After tablet-sized e-readers like Kindle and Kobo, we first saw a more compact option resembling a phone, such as the BOOX Palma.

The Xteink X4 is now entering the e-reader market, offering one of the smallest, thinnest, and lightest form factors.

The X4 is a 4.3-inch e-ink display e-reader that easily slides into your pocket or magnetically attaches to the back of your phone.

How do you get books on it?

The biggest downside of the X4 is that it doesn’t have access to ebook stores like Amazon or Kobo.

All books have to be sideloaded, either via a microSD card or by connecting to the X4 over Wi-Fi.

The device supports EPUB and TXT formats, and all files must be DRM-free, meaning your books aren’t tied to a specific platform. Because of this, anyone who has previously bought ebooks from platforms like Kindle can’t easily start reading them here.

That said, for those who do have a DRM-free library, this “downside” can actually be a feature.

How is the reading experience?

The X4 doesn’t have a touchscreen, navigation is done entirely through buttons.

This works perfectly for flipping pages, and in some ways even feels better. 

However, getting around the rest of the system can be slightly harder and usually requires more clicks.

My experience improved after flashing the Crosspoint community firmware, which offers a more user-friendly home layout.

Another valid concern for readers is the screen adaptation and formatting. Some books and documents don’t always scale or present themselves well on the X4.

This is another area where the community has helped. Many users report better formatting on the Crosspoint community firmware, and some also use tools like EPUB to XTC converters before importing their books for improved results.

Lastly, if you plan to read in darker environments, you may find it difficult to do so, as the screen doesn’t have a built-in light.

That said, for those who don’t mind carrying an extra accessory, Xteink’s official store does sell a magnetic reading light that attaches to the back of the device.

The screen saver may be the best feature

The X4 also supports image files like JPG and BMP.

This allows users to set a custom screensaver, or what the device calls a power-off wallpaper.

The official product site even goes as far as calling it “More Than a Reader,” highlighting practical use cases such as name cards, QR codes, student IDs, calendars, and other images that provide useful information on the go.

Realistically, most people will probably just upload their favorite photo as the wallpaper.

Still, this small bit of personalization makes carrying the X4 more enjoyable.

Conclusion

After using the X4 for a week, it genuinely made picking up the habit of reading easier. 

For some reason, reading feels less daunting, perhaps because there’s so little on each page, and I often ended up reading more pages than I intended.

At $69 or less from third-party sellers like AliExpress, it’s an affordable e-reader that’s good enough for most people.