Tiny $70 Xteink X3 e-reader
theatlantic.com225 points by samizdis a month ago
225 points by samizdis a month ago
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 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 a mental thing. The phone is the doorway to all the things, and the reader is the doorway to reading. When I'm being intentional about my phone usage (not always, but most of the time), I defer to devices that are focused.
Interesting. I think this also explains in part why I prefer CDs to a streaming service for listening to music.
> The phone is the doorway to all the things, and the reader is the doorway to reading
And the phone's reader app?
The phone's reader app is quite good. I use Librera FD and quite enjoy the scroll mode.
But then I'm subject to the bright screen, all of the colors, all of the notifications, and everything else that the phone brings. The calm of the X4 is quite nice.
On the reader, the entire thing is one reader app. On the phone, the reader app is one of many that lives in the phone. Easier to switch apps than switch devices, so I guess it's easier for some to stay away from certain activities by having a dedicated device for certain purposes.
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.
I prefer the e-ink display.
I first stared reading ebooks on my Palm Vx. I went on to a Nook, Nook Color, some no names, Kobo. Five years ago, I became disabled and no longer had a free hand to carry an ereader and did not want to carry a bag just to carry an ereader/book. I started reading on my phone.
Last April, after seeing a comment on the X4, here on HN, I decided to get one. I prefer the display and I can advance a page by pressing the button, rather than swiping the screen. It's always with me, in het same pocket as my phone/
Something that others haven’t mentioned is that you can flash an open source OS/reader software (Crosspoint, among others) so you can change the UI and experience for your preferences. I like having an e-reader that lets me modify how it works.
A phone is a gateway to much more than just reading books, so your brain might prefer it.
Also notifications etc
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.
The same reason why taking a bicycle is preferable through a nice wooded area even though you could technically drive as well
It's easier on the eyes. LEDs and related technologies give me eyestrain after a while; eInk devices don't (and many, like the X4 model, have front-lighting, also easier on the eyes than backlit screens.
The phone has doomscrolling available which is higher immediate value and negative long term value. I just have to grab this and i am locked into long term value
In addition to some of the other great answers, it is cheap enough to lose. The unexpected breakage/theft of a cellphone ranges anywhere from annoyance to world ending disaster. So, I have to be a lot more deliberate in protecting my valuable phone.
The tiny ereader contains no secrets or valuables, so I feel fine pulling it out in an area where I might otherwise be reluctant to use my phone.
How many books have you read on your phone in the last month? Or did you instead open twitter/hackernews/tiktok?
None, I use a Kobo for ebooks and mostly buy "real" paper books. But I was thinking this sounded like a great (and cheap) use case but then I thought why not just use my phone...
I don't have any social media apps on my phone anymore except "Hack" for HN... as you imply, too much temptation to distraction. I haven't missed them at all.
I "read" 6 audiobooks on my phone last month. Listening to audiobooks counts as reading, text-snobs be damned.
It's not snobbery, reading and listening activate different parts of your brain and you'll experience them differently. Just like reading an interview transcript is different to listening to an interview.
> reading and listening activate different parts of your brain and you'll experience them differently
This doesn't matter. What matters to me is I experienced the stories conveyed by the words.
I bet reading a hardback lights up different parts of the brain compared to e-book readers, but that difference does not to me matter either.
Your bet is wrong sadly.
Experiencing the story through someone else reading the words to you is different to reading though. I'm not sure why people are so weirdly defensive about this.
> Your bet is wrong sadly
E-ink devices place no demand on fine-motor skills the way turning a page does. I'll stand by by bet.
I'm not defensive about the fact that the experience of reading vs listening are different - I challenge the (often implicit) insinuation that one is inherently superior to the other in all circumstances. I do both and know the trade-offs for each. My comment was inspired by the old, but very similar "real books vs kindles" debate.
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.
I saw a claim that the connector was to reduce the thickness of the device.
Terrible trade-off. I do not want a marginally smaller book if it means I have to worry about losing a proprietary cable.
It is, though to be honest it bothers me less than I thought it will. The battery lasts so long that I rarely charge it.
> proprietary magnetic adapter
They're supposedly not proprietary but a standard size that's easily replaced.
Ok, though still obscure.
I don’t want to looking where to order it when it’s lost or broken.
Any guesses why they went with that connector rather than USB C?
