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Xteink’s small readers make more sense when you stop comparing them with a full-size Kindle. They are built around a different idea: a book-sized library is less useful if the device stays at home, while a tiny reader can live in a jacket pocket or a small bag.
That trade-off is the whole decision. The X3 pushes portability furthest. The X4 is the older model to consider only if you find a legitimate listing at a sensible price. The X4 Pro gives up a little of the X3’s minimalism for a larger screen, a front light, touch input, and physical page buttons. For most buyers, the Pro is the easier recommendation. The X3 is the more interesting one.
The Short Answer
- Choose the X3 if the smallest possible reader is the point. Its 3.7-inch display and roughly 58-gram body make it the model most likely to be carried every day.
- Consider the X4 only if it is actually available and clearly cheaper. It is an older listing, so stock, support, and the seller matter more than a paper comparison.
- Choose the X4 Pro if you read at night, want touch controls, or prefer a slightly larger 4.3-inch page. It is the best all-round option in the range.
Xteink X3: Portability Without Much Compromise in Your Pocket
The X3 has a 3.7-inch paper-like display and weighs about 58 grams. Those numbers are not impressive in the usual electronics sense. That is precisely why the product exists. It is closer to carrying a small notepad than adding another tablet to your bag.
A screen this small works best with reflowable text, where font size and line breaks can adapt to the display. Novels, essays, short stories, saved articles, and other mostly text-based books are the natural fit. A dense PDF designed for letter-size or A4 paper is not. You can open a supported file, but repeated zooming and panning quickly defeats the convenience of the device.
The X3 is therefore not the budget choice by default. It is the deliberate choice for someone who values carry size above screen space. If you often read for ten minutes on a train, in a waiting room, or during a lunch break, that can be a sensible priority. If most of your reading happens for an hour at home, a larger reader will usually be more comfortable.
Xteink X4: Check the Listing Before Comparing Specs
The X4 sits awkwardly in a current buying guide because it is the older model. Depending on when and where you look, the official listing may be sold out while leftover or second-hand units remain elsewhere.
That does not make every X4 a bad purchase. It changes what you should inspect. Confirm who is selling it, whether it is new or used, what accessories are included, whether returns are accepted, and whether the price is meaningfully below the current models. An older pocket reader at a good price can be useful. An older reader priced close to an X4 Pro is much harder to justify.
For that reason, this guide does not treat the X4 as the default middle option. It is an availability-dependent buy. Start with the X3 and X4 Pro, then use the X4 as a price comparison if a trustworthy unit turns up.
Xteink X4 Pro: The Safer Recommendation for Most Readers
The X4 Pro moves to a 4.3-inch display. That is still compact, but the extra space matters on a device this small: lines can hold more words, page turns are less frequent, and a comfortable font does not feel quite as cramped.
Its front light is the practical upgrade. E-paper-style displays are comfortable in daylight because they rely on reflected light, but an unlit screen needs a lamp after dark. A built-in front light makes the X4 Pro usable in bed, on an evening flight, or in a dim hotel room without carrying a clip-on light.
The Pro also combines a touchscreen with physical page buttons. Touch is useful for navigation and settings; buttons are useful when reading one-handed or wearing gloves. A 1,100mAh battery is listed for the model, although real battery life will vary with lighting, page turns, file size, wireless use, and firmware.
None of these additions turns it into a large e-reader. The X4 Pro remains a pocket device. It simply removes enough friction that it is easier to recommend to someone buying their first Xteink.
X3 vs X4 vs X4 Pro at a Glance
| Model | Best for | Main advantage | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| X3 | Maximum portability | 3.7-inch screen and roughly 58g body | No front light; very small page |
| X4 | Discount or used buyers | May be worthwhile at a clearly lower price | Older model; verify stock, seller, condition, and support |
| X4 Pro | Most first-time Xteink buyers | 4.3-inch screen, front light, touch, and page buttons | Slightly less minimal than the X3; still small for PDFs |
The comparison is less about which model has the longest feature list and more about where you will read. A front light is irrelevant if you only read outdoors at lunch. It is essential if most of your reading happens after the lights are low. Likewise, the X3’s size is valuable only if you actually carry it.
Your Book Files Matter More Than They Do on a Kindle
Xteink readers are aimed at people who bring their own books. Common document and e-book formats such as EPUB, MOBI, PDF, and TXT are part of the appeal, but format support should not be confused with a built-in bookstore. This is not a device for tapping a Kindle Store button and having every purchase appear automatically.
That can be a benefit if you already maintain a DRM-free library or buy books from stores that provide downloadable files. It can also be an inconvenience. Books protected by a store’s DRM may not transfer, even when the filename looks familiar. Before buying, check a few books you already own: their actual file format, whether they are DRM-free, and how Xteink’s current transfer workflow handles them.
Keep the original files backed up somewhere else. An e-reader should be a reading copy of your library, not the only place where the library exists.
Where a Pocket Reader Is the Wrong Tool
Small readers have real limits. Technical manuals, academic papers with two-column layouts, comics, magazines, textbooks, and scanned PDFs need more room. Even when the file opens, readable text may require constant zooming. A 7-inch or larger device is usually the better purchase for that material.
The same applies if you want a mature bookstore, audiobook integration, library borrowing built into the device, extensive note-taking, or a large accessories market. Mainstream e-readers are larger partly because they are built to cover more jobs. Xteink is narrower. Its strongest case is plain reading from your own files in places where a regular e-reader feels too bulky.
What to Check Before Ordering
- Confirm the model is in stock on the page you are buying from.
- Review the current screen, lighting, controls, battery, and storage specifications.
- Check whether your EPUB, MOBI, PDF, or TXT files are DRM-free and compatible.
- Read the current transfer instructions before assuming a particular app or cable workflow.
- Check the package contents; a case or cable may or may not be included.
- Review shipping time, warranty coverage, and the return policy for your country.
Which One Should You Buy?
Buy the X4 Pro if you want one straightforward answer. The larger 4.3-inch display, front light, touchscreen, and page buttons make it more adaptable without losing the pocket-reader idea.
Buy the X3 if carrying the reader everywhere matters more than reading comfort after dark. It is the model with the clearest personality: unusually small, unusually light, and best when used for reflowable text in short sessions.
Treat the X4 as an opportunistic purchase. If a reputable seller has one at a real discount, compare it carefully. Otherwise, choose between the X3’s extreme portability and the X4 Pro’s more complete reading setup. That is the decision that actually matters.
