Xteink is back with new X4 Pro, but not for everyone
Xteink back with new X4 Pro hardware: the second-generation tiny e-reader adds a touchscreen, redesigned side buttons, a circular home button, MagSafe-compatible magnetic back, and a $99 price. Hands-on testing found glitches and DRM-free-only book support, so it is not for everyone.
That is the short version of a launch that sits neatly in our Nostalgia: Then & Now lane. Pocket gadgets keep echoing older phone habits — snap-on backs, home-button muscle memory, and screens you can still read without staring into a glowing slab.
Key Takeaways
- Xteink is back with new X4 Pro hardware: a second-generation mini e-reader priced at $99.
- It ships with a 4.26-inch display at 219 ppi, a new touchscreen, side buttons, a circular home button, frontlight, Wi-Fi, and MagSafe-compatible magnetic backing.
- Storage starts at 16MB with 8MB RAM, expandable to 256GB via microSD; battery life is listed at 10+ hours, or about one to two weeks of casual reading.
- Books arrive through the Xteink app, USB-C, or microSD, but only DRM-free text PDFs and MOBI files (plus JPG and BMP images).
- First impressions call out freezes, a fiddly magnetic pogo-pin charger, and a niche fit unless you already live in DRM-free libraries or article syncing.
What is new about the Xteink X4 Pro?
According to Mashable's first impressions, Xteink is back with new second-generation X4 hardware branded as the X4 Pro. The company's tiny readers are bigger than a credit card and smaller than a passport, and they are pitched as small enough to ride on the back of a phone.
The earlier X4 already earned a spot as the best mini e-reader on Mashable's best e-readers list. That made the follow-up worth a hands-on look: same pocket-first idea, updated controls and connectivity.
Specs center on a 4.26-inch screen at 219 ppi. That is sharper than many people expect from a novelty-sized reader, yet it still trails the 300 ppi panels common on Kindle and Kobo devices. Inside sit 8MB of RAM and 16MB of onboard storage, with microSD expansion up to 256GB.
Battery life is rated at more than 10 hours, framed as roughly one to two weeks of casual reading. The Pro adds a touchscreen — new for the X4 line — plus physical buttons on the side and a circular home button that deliberately recalls the classic iPhone home key. A frontlight is included for low-light sessions.
The back is magnetic and MagSafe-compatible, so it can snap onto an iPhone. Charging skips a built-in USB-C port in favor of a magnetic pogo-pin connection that still relies on a USB-C cable through that adapter. Wi-Fi is supported for syncing.
Why won't the X4 Pro work for everyone?
Format support is the hard line. Mashable reports the X4 Pro only accepts DRM-free books in text-only PDF and MOBI formats, along with JPG and BMP image files. If your library lives in Kindle, Kobo, or other DRM-protected stores, this is not a drop-in replacement.
Files can be imported through the Xteink app, USB-C, or a microSD card. One practical niche remains: articles. You can upload a URL in the Xteink app and sync the piece to the device. That workflow is handy for commute reading, but the same review questions whether $99 is worth it for article duty alone — and answers that it probably is not.
Hands-on time also flagged reliability quirks. The device felt a little glitchy; it froze more than once and needed a restart. Those stumbles matter on a gadget sold as an always-in-pocket companion.
The magnetic charger is another friction point. It needs a tiny pogo-pin extension that is easy to misplace, and the connection did not feel secure — it was easy to knock when plugged into USB-C. For a nostalgia-friendly accessory culture that already loves magnetic snap-ons, the idea is clever; the execution, in this test, was not.
How does the redesign compare with the first X4?
Controls are the clearest then-and-now story. Mashable's tester found the previous generation's front buttons confusing and unintuitive. The X4 Pro's touchscreen and circular home button land as genuine improvements in that layout story, even when software polish still lags.
Size and mission stay familiar: a pocket e-reader meant to feel closer to a phone accessory than a full Kindle. The MagSafe-friendly magnetic back doubles down on that phone-era nostalgia, turning the reader into something you can park on the rear of an iPhone rather than bury in a bag.
Resolution remains a trade-off. At 219 ppi, text is usable in a tiny form factor, yet anyone stepping down from a 300 ppi Kindle or Kobo will notice the difference. Pair that with the DRM-free-only library and you get a sharper sense of who this generation is for: experimenters, open-format book collectors, and people who want articles on e-ink — not mainstream storefront shoppers.
Availability is straightforward in the report: the new Xteink X4 is sold from Xteink for $99. That price keeps it in impulse-buy territory for gadget fans, while still asking for real commitment from readers who need rock-solid daily drivers.
Is the $99 X4 Pro worth considering right now?
If you already keep a DRM-free PDF or MOBI library, or you mainly want synced web articles on a screen that can cling to a phone, the X4 Pro is an intriguing pocket throwback with modern touches. The touchscreen, side buttons, home button, frontlight, Wi-Fi, and microSD expansion show Xteink iterating rather than standing still.
If you need Kindle- or Kobo-style storefronts, rock-solid uptime, a fixed USB-C port, or 300 ppi clarity, Mashable's first impressions suggest looking elsewhere. The reviewer's bottom line is blunt: unless you exclusively read DRM-free books, the X4 Pro is not a great e-reader for most people.
That verdict fits the nostalgia frame. Mini gadgets often return with friendlier buttons and magnetic phone tricks, yet they still have to survive everyday reading habits. Xteink is back with new X4 Pro hardware that looks playful and pocketable — and, by the available testing, still chooses a narrow audience on purpose.