Forget the Kindle Colorsoft—the release of the Xteink X4 last fall felt like the first truly interesting thing to happen to e-readers in years. A cheap, slightly clunky Chinese device with a 4.3-inch screen, its perfectly pocketable size (and a smart marketing gimmick—"You can attach it to the back of your phone with a magnet! Never mind that that isn't really a practical or sensible way to read!") quickly attracted an online cult following of tinkerers.
Xteink has since translated its viral social media success into mainstream awareness (including coverage in The New York Times), quickly releasing a flurry of new devices, including the Xteink X4 Pro, which brought familiar features like a front light and touchscreen into the mix. And the competition has definitely taken notice.
Xteink X4 Pro $99.00 at Amazon $109.00 Save $10.00 Shop Now Shop Now $99.00 at Amazon $109.00 Save $10.00First revealed in a surprise announcement back in July, the Picco is clearly modeled on Xteink's success—and with good reason, considering in many ways, the devices are identical by necessity. All e-reader screens are made by the same company, E-Ink, which means that all of these micro-readers—the Xteink X4, the X3, the X4 Pro, and, yes, the Picco—use the same screen with the same 480x800 resolution. They also run on similar, simple ESP32 processors (though there's a bit more variation between models there) and make similar trade-offs, like abandoning onboard storage in favor of a microSD card slot. Like the X4 Pro, the Picco includes a temperature-adjustable front light and a touchscreen for navigation.
So, the components and firmware are darn similar on paper. How does the Boox Picco measure up in real life? Boox sent me a pre-release unit to test out, and after a day of messing around with it, I can report that it's pretty great. Do I like it more than the X4 Pro, its closest competitor in terms of features? I haven't quite decided.
My initial thoughts about the Boox Picco
Credit: Joel CunninghamWhatever their interior similarities, the Picco and the X4 Pro are pretty different at a glance. The Picco initially looks and feels much more refined, with a two-toned back panel and an aluminum frame and buttons that recall the iPhone 5, of all things. With a 3.97-inch display, it's slightly larger than the 3.7-inch Xteink X3 but smaller than the 4.3-inch X4 and X4 Pro. Its 5.1mm thickness also sits between those devices (the X3 is 5.1mm thick, and the X4 Pro, 5.95mm). These differences are mostly inconsequential, though: Depending on your settings, all will display about the same number of words onscreen at the same time, and all will disappear easily into any pocket.
Credit: Joel CunninghamThe Picco is also a lot lighter than the X4 Pro—58g versus 72g. It feels almost too light to me. Most of the weight difference is likely down to the fact that the Picco lacks the X4 Pro's internal magnets; the Boox device won't be able to snap into a magnetic case or clip to the back of your phone (though, again, I question why you'd want to do that), but whatever the reason, the lighter build makes the Picco feel slightly insubstantial to me.
Judging by the ongoing turmoil in the r/xteink subreddit, the biggest differentiating factor for many users will be the fact that the Picco charges and transfers files via a standard USB-C port, a feature Xteink has since dropped from all of its devices in favor of magnetic pogo pins, which requires a separate cable or an adapter. Considering their battery life is measured in weeks even with daily reading, this wasn't a big deal to me, but lots of people really care about it. Opting for USB-C was definitely a good call on Boox's end.
The Picco has better native firmware—but does that matter?
Credit: Joel CunninghamWhile the fun thing about CrossPoint is that there are hundreds of different forks that add or take away features to suit every user, the version that comes on the Picco is pretty darn good, all things considered. It displays your books well; it includes thoughtful options like a dark mode and the option to turn off the touchscreen; and it offers multiple options for getting files onto the device, including via connecting to a smartphone that's on the same wifi network, via the new BooxTile website/cloud app (not yet launched as of this writing), or by plugging it into your computer to act as an external USB drive.
Credit: Joel CunninghamHow to buy the Boox Picco
Whether you're interested in comparing the Picco to your Xteink device or are looking to buy your first tiny e-reader, you'll have to be patient: The Picco is not yet available for pre-order, directly from Boox or anywhere else. Rumors suggest a November release, though Boox has yet to provide a date. In the meantime, you can pick up the X4 Pro on Amazon. Whichever you choose, you'll be paying the same: Both devices come in at $99, around $50 less than the entry-level Kindle.
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