Just for improved thinnness; they're able to reduce about 2 mm from the thickness with the pins (and you can still technically use them for data transfer depending on how it's wired to the SoC).
Same, got it about 6 months ago, flashed crosspoint, and have since sold my entire family on the X4. The innovation of getting respectable book formatting running on ESP32 is remarkable. Impressive work.
The portability is such a game changer compared to the usual kindle-like devices. Compared to my kindle which I have to put in my backpack or only when I have big coat pockets in the winter, this can be put in my pocket and taken everywhere.
I wish they have a magsafe case with 1-2 card holder slots, then it would just be a perfect wallet replacement.
The problem with using it as a wallet replacement is if you want to read whilst in public queues etc. and that would be fairly easy for a thief to swipe. If you're just holding the Xteink then you're less of a target.
That's a fair point.
Although I would argue that I already see many people using phone cases with card slots or magsafe card holders. This is a safer option because the xteink costs less and it makes your phone less likely to be swiped.
My setup now is simply my transport card duct taped on the outside of the xteink case. For payments and music and such I'd still use my phone, which is in the other pocket.
I did the exact same. Installed CrossPoint on it and when I want to grab my phone, I read a page in my X4 Pro. It's quite nice.
I am planning updating my Kindle Paperwhite from 2016. I love the idea of having a smaller e-reader I can have always in my pocket, but I worry about it being too small. Do you have another e-reader or have used any before? How would you compare them?
Go with a Kobo. I switched to the Libra Colour and not going back. Physical buttons, sideloading without any trickery, first party support for alternative firmwares and frontends.
Also not owned by a man who can RENT VENICE for his wedding.
I also have an Xteink X3 and it's always with me. With a screen protector and/or case, I can just shove it into any pocket or put it on the back of my phone with the Qi2 magnets.
Yes. I had Kindle DX (2010) and Kindle Paperwhite (~2016?). I still have and use Onyx Boox Air (2?). As X4 has no touchscreen layer and no backlight, the contrast is best. Resolution not as good as Boox, but no complaints there. The only downside is no backlight, but not a problem for me. Buying a new eink reader I would for sure avoid color screens. Their contrast is worst by far.
I have an X4 as well, but shamefully I have to admit I find myself browsing HN much more than reading on X4, despite being a reader of physical books and kindle
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.
Which model/brand?
I got a kobo clara bw and a xteink x4 that I gave to my kid. Im quite happy with the kobo, it’s a much better experience for reading imo despite not having buttons. The touch screen is usable after all. I started dumping things into epub format, for example lyrics/chords, things that I want to read, etc. chatgpt is quite helpful with formatting epub files.
I have an old kobo Clara hd.
I considered buying an X4 for the portability (and to be honest installing and tinkering with crosspoint sounds fun).
But the kobo can fit in my jeans pocket and is about the size of a normal paperback page. I feel like the X4 would be too small and might be frustrating.
If you're looking to tinker with a Kobo Clara HD, you can install PostmarketOS on it ;) I created https://github.com/bjesus/air for this device.
That's what I was wondering - how does one even read a book on that tiny X3. X4 looks like the perfect size though, proper pocketbook size.
There are 10+ comments here praising a third-party firmware, so I think it deserves mention that this might (?) no longer be possible for new devices,
https://www.theverge.com/tech/921552/xteink-x3-x4-e-reader-t...
> "But now buyers report Xteink is blocking [CrossPoint Reader], which might depend on where you live and where you purchase its devices. [...] Instead of being offered a replacement, they received a statement they shared to Reddit explaining that recently shipped devices from Xteink now come with firmware flashing disabled."
IIRC this is mainly ones sold by third-party vendors in China? Like if you buy from AliExpress.
EDIT: if you look at the Reddit post the article references it even says:
> !!!!!THIS ONLY APPLIES TO LATEST CHINESE STOCK AND NOT THOSE THAT ARE BOUGHT FROM XTEINK.COM!!!!!
Also note that CrossPoint has a way to bypass said flash block if you look at their repo or website:
- https://crosspointreader.com/unlock
- https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader#usb-l...
I bought my X4 from Ali and usb flashing is disabled so I flashed crosspoint using the SD card method which wasn't difficult. It's not like I'm going to patch it often, it's just mildly less convenient when I do.
