.. are there other companies with comparable consumer level products? If so, can you name some?
The crosspoint software lists a few different manufacturers devices:
https://crosspointreader.com/devices
40% of which are the company the poster complained about :P
Yes, it was originally written for those devices. It's now branching out to support similar devices from other manufacturers.
Onyx Boox will be releasing one soon ("Picco" AFAIR?). But they break GPL.
I own Palm and software is a mess.
Soon? Come now.
And no Android