3 of my favorite tiny ereaders are on sale now — here's why I prefer them to Kindles, and which model I'd buy

A hand holding the Xteink X4 Pro next to the device on a wooden table
The Xteink X4 Pro (Image credit: Future)

Amazon Prime Day, of course, means discounts on various Kindles, but they’re not the only ereaders that are going cheap — you can also get a tiny Xteink X4 Pro, X4 Classic, or X3 at a reduced price.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

These ereaders each have screens of between 3.7 and 4.3 inches, so they’re truly tiny compared to the 6-inch+ Amazon Kindle options. But while you might think you want a book-sized ereader, there’s something to be said for a smaller size — and the temptingly low prices that go with it; the Xteink X3, for example, costs just $58.65 / £62.25 (down from $69 / £79).

In fact, I’m a full-on convert, with my Kindle Colorsoft collecting dust while I read on smaller devices. I’ll explain why below, but first, here’s a look at the current Xteink deals:

Today's best Xteink deals in the US

Today's best Xteink deals in the UK

Why I love Xteinks, and which I’d buy

The Xteink X4 Classic

The Xteink X4 Classic (Image credit: Xteink)

I’m the proud owner of an Xteink X4 Pro, and I’ve written before about my love of this device, but if anything, the more I use it, the more I like it. At just 72g, it’s so light as to feel like almost nothing at all in your hand, so you won’t feel like you’re getting a workout if you hold it up for an extended reading session.

It’s also tiny (111 x 69 x 5.95mm), so you can easily slip it into a small pocket — or, thanks to its magnetic back, attach it to the rear of your phone, giving you a second screen there to read ebooks on.

Either way, that makes it easy to carry with you everywhere, and I’ve found that means I get a lot more reading done.

The Xteink X3 alongside a phone running the Xteink app

The Xteink X3 (Image credit: Xteink)

All that, coupled with impressive battery life and key ereader features like a front light, makes this a device that’s never far from me.

And sure, it is harder to get books onto the Xteink X4 Pro than a Kindle, as you have to sideload them, but that’s my only major complaint with it.

Since buying the Xteink X4 Pro, the Xteink X4 Classic has launched, which has the same 4.3-inch screen, but it’s not a touchscreen, which it is on the Pro, and there’s no front light. Those compromises make it a less appealing device to me — and yes, it’s cheaper, but by ereader standards, none of these models are particularly expensive.

So, my pick would still be the Xteink X4 Pro — or the even smaller 3.7-inch Xteink X3, which also lacks a touchscreen and a light, but could appeal if you want the tiniest ereader possible.

More Prime Day deals in the US

More Prime Day deals in the UK

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James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

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