I can also anecdotally say that the x3 I bought from Amazon in like June (seller was xteink official store) was flashable without any bypass needed.
Same for mine bought a week ago.
Thanks for the confirmation, you two. Amazon's dropping one off today with the rest of our order.
I've been using a 2012 Kindle Paperwhite that is long past its expiration date, and I've little interest in continuing with Kindles, so this is a toe in the water of alternatives.
Its pretty good if you can get an opds server going or are ok with dropping bools directly on the sd card. Its small enough that it just stays in my pocket and i read when i have time instead of doom scrolling
Yeah but everyone buys from ali because it's much cheaper and you get more protection.
The ones from Xteink are more expensive. It's sneaky that they're trying to cash in on the success of the custom firmware that they had nothing to do with creating.
Why do the AliExpress ones lock the firmware? They have analytics in it or something?
I received my X4 Pro from Xteink themselves about a week ago and there was no problem installing CrossPoint. They do say that they have unlocked firmware, but I think the issue is if you buy them from AliExpress or similar as they seem to have locked firmwares. I think it's not too difficult to unlock the locked ones but haven't needed to try.
Nah it’s fine. They committed to international devices being unlocked, and the firmware lock is trivial to bypass anyway.
Why does XTINK even bother with their own firmware. Let their developer work on Crosspoint and make great hardware.
yes for sure crosspoint made this thing the best bang for your buck purchase in the milky way
Agreed. The stock firmware is virtually unusable. Extremely clunky, nothing renders right, moving books is a PITA, etc. Crosspoint makes it worth the $70. Without crosspoint, just don't buy it.
There’s an unlocked developer edition.
Crosspoint links to it at https://crosspointreader.com/devices
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.
I travel a lot for work and life. NYC, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, etc.
to be clear, these are not "side eyes" in a negative sense. it's more just peoples' curiosity, which can be a bit uncomfortable if you notice that type of thing while you're trying to read.
I think speaks to the fact that we all expect some normalization around iphones/pixels/kindles/switches in terms of the "expected" devices people might have in-hand.
The X3 stands out a bit more than the X4. The difference is small but mighty. I was at a restaurant in my small (not the forefront of tech) town, and had two people ask about it!
I use a Kindle Oasis and love it.
I’ve seen the Xteink devices mentioned here and am intrigued, but the screenshots turn me off instantly. The font rendering or hyphenation or kerning (not sure exactly what) looked terrible.
Fortunately, since these run open source software, this will likely eventually be fixed. The Kindles weren’t great at the start either, so I have a lot of hope for future versions of the Xteink devices.
I got an X3 the other week when it was on sale for €50. Been enjoying it for "read anywhere" as I can always carry it on me unlike my Kobo Clara BW.
I sideloaded the Amazon Kindle fonts (Bookerly and Ember) and a few others using the builder at https://crosspointreader.com/fonts obviously you need to be running CrossPoint to load the fonts so have that flashed on first.
You can download the Kindle fonts from https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/alexa/branding/echo-guide... if you don't already have them.
That said the Clara BW is still my preferred e-reader as I find the larger screen better for longer reading sessions however you really can't beat having a tiny 3.7" e-reader with you everywhere. All those "micro waits" at places and I can read a few pages or even a chapter of a book rather than using my phone for nonsense stuff.
Another tweak I do is use the ePub optimiser at https://inky.crossink.dev to give me more "friendly" ePub files for the X3. I didn't have any issue with my regular ePubs but this optimised ones open faster and do look a bit nicer overall so it is worth the few minutes it takes to optimise all your books IMHO.
font styling is one thing but the xteink devices use very low resolution displays (220PPI for the X4) versus the 300PPI on any modern Kindle/Kobo ereader so you're not going to get around text looking worse on them
Easy to flash Crosspoint and then you can add any font you like (there's also a selection you can download directly on the device) https://crosspointreader.com/fonts
Kerning and hyphenation is also better than the stock firmware
100%, the fonts are barely acceptable. if anyone has one, would love a github library to help with this…
The comment below yours has a custom fonts section: https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader#custo...
I actually like the magnet and use it to stick the reader to my phone. :) I don't consider it a thing that keeps me from using my phone; it's just a way to carry it in my pocket.
On point 1, I was imagining that people would just think I was starting intently at a small phone.
Which is a little embarrassing to be so absorbed in a device.
