The Xteink X4 fits on the back of an iPhone Pro Max, but that’s all.
Late last year, a bunch of people, knowing that I love e-readers, asked me if I was going to try the Xteink X4, a $69 tiny, no-frills reader. Like, seriously tiny—so small that it comes with a stick-on magnet ring and will just snuggle into the MagSafe area on an iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The moment I saw that the Xteink X4 didn’t have any lighting, I decided I wasn’t going to bother—I spent way too much time clipping book lights to Kindles so I could read in the dark. But in a moment of weakness (possibly fueled by several Hazy IPAs and high altitude) over Thanksgiving, I bought one. It was $69! Why not take a chance on a weird little e-reader?
Third-party firmware makes the Xteink X4 usable.
When the Xteink X4 arrived, I got my answer: I was deeply unimpressed with the hardware, which has two rocker switches on the front as well as a rocker on the side and a power button and a recessed reset button. Look, I love e-reader buttons, but eight is too many. Of course, there was the aforementioned lack of lighting, meaning you need to use it outside or in a well-lit room. Also, the whole premise of this thing seems to have been that it sticks on the back of your iPhone, but that’s not true unless you have absolutely the largest iPhone available.
