Time Names Xteink X4 Pro to Best Inventions List
The pocket-sized e-reader, which uses a TCL CSOT display, is one of three devices from the display maker on the 2026 list.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Consumer Electronics
Time magazine included the Xteink X4 Pro e-reader on its Best Inventions of 2026 list. The $99 device has a 4.3-inch touchscreen, physical controls, and unlocked firmware that allows sideloading of user-owned books.
Why it matters
Inclusion on the list places a compact, low-cost e-reader alongside other notable inventions and highlights display technology from TCL CSOT. The device's lack of an ebook storefront and its support for user-owned files set it apart from many mainstream e-readers.
The Xteink X4 Pro carries a 4.3-inch touchscreen and an adjustable temperature front light, and it is sold on Amazon for $99. Its specifications beyond these figures, including battery capacity and processor, were not provided in the source extraction.
The players
Time
Time is a long-running American news magazine that publishes an annual Best Inventions list.
TCL CSOT
TCL CSOT is the display manufacturing unit of TCL, a Chinese consumer electronics company, supplying panels for several devices on Time's list.
The details
The Xteink X4 Pro has physical controls and an adjustable temperature front light, and it does not include an ebook storefront. Its unlocked firmware permits sideloading of books that users already own. TCL CSOT, which supplies the display, shared celebratory Weibo posts about the three devices on Time's list.
Timeline
November 10: TCL CSOT announced a giveaway of five Xteink X4 Pro e-readers on Weibo.
The Tech Race
The Xteink X4 Pro departs from the storefront-tied model of the Amazon Kindle line by offering no ebook store and allowing sideloading of user-owned books. Its inclusion on Time's list reflects interest in e-readers that operate outside a single retailer's ecosystem.
Readers who want a distraction-free reading device can buy the Xteink X4 Pro for $99 on Amazon and load their own files. The lack of a built-in storefront means buyers must source and manage their own book files.
The takeaway
Compact e-readers that accept user-owned files offer an alternative to storefront-locked devices for readers who manage their own libraries. Buyers should check file-format support and their own library organization before purchase.
Further reading
For related coverage of gadgets and devices, see Consumer Electronics on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Notebookcheck.