I have an X4. I've read about 15 books on it so far, and I carry it everywhere.
I used to read books on my phone (Moon Reader), but it wasn't as compelling. I think it was a combination of the screen and the fact that I'm used to using the phone for other things. But I can't really pin it down more than that.
Things I like:
Flashable firmware. If they disable this capability, I wouldn't buy it. I'm using Crosspoint Reader ATM.
Lightweight.
Good battery life. You can get through a novel on a charge.
USB-C. They sell models with a proprietary connector, best avoided. If they drop USB-C, I wouldn't buy it. I'm not carrying another stupid proprietary charger on trips where I could lose it and render my device useless, and one that's certainly not cheap and trivial to replace.
uSD slot. Plenty of room.
Crosspoint integration with Calibre. Crosspoint lots of features. They just added offline dictionary support but I haven't tried it.
Narrow screen. It's like a newspaper column. Somehow I enjoy this more than a wide screen.
Lanyard attachment point. I don't use this, but it's a neat detail they added to the case.
Magnetic phone attachment. Sticks to the back of my pixel 9 case, or whatever metal you have handy.
Things I'm neutral about:
My model doesn't have a backlight. I make up for it with a front light. :) Sometimes I miss it, but other times I feel like books were meant to be read without a backlight.
Low resolution screen. It's visibly lower than my other e-readers, for sure. Get it under a loupe and... wow. But I don't mind it.
No keyboard. There is a software keyboard, but lack of touch makes it clunky to use. Luckily my needs are rare.
Only DRM-free EPUB support (and TXT). This is HackerNews; you know what you're doing.
Things I don't like:
There's a weird quirk where a screen that's exposed to direct sunlight won't render correctly after a page turn. It fades. I have to turn the screen into shadow before turning the page.
The case is weak. I don't want a cover for it because I stick it to my phone, but dropping the device will result in divots on the case edges.
It generally feels plastic. The buttons (which haven't failed me) don't have a solid feel to their action.
Xteink folks, if you're listening:
Allow firmware flashing, or I won't recommend it.
Keep USB-C, or I won't recommend it.
These are two of your killer features for a device that is a little bit overpriced.
i have the 3 and the 4 and i just want to say small devices own iphone 13 mini for life xteink for life
this is an ode to me in second grade thinking calculator watches were the pinnacle of human achievement.
I LIKE SMOL AND FUNCTIONAL THINGS!
With the original X4 discontinued, none of the XTEink products now have USB-C, they all have the pogo pins.
Great. Time to relive the glory days of mini USB, micro USB, and carrying a pile of different cables around to charge your stuff.
Much to my wife's chagrin I never have anything on my wishlist since I'm not a huge fan of (receiving) gifts in general, but I did put the X4 on my list a couple of months ago, since my decade+ old Kobo is getting long in the tooth, and I don't enjoy the manual syncing.
I wanted it mostly due to this: https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader
Has anyone tried it out?
Crosspoint is the way to go, imho. Together with the CrossX app (https://github.com/jtvargas/crosspoint-app) it's so nice! Nicely supports sending web articles as epubs onto the X3/X4 device (I use X3).
I use [Crossink](https://crossink.dev) and I absolutely love it. Have it both the X4 Pro and the X3, and surprisingly (to me) I prefer the x3 for everything but reading in the dark
Agreed. The X3 just feels kind of magically small, and well proportioned in a way the X4 Pro doesn’t. Both have their merits though and I’ll be keeping both, because in some situations a backlight is near-essential for me.
> both the X4 Pro and the X3, and surprisingly (to me) I prefer the x3 for everything but reading in the dark
Interesting, as a new owner (CrossPoint user though) who loves my X4 Pro so far, it makes me wonder what the X3 is better at for you?
Your decade old Kobo is going to be a better reader than this. Kobo Nickle or Koreader will render epub a ton better and faster. Do this if you want the smaller size. It's not an upgrade in anyway.
That's good to know. I am very happy with the screen on my current one (kobo clara hd). It's just that the usability and lack of sync is annoying enough that I'm tempted to switch. Perhaps a bit of itchy tinkerfinger too.
I guess it does feel like more of a real book in that regard, though.
Yea, that’s what I use. My only complaint about the reader is no backlight. Everything else is great.
