The Xteink X4 Pro ships with its firmware fully unlocked, and the company has partnered with the CrossPoint Reader open-source project to deliver official support once devices reach customers. CrossPoint is a community-built firmware for ESP32-based E Ink readers that adds EPUB 2/3 rendering, dictionary lookups via StarDict, KOReader progress sync, and bookmarks. The project already runs on the older Xteink X3 and X4 models, as well as the M5Paper and Lilygo T5 boards, and community forks have extended it with FB2 and Markdown format support, flashcards, and even a virtual pet that grows as you hit reading milestones.
CrossPoint's v1.5.0 release added foundational support for the ESP32-S3 architecture ahead of the X4 Pro's launch, with a dedicated X4 Pro build planned as a follow-on once hardware reaches testers. Firmware flashing on existing Xteink models from Linux is handled through esptool.py over a standard USB serial connection, and users typically need to add their account to the dialout group before the device enumerates, as documented by the community.
The X4 Pro itself is a 72 g (2.5 oz) pocket reader built around a 4.3-inch touchscreen E Ink display at 219 PPI with a dual-tone front light, a significant step up from the non-touch, unlit X4. A GitHub comment points to an ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa microcontroller under the hood, replacing the single-core RISC-V ESP32-C3 used in earlier models. Storage comes via a 16 GB microSD card expandable to 256 GB, and the battery jumps from 650 mAh to 1,100 mAh. Built-in magnets let the reader snap onto MagSafe or Qi2 phones, and charging happens through pogo pins rather than USB-C. Physical page-turn buttons sit alongside the touchscreen, so you can tap, swipe, or click.
The Xteink X4 Pro is available to pre-order for $99 (€91), with shipments scheduled to begin on 2026-08-02.
