This Little Device Might Be the Pocket E-Reader of My Dreams
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Though I've spent years evangelizing for the Boox Palma 2, a phone-sized Chinese e-reader with an open Android operating system, my allegiances have shifted in recent months. I'm now obsessed with the tiny, slightly janky, minimalist devices put out by Xteink, another Chinese tech company. And I'm far from the only one—the Xteink subreddit is a busy place.
The $69 Xteink X4 has a 4.3-inch screen and native software that's so bad, it wasn't really worth recommending until fans of the device cobbled together their own crowdsourced alternative. The $79 X3 (which is currently only available in the U.S. direct from Xteink) is largely the same device, but even smaller—about the size of a credit card. Either one is a great choice for portability, but they come with a lot of trade-offs, including only being able to load books without digital rights management software (DRM), which means your existing library of Kindle books is right out.
But the next device from Xteink is on the horizon—it's called the S4, and it looks like it might just do everything I could ever ask of a micro-sized e-reader.
What are the Xteink S4's specs?
While we don't have all the details yet, Xteink issued a preorder announcement for the S4 this week that included some major hints:
1400mAh battery
6.98mm thick
95g weight
Android 11 OS
2GB RAM
32GB storage
Adjustable front light
Physical buttons on the top and either side of the device
What's currently unknown: the specific processor, how much storage it will potentially have (chatter suggests the support for an SD card has been dropped), and whether it will be able to access the Google Play store. However—and again, I'm working largely off of rumors here—we can reasonably expect it to be able to load e-reading apps like Kobo and Kindle, meaning you'll be able to use it to access your existing e-book collections as well as sideload your own DRM-free files.
What will the Xteink S4 cost in the U.S.?
Xteink has yet to reveal its plan to release the S4 outside of China, which means we don't yet know when it will be available in the U.S.—or what it will cost. We do have some hints, however: The announcement of preorders in China included promotional pricing: RMB299 (around $43) for customers who had previously purchased an X3 or X4, and RMB339 ($50) for those with "Cloud shareholder" status, whatever that means—it's a perk exclusive to Chinese buyers. Rumors on Reddit suggest a regular price "in the RMB400s," which would be closer to $60.
But those are speculations as to what the devices will cost in China. What does that tell us about U.S. pricing? Well, we're definitely not getting the S4 for anywhere close to $43—as noted, on Amazon, the comparatively bare-bones X4 goes for around $70, and it's hard to imagine a device that adds Android, a front light, and a touch screen won't be pricier. At the same time, it can't get too expensive or it'll be butting up against the price of an entry-level Kindle ($109), which has a larger screen, is part of the trusted Amazon ecosystem, and undoubtedly offers a better out-of-the-box user experience.
If we compare the current Chinese prices of the existing Xteink devices, we can get a sense of the increase we might be looking at. The Chinese price for the X4 is RMB295. That's around $43, but the X4 costs $69 on Amazon, a 60% increase. The X3 is RMB319, or around $46; that device sells for $79 from Xteink's U.S. store, a 72% premium. Assuming reciprocal price increases, that means if the regular Chinese price for the S4 is RMB400, the U.S. price could be between $96 and $103. If I had to place a bet, I'd predict the S4 will cost $89—still comfortably below the Kindle's $109 starting price. But of course, that's still speculation until Xteink officially announces the U.S. release.
When will the Xteink S4 be available?
It's currently unclear when the S4 will actually be available, either in China or the U.S. All we know is that Chinese preorders open up next week, on April 27. Xteink has yet to announce when the device will actually ship to Chinese customers, let alone when it will be available in the U.S. (I've reached out to its PR department and will update this post when I learn more.)
Who is the Xteink S4 for?
Assuming the rumors are right, the S4 is going to be a pocket-sized Android reader that can access reading apps and which offers all the most in-demand e-reader features—namely, both a touch screen and physical buttons for navigation and a temperature-adjustable front light. If it can do all that for less than $100, it would instantly replace the Boox Palma 2 as my go-to recommendation for anyone who wants a smaller e-reader that isn't tied to one particular shopping ecosystem—and the Palma 2 costs closer to $250 in the U.S. (It's currently unavailable, meaning you'd need to spend $400 on the Boox Palma 2 Pro, which is much closer to a full-featured smartphone than an e-reader.)
In short, while imported e-readers will always be a niche product, the S4 could be a true game-changer for those who prioritize portability and don't want to buy all of their books from Amazon. And judging by how many times I've been stopped in public and asked questions about my Xteink X3, that could be more people than you'd think.