Meet the Xteink X4, a tiny 4.3-inch e-ink reader that attaches via MagSafe, runs on ESP32, packs 32GB microSD, Wi-Fi, and lasts up to 14 days of battery life.
© Xteink
The Xteink X4 is now on sale—an unusually compact e‑ink reader that works as a standalone device or snaps magnetically to a compatible smartphone, such as an iPhone with MagSafe. The manufacturer presents it less as a full replacement for classic e‑readers and more as a pocket e‑ink display for short reads and quick access to the essentials.
The device is genuinely tiny: 114 × 69 × 5.9 mm and just 74 grams. Instead of a typical mobile processor, it runs on an ESP32—a platform well known in DIY and maker circles. Content is stored on a 32 GB microSD card, and files can be transferred over Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth. The 650 mAh battery may sound modest, yet the claimed endurance is still solid: up to 14 days with 1–3 hours of daily use.
The Xteink X4 has a 4.3‑inch display with a density of 220 ppi. It’s sized for articles, notes, and other short texts on the go, though it won’t fit many lines per page—page turns will be more frequent than on 6‑inch readers. Still, that compactness is the point: you can hold it like an info card and quickly pull up a boarding pass, QR code, membership card, or calendar without lighting up a power‑hungry OLED on your phone.
It supports ePUB, plain text files, and BMP and JPG images. There’s no touch input, so navigation and page turns are handled by side buttons—a simpler setup that takes some getting used to, especially if you rely on touchscreens.
Overall, the Xteink X4 comes across as a niche yet practical gadget: a pocketable e‑ink screen that’s always at hand, clicks onto your phone, and doubles as a digital calling card for anything that works in a single frame.