The Xteink X4 running CrossPoint has quickly become my new favorite ereader (I’d been waiting for a small, pocketable, basic ebook reader for years and Xteink finally delivered), but I’m concerned that it might get discontinued soon.
Xteink is expected to release a new model later this month, the X4 Pro with a touchscreen and a frontlight, and I have a bad feeling that it’s going to push aside the original X4.
I haven’t seen any official word from Xteink about it, but the X4 has been out of stock on Amazon since their Prime Day sales ended, and the black version is also out of stock on the Xteink website. There’s a note saying it’s going to be back in stock on July 10th, but I wonder if they’re going to continue making it after the X4 Pro gets released, especially now with the smaller Xteink X3 potentially taking over the X4’s spot.
Personally, I have zero interest in an X4 Pro with a touchscreen and a frontlight. Both are guaranteed to make the screen look worse. I get that people want to read at night, but budget ereaders always have the worst frontlights, and it’s going to be way too easy to accidentally activate the touchscreen on such a small device. Every single other brand offers devices with touchscreens and frontlights—there are already plenty of options for that. Not having those is one of the main things that makes Xteink ereaders unique.
It’s been over a decade and a half and E Ink still has not perfected frontlight technology. Gradients, bright spots, and shadow cones are as prevalent today as they were when frontlight first came out. Even Amazon has problems getting frontlights to illuminate evenly on Kindles.
Don’t get me wrong, frontlights are great to have on E Ink devices, and if you don’t want to use it just keep it turned off, but the light layer still affects the clarity of the screen when it’s turned off. With the X4 and the smaller X3, it’s nice to finally have the option to buy an ereader without a frontlight for a change since 98% of them have frontlights these days (and 90% of those have imperfections).
Xteink is also planning on releasing an S4 model later this year that runs Android, and I think that’s a terrible idea. Android and E Ink have always been a poor combination. Onyx has been releasing Android-based ereaders for over a decade now, and they’re still rife with bugs and glitches, and ghosting is always way worse on Android devices (although Onyx’s BSR-equipped models are much better in that regard). Being able to run apps sounds great in theory, but the problem is 99.9% of apps aren’t designed for E Ink screens and they don’t display and refresh properly.
Based on Xteink’s crappy stock software, I really doubt their software developers are up to the task of getting Android to run smoothly on low end hardware. That’s a monumental task, and it’s simply not worth the end result.
It’s concerning to see the direction Xteink is going with their future devices, and I wonder how long they’re going to stick with the basic models that made them popular before they start chasing dollars by following what all the other ereader companies are doing (how long before they add stylus support too—ugh). They gained a following by offering basic and inexpensive ereaders that are open to installing alternate software. It would be wise to stick to that. Yeah, they should definitely add a model with a frontlight since a lot of people want that, but they should also keep the basic models without frontlights and touchscreens around and stop chasing the Android pipe dream—it’s a waste of time.
I share your concern. I bought an X4 about a month ago (mostly due to your reviews), and I’ve fallen in love with it BECAUSE of its simplicity. I’d hate to think that I could never order a replacement in case the one I have is damaged. I have NO interest in an X4 (or even X3) type with touchscreen and frontlight. That’s what my Kindle Oasis is for!