The touchscreen makes Xteink’s new X4 Pro the ultimate Kindle test

The a familiar story and Xteink’s little readers it also plays with its new X4 Pro: upgraded hardware that is backed by annoying software. The company’s latest e-reader adds a display and lighting, so choosing it over a Kindle or Kobo is a no-brainer — until you use it. New controls and some welcome software updates may make the X4 Pro easier to use, but frustrations still abound. There is a happy ending to the story this time, however, as the team behind it is excellent CrossPoint Reader software they plan to have another firmware ready for the new device at launch. If you’re considering an Xteink e-reader, the X4 Pro is the one to get, even though it’s more expensive.

The X4 Pro is available for purchase today through the Xteink online store $99, which makes it slightly more expensive than the company’s $79 x 3 and $69 X4 models. This also brings the X4 Pro closer to the price $110 entry-level Kindle with Amazon’s polished e-reader capabilities and access to digital library resources. The X4 Pro lacks both features, but with a 4.26-inch, 800 x 480 E Ink screen, it’s another pocketable device from Xteink that’s smaller and thinner than the company’s previous e-reader, and smaller than Amazon’s 6-inch Kindle.

That thin profile means you have to be prepared for a big compromise: there’s no real USB-C port either. You can still benefit from USB-C functionality but you’ll need an adapter to deal with the strange magnetic pogo-pin connection. An adapter is included, but I’d still prefer a slightly thicker device with a real USB-C port.

On the back of the X4 Pro you’ll also find an integrated magnet so you can connect it to compatible smartphones like a wireless battery. The magnets feel strong, but not strong enough to make me believe that the e-reader will stay on my phone and swing around in my pocket. The size of the X4 Pro also allows the small e-reader to fit under my iPhone 16 Pro when connected, and at this point I think Xteink will just stop improving the service. Its e-readers are better as stand-alone devices.

The extra touch panel allows for a much easier button press on the X4 Pro, and I’m glad the company included dedicated page buttons on each side in addition to being able to place them on the edge of the screen. There’s also a power/wake button and, for the first time, a touch button on the front of the e-reader below its screen to jump back to the e-reader’s homescreen.

There have been others argue whether or not These little readers need a screen protector, but after testing the X4 Pro for over a week I think it’s a welcome upgrade for these devices. Even after months of use, looking at some of the company’s e-readers using buttons has never felt smarter or easier, and it has stopped me from wanting to carry them everywhere I go. Navigating the X4 Pro using the touchpad (as we do with all of our mobile devices) ultimately makes it feel like I’m not fighting the e-reader to do what I want.

But the X4 Pro’s screen doesn’t feel as sensitive or responsive as the Kindle or Kobo when I tap on the screen, and half the time I feel like I have to repeat the tap and apply a little pressure to get my finger to recognize it. I believe this is something that can be improved with future updates.

The additional brightness of the display is a very good upgrade, and although it is a little inconsistent and a little bright at the top of the display, you can adjust the size and color temperature using the sliders that appear when you look down from the top of the screen. There aren’t any automatic updates or schedules available yet, but being able to use this e-reader in bed without turning on the light and changing games, and I can’t see myself going back to the old Xteink devices that don’t have a light.

Xteink has significantly updated its integrated software and UI to match the X4 Pro’s touchscreen. The menus have been updated and are easier to navigate and touch, and accessing reading preferences by tapping anywhere on the page now feels intuitive. There’s also a lot of flexibility in changing font settings and layouts, but out of the box you only have one font in two different colors unless you want to jump through hoops to install your own. But you don’t have to suffer with Xteink’s unpolished software.

Of all the changes to the X4 Pro, the main reason to get Xteink’s latest e-reader is that CrossPoint Reader software is easy to install will be available during installation. It is a free firmware version that greatly improves the UI and readability of Xteink devices. After testing the last Xteink e-reader The team behind CrossPoint Reader didn’t know when X3 support would be released, but Justin Mitchell has been working as a program manager and told them. Seaside that support for the X4 Pro will be available “before any customers can order and receive theirs in the states.” CrossPoint Reader is now a division of Mitchell’s a new Free Ink project which counts Xteink as one of its hardware partners, so the firmware should be compatible with all future devices of the company in the implementation.

If you’ve been on the fence about getting one of the e-Xteink readers, even with the USB-C connector and the $99 price tag the X4 Pro is the one to pick up if you prioritize portability. It can’t match the quality of a Kindle or Kobo even if you set up the CrossPoint Reader, but even with its shortcomings it’s still the best little e-reader you can buy and a device I can’t leave the house with.

Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge