A touchscreen and light make the new X4 Pro the best version of Xteink’s tiny e-readers

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- Xteink's X4 Pro launches at $99 with a 4.26-inch, 800 x 480 E Ink touchscreen and adjustable front light, slotting above the $79 X3 and $69 X4 and within $11 of Amazon's $110 entry-level Kindle.
- The X4 Pro drops a standard USB-C port in favor of a magnetic pogo-pin connection, requiring an included adapter to charge or transfer data.
- The X4 Pro retains dedicated page-turn buttons on both sides alongside tap-to-turn, though The Verge found the touchscreen less sensitive than a Kindle or Kobo, often requiring repeated taps.
- CrossPoint Reader, a free alternative firmware maintained by Justin Mitchell, will be available before any X4 Pro orders ship in the US, according to Mitchell, and Xteink is now a hardware partner in Mitchell's Free Ink project for future device support.
- The X4 Pro's back-mounted magnets let it attach to compatible smartphones like a wireless battery, but the reviewer found the magnets too weak for pocket use and the device awkwardly overhangs an iPhone 16 Pro.
Why it matters: At $99, the X4 Pro is the most compelling tiny e-reader Xteink has shipped, but its value proposition hinges on the CrossPoint Reader firmware arriving on launch day as promised — without it, buyers pay Kindle-adjacent money for unfinished stock software and a non-standard magnetic charging connector that requires an adapter.




