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jacek 2 hours ago [-]
I got an X4 (slightly larger model) less than 2 months ago and I already finished 9 books on it. It is always in my pocket and I started reaching for it instead of my phone during tiny moments of boredom. Sometimes it's just a few paragraphs when I'm waiting for a train, but it is also surprisingly good for longer reading sessions.
TwoFerMaggie 11 minutes ago [-]
The portability is such a game changer compared to the usual kindle-like devices. Compared to my kindle which I have to put in my backpack or only when I have big coat pockets in the winter, this can be put in my pocket and taken everywhere.
I wish they have a magsafe case with 1-2 card holder slots, then it would just be a perfect wallet replacement.
yoavm 2 hours ago [-]
Same experience with the X4 Pro. Can wholeheartedly recommend. It feels like reading became much more accessible to me all of a sudden.
trymas 1 hours ago [-]
It's so sad that X4 Pro does not have USB-C.
They have added backlight, but still left charging/connecting to proprietary magnetic adapter.
embedding-shape 58 minutes ago [-]
> It's so sad that X4 Pro does not have USB-C.
Yeah, the connector they've made is absolutely bananas, wonder what they were thinking? Was there a 3rd-party docking ecosystem they were expecting to be spawned by this, or something? The magnetic connector by itself makes no sense, unless I severely misunderstand how it's supposed to be used in practice.
bonsai_spool 45 minutes ago [-]
> proprietary magnetic adapter
They're supposedly not proprietary but a standard size that's easily replaced.
criddell 6 minutes ago [-]
Any guesses why they went with that connector rather than USB C?
trymas 20 minutes ago [-]
Ok, though still obscure.
I don’t want to looking where to order it when it’s lost or broken.
hn_submit 1 hours ago [-]
I bought a 6 inch model for $60 (it's now double the price) from another brand a couple months ago and I love it. A 4 inch screen is just too small IMHO.
darreninthenet 58 minutes ago [-]
I was thinking of getting one for exactly the use case you've described here but then I thought, "why don't I just get my phone out and read the ebooks directly on that?"
Can you explain to me why one of these is better for this please?
OliveMate 45 minutes ago [-]
It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't used an e-reader, but e-paper screens just look more natural, they also don't require a backlight so they can be easier on the eyes. Combined with a matt display, you can comfortably use them in direct sunlight without having to faff about with brightness or finding shade.
Also e-readers have way less distractions than a phone.
tough 55 minutes ago [-]
A phone is a gateway to much more than just reading books, so your brain might prefer it.
Also notifications etc
embedding-shape 47 minutes ago [-]
Personally I much prefer e-ink when I read for more than 10 minutes or so. The LED light from my phone just makes my eyes tired, while e-ink + "backlight" (guess it's really "kind of from the front light" in reality) just feels like reading normal paper.
The font rendering in the official firmware isn't that great though, especially compared to even a old phone screen. I had much better text rendering with 3rd party firmware.
BSOhealth 39 minutes ago [-]
it's hard to complain about this device, but here are my random ones:
1. yes, it is small and wonderful to one-handed read with, but _everyone_ around you notices you have a unique, small ereader in your palm. granted, maybe just reflects my self-consciousness. but until these are more ubiquitous, you'll be getting looks on the train/plane.
2. the whole "stick it on the back of your phone" idea is super silly and a bit of a gimmick at least:
2a. I don't want to make my expensive phone larger by volume and weight
2b. I do struggle to not fool around with my phone, and simply using "the back of the phone" is about the equivalent of being given a cigarette upside down as if that will stop me from smoking it.
3. after 14 years of Kindles, it's obvious how much better the eink tech is in premium devices (not a game changer at all, at most a nitpick)
yeah it's a super great device. I got it when prices were a bit lower a few months ago and it was a no-brainer. if you're really into reading and being thrifty/resourceful to get your ebooks, I'd check it out.
criddell 8 minutes ago [-]
I use a Kindle Oasis and love it.
I’ve seen the Xteink devices mentioned here and am intrigued, but the screenshots turn me off instantly. The font rendering or hyphenation or kerning (not sure exactly what) looked terrible.
Fortunately, since these run open source software, this will likely eventually be fixed. The Kindles weren’t great at the start either, so I have a lot of hope for future versions of the Xteink devices.
embedding-shape 34 minutes ago [-]
> 1. yes, it is small and wonderful to one-handed read with, but _everyone_ around you notices you have a unique, small ereader in your palm. granted, maybe just reflects my self-consciousness. but until these are more ubiquitous, you'll be getting looks on the train/plane.
