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Xteink X4 Pro Review: Tiny E-Reader Plus Free Software Makes Reading Easy Again
ReXteink X4 Pro Review: Tiny E-Reader Plus Free Software Makes Reading Easy Again
The Xteink X4 Pro is a $99 pocket-sized e-reader that snaps magnetically to a phone, and a free open-source firmware called CrossPoint fixes its crude built-in software, making it a compelling option for distraction-free reading.
The Xteink X4 Pro, a $99 pocket-sized e-reader that magnetically attaches to the back of a smartphone, has found an unlikely champion in a free open-source software project called CrossPoint. The combination addresses the two biggest complaints about the device — crude built-in software and no direct access to an e-book store — and turns it into what one reviewer calls possibly the best e-reader he has ever owned.
The X4 Pro, made by China-based Xteink, is the company's first model with an illuminated screen, a touchscreen, and its largest battery. At 69 by 111 by 5.95 millimeters and 72 grams, it is smaller than a typical Kindle or Kobo and roughly the size of a sleek PalmPilot. It snaps magnetically to the back of an iPhone 16 Pro with a slight overhang at the bottom, or it can be carried loose in a pocket. The device runs for weeks between charges and uses a paper-like screen optimized for reading.
The hardware has one notable drawback: no USB-C port. Instead, it relies on a magnetic charging adapter that is easy to lose and difficult to keep firmly attached. Otherwise, the small size that makes it easy to carry everywhere also means it shows only a couple of paragraphs at a time, but one-handed page turning with a button press is described as effortless.
Out of the box, the Xteink's software is rudimentary. Font rendering is so crude that it can look like a bug. That is where CrossPoint comes in. Created by developer Dave Allie shortly after Xteink released its first e-reader last year, CrossPoint is now regularly updated by a community of coders. It provides elegant typography and extensive interface tweaks while preserving the minimalism of the hardware. The uncluttered interface never gets in the way of reading, unlike e-book apps on a phone.
CrossPoint also solves the problem of getting books onto the device. Shortly after the X4 Pro arrived, CrossPoint released software that lets users read e-books purchased from Kobo's store. It recently added support for Libby, a free service that lets users check out e-books with a library card. These options require installing plug-ins and accessing the e-reader through a browser on another device, such as an iPad. Other routes include seeking out DRM-free books, reading free public-domain titles, or stripping DRM from copy-protected books — the last of which violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act but is described as harmless if done only to read books one has paid for.
The appeal of the X4 Pro is not just portability. On a phone, reading competes with notifications, email, and other apps. The Xteink device has no other apps, no notifications, and no Wi-Fi function except transferring e-books from another device. That tranquility is rare in modern computing, whether one is sneaking in a few pages while waiting in line or winding down at the end of the day.
For readers who want a dedicated, distraction-free e-reader that goes everywhere, the Xteink X4 Pro paired with CrossPoint offers a compelling package. It is not without quirks, but the combination of a tiny, light device and free, community-built software makes reading books easier and more enjoyable — which, after all, is the point.
