is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.
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A Chinese company named Xteink has announced the X4, a compact e-reader with a 4.3-inch E Ink screen that’s more pocketable than the smallest Kindle or Kobo. Like a wireless power bank, the e-reader can magnetically attach to the back of an iPhone, Pixel 10, or any device that supports Qi2 or Apple’s MagSafe. If your phone doesn’t, the company includes a couple of magnetic stick-on rings.
At $69 from Xteink’s online store, the X4 is also cheaper than Kindles and Kobos, but there are more than a few trade-offs when it comes to features and functionality. The X4’s E Ink screen’s resolution is limited to 220ppi, while most modern e-readers offer 300ppi, which means text won’t look as sharp. You’ll need a nearby lamp if you plan to read at night, since the screen doesn’t have its own light. But that means the X4 can squeeze up to 14 days of use (while reading 1-3 hours each day) from its 650mAh battery.
The X4 is available in black or white and includes four buttons used to navigate its UI and turn pages. Image: Xteink
The biggest downside to buying e-readers from smaller brands like Xteink is that they lack access to the ebook stores Amazon and Kobo offer if they’re not running Android with the Google Play store installed. The X4 can only read DRM-free books and documents in EPUB and TXT formats, and they need to be sideloaded onto the device either through a microSD card (up to 512GB supported) with ebooks or by connecting to the X4 over Wi-Fi and sending them wirelessly.
There’s no touchscreen. The X4 has dedicated page turn buttons, a feature every e-reader should offer. You can also install your own fonts if you don’t like the two preinstalled options.
The X4 adds less bulk to your smartphone than a wireless power bank stuck to the back. Image: Xteink