This review is not about paper or ink or pens but about a device I think might appeal to anyone looking to get away from doomscrolling. It’s the XTEink X4 ($69 available in black or white — direct link or Amazon). It’s a a 4.3″ eink screen device that is not tethered to any ecosystem. You can load any epubs to the device via the microSD card that is included (it is recommended to upgrade the microSD card since the provided card is generic).
In my quest to spend less time on my phone, I discovered the XTEink X4. What really appealed to me was that the X4 is not tied to the Amazon Kindle ecosystem or Kobo or anything else.
Of course, this can also been seen as a downside. If you own a lot of books purchased through Amazon’s Kindle store or use Kindle Unlimited, then the XTEink device might not work. If you like to get public domain books from the Gutenberg Project or Standard Ebooks, then you might like this device.
I have been purchasing my books through the Kobo store which allows customers to download their books to their computer and save them locally. I prefer this since I have been an ereader for many years and, like so many other technologies I’ve seen come and go, I like knowing I own my books so I can move them from device to device.
Side note: Anyone can buy books from the Kobo bookstore and save them to whatever ereader device you are currently using. I particularly like their Daily Deals page for ebooks for $4.99 or less, with most being $1.99 or so. Books can also be purchased from the Google Play Store and ebooks.com and I am sure there are others. Leave a comment if you have a good source to purchase ebooks and download them down below.
Finally, if you read most of your ebooks from the library through Overdrive or Libby, there is not support for those books on the X4. At least not yet. So, if you are mostly a library book reader, skip the device for now.
The Device
The device is TINY which makes it easy to hold with one hand. This is the same size as my beloved Mark’s EDiT B7 Slim notebook. It is thinner than my notebook AND my phone. Since it has a a black-and-white eink screen, it’s easy on the eyes and the battery lasts for days or even weeks depending on usage.
The XTEink X4 does not have a touch screen. In order to navigate, you must rely on the physical buttons. There is a rocker bottom on the right hand side that can be used to turn pages as well as two rocker buttons on the bottom front of the device. So again, no touchscreen may be a plus for some and a minus for others.
The screen resolution for the XTEink X4 is 220ppi. When compared to the resolution specs of the Kobo and Kindle which are both 300ppi, there is a slightly noticeable difference when compared side-by-side. However, when I am reading on the X4, I am not also reading simultaneously on the other devices and as a result, I do not notice the slightly lower ppi. So don’t let the specs affect your call about purchasing an X4.
There is wifi capabilities and some of the firmware versions (details about that below) does support transferring files via wifi. There is even an app for your phone to help transfer PDF and epub documents over wifi to the X4. Most folks recommend just popping the MicroSD card into your computer if you’re transferring files as its faster and more stable, just FYI.
I keep forgetting about this but the X4 does not have a backlight. If you like to read in the dark or lowlight situations, you’ll need a lamp or external light source. I keep not noticing this because I usually use my ereaders with exterior lights, a lamp or daylight to illuminate my device so I seldom use the backlight. But again, some will see this as a feature and others will see it as a bug.
The X4 is an ereader device, there is no capabilities for audiobooks or sound but that’s okay. There are other devices we can use for that.
The Community
The most notable thing about the XTEink devices (there is an even smaller 3″ X3 device hitting the market as I type this and rumors of other products in the pipeline) is that the software and firmware that runs on this device is being furiously upgraded and modified by a super-active community of fans and developers. I purchased my device and immediately swapped out the stock firmware from XTEink with the most popular homebrew version called Crosspoint. It added support for a bunch of features that I wanted to try and, as a type nerd, replaced the default font with Bookerly, a beautifully designed ereader-specific typeface.
So, again, the customize-ability of the device may be a perk for some and a downside for others since many people feel that the current default firmware is not great. However, I have the technical skill of a cabbage and was able to “flash” the new Crosspoint firmware onto my device following the detailed and very helpful instructions on the Readme.club, an XTEink enthusiast web site) and had it up and running in about 30 minutes. While it was installing, I picked books from my library in Calibre (the application I use to store my ebook library on my laptop) and picked out sleep screens (which can be custom and stored in a folder called “sleep” as long as the files are sized properly and saved as .bmp files).
Another side note: The best way I’ve found to customize sleep screens is to use X4 Wallpaper Converter. Just upload an image ans use the tools provided to generate the perfect .bmp file. I just grabbed the folder of images I had cellected as sleep screens for my Kobo device and repurposed them.
The Bottom Line:
If you are someone who appreciates a little technical DIY for a no-notification, no-internet, distraction-free device that is lightweight, portable and pocketable, the XTEink X4 is definitely for you. You can’t beat the price when compared to Boox Palma devices (the closest in size) or the Kindle or Kobo devices.
If you are tiny ereader-curious but worried about being “techie enough,” trust me, you are. If I can do it, you can too. If you have questions, drop my question below.
If you are tied to Kindle or Kindle Unlimited, then you should probably pass. At least for now.
I like this device so much, I have been petsitting for a friend this week and I take my phone and the X4 with me when I go over to the house. I sit on the couch and read for a bit so the cat has some companionship. Today, when I left, I only had my X4 and had to go back later and get my phone which I left on my friend’s kitchen table! Yeah. See my priorities?
There is a lot more detail about the X4 and comparison to other ereader devices in the video below.
Links to pretty much everything mentioned in the video above:
- Kindle Paperwhite (refurbished)
- Kobo Libra 2
- Boox Palma Pro 2
- Standard Ebooks public domain books
- Calibre
- Readme.club Community-driven resource sharing for Xteink users
- X4 Wallpaper Converter
- XTEink X4 (direct)
- XTEink X4 (amazon)
- Mark’s EDiT B7 Slim notebook
- Field Notes
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The XTEink X4 is far too small for all but the young and myopic.