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- Xteink has just launched the X4 Pro
- This tiny ereader can stick to the back of your phone, and its main upgrades include a light and a touchscreen
- New open source ereader software called FreeInk has also been announced
While small smartphones have largely gone out of fashion, it seems there’s an appetite for absolutely tiny ereaders. The Xteink brand is one of the biggest small-screen successes in this space, and its new model, the Xteink X4 Pro, is set to potentially be its best yet.
This ereader has just a 4.3-inch screen, with dimensions of 111 x 69 x 5.95mm, making it even smaller than the iPhone 13 mini, so it's small enough to fit in even a tiny pocket.
That makes it roughly the same size as the Xteink X4, and, like that device, this can also be magnetically attached to the back of a phone, essentially turning your handset into a dual-screen device, with the second display being a more eye-friendly way to read.
But where the Xteink X4 Pro has its predecessor beat is in replacing clunky buttons with a touchscreen, and — perhaps even more importantly — adding a front light, so you can read on it in the dark.
This also has a much higher-capacity 1,100mAh battery (up from 650mAh), and yet somehow weighs marginally less at 72g.
A low price and lacking apps
The Xteink X4 Pro is out now, and you can order it directly from Xteink’s site for $109 / £84 / AU$159, though a launch discount temporarily brings it down to $99 / £76 / AU$145.
That makes it a bit more expensive than its predecessor, and it replaces USB-C charging with a magnetic pogo charger, which won’t appeal to everyone. But arguably the main downside of this device is that it doesn’t support Android. No current Xteink devices do — though the upcoming Xteink S4 will. That means you can’t get the Kindle or Kobo apps on them, so you have to sideload books.
It also means they run Xteink’s own software, which receives mixed reviews. However, as long as you get a developer edition of the Xteink X4 Pro, you’re free to change the firmware, and there are some third-party options that may work better, including the newly-announced FreeInk.
This is open-source software that’s specifically listed as supporting the X3 and X4, among other devices. So while this won’t give you access to the Kindle app, some users might find it preferable to Xteink’s own software.
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