I spent a month with the Xteink X4 Pro and while I love this tiny $99 ereader, it wont be replacing my ViWoods AiPaper Reader just yet

Date:
Sat, 29 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Description:
The Xteink X4 Pro is a truly tiny ereader with some great features, but it also has more than a few issues.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Ever since the Xteink X4 landed in early 2026 Ive been intrigued by this tiny line of ereaders I loved the idea of sticking one to the back of my phone and carrying it everywhere, but at that point they just had a few too many missing features for my liking.

Then the Xteink X4 Pro launched , and with the addition of a touchscreen and front light, I decided it was finally time to take the plunge and try one for myself. As a tech lover and early adopter its a decision I dont regret, but this still isnt quite the device I want it to be. First impressions before I turned it on were positive. This thing is extremely slim and light. Its 111
x 69 x 5.95mm and 72g, numbers which may or may not mean much to you, but essentially this weighs almost nothing, and its thin enough that it doesnt stick out much beyond the camera bump on my iPhone 16 Pro Max when I use its built-in magnets to stick it to the back. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Fragile and exposed (Image credit: TechRadar) The Xteink X4 Pro doesnt exactly look or feel expensive, but then few ereaders do, and at $109 / 84 / AU$159 (currently reduced to $99 / 76 / AU$145) it doesnt need
to. The back of your phone is also isn't really the place for a more
expensive device if that's where you plan to stick the X4 Pro, then its
quite exposed.

It ships with a basic flip cover, but I found the magnets werent strong
enough to securely attach it to my phone while in a case. So if I drop my phone, the Xteink X4 Pro is liable to break. You may like The Xteink X4 Pro ereader adds a touchscreen and front light to its phone-attachable design How a pocket-sized Android ereader helped me rebuild a reading habit Boox Picco teased as an even smaller alternative to the Xteink X4 Pro

In fact, even with the magnets, it can shift around a bit and come loose in
my pocket, or if I press a button too hard. Maybe it would stay in place better if my phone wasnt in a case, but thats not an option for me. So I sort of expect this thing wont last long, especially as epaper displays tend to be very fragile.

Thats my first issue with it, as even at its fairly low price, its not something I want to constantly be replacing. Of course, attaching it to your phone is optional some people will want to keep it separate, and its perhaps better suited to that. But I already have (and love) a phone-sized ViWoods AiPaper Reader , so I dont really need another standard small ereader, even
if this one is even tinier. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

No, the magnets were the main draw for me, and coupled with a fairly crisp 4.3-inch touchscreen with a capable front light, this is a pleasure to read books on.

The battery seems long-lasting too, which is good, because presumably in an effort to keep this as small as possible this uses a slightly fiddly proprietary charger rather than USB-C. Restrictive software (Image credit: TechRadar) That extensive life is probably partly because of the software unlike the ViWoods AiPaper Reader or some other compact ereaders, this doesnt run resource-hungry Android. Instead, it uses Xteinks own operating system , which is not good. The interface is ugly and clunky, and it just makes the thing feel a bit unpleasant to use. What to read next The best ereader for 2026 PocketBook Q launches as a Linux-based alternative to Android ereaders The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro proved to me that budget smartphones can still be great but I won't be ditching my aging Samsung just yet

But it almost seems like Xteink realizes this, because the version sold on their site is a developer edition, which allows you to very easily flash alternative firmware onto the device.

I did this after all of about half an hour I already knew I probably would, having seen most owners in the Xteink subreddit seem to ditch the stock software at the first opportunity. But while switching up the interface is easy, choosing which firmware to flash isnt, as there are a surprising number of options.

So far, Ive settled on CrossInk, and Ill probably stick with that as Im happy enough with it. It gives you a decent amount of customization options and offers more ways of getting books onto the X4 Pro. But that last point is probably my biggest issue with this device, as the lack of Android also means it cant run the Kindle or Kobo apps.

That means you'll typically have to buy books on another device and then transfer them to the Xteink X4 Pro. And in many cases youll also have to remove their DRM first something which recently became a lot trickier with Kindle books .

So, in other words, getting books onto this is a bit of a chore, and if you already have a library of Kindle books, you might find you can't read them on the Xteink X4 Pro.

That, coupled with the need to flash new firmware to get the most out of it, means I cant really recommend this to the average ebook reader. Its very much for people who are comfortable with tech and ideally people who enjoy fiddling and configuring, rather than having a device that just does exactly what they want out of the box. Plenty of potential (Image credit: TechRadar) But I do fit into those categories, so Im having fun with the Xteink X4 Pro and right now its my main ereader.

I take it with me everywhere because its attached to my phone, and just like the ViWoods AiPaper Reader before it, that means Im reading in moments when I wouldnt otherwise, because its always present and easy to whip out even when
I only have a few minutes to spare.

Still, phone attachment aside, it also fills a very similar role for me to
the ViWoods, so Im not sure Ill continue using both much. Right now, given
all the friction points above, I think Ill probably find myself returning to the AiPaper Reader.

But the Xteink X4 Pro does almost make that device look big, so on days when
I want to travel as light as possible, I might still turn to this. And if the Xteink X5 Pro runs Android, then I might rethink things. Today's best ereader deals Kobo Libra Colour 238.15 View See all prices Kobo Clara BW 129.99 View See all prices Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen 2024 159.99 View See all prices Amazon Kindle Colorsoft 259.99 179 View See all prices Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) 379.99 View See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/i-spent-a-month-with-the-xteink-x4- pro-and-while-i-love-this-tiny-usd99-ereader-it-wont-be-replacing-my-viwoods-a ipaper-reader-just-yet


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)