E-ink screens are turning up everywhere, from custom computers to smartphones. It was just a matter of time before Xteink’s X4 Pro turned up. This little gadget, as the numbering suggests, isn’t the first of its type. It is, however, awfully cool.
The X4 Pro is a very small e-reader with a magnetic back. Compact enough to stick to the rear of a smartphone, it’s one way to keep yourself from staring at the screen that makes you depressed all the time. It’s much healthier to stare at a screen that mimics a paper book.
Reading with the X4 Pro
The dinky little reader is actually pretty impressive. It’s controlled mostly via an app, while the magnetic back lets it stick to anything made out of metal. A smartphone is the chosen example, but you could stick it to a fridge, a handlebar mount, or any other flat metal surface. Maybe leave it off the toaster. Renowned author Dan Brown‘s tomes aren’t that enthralling. The X4 Pro would probably melt.
The device’s 4.3in screen makes a decent case for keeping your books handy wherever you go. The X4 Pro operates via swipes or physical buttons, so it’ll handle itself when stuck to another bit of tech. It measures 5.95mm thick, so it’ll bulk up a phone, but it’s also got 16GB of microSD storage. If you’re voracious, it’ll accept up to 256GB microSD cards.
2.4GHz WiFi and Bluetooth handle connectivity. About the only drawback? It uses a magnetic connector for charging. Book transfers are handled via the app, as well as over USB. Xteink’s images don’t show any USB ports visible on the X4 Pro — perhaps the magnetic jumper cable is involved? Supported reading formats are limited to just ePub and TXT, but it’ll also detect JPG and BMP images. Finally, the reader also features a light, so nighttime reading is on the menu. Hey, it’s better than doomscrolling.
The tricky bit is buying one. They’re currently listed on the company’s website for R1,650 ($100), but South Africa isn’t one of the shipping locations. You’ve got some time to find out how to get it here, though. Shipments will only resume in early August, thanks to “overwhelming demand”.
