Teeny-tiny xteink X4 Reader gets an 'upgrade': Light and Touch Screen Added - Page 4

Quoth · 07-30-2026, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John F

Think outside the box?

https://www.amazon.com/Enhanced-1000.../dp/B0CLNTWK46

A stupid product adding weight and bulk compared to plugging in a cable.

It's not an example of thinking outside the box.

DNSB · 07-30-2026, 03:03 PM

Given the number of complaints from MobileRead users about weight, suggesting adding a battery pack that would markedly increase the weight is not likely to be popular. Oddly, the unit being sold on Amazon claims a weight of 90.7 grams while the average weight for a 10,000mAH lithium ion battery in the samples I checked on Amazon.ca varied from 150-200 grams. One example is https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GDTPFQ3P weighing in at 171 grams. Add the case, etc. and it's likely to weigh more than my Libra Colour.

To make it more fun, I checked the specs on 4 10,000mAH power banks with wireless charging. The lightest clocked it at 200 grams, the heaviest at 249 grams.

Personally, I feel for Kobo's ereaders, a power bank and cable would be a cheaper solution. One friend of mine did add a wireless charging receiver to his Clara BW (GOWENIC, about 15 grams) but then he needed the sender and a wall wart to power the sender though it also worked with an Anker power bank's wireless charging. The same one that my iPhone shows slow charging when I tried using it.

John F · 07-30-2026, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

A stupid product adding weight and bulk compared to plugging in a cable.

It's not an example of thinking outside the box.

Vs a dangling cable adding weight, getting all twisted, having to carry the cable and a wallwart, or a cable and powerpack.

No thank you.

John F · 07-30-2026, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

Given the number of complaints from MobileRead users about weight, suggesting adding a battery pack that would markedly increase the weight is not likely to be popular. ...

Vs all the posts about adding weight to a reader isn't a big deal.

Uncle Robin · 07-30-2026, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

To make it more fun, I checked the specs on 4 10,000mAH power banks with wireless charging. The lightest clocked it at 200 grams, the heaviest at 249 grams.

Personally, I feel for Kobo's ereaders, a power bank and cable would be a cheaper solution.

This. The 10,000mAH I regularly use with my Sage is 207 grams and is very convenient to have connected while reading if needed

John F · 07-31-2026, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

How do you use a gadget while charging if it doesn't use a plug in cable?

...

Quote:

Originally Posted by John F

Think outside the box?

https://www.amazon.com/Enhanced-1000.../dp/B0CLNTWK46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

A stupid product adding weight and bulk compared to plugging in a cable.

It's not an example of thinking outside the box.

And you are moving the goal posts.

Either stick to your universal statement, or add some "I"s to your posts.

DNSB · 07-31-2026, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John F

And you are moving the goal posts.

Either stick to your universal statement, or add some "I"s to your posts.

Did you ever actually add a wireless charging receiver to your ereader and then figure out how to mount the wireless charger so that you could hold the ereader without having the wireless charger move out of position every few seconds? Did you personally find that doubling of the weight of the ereader did not make it harder to hand hold.

I've been there and done that. As a proof of concept, it worked. As something usable while holding the reader in your hand, totally useless. Having a power bank with a USB cable was just as portable and did not require the reader to hold the weight of the ereader, wireless receiver and wireless transmitter/power bank while reading. The USB cable does add some weight but since the USB-C to USB-C 1.5 metre cable I use with my power bank weighs 26 grams but a lot of that weight is carried by whatever surface I place the power bank on, to me, it's not a big deal.

Considering that the Kobo Forma without a case weighs 197 grams and the Kobo Sage without a case weighs 241 grams. Yet that 44 grams seems to be very noticeable to many. Now you are suggesting doubling the weight and using a more wasteful charging system (wired charging averages 90-95% efficiency while wireless charging runs about 60-80%, vampire energy usage (power consumed by the charger with no device connected) is even more favourable to a wired charger) as if that was a good idea.

There are pretty good reasons why Amazon's wireless charger for the Kindle Paperwhite SE/Kindle Colorsoft SE is also a reading stand.

Quoth · 08-01-2026, 03:32 AM

I've 4 power banks (don't ask) and never found the need to use them with an ereader or phone. I guess I've never gone camping since getting them. I recently got a couple of USB to 9V/12V adaptors and now use them for a a couple of gadgets with no built-in batteries where the weight doesn’t matter. In the past I'd have fitted a load of NiMH cells, but I have the unused power banks bought for phone/ereader.

It's easy to add wireless charging to many things, but a gimmick.

John F · 08-01-2026, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

...

Cool story bro, tell me some more.

Think outside the box. Use the tool that works best for you.

Personally, I use a cable for charging my ereader, which I haven't had to do yet "on the go". I use a wirelesss charger for my phone, and I don't have to charge it "on the go".

If I had to charge my phone a lot on the go, I would most likely get some sort of wireless charger: either a case or magnetical attachment.

Almamida · 08-04-2026, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

How do you use a gadget while charging if it doesn't use a plug in cable?

Even a pin dock like a DECT phone, PMR446 or old pop-port phone has that issue, but those are far more efficient. Inductive charging (such as Qi) is gimmick. Less portable too as the inductive mat +cable + PSU takes more space in your bag than cable + PSU.

Sad article more like PR https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qi_(standard)

Qi2 and Magsafe allow for using the gadget while charging.

https://woodcessories.com/cdn/shop/a...p?v=1732278245

Now, it wouldn't be a solution that fits the low entry price these devices are aiming for and there are risks of heating if not implemented well.

