This Credit Card-Sized E-Reader Has a Front Light and a Touchscreen, and It's 15% Off for October Prime Day

Credit: Xteink / Amazon

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I've read 25 books in the past year, all of them on an e-reader with a screen roughly the size of a credit card. If you think that sounds untenable, I say: Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. Once you're immersed in a book, you'll find it really doesn't matter, and the convenience of being able to slip it into any pocket and forget it's there means you need never be without it. If you're the kind of person who prefers a soothing e-ink screen to the harsh distractions of a smartphone, this is golden.

Right now, the best tiny e-reader I've tried so far, the Xteink X4 Pro, is on sale from Amazon ahead of next week's October Prime Day event (aka Prime Big Deal Days). The X4 Pro is the newest and best e-reader from Xteink, the Chinese tech startup that turned the e-reading world upside down last year with the launch of the original X4 pocket e-reader. While the X4 Pro is the same size as the basic X4, it adds two big upgrades—a temperature-adjustable front light and a touchscreen—plus a faster processor and more memory. As a result, it costs a bit more, but you can pick one at a 15% discount right now, bringing it down to $85. (Even at full retail, the X4 Pro is $50 cheaper than the entry-level Kindle after its recent price increase).

Now, as much as I love them, these minuscule e-readers aren't for everyone. Some may indeed find the screen too small (though if you've ever read a book on a phone, the experience is similar). Then there's the fact that they can't load your existing libraries of Kindle books; you'll need to source copies of e-books lacking Digital Rights Management (DRM) software. But if you can jump those hurdles, you might just discover it's the weirdest, most lovable piece of tech you've used in years.