Currently reading about electronic music.

Currently enjoying the sound of absolutely nothing. ☀️📖

The irony isn't lost on me.

https://preview.redd.it/a0t826moiyuh1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=e626192b23ffe52916a5d638d8903ee169eee15c

Over the past day, I’ve read through a lot of your comments about X4 Classic.

The biggest question is obvious:

Why Pogo instead of USB-C?

And after reading your responses, I also think some of you have pointed out a real contradiction in the way I explained our thinking.

I said I want XTEINK devices to eventually feel less like “another device” you have to remember to carry.

But if making the device thinner means you also have to remember a separate charging cable, then in that sense, we haven’t fully achieved that goal yet.

That’s a fair criticism.

So why did we still choose Pogo?

The simple answer is: thinness.

USB-C is more convenient. We know that.

It’s universal, familiar, and for us, it would actually have been easier to keep using from both an engineering and manufacturing perspective.

But X4 Classic is a product where we wanted to keep pushing the physical form of the original X4: lighter, thinner, and closer to something that simply disappears into the things you already carry.

That’s why we chose Pogo.

Not because we think Pogo is more convenient than USB-C.

It isn’t.

And not because we think being 1mm thinner automatically makes a product better.

It doesn’t.

We made a trade-off.

For X4 Classic, we chose to prioritize the physical form of the device over the convenience of a universal port.

Some of you think that was the wrong trade-off.

I understand why.

The part I don’t want to defend away

A lot of you made a very simple point:

>“If I have to remember another cable, then the device doesn’t really disappear into my life.”

I think that point is important.

A product can become physically smaller while still creating more friction somewhere else.

That friction might be remembering a cable.

It might be losing the adapter.

It might be the connector not lining up properly.

And if our long-term idea is really about making reading fit more naturally into everyday life, then we have to care about all of that — not just millimeters.

So no, I don’t think the current Pogo experience is perfect.

Choosing this direction also gives us a responsibility to make it much better.

That means thinking seriously about the adapter, connection, durability, charging accessories, and how much extra stuff a user has to remember.

Product philosophy can’t become an excuse for a bad experience.

I also don’t think every reader wants the same thing

This is another point some of you raised that I think is worth listening to.

There are people who want the smallest, lightest reading device possible.

And there are people who would happily accept a slightly thicker device in exchange for USB-C, a front light, touch, or other conveniences.

Those are both valid ways to want an eReader.

X4 Classic was built closer to the first idea.

X4 Pro already sits closer to the more feature-rich end of that spectrum, with front light and touch.

And I don’t think XTEINK should pretend that one single product philosophy has to answer every reading scenario.

We’re still figuring out where each product should sit, and what trade-offs actually make sense for each kind of reader.

About the front light

I’ve heard this very clearly too.

A lot of you would rather accept more thickness if it means being able to read comfortably at night, on a plane, or next to someone who is already asleep.

That need is real.

X4 Classic isn’t meant to be the answer to every reading environment.

It’s closer to a continuation of what the original X4 was trying to be: simple, thin, light, and paper-like.

A product with a front light makes a different trade-off.

And that can also be the right trade-off.

One last thing

I don’t expect everyone to agree with the decision we made on X4 Classic.

And after reading the comments, I also don’t think the right response from me is to keep trying to convince you that our decision was correct.

Some of you will still prefer USB-C.

Some of you won’t buy X4 Classic because of Pogo.

That’s useful feedback, even when it’s uncomfortable to hear.

What I care about is understanding why.

Because the goal was never simply:

make the device thinner.

The goal is to make reading fit more naturally into everyday life.

If we reduce one kind of friction while creating another, we need to be honest about that.

We still have a lot to figure out.

So keep challenging us.

I’ll keep reading the comments.

— Crusoe
Founder of XTEINK

Hi everyone,

We want to acknowledge that our support response times recently haven’t been good enough.

We’ve had a backlog of emails, and we’ve also seen more feedback from customers who have been waiting too long for a reply.

That’s on us, and we need to do better.

This week, we’ve added more people to our customer support team. They’re currently going through training, and our team will also be working through the weekend to continue handling outstanding cases.

If you’re still waiting for a response, we’re sorry for the delay.

You should see a noticeable improvement in our overall response times starting next week.

We’ll keep working on this until the support experience is back where it should be.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

— XTEINK Team

X4 Pro Firmware v7.3.1 is here.

More control, more ways to make X4 Pro read the way you like.

What’s new

🌙 Dark Mode for reading
A new dark reading option is now available under More > Advanced > Dark Mode while reading.

⚙️ More reading customization

• Added Reuse last reading settings under Settings > Reading settings
• Added Reading side key customization under Settings > Buttons & interaction
• Added Auto sleep, Auto power off, Auto light off, and Micro brightness adjustment under Settings > General
• Font anti-aliasing is now off by default for newly opened books

Fixes & improvements

We’ve also fixed several known issues, including:

• Reading progress not syncing correctly to the app
• Compatibility issues with certain Bluetooth page turners
• An occasional password prompt when connecting Bluetooth while reading TXT files
• Other display and stability improvements

A quick note about Dark Mode:
Because of the characteristics of E Ink displays, some ghosting may be more noticeable on pages containing images. We’ll continue optimizing the experience in future updates.

Some customization options have also been prepared in this release and will continue to be expanded in upcoming firmware versions.

Hi everyone,

We've released a new firmware update focused on improving the EPUB reading experience.

What's new:

• EPUB now supports larger image display for a more enjoyable reading experience

Supported image formats within EPUB:

XTG, XTH, JPG, and PNG

BMP images are not currently supported.

• Improved EPUB layout rendering and optimized several known issues to provide a smoother reading experience

Thank you for all the feedback you've shared with us. Many of these improvements come directly from suggestions and discussions within the community.

As always, please let us know your thoughts after updating.

Xteink Team

Hi everyone,

We’ve noticed the ongoing discussions in the community around firmware flashing restrictions, as well as the concerns and feedback shared by many users. We fully understand these concerns.

To clarify: the information being discussed comes from internal risk assessments focused on safety and after-sales considerations for a specific market and usage context.

Xteink develops and optimizes products across different regions based on local user needs, usage habits, and regulatory requirements. As a result, product decisions may differ between markets, while the overseas product line continues to follow its own independent roadmap and iteration cycle.

We truly appreciate the feedback around system openness, flexibility, and overall user experience. These are core aspects of why many users choose Xteink, and we continue to take all related feedback seriously.

For future overseas updates, we aim to continuously improve the balance between stability, security, and usability, based on real-world user experience.

Our product direction will continue to evolve with user needs and market conditions. While we do not set fixed commitments about future changes, our focus remains on making the product better and more user-friendly.

Thank you for all the discussions and feedback. We are reading everything closely, and we encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts openly.

We will keep communication transparent and share updates as they become available.

Xteink Team