It’s no secret that Xteink is planning on releasing a new ereader next week. There have been a number of leaks online, and Xteink even has a placeholder page up on their website for the new X4 Pro.
The Xteink X4 Pro is what a lot of people have been waiting for, with the addition of a frontlight and a touchscreen. It has a 4.3″ E Ink screen like the original X4, but the overall size is a little smaller, and it does away with the buttons below the screen (it still has buttons on the sides, though).
The X4 Pro also ditches the USB-C port in favor of a pogo connector like the smaller X3 has, so it’ll require that special cable for charging and transferring files via USB, which isn’t great but that’s the direction they’re going now so they can make Xteink ereaders thinner.
According to one of the leaked images, Xteink is also going to be releasing a new version of the X4 called the X4 Gen 2. Apparently it’s mostly the same as the original, but it’s thinner and a few grams lighter, and it has a larger battery. However, I’m suspicious of that photo because the images aren’t accurate (the buttons are wrong) so we’ll have to wait until next week to confirm the details on it.
The X4 Pro is expected to get released on July 21st so we’ll know all the details then. It’s listed at $99 on Xteink’s website so it looks like the frontlight and touchscreen are going to add about $30 to the price compared to the original X4. It’ll be interesting to see if Xteink has a pre-order period or if the X4 Pro will be ready to ship next week when they officially announce it.
A lot of people wanted a frontlight on the X4, and they’re going to be getting a touchscreen along with it whether they want it or not. Personally, I’m just glad to see they’re going to keep the basic X4 around with a new Gen 2 model (if the leak is accurate). I was afraid they’d discontinue the X4 with the Pro model taking its place. I really prefer the X4 without a touchscreen or a frontlight since I have other ereaders for that. Either way, next week should be interesting with the new X4 Pro getting released.
You lost me at “ditches the USB-C port.”
I stopped at “4.3 inch”. I’d rather use my phone than try to read something that small.
There is a massive difference between reading on a phone screen and on an e-ink screen. The former strains my eyes so much that my eyes get tired or I get a headache; the latter is like reading on paper.
I also stopped at 4.3″ screen. I have a strong prescription lens. I like a large font on my ebooks. On a 4.3″ screen, I’ll be lucky to get 4 sentences on screen.
I thought similarly and yet I’m quite comfortable with the standard font size on the X4 but not on my Scribe or Note3. Somehow the larger screens look much better to with larger font sizes and the smaller screen looks better with a comparatively much smaller font size!
Phone is too heavy for reading for a long period of time.
I’m happy with my X4 the way it is! That, and my jailbroken Oasis are all I need!
Hard pass on the Pro. Pretty much the entire community on Reddit will agree that it’s exactly what most people don’t want, especially because of the touch screen and lack of USB-C.
I’m buying X4 both for me and my partner right now as I don’t want the v2 without USB-C. That would be completely useless to us, as we only have USB-C on everything at home.
You couldn’t be more wrong, as is Reddit. The people on the XTEINK subreddits are not your average users. Also people over there seem to think touchscreen equals no physical buttons, but they are still there. Honestly you get only benefits here, and I expect this to be a great success with the general audience. The only true downside is no USB-C.
General public doesn’t even know something like Xteink exists. The popularity comes from nerds who use it with Crossover, so the Reddit community is a pretty accurate representation of average users.
I know the buttons are there, just not as convenient, only on the side of the device. I absolutely don’t agree about the benefits. I have multiple different e-readers at home (currently 11) and had many more over the years. Any layer on top of the e-ink makes it less sharp and more blurry. I want the best possible clarity otherwise the screens drain my eyes. The lack of touch screen and frontlight is a huge plus for me. The Pro is a downgrade in every way.
I love my X3. Hoping they do a pro version of that too. Just need a back light. No USBC is no big deal. Picked up an adapter for USBC to the pogo for $8 on Amazon. Less dirt or water to get into the device not having USBC.