This is a new complaint I haven't heard, might I ask where in the world this is? I use my X4 Pro out in cafes, beaches and general public in Spain, and I don't think a single person have glanced in my direction because of it. But I also see plenty of other people with their e-readers too, some larger and some smaller, but no one is giving them any looks or side-eyes, it's relatively common here at least.
BSOhealth 26 minutes ago [-]
I travel a lot for work and life. NYC, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, etc.
to be clear, these are not "side eyes" in a negative sense. it's more just peoples' curiosity, which can be a bit uncomfortable if you notice that type of thing while you're trying to read.
I think speaks to the fact that we all expect some normalization around iphones/pixels/kindles/switches in terms of the "expected" devices people might have in-hand.
maxglute 40 minutes ago [-]
I guess more sensible than Yotaphone. Still annoyed we got 3rd screen on foldables before eink.
E: also waiting for this formfactor to get optimaxxed
Little eink dogtag that flips through one sentence at time.
amelius 40 minutes ago [-]
This could never have been invented in SV. You cannot show large bright colored advertisements on it!
croon 15 minutes ago [-]
Much to my wife's chagrin I never have anything on my wishlist since I'm not a huge fan of (receiving) gifts in general, but I did put the X4 on my list a couple of months ago, since my decade+ old Kobo is getting long in the tooth, and I don't enjoy the manual syncing.
As someone who actually started reading more with bigger screen sizes[1], this article is really not jiving with me and is light on details. I still don't understand why I'd prefer this to a Kobo. Other than the size, what is the benefit?
[1] I read more with a 7" than a 6" and even more with an 8".
embedding-shape 25 minutes ago [-]
The size is pretty much the selling point compared to other e-readers. The screen quality isn't great, it doesn't have more features than the rest or anything else, but it's tiny and I can lie down on my back holding my arm up in the air for longer than with my phone, so reading at the beach is comfortable for example. If you like bigger devices, you won't like any of the Xteink devices I think.
x1ph0z 25 minutes ago [-]
Then the device is not for you. I have this and it’s amazing for me. Being able to pocket this and whip it out during moments I would’ve doom scrolled has been great for my reading.
joshkojoras 37 minutes ago [-]
I recently got an X3 (on a sale £58 with shipping) after deciding between X4 and X3 for a long time and I think I made the right decision. I fits perfectly in my wallet and I don't think about it.
Carrying my regular 6" ereader around feels like I'm taking something with me, it feels like extra weight. I have to either carry it in my hand which is inconvenient or take a rucksack with me when I go for a walk. X3 is so small that it doesn't feel like I'm carrying anything, but it's always there. So when I go for a long walk and decide to take a short break I take it out and read for 10-20min. Same on my commute, I replaced reading the news on my phone with reading for 25-30min on the train.
First think I did was flash Crosspoint on it, because it's lightweight and preserves the battery much like original OS. Battery feels great, I love that it's not touchscreen. Buttons take getting used to, but overall I'm impressed!
relativeadv 8 minutes ago [-]
for me, the killer feature of the little xteink readers is _no touchscreen_. This is important because you can hold the device as you would a paper book, thumb on the page itself without accidentally turning the page or triggering some menu system.
I guess West Coast shipping from China is much cheaper
embedding-shape 60 minutes ago [-]
Hmm, at the end of July I bought a X4 Pro from them for 88.95 EUR (shipping to Spain included), seems they've raised prices since then? Lucky me I suppose.
myrmidon 56 minutes ago [-]
There is no way shipping alone explains the difference.
I would suspect the majority comes from higher (VAT) tax level; possibly also some indirect overhead because Europe is a more segmented market, and needs a bunch of localization at the very least.
ac29 49 minutes ago [-]
US prices dont include taxes, EU prices do
graemep 24 minutes ago [-]
£70 ($94) in the UK so is US prices exclude sales taxes $14 is VAT, what about the other $10?
GP says its $105 in the EU. I do not think VAT is high enough to explain that anywhere in the EU?
lrae 10 minutes ago [-]
> GP says its $105 in the EU
It's not? Maybe there is some dynamic pricing going on, but it's 79 Euro (~91.75 USD). Which would be close to the US price with Hungary's VAT (27%, which is I think the highest). Then add stuff like copying levy onto it and you'll land on roughly the same price. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_copying_levy
Maybe they compared the model with the base to the one without? The one with base is more expensive in the US too though.