I have an X4 and use it as a writer deck with microslate firmware[0]
I heavily customized the source code with llm so I can use emacs style keybindings and search.
incredible that the repo fails to include a single screenshot/photo of what the firmware looks like
Does the official repo not or you mean this version where the guy sounds like he did some customisations on the navigation buttons ?
What I linked is the official repo. My customization is private because I replace the original fonts with a commercial font (which I own a license) so I feel it's better not to make the repo public.
I ws considering something like this, do you have any video of it in action?
I don't have video on my hand but a photo is here: https://files.catbox.moe/z8suof.jpg
There are some cons:
- some users report text gets blurred out if used under direct sunlight for a long time. I don't use it outside so I'm not affected
- sometimes the BLE connection is sketchy. I'm not sure if it's hardware or software problem
- the editor features are very barebone so you may want to customize your own version
- beware there are unflashable edition of this device
I hadn't heard about microslate. Thank you.
I list some cons in a sibling comment. You may want to check if you plan to buy one
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.
TikTok (ironically) has a bunch of anti-brainrot content, I think the Xteinks got popular that way. Super easy to use and even flash to 3rd party firmware.
I got the X4 just before my summer holiday and put "War and Peace" from Project Gutenberg on it as my only ebook.
Five weeks later, I'd finished it, all 360 chapters, 1400 pages.
Apart from finding War and Peace a totally engrossing read, one of my favourite books of all time, I give the credit to the X4... I'd never have finished it if reading the physical book (too large to carry around) nor if reading on my phone (too many distractions).
So thank you xteink!
Where are people getting DRM free epubs for theirs? I have a bunch that I've gotten through various Humble Bundles that I'm working through now, but I'm wondering where I should go if I want to look for something specific
What many people do is buy them from places like Kobo.com, download them, and remove the DRM (usually via plugins to the Calibre library management software).
Kindle books have become impossible to download, but other online bookstores aren't as restrictive.
If you want to buy them legitimately, there aren't a lot of options
Illegitimately, there are tons of options
I guess more sensible than Yotaphone. Still annoyed we got 3rd screen on foldables before eink.
E: also waiting for this formfactor to get optimaxxed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL05zoHBGwA
Little eink dogtag that flips through one sentence at time.
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.
I generally disbelieve in anti-features. You can just... not use the backlight! It's frustrating when people insist on a lack of features. There's no practical downside to backlights being an option.
It's an additional layer on top of the eink that has to diffuse light from the side. It's bound to reduce contrast at least a little
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 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!
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".
For me, it is:
1. Yes, the size. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about "do I really want to bother with this in my pocket, I'm just going to the store."
2. The ecosystem. There's a lot of different firmware forks, people tinker and optimize. Which is important, because that helps with..
3. The UI. There's only a few buttons, no touch screen, so the power on experience sends you straight into the last page you were reading, and there's not a lot of farkles trying to drive engagement.
4. No touch screen. The buttons aren't very soft, and there's no touch screen, so you can just toss it back in your pocket, without turning it off, and pick it back up.
5. It's cheap, and it is not linked to my accounts. I'm not terribly worried about theft or someone accidentally knocking it out of my hand.
All that comes down to just.. no ceremony. No unlock the screen, push past the notifications, find the app, wait for Kindle to pass some advertising back and forth with Amazon. Nothing. Pick up the book, read the next page while you are waiting for coffee to steep.
That said, there's some suck to be had:
6. No frontlight. You can't read in the dark without a separate light.
7. No, the font rendering is not perfect, the DPI is pretty low. This is not the most beautiful screen. But it's pretty readable. I got over it.
8. It's a pretty small screen. If you have awful eyesight, you're going to go through a lot of page turns. But if you are prone to skipping ahead and scanning, you might actually read more of the book this way.
9. It is not fast. The firmwares I have used all do some indexing at the start of each chapter, and it can take a few seconds.
10. The vendor either doesn't quite understand its customers (it seems like xteink got lucky sometimes) or is scrabbling through parts bins and unable to communicate with its customers. The X4 Pro really confused its fans.
I think it really just comes down to "this thing is too simple to become more fucking adtech pretending to be useful."
The size is pretty much the selling point compared to other e-readers. The screen quality isn't great, it doesn't have more features than the rest or anything else, but it's tiny and I can lie down on my back holding my arm up in the air for longer than with my phone, so reading at the beach is comfortable for example. If you like bigger devices, you won't like any of the Xteink devices I think.
