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I have spent years though Promotion for Books Palma 2A phone-sized Chinese e-reader with an open Android operating system, my allegiance has changed in recent months. Now I’m obsessed with the small, slightly dim, minimalist devices put out by another Chinese tech company, Xteink. And I’m far from the only one – the Xteink subreddit is a busy place.
This $69 Xteink X4 There’s a 4.3-inch screen and native software that’s so bad, it’s not worth recommending until fans of the device get together. Their own crowdsource option. $79 X3 (which is currently only available in the US Directly from Xteink) is largely the same device, but even smaller—About credit card size. Either is a great choice for portability, but it comes with a number 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 fine.
But Xteink’s next device is on the horizon—it’s called the S4, and it looks like it can do just about everything I could ever ask of a micro-sized e-reader.
What are the specs of Xteink S4?
While we don’t have all the details yet, Xteink released a pre-order announcement for the S4 Some key signs this week include:
What’s currently unknown: the exact processor, how much storage it will likely have (chatter suggests SD card support has been dropped), and whether it will be able to access the Google Play Store. However—and again, I’m working mostly off of hearsay 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 collection as well as sideload your own DRM-free files.
What will the Xteink S4 cost in the US?
Xteink has yet to announce its plans to release the S4 outside of China, which means we don’t yet know when it will be available in the US — or what it will cost. However, we do have some clues: The pre-order announcement in China includes promotional prices: RMB299 (about $43) for customers who previously bought the X3 or X4, and RMB339 ($50) for those with “Cloud Shareholder” status, whatever that means—it’s an exclusive benefit for Chinese buyers. Rumors on Reddit suggest Regular price “in RMB400s,” That would be close to $60.
But it is speculation as to what the price of the devices will be in China. What does that tell us about US prices? Well, we’re certainly not getting the S4 anywhere near $43—as noted, on Amazon, the comparatively bare-bones X4 costs around $70, and it’s hard to imagine a device that adds Android, a front light, and a touch screen. At the same time, it can’t be too expensive or it can butt against the price of the entry-level Kindle ($109), which has a larger screen, is part of the trusted Amazon ecosystem, and offers an undeniably out-of-the-box user experience.
What do you think so far?
If we compare the current Chinese prices of existing Xteink devices, we can get an idea of the increase we are seeing. The Chinese price of the X4 is RMB295. It’s about $43, though The X4 costs $69 on AmazonAn increase of 60%. The X3 is RMB319, or about $46; That device sells for $79 from Xteink’s US store, a 72% premium. Assuming mutual price increases, that means that if the regular Chinese price for the S4 is RMB400, the US price could be between $96 and $103. If I had to bet, I’d guess the S4 will cost $89—still comfortably below the Kindle’s $109 starting price. But of course, it’s still speculation until Xteink officially announces a US release.
When will Xteink S4 be available?
While it’s currently unclear when the S4 will actually be available, either in China or the US, all we know is that Chinese pre-orders will open 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 US (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 true, the S4 will be a pocket-sized Android reader that can access reading apps and that offers all the most sought-after e-reader features — namely, both a touch screen and physical buttons for navigation, and a temperature-adjustable front light. If it can do all this for less than $100, it will instantly replace the Boox Palma 2 as my recommendation for anyone who wants a small e-reader that isn’t tied to a specific shopping ecosystem—and the Palma 2 costs close to $250 in the US (it’s currently unavailable, meaning you need to spend $40. Books 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 their books from Amazon. And judging by how many times I’ve been stopped in public and asked questions about my Xteink X3, it might be more people than you think.