NoboruWataya 2 hours ago [-]
I had only heard about these things on HN, and thought they were primarily popular as a toy for people to hack on. I didn't realise they are so popular amongst "normies".
I have no current need for one as I am happy with my cheap second hand Kobo but it's great that they exist, especially with the open source alternative firmware. Hopefully they don't clamp down on that in future.
_0xdd 1 hours ago [-]
I really didn't think I would, but I really enjoy using my X4. The only thing I wish it had was a backlight. It seems Xteink is hellbent on including pogo connectors on all their other models, and that the original X4 with USB-C was an unfortunate outlier in this regard.
alturp 44 minutes ago [-]
I actually really like not having backlight, forcing me to use non-directional yellow light during the night reading sessions. I wish all electronic screen were like that.
embedding-shape 33 minutes ago [-]
The backlight of the X4 Pro have configurable "warmth" of the backlight, works pretty good even in completely dark rooms and much better than the eye-train you get from traditional screens.
Mine's screen cracked in a month. Didn't drop it or mishandled it. Be aware that is it much more fragile that a Kindle.
embedding-shape 23 minutes ago [-]
Maybe that's why they include some sort of screen protector with the device? At least they did with the X4 Pro, did you get that with the X3 as well, and were you using it while it cracked if so?
I've been having mine in a beach bag I'm not too careful with, for about two months, which goes out with me when I swim in the sea, without using the included screen protector, and still no scratches or cracks in mine.
palache 54 minutes ago [-]
Mine cracked the other day as well in my pocket! Fairly surprised and sad as now I have to finish those books on my smartphone
55555 2 hours ago [-]
I have one and am very happy with it. I vibe coded a bilingual ebook reader, which is what I bought it for. However a Kindle is a way better deal and is much better as far as screen quality etc. But I like how small my XTEINK X4 Pro is.
addandsubtract 1 hours ago [-]
I would be interested in a bilingual ebook reader. Do you have a repo for the project?
fooker 2 hours ago [-]
I got one and it is a neat fun device.
And it's pretty hackable, with an open firmware, bunch of community involvement in developing third party alternatives for the default software.
I have even vibecoded random software to run on it.
hexmiles 2 hours ago [-]
The fact that you can use it one-handed is the killer feature for me, both for reading and as a generic dashboard/remote control for stuff in my home.
After the x4 was marketed as having MagSafe that would work with a phone, while the magnet doesn’t align with MagSafe.
Neat little esp32 eReader with the standard bs around the company.
KeplerBoy 2 hours ago [-]
"In a sense, it is that. Xteink sounds less like a real brand name than the kind of garbled text you’ll find in AI-slop memes."
I think it's a great name. To me it reads like "extend e-ink", crazy how perception can be so different.
Ekaros 1 hours ago [-]
XT eink. For whatever XT has ever stand for with computers. XT has been around for ages with various meanings. So it is rather tech letters for me.
kulor 2 hours ago [-]
I read it as a play on extinct & ink
1 hours ago [-]
TMWNN 2 hours ago [-]
I'm tempted, despite being wedded to Kindle. I can search for and borrow a library bok on Libby in 30 seconds, then have it automagically appear on my Kindle; I doubt the experience is so seamless with Crosspoint, and of course the progress won't sync. But otherwise, an e-ink screen on the back of my phone is something I have always wanted. Hey Amazon, how about a Kindle counterpart to this?
But the biggest issue with Kindle is the vendor lock-in and the books don't even belong to you. There were many cases of Amazon deleting books with no refunds. That's why I am not getting any Kindle ever again.
akho 1 hours ago [-]
I've owned several Kindles, and haven't bought a single ebook from Amazon.
expedition32 54 minutes ago [-]
My public library books are DRMed with Adobe and officially you're supposed to read them on your phone lol. But it is easy to convert them.
samizdis 2 hours ago [-]
Going back a decade or so, I bought a Yotaphone 2, which had a full-sized e-ink display on the rear. Fantastic for any text reading/writing in bright sunlight (I was based in Sydney at the time). Yotaphone is now dead, but I really don't understand why the idea hasn't been taken up by other makers.
> but I really don't understand why the idea hasn't been taken up by other makers.