I do want a bigger phone at some point than the 6" I have now. But, I will say, when I read, it definitely is me using the same top of the screen all the time. I'll literally open notes in split screen even if I don't intend to write, just to reduce the reading area. To an area considerably smaller than this tablet. I don't want to have to move my eyes so far up and down. Having two or four or ten times more words on screen doesn't feel like it helps me to actually read.
(There is some benefit to having having a "shape" of the page, in terms of remembering where you were at a given point in the story sometimes, but that fades fast.)
Then the device is not for you. I have this and it’s amazing for me. Being able to pocket this and whip it out during moments I would’ve doom scrolled has been great for my reading.
I think for ebooks this isn't for me. I like to focus when reading ebooks so quickly whipping it out when I have only a few minutes (the way I do with my phone) isn't for me.
I'm wondering what other uses this could have other than reading books.
As an example, it would be great if I'm reading an article that I could just send a screen reader version of the article to this. Not sure how easy it is.
I’ve not used it, but the HN commenter seems to like it for sending articles:
New version of the X4 if you don't care about the light. It does have the pogo pins most people seem to hate.
https://www.xteink.com/products/xteink-x4-classic-pocket-ere...
I like the idea of a small light ereader but credit card sized is just... way too small. I really don't get it. Like people miss the old small phones because it did discouraged reading and phones became the size they are now because this size seems to balance portability and reading.
It's fine reading on the X3. I just use the large font size. The text on HN on my phone is WAY smaller
$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
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
£70 ($94) in the UK so is US prices exclude sales taxes $14 is VAT, what about the other $10?
GP says its $105 in the EU. I do not think VAT is high enough to explain that anywhere in the EU?
> GP says its $105 in the EU
It's not? Maybe there is some dynamic pricing going on, but it's 79 Euro (~91.75 USD). Which would be close to the US price with Hungary's VAT (27%, which is I think the highest). Then add stuff like copying levy onto it and you'll land on roughly the same price, even with a lower average VAT. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_copying_levy
Maybe they compared the model with the base to the one without? The one with base is more expensive in the US too though.
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.
If you don't need an ebook gadget right now, Boox is about to release the Boox Picco as a direct competitor to this. It's in between the X3 and X4 in size, but has a front-lit and potentially higher resolution screen.
I have an X4 Pro (219 ppi) and I use 14pt font because letter widths are pretty uneven at 12pt and on a screen this small I wish I could use my preferred tiny font size. Other than that, it's great.
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?
- 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.
What's the point of getting a DRMed e-book from a library, and then converting it? You are not supporting the author, you are not supporting the library, and you are not even being a good boy, legally. (You also typically get worse files than you'd get through other means)
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.
I appreciate the attempt here!
> In other words, we need more gadgets like the Xteink: cheap, simple, and customizable.
> The best thing about the Xteink is not any one feature. It’s that this tiny e-reader is fun in a way so few gadgets are anymore. Despite all our advances, the consumer-electronics landscape of 2026 is predictable and banal. Our laptops, smartphones, and tablets are thinner and more powerful than ever, but that feels like a weak substitute for innovation.
Especially in the LLM age, devices that define the experience totally are, imo, under massive threat. The innovation is us. The innovation is being allowed to have fun with your device. The innovation is a return to Right of First Sale principles, a vibrant modifiability, an enduring FAFO-ness. Humanity longs for a return to something that lets human spirit and ingenuity in, and we have all new super powerful agents to help us explore & make our own new outposts on the frontier with.
This article does a more direct job than I would expect to see in print talking to something at least a bit as such.
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.
Maybe that's why they include some sort of screen protector with the device? At least they did with the X4 Pro, did you get that with the X3 as well, and were you using it while it cracked if so?
I've been having mine in a beach bag I'm not too careful with, for about two months, which goes out with me when I swim in the sea, without using the included screen protector, and still no scratches or cracks in mine.
Yeah, I had the protector. It cracked from inside, so I guess maybe the force came from the other side.
