Xteink X4 Attaches Magnetically to iPhone With MagSafe-Compatible E Ink Display

The Xteink X4 is presented across multiple outlets as an ultracompact e-book reader that attaches magnetically to a smartphone, aiming to make reading feel “like reading a paper book” while keeping the device pocketable.

“The Chinese company Xteink has just launched its new e-book readers: the X4 and X3 models”

Ambito

iGeneration describes Xteink as a Chinese company that “s’est concentrée sur un créneau particulier : les toutes petites liseuses,” and says the X4 is “le premier à embarquer des aimants,” making it “une liseuse façon MagSafe compacte.”

Ambito

Topes de Gama similarly frames the X4 as “attached to the back of a smartphone,” emphasizing that the magnetic attachment works with standards such as “MagSafe or Qi2,” and that the device’s weight is “74 grams.”

Ambito adds that Xteink launched “X4 and X3” models, and describes the X4 as a compact e-reader designed to “snap onto the back of MagSafe-compatible phones, starting with the iPhone 17 Pro Max.”

The core hardware pitch is consistent: a small E Ink display, physical navigation buttons, and a design that avoids the need to charge a separate reading device.

iGeneration calls the X4 “un gadget très basique,” noting that “l’écran n’est pas tactile, pas rétroéclairé,” and that the connectivity and functions are kept “au minimum afin de se concentrer sur la lecture.”

Topes de Gama reinforces the E Ink angle by stating that the X4 uses “E Ink technology” and that it is “much easier on the eyes than regular screens.”

The X4’s technical profile is described in detail, with outlets repeatedly stressing minimalism and battery life.

iGeneration gives the physical dimensions as “114 × 69 mm” with a thickness of “5,9 mm,” and says the E Ink screen is “4,3 pouces à 220 ppi.”

Esquire

It also describes the controls as “deux gros boutons à l’avant” that are “en réalité au nombre de quatre,” with page turns handled by “un bouton pour tourner les pages” and a hidden reset button “pour réinitialiser le gadget.”

For storage, iGeneration says the box includes “une carte de 32 Go,” and adds that users can “y glisser la sienne allant jusqu’à 512 Go,” while also including “un adaptateur microSD vers USB-A.”

On the electronics side, iGeneration reports “128 Mo (!) de RAM” paired with an “processeur ESP32,” and limits connectivity to “Wi-Fi 2,4 GHz” and “Bluetooth,” while listing a “batterie” of “650 mAh.”

Topes de Gama provides a battery-life claim tied to usage, saying the 650 mAh battery “can provide up to 14 days of autonomy” with “1 to 3 hours of reading as recommended by the company.”

Ambito adds that the X4 is “powered by an ESP32 microcontroller with 128 MB of RAM,” that internal storage is via “a 32 GB microSD card, expandable to 512 GB,” and that the charging port is “USB-C.”

La Voz del Interior adds a weight figure of “79 grams” and repeats the battery capacity “650 mAh,” while stating the device promises “up to two weeks” with “two to three hours daily.”

Compatibility is presented as both a selling point and a constraint, with outlets describing how the X4’s magnetic attachment works and which phones it supports.

“Un vent de fraîcheur souffle sur le domaine des liseuses depuis quelque temps”

iGeneration

iGeneration says the X4 “n’est pas compatible avec tous les iPhone nativement,” and specifies that it “ne s’attache qu’à l’horizontale sur mon iPhone 15 Pro Max ou sur un 13 Pro,” adding that “c’est visiblement la même chose sur les 16 et 17 Pro Max.”

It attributes the limitation to “les aimants placés bizarrement dans la partie basse de la liseuse,” which “vous obligeront probablement à coller l'anneau inclus.”

Ambito describes the X4 as designed to “snap onto the back of MagSafe-compatible phones, starting with the iPhone 17 Pro Max,” and says “a pair of adhesive magnetic rings” lets it attach to phones without native MagSafe support.

Topes de Gama says the magnetic attachment works with “any phone that supports the current dominant standards, such as MagSafe or Qi2,” and instructs users to “simply bring it close to your phone or magnetic case.”

Format support is also spelled out: Topes de Gama says the device’s “weak point may be its limited format compatibility, since it doesn’t support formats beyond DRM-free EPUB and TXT.”

Ambito similarly states that the device “only supports DRM-free formats such as EPUB, TXT, BMP, and JPG.”

TechCrunch’s review of the Xteink X3 focuses less on formats and more on behavior change, but it reinforces the magnetic attachment concept by describing the X3 as “a tiny, MagSafe-compatible e-ink reader that could attach to my iPhone like a Pop Socket.”

Pricing and model lineup are described as part of the Xteink pitch, with the X4 positioned as an affordable entry and the X3 framed as a broader-compatibility option.

iGeneration sets the X4’s price at “69 $,” describing it as “un peu moins de 60 €,” and asks “À ce prix là, le produit vaut-il le coup ?”

TechCrunch

Topes de Gama repeats that “on the official page it can be found for $69,” and says it “currently corresponds to about €59,” while also stating that “at that price you can find it right now on AliExpress.”

Ambito provides a model comparison, saying the X4 is “available for $69” and that the X3 “will cost $79,” with the X3 intended to expand compatibility to “other iPhone models such as the 17, 17 Pro, and the Air version.”

La Voz del Interior similarly states that “The X4 model is marketed around $69” and that the X3 “is estimated at $79,” while TechCrunch’s piece centers on the X3 and calls it “a $80 gadget.”

Battery life claims are tied to autonomy: Topes de Gama says the X4 can provide “up to 14 days of autonomy,” and Ambito says it enables “up to two weeks of regular use,” while La Voz del Interior promises “up to two weeks” with “two to three hours daily.”

TechCrunch’s testing narrative describes how the magnetic attachment affects daily behavior, saying the X3 “helped me read more” by letting the user “just pull out the ereader instead of opening Instagram.”

Beyond specifications, outlets describe user experience and limitations, including how the device changes reading habits and how its software feels.

“It was love at first sight”

TechCrunch

Esquire’s author describes a month of testing “the 6.13-inch Boox Palma 2 and Boox Palma 2 Pro e-ink devices,” saying the devices have become “the go-to space for reading all the publications I subscribe to” and that the author reaches for them “before grabbing my tablet or my smartphone.”

Topes de Gama

Esquire also frames the broader context of habit and skepticism, writing that “E‑reader operating systems have historically left a lot to be desired” and that the author was “very skeptical,” but still found that after testing, they “continued to reach for one of them before my Kindle.”

TechCrunch’s review is more directly tied to Xteink, describing the X3 as “a tiny, MagSafe-compatible e-ink reader” and recounting two weeks of use where the author found that “the X3 helped me read more.”

TechCrunch also notes a practical friction point, saying “the firmware that the device comes with is pretty clunky – not unusable, but not exactly intuitive.”

iGeneration’s critique is different but similarly grounded in product behavior, stating that “la X4 n’est pas compatible avec tous les iPhone nativement” and that it is “un accessoire pas vraiment MagSafe,” because it “ne s’attache qu’à l’horizontale” on specific iPhone models.

Ambito adds that the X4 can display “QR codes, boarding passes, or calendars,” which expands the device’s role beyond books, while iGeneration emphasizes that the X4 is “un produit qui ne s’embarrasse pas du superflu.”

Together, the sources portray a device designed to reduce screen time and eye strain, but with constraints in attachment orientation, firmware usability, and format support.