Same, but now that it quickly looks like smartphone-sized e-ink readers are the 2026 hardware trend, I can see them making a comeback now. Or as an "outside" screen on foldable phones.
wahnfrieden 1 hours ago [-]
The X3 seems nicest as it’s smallest and a good deal lighter.
nakedrobot2 43 minutes ago [-]
but no usb-c port? Nooooooooooo!
NOBODY asked for a proprietary pogo pin usb cable. shame on you!!!!
justnoice 2 hours ago [-]
The CEO of this brand once portrayed himself as a first-time entrepreneur, launching a small batch of products at extremely low prices, then raising prices and quickly rolling out new models. But earlier this year, one of his competitors publicly presented a series of allegations that were subsequently substantiated, including that he had actually been involved in multiple previous ventures with a highly questionable track record, and that some of the products' key specifications had been seriously misrepresented.
The company later apologized for the inaccurate specifications, claiming that the misinformation was unintentional. However, it offered neither a recall nor any meaningful compensation to affected customers. Soon afterward, the brand launched yet another new product, only for customers to discover after receiving it that the promotional images were also misleading.
At the end of the day, this brand's business model seems to be little more than assembling cheap off-the-shelf components and using aggressive social media marketing to convince people that they need its products.
embedding-shape 53 minutes ago [-]
Care to link these allegations and substantiated proof/evidence? Not that I don't believe you, but would be nice to read the original source of this, even if it happens to be in another language than English.
justnoice 15 minutes ago [-]
You need to search for "阅星瞳" on RedNote, which is their official Chinese name, and look at the official statement they posted on April 25 this year. In that statement, they had listed the device's RAM as 128 MB, while the actual usable RAM was only around 400 KB.
You can also find plenty of other discussions about the CEO himself and the company's products by searching on RedNote. In fact, RedNote users make up a major part of the brand's customer base in China.
embedding-shape 3 minutes ago [-]
Is it fair to say that your previous comment was based mostly on various individual comments made by individuals on RedNote, rather than some published article from journalists, or investigation, or similar?
shinycode 1 hours ago [-]
X4 pro launched in July and I could buy it for 89€ now it costs 119€.
And I bought the x3 in June for 50€ now it’s 89€.
So yeah that’s the strategy
hasperdi 1 hours ago [-]
I suggest buying M5Stack PaperMono instead. It's an esp32 board with an eink screen and a battery. I bet someone will make an open source firmware for it
embedding-shape 54 minutes ago [-]
> M5Stack PaperMono
Is that actually a product intended for consumers though? Looks more like a development board than a product for "normies", like the Xteink stuff.
JustFinishedBSG 37 minutes ago [-]
They still run the same thirdparty firmware. Seeed Studio has the reTerminal Sticky too.
M5 device are cool but they do have that, as ugly as it is useful, functional diagram printed on the back...
phoronixrly 51 minutes ago [-]
> including that he had actually been involved in multiple previous ventures with a highly questionable track record
Considering Kindle's Bezos who's had a pristine track record?
jacknews 2 hours ago [-]
So who is the original manufacturer of these readers?
boxed 2 hours ago [-]
Ok... but.. are there other companies with comparable consumer level products? If so, can you name some?
ZeroGravitas 1 hours ago [-]
The crosspoint software lists a few different manufacturers devices:
I wish they have a magsafe case with 1-2 card holder slots, then it would just be a perfect wallet replacement.
They have added backlight, but still left charging/connecting to proprietary magnetic adapter.
Yeah, the connector they've made is absolutely bananas, wonder what they were thinking? Was there a 3rd-party docking ecosystem they were expecting to be spawned by this, or something? The magnetic connector by itself makes no sense, unless I severely misunderstand how it's supposed to be used in practice.
They're supposedly not proprietary but a standard size that's easily replaced.
I don’t want to looking where to order it when it’s lost or broken.
Can you explain to me why one of these is better for this please?
Also e-readers have way less distractions than a phone.
Also notifications etc
The font rendering in the official firmware isn't that great though, especially compared to even a old phone screen. I had much better text rendering with 3rd party firmware.
1. yes, it is small and wonderful to one-handed read with, but _everyone_ around you notices you have a unique, small ereader in your palm. granted, maybe just reflects my self-consciousness. but until these are more ubiquitous, you'll be getting looks on the train/plane.
2. the whole "stick it on the back of your phone" idea is super silly and a bit of a gimmick at least:
2a. I don't want to make my expensive phone larger by volume and weight
2b. I do struggle to not fool around with my phone, and simply using "the back of the phone" is about the equivalent of being given a cigarette upside down as if that will stop me from smoking it.