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 got X3 because it was on the ads all over my internet. My idea was that I can stick it to my phone when I go out or commute and don’t want to bring my standard Kobo reader, so I can read more instead of doomscrolling
So far, my impression:
- it’s a fun piece of tech, but it’s also a super simple one. Idk the price of a eink screen like that, but it’s basically a screen + esp32 + battery, so $70 might be a bit too much, and just includes all the ads budget, which is clearly huge
- CrossPoint firmware is neat and OSS, so you can for and DIY whatever you can imagine
- it’s still so much more convenient to read on a bit bigger reader. Even my Kobo Clara BW with Koreader, which is still quite portable, has way better UX. And it’s just about x2 more expensive
- magnet is not strong enough to sit firmly on my phone
- I got a epub rendering issue with one of my books
- I don’t read a lot on it and still prefer my Kobo, so it failed the main objective for me personally
- it’s still fun how much esp32 in such a tiny enclosure can do :)
This could never have been invented in SV. You cannot show large bright colored advertisements on it!
For $50, I like this one even better. https://www.seeedstudio.com/reTerminal-Sticky-p-6861.html. Seems to scratch a similar itch
I want an e-reader that can handle narration. Actually immersive reading - https://storyteller-platform.dev - without paying Amazon. This is possible on a kindle running KOReader, but it's very slow loading for large books (have the last generation Oasis). I ordered a Boox 7 because it should have a lot more raw power (CPU, ram). Plus it has physical buttons. Why would you want to put oil from your hands on the screen you read on? If you're into small screens, you probably have a phone in your pocket that you could run an e-reader app on.
Every time people talk about e-readers I have to wonder whether I'm an outlier. I've been e-reading for over 20 years now. I've been reading on my Nokia 6230 by using an ebook to J2ME converter. I've been reading with AlReader on my HTC Tytn. I'm still reading on my Android phone now. Sure, e-ink is superior, but it's a bit like with cameras: the best one is the one you have on you, not the one you left at home -- and I personally won't be hauling two devices if I can avoid it. If you want to read on the go, you'll find a way that fits you.
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?
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.
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 have an x3 and love it. It’s so small I don’t think twice about taking it everywhere. I have the crosspoint firmware on it, and I sync it with calibre.
Not me reading the Hackernews front page RSS on an X4 coming across this post.
Great little device. There's a custom firmware that adds some nice to haves including the RSS reader. Downloads the linked HTML page for offline viewing and formats it nicely.
I love my Xteink. It’s so small and lightweight I can take it anywhere. It runs fully on free software, and I paid close to nothing for the Chinese version on AliExpress.
I’ll use a bigger e-reader at home, and carry it to continue reading my book on the go. I have it for close to two months and charged it only once.
My favorite thing is that simply having it nearby showing the book cover is an invitation to read.
Obviously Amazon missed the mark with their Fire phone years ago, but I recall thinking I would have bought one if they had embedded their Kindle reader on back. This is a nice, but still inelegant solution. I want an iPhone Air with one of these integrated on the back and easily manage the device via a phone app.
The only reasons I bought the X4 once I saw the ads
- the price
- the custom firmwares
Once they kinda dropped the ball by making it harder to flash if bought elsewhere than their store, I started looking elsewhere. If I had to buy a similar device right now, I'd choose the reTerminal Sticky since it starts with customizability in mind.
FWIW my wife found one via some ads or a YouTuber idk but she loves hers. Uses it 10x more than her kindle.
for me, the killer feature of the little xteink readers is _no touchscreen_. This is important because you can hold the device as you would a paper book, thumb on the page itself without accidentally turning the page or triggering some menu system.
It’s interesting that this device is having a moment. It’s not, strictly speaking, new; I had something called “Oaxis InkCase” around 2013. It was designed to accompany a smart phone.
As someone that mainly switched to e-readers because of bad eyes, this is way too small. Even the bigger x4 seems too small for the font size I feel comfortable with.
The X3 seems nicest as it’s smallest and a good deal lighter.
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.
I have the x3, x4, and x4 pro. They're all great
I'm addicted to my X3. I hope they make a smartish-phone this size at some point. Just smart enough to run bank-apps, qrcode scanning.
Anyone know why these have aliased fonts? My ancient Kobo with similar ppi has perfect rendering
Surprised I never heard of this!
Looking to pick one up, any recommendations on X4 Pro vs Classic?