Also, the battery is so small that it is charged really fast as is.

I would have rather had them to stick to USB-C even at the cost of a few millimetres of added thickness.

Yet, the POGO 4 pins they chose is a standard one, easily purchasable. I don't like this solution as I can lose the adapter but I bought a couple of extra ones and will add one to my keychain.

andyh2000 · 08-15-2026, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Almamida

...
Yet, the POGO 4 pins they chose is a standard one, easily purchasable. I don't like this solution as I can lose the adapter but I bought a couple of extra ones and will add one to my keychain.

Can you tell me what to search for to get spares? Or did you get them from XTEink themselves?

ddavtian · 08-18-2026, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andyh2000

Can you tell me what to search for to get spares? Or did you get them from XTEink themselves?

"Pogo adapter USB C"

andyh2000 · 08-18-2026, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddavtian

"Pogo adapter USB C"

That's brilliant. Thanks very much for that - my weird smartwatch uses the same pogo pin layout so it'll be useful for that too.

PS Some in the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G2L3H77X

Quoth · Yesterday, 10:01 AM

In case anyone is curious, the pads on the side of the Sage for a power cover are not USB, though two are for power.

MSWallack · Yesterday, 10:24 AM

So I received my XTEink 4 Pro yesterday and thought I'd offer my very quick initial thoughts. First, I was worried that the screen would be too small to read on or that the font would not be clear enough. I don't think either of those concerns actually manifest. Obviously, the screen is much smaller than my Sage but I can read on it (and I've obviously got a different use case in mind). The font isn't as clear as I'd like, but it's not awful by any means (and I'm going to explore the option to sideload other fonts). I did have some difficulty getting content onto the device; some of the steps that should be intuitive weren't, but some of that may have been because I was trying to connect via a hotspot on my phone and move content to the device via the app on my phone. The two don't feel particularly well integrated.

I think my biggest disappointment, though, is that the way the device renders text puts a space between opening quotation marks and the following letter which makes dialogue pretty clunky to read. Further, the device won't indent the first line of a paragraph or add an extra space between paragraphs (though you can adjust line spacing) thus making reading somewhat more cumbersome.

Note that all of the foregoing is after a very minimal amount of time playing with the device. I may have more to report after spending more time with it, but that may not happen for a while due to real life.

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07-30-2026, 03:03 PM	#47
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 53,899 Karma: 182150167 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Given the number of complaints from MobileRead users about weight, suggesting adding a battery pack that would markedly increase the weight is not likely to be popular. Oddly, the unit being sold on Amazon claims a weight of 90.7 grams while the average weight for a 10,000mAH lithium ion battery in the samples I checked on Amazon.ca varied from 150-200 grams. One example is https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GDTPFQ3P weighing in at 171 grams. Add the case, etc. and it's likely to weigh more than my Libra Colour. To make it more fun, I checked the specs on 4 10,000mAH power banks with wireless charging. The lightest clocked it at 200 grams, the heaviest at 249 grams. Personally, I feel for Kobo's ereaders, a power bank and cable would be a cheaper solution. One friend of mine did add a wireless charging receiver to his Clara BW (GOWENIC, about 15 grams) but then he needed the sender and a wall wart to power the sender though it also worked with an Anker power bank's wireless charging. The same one that my iPhone shows slow charging when I tried using it.

08-01-2026, 03:32 AM	#53
Quoth Still reading Posts: 15,633 Karma: 114630515 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	I've 4 power banks (don't ask) and never found the need to use them with an ereader or phone. I guess I've never gone camping since getting them. I recently got a couple of USB to 9V/12V adaptors and now use them for a a couple of gadgets with no built-in batteries where the weight doesn’t matter. In the past I'd have fitted a load of NiMH cells, but I have the unused power banks bought for phone/ereader. It's easy to add wireless charging to many things, but a gimmick.

Yesterday, 10:01 AM	#59
Quoth Still reading Posts: 15,633 Karma: 114630515 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	In case anyone is curious, the pads on the side of the Sage for a power cover are not USB, though two are for power.

Yesterday, 10:24 AM	#60
MSWallack Right, Except When Wrong Posts: 368 Karma: 4326939 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Indianapolis Device: Kindle Oasis 3 (sometimes iPad Mini).	So I received my XTEink 4 Pro yesterday and thought I'd offer my very quick initial thoughts. First, I was worried that the screen would be too small to read on or that the font would not be clear enough. I don't think either of those concerns actually manifest. Obviously, the screen is much smaller than my Sage but I can read on it (and I've obviously got a different use case in mind). The font isn't as clear as I'd like, but it's not awful by any means (and I'm going to explore the option to sideload other fonts). I did have some difficulty getting content onto the device; some of the steps that should be intuitive weren't, but some of that may have been because I was trying to connect via a hotspot on my phone and move content to the device via the app on my phone. The two don't feel particularly well integrated. I think my biggest disappointment, though, is that the way the device renders text puts a space between opening quotation marks and the following letter which makes dialogue pretty clunky to read. Further, the device won't indent the first line of a paragraph or add an extra space between paragraphs (though you can adjust line spacing) thus making reading somewhat more cumbersome. Note that all of the foregoing is after a very minimal amount of time playing with the device. I may have more to report after spending more time with it, but that may not happen for a while due to real life.