3. after 14 years of Kindles, it's obvious how much better the eink tech is in premium devices (not a game changer at all, at most a nitpick)
yeah it's a super great device. I got it when prices were a bit lower a few months ago and it was a no-brainer. if you're really into reading and being thrifty/resourceful to get your ebooks, I'd check it out.
I’ve seen the Xteink devices mentioned here and am intrigued, but the screenshots turn me off instantly. The font rendering or hyphenation or kerning (not sure exactly what) looked terrible.
Fortunately, since these run open source software, this will likely eventually be fixed. The Kindles weren’t great at the start either, so I have a lot of hope for future versions of the Xteink devices.
This is a new complaint I haven't heard, might I ask where in the world this is? I use my X4 Pro out in cafes, beaches and general public in Spain, and I don't think a single person have glanced in my direction because of it. But I also see plenty of other people with their e-readers too, some larger and some smaller, but no one is giving them any looks or side-eyes, it's relatively common here at least.
to be clear, these are not "side eyes" in a negative sense. it's more just peoples' curiosity, which can be a bit uncomfortable if you notice that type of thing while you're trying to read.
I think speaks to the fact that we all expect some normalization around iphones/pixels/kindles/switches in terms of the "expected" devices people might have in-hand.
E: also waiting for this formfactor to get optimaxxed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL05zoHBGwA
Little eink dogtag that flips through one sentence at time.
I wanted it mostly due to this: https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader
Has anyone tried it out?
[1] I read more with a 7" than a 6" and even more with an 8".
Carrying my regular 6" ereader around feels like I'm taking something with me, it feels like extra weight. I have to either carry it in my hand which is inconvenient or take a rucksack with me when I go for a walk. X3 is so small that it doesn't feel like I'm carrying anything, but it's always there. So when I go for a long walk and decide to take a short break I take it out and read for 10-20min. Same on my commute, I replaced reading the news on my phone with reading for 25-30min on the train.
First think I did was flash Crosspoint on it, because it's lightweight and preserves the battery much like original OS. Battery feels great, I love that it's not touchscreen. Buttons take getting used to, but overall I'm impressed!
I guess West Coast shipping from China is much cheaper
I would suspect the majority comes from higher (VAT) tax level; possibly also some indirect overhead because Europe is a more segmented market, and needs a bunch of localization at the very least.
GP says its $105 in the EU. I do not think VAT is high enough to explain that anywhere in the EU?
It's not? Maybe there is some dynamic pricing going on, but it's 79 Euro (~91.75 USD). Which would be close to the US price with Hungary's VAT (27%, which is I think the highest). Then add stuff like copying levy onto it and you'll land on roughly the same price. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_copying_levy
Maybe they compared the model with the base to the one without? The one with base is more expensive in the US too though.
I have no current need for one as I am happy with my cheap second hand Kobo but it's great that they exist, especially with the open source alternative firmware. Hopefully they don't clamp down on that in future.
I've been having mine in a beach bag I'm not too careful with, for about two months, which goes out with me when I swim in the sea, without using the included screen protector, and still no scratches or cracks in mine.
And it's pretty hackable, with an open firmware, bunch of community involvement in developing third party alternatives for the default software.
I have even vibecoded random software to run on it.
Neat little esp32 eReader with the standard bs around the company.
I think it's a great name. To me it reads like "extend e-ink", crazy how perception can be so different.
- There's KOReader sync in Crosspoint
But the biggest issue with Kindle is the vendor lock-in and the books don't even belong to you. There were many cases of Amazon deleting books with no refunds. That's why I am not getting any Kindle ever again.
Review (overly lengthy) from 2014: https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/technology/phones/yotaphone-...
Same, but now that it quickly looks like smartphone-sized e-ink readers are the 2026 hardware trend, I can see them making a comeback now. Or as an "outside" screen on foldable phones.
NOBODY asked for a proprietary pogo pin usb cable. shame on you!!!!
You can also find plenty of other discussions about the CEO himself and the company's products by searching on RedNote. In fact, RedNote users make up a major part of the brand's customer base in China.
So yeah that’s the strategy
Is that actually a product intended for consumers though? Looks more like a development board than a product for "normies", like the Xteink stuff.
M5 device are cool but they do have that, as ugly as it is useful, functional diagram printed on the back...
Considering Kindle's Bezos who's had a pristine track record?
https://crosspointreader.com/devices