The Pro has a nice backlight that is useful when reading at night. The only downside is the lack of a USB-C port, so you have to use their magnetic dongle to charge. Also, if you want one, I recommend buying from the official site to avoid getting one with the firmware locked (there may be a way to unlock it, but I'm not sure). Lastly, look at the competition: I'm happy with my X4 Pro, but there are a couple of others with different feature sets that are still compatible with Crosspoint and may be of interest if you want to use it for more than just reading.
Thanks!
I’m looking for something that pushes portability without compromising too much core usability.
For example I can live without a touch screen if it means high quality physical buttons.
Justs a heads up, people are comparing with the X4 and not the X4 classic. The classic is a brand new one released today, and it replaces the X4 on the official store. It doesn't have a USB connector either, so it's all pogo connectors now
For the Pro, you will want a 3d-printed dock, or a really thin USB-C cable to use with the pogo pin dongle.
You have to wonder why someone did not think of this form factor sooner. I have the original X4 and have been enjoying it a lot. My Kobo mostly lies unused because I do most of my reading in bed and the X4, even with a clip-on light, is so much easier on the wrists.
Dual core Arm CPUs, Android etc used by mainstream readers are a serious waste of resources. A microcontroller paired with the SD card is more than enough. And CrossPoint is a gem! The list of pros is long and the device recommends itself. But there is one con that you must watch out for:
The screen is delicate.
I love cases but hate screen protectors, and tend to use my devices with care. So it has worked out fairly well for me the past few months. But you might have a different experience.
"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.
but no usb-c port? Nooooooooooo!
NOBODY asked for a proprietary pogo pin usb cable. shame on you!!!!
I charge mine every 3-4 months... (almost never). Was expecting this to be a problem for me, but it turned out I do not care.
The X4 is the same thing with a USB C port. Love mine.
The X4 was discontinued and replaced by the "X4 Classic". It does not have USB C.
way too expensive
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.
You need to search for "阅星瞳" on RedNote, which is their official Chinese name, and look at the official statement they posted on April 25 this year. In that statement, they had listed the device's RAM as 128 MB, while the actual usable RAM was only around 400 KB.
You can also find plenty of other discussions about the CEO himself and the company's products by searching on RedNote. In fact, RedNote users make up a major part of the brand's customer base in China.
Is it fair to say that your previous comment was based mostly on various individual comments made by individuals on RedNote, rather than some published article from journalists, or investigation, or similar?
You're questioning whether a native Chinese speaker somehow misunderstood a discussion written in Chinese on a Chinese social media platform?
After a competitor accused them of falsifying product specifications, the company publicly responded by claiming that it was merely a typo and stated that they would not provide compensation. Under Chinese law, however, this kind of false representation can require a refund plus compensation amounting to ten times the purchase price.
Their CEO had previously served as a founder or senior executive at several well-known Chinese companies, some of which later failed or suffered from major strategic mistakes. Yet during the early development of XTEINK, the founder concealed much of that problematic history. You can find reporting on it here: https://www.cqnews.net/1/detail/1346418331771338752/web/cont...
You say, "Not that I don't believe you," but at the same time you're treating what I said as though I simply made it up based on a few random comments I happened to see on social media.
Come on. The problem here is you, not me. If you are not even capable of searching Chinese websites yourself, then you are in no position to question me about what is being discussed in Chinese.
> You're questioning whether a native Chinese speaker somehow misunderstood a discussion written in Chinese on a Chinese social media platform?
No, I was merely trying to clarify what the source(s) were.
> Yet during the early development of XTEINK, the founder concealed much of that problematic history. You can find reporting on it here:
Thanks :) And thanks also for the previous notes about RedNote, because I found a bunch of what you were talking about.
So yes, I didn't disbelieve you, nor tried to imply anything, I just wanted to get more pointers to where I could read more about it myself.
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?
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:
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.
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My cynical take: these cute little things still end up in landfills, and my 5+ year old phone runs the kindle app just fine.
Your phone will also end up in landfills. It’s true that you can stretch it longer but eventially it’ll probably end up there.
his argument is he already has the phone and doesn't feel the need to contribute two devices to the landfill instead of one
I'm regularly charmed by the idea of e-readers, especially really small ones like this. But then I remember I already have a phone where I can comfortably read on for hours with an aggressive blue-light filter that turns the entire screen red and remind myself on the awful refresh rate that comes with e-ink that goes counter to me scrolling as I read line by line.
