The Xteink X4 Pro e-reader is selling for $84.15 at Amazon as of Oct. 13, down from its $99 list price, according to Mashable. The $14.85 discount marks the lowest price the device has reached, and Amazon has flagged it as a limited-time deal.
Mashable reports that the X4 Pro launched this July. The publication describes it as a compact option for readers who want something smaller than a Kindle to carry in a pocket.
Why it matters
The discount puts a niche device under the $90 mark for the first time, which could draw in buyers who have been watching mini e-readers but hesitated at the full price. Mashable notes the deal carries a "limited time" tag, meaning the price is not expected to hold.
The X4 Pro also arrives in a market where several small e-readers are competing for attention. Mashable's report sits alongside coverage from IGN, Good e-Reader, TechRadar and Gizmodo, all of which have recently written about tiny e-readers and their appeal relative to Amazon's Kindle line. That clustering of coverage suggests the category is getting more scrutiny from buyers who want a secondary device rather than a full-size reader.
For Amazon, the deal is a routine promotional move. For Xteink, it is a chance to move units on a device that launched only a few months ago.
What the X4 Pro offers
According to Mashable, the X4 Pro weighs 72 grams, or about 2.5 ounces, and measures 5.95mm thick. It has a 4.3-inch display that Mashable describes as paper-feel, a design intended to cut screen glare and reduce eye strain during long reading sessions.
The device also includes multi-level warm and cool front lights, which let readers adjust the screen's tone to suit different lighting conditions. A magnetic back lets users attach the reader to a phone for quicker access.
Those features position the X4 Pro as a lightweight companion device rather than a replacement for a larger e-reader. Its size and weight are the main selling points Mashable highlights.
The file support caveat
Mashable's Samantha Mangino wrote that the main drawback of the X4 Pro is its file support. According to Mangino, all Xteink e-readers handle EPUB files, but only versions without DRM. That restriction means readers have to find DRM-free EPUB files, which Mashable describes as fairly limited and largely made up of public-domain classics.
That limitation matters for anyone who buys books through major retailers, since those files typically carry DRM. A buyer who relies on a store-bought library would need to source compatible files elsewhere or convert them, a step that is not always straightforward.
Mashable still calls the X4 Pro a sleek e-reader and says it is worth picking up for under $90 while the sale lasts. The publication's assessment is that the hardware is appealing even with the file-format constraint.
The article was written by Hannah Hoolihan, a freelance writer for Mashable who has covered technology, games and film since 2017. Her work has also appeared at IGN, Fangoria, Rock Paper Shotgun, Collider and Screen Rant, according to her Mashable bio.
What to watch
The deal is tagged as limited-time, so the $84.15 price could revert to $99 at any point. Buyers interested in the X4 Pro should check Amazon's listing for current availability before the promotion ends.
