With the recent release of the Xteink X4 Classic, there was a lot of blowback about Xteink’s decision to switch to a pogo connector instead of using a standard USB-C port like the original X4 had.
Xteink had already transitioned to using pogo pins on their smaller Xteink X3 and the new X4 Pro, and that was a major sticking point for some people too, and now that Xteink currently offers zero models with USB-C ports, the anti-pogo complaints starting becoming too loud to ignore.
It got to a point where the founder of Xteink posted a response on reddit explaining their decision to move away from USB ports to make their ereaders thinner and lighter. That was met with more outrage over the subject, both from people wanting Xteink to bring back USB-C ports and from other people tired of hearing complaints about USB ports.
After all the drama, it looks like Xteink has decided to listen to their customers and bring back USB-C ports, at least to some extent. It sounds like they plan to offer both options in the future, but they don’t go into any details about it.
Here’s a quote from the official update over the pogo vs USB-C battle:
Thanks again to everyone who joined the discussion around Pogo and USB-C. I’ve spent a lot of time reading through the comments and bringing the feedback back to our team.
One thing became pretty clear: some of you really value having the thinnest and lightest device possible, while others would rather accept a little more thickness for USB-C and a more convenient everyday experience.
We don’t think everyone should have to make the same trade-off.
So we’ve decided to work in both directions.
We’ll keep exploring thinner and lighter eReaders, while also working toward bringing USB-C back as an option in future products.
That work has already started.
Thanks for being so direct with us. Please keep the feedback coming.
It’ll be interesting to see how all this pans out. Are they going to release an X4 Pro with a USB-C port now? What about the X3? Is it only going to apply to future products, or are they going to release an X4 V2 USB-C variant now? How long will it take to redesign and produce USB models now that all their current models use thinner designs and pogo connectors? It sounds like a pretty big change on Xteink’s behalf, but it’s good to see they’re actually listening to what people want.
They’re acting like many people actually care about making the device as thin and light as possible, even though the majority of redditors don’t care at all.
Most commenters say the USB-C version was already thin enough. In fact, there isn’t a single comment that says they need POGO and even more thinning. Xteink is lying, and they’re only pushing this mantra because by thinning they save a lot on manufacturing costs by producing the same number of units.
I don’t really care about the pogo pins/usb c for myself. I can see how it would be a major turn off for a lot of people though. I did have to buy extra adapters, which I wasn’t too keen on. I’m glad they’re at least listening.
Xteink has a small user base, and they can’t afford yet to ignore people like Amazon does.
Or Kobo. This made me think about how people have been asking for a Libra BW for 2.5 years and Kobo refuses to listen. It seems like very few companies actually care about what their customers what anymore.
As a rule, for many years now, I will not buy anything that does not use USB-C, with the sole exclusion being sports watches with magnetic charging and stands for charging (some other waterproof stuff may qualify, but I don’t use anything else). That way the watch has their home, and everything else can be charged with the same cord–no fuss.
I’ve been using electronics since the 90’s, so I am well aware of the need for a universal connector. I can’t justify funding a company that has strayed from that practice after it’s value has become so blatantly clear over the last decade. Having POGO as an option is fine, some extreme work phones definitely have that option. But not having USB-C as the default is just silly.
Personally, I have found pogo pins to have long-term reliability issues on smartwatches. I don’t know that the same is true of e-readers that aren’t exposed to the disgusting secretions of human flesh for hours every day, but… I don’t trust them?
Also, I think devices are far too thin already. I want something with some meat that I can really wrap my fingers around. Thick like an original GameBoy. Yeah, the one with the green screen, that’s the stuff. I don’t wanna pinch it delicately like a pretty flower, I wanna get a nice good grab.
…
That whole paragraph sounds salacious and I SWEAR I’m not trying to do it.
I almost bought the X4 (with the usb-c) but then it sold out on Amazon. I guess I’ll be waiting for them to bring back USB-C in the future. I just don’t want to have to buy extra cables, etc. Do I need this e-reader? Well, no. BUT…. it’s kind of cute. 😉
You wouldn’t necessarily have to buy an extra cable since the X4 Pro and X4 Classic come with a pogo to USB-C adapter, but some people don’t like having to use an adapter either, I guess.