The INX Firmware on the XTEINK X4: A Powerful but Frustrating Upgrade
There's a growing movement of reading enthusiasts who are tired of bloated software and locked-down ecosystems. When you pick up a pocket-sized e-reader like the XTEINK X4, the hardware is almost magical—a 4.3-inch, 220 PPI e-ink display that weighs just 77 grams. The problem? The stock firmware simply doesn't do the device justice. That's where the open-source community steps in, but as a deep dive into the INX firmware reveals, custom software can sometimes create as many usability problems as it solves.
What is the INX Firmware?
For those unfamiliar, the XTEINK X4—which is not a newer model than the X3—is designed around a pure, tactile reading experience. It ditches the touchscreen entirely in favor of physical page-turn buttons, ensuring that you never accidentally skip a page. However, to truly unlock its potential, you need to replace the bare-minimum stock OS.
INX is a community-driven custom firmware, forked from the popular CrossPoint OS, built specifically for devices like the X4 and X3. It focuses on robust EPUB support, native image rendering, and typography controls. On paper, it sounds like the perfect upgrade.
The Flashing Process: Surprisingly Simple
Flashing custom firmware onto an e-reader usually sounds like a recipe for a bricked device, but the process for the XTEINK series is remarkably safe. Because your books are stored on the removable MicroSD card and the firmware flashes directly to the device's internal ROM, your library remains completely untouched.
Download the Firmware: Grab the latest firmware release directly from the INX repository.
Connect via USB-C: Plug your powered-on X4 or X3 into your computer.
Use the Web Flasher: Navigate to the web-based flashing tool. Select your device model, browse for the custom binary file you just downloaded, and hit flash.
Reboot: Once the flashing is complete, disconnect the device, hold the reset button briefly, and power it back on.
Feature Comparison
The UI Nightmare: Too Many Settings, Not Enough Logic
While the typography engine allows for deep customization—like minimizing screen margins completely for a flush, edge-to-edge look—getting those settings dialed in is an exercise in pure frustration.
Transitioning to INX comes with a harsh learning curve because the software completely abandons the intuitive, standard CrossPoint menus that users are already familiar with. Instead, you are greeted with deeply nested, poorly organized setting screens. It is incredibly hard to find what you are looking for simply because there are too many settings scattered without any logical flow. Trying to locate basic options, such as changing the default font to a favorite like Bitter, or properly mapping the physical buttons for standard page turns, requires endless menu diving.
The OS also introduces an app-like tab bar across the top featuring Recent, Library, Settings, Sync, and Statistics. While it sounds feature-rich, in practice on a 4.3-inch screen, it feels cluttered and overcomplicated compared to the streamlined menus of its predecessors.
The Verdict
The INX firmware is a technically capable piece of software that adds plenty of features to the XTEINK X4, but it severely lacks user-friendliness. By ditching the standard CrossPoint menus in favor of a bloated, confusing interface, it makes setting up your ideal reading environment a tedious chore.
If you have immense patience and don't mind spending an hour digging through chaotic menus, INX offers customization you won't find on the stock OS. But if you value a clean, intuitive interface that lets you get straight to your books, you might find this firmware more frustrating than it's worth.
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