The Xteink X4 E-Ink Reader

The Xteink X4 is being sold as a tiny e-reader you can slap onto the back of your phone, but the comment section has already declared that the real romance is with its pocket-sized chaos, not the magnet trick. The original write-up praises the sharp screen, feather-light build, and surprisingly lively custom software scene around this £40 gadget. But readers quickly turned the story into a group therapy session about what this thing actually is: a cute reading sidekick, a hacker toy, or a tiny object destined to vanish into your laundry. One commenter confessed they loved the older X3 so much they “almost washed it a couple times,” which is somehow both a glowing review and a warning label.

The strongest opinions? People seem split between “this is brilliantly tiny” and “the phone-mount gimmick is overhyped.” One buyer said the X4 was too big to fit the MagSafe dream, then immediately revealed the most relatable plot twist possible: they liked it enough to buy another model anyway. That’s the vibe here — lots of mild complaints, followed by accidental devotion. Others are going full tinkerer mode, raving that custom firmware like CrossInk makes the device “a dream,” while another dropped the wonderfully nerdy bombshell that the chip inside is “just an ESP32,” basically catnip for modders. And then there’s the luxury-counterattack crowd recommending pricier rivals like the Boox Note for “doomscrolling” and even coding on e-ink. In other words: the X4 didn’t just launch a gadget, it launched a tiny-reader identity crisis — and the comments are eating it up.