Sony today announced the company's refreshed lineup of e-readers and new touchscreen technology ups the ante over its competition. New versions of its 5-inch Pocket Edition, 6-inch Touch Edition and 7-inch Daily Edition are being introduced. All three come with touchscreen support and the new higher-contrast E-Ink Pearl display already seen on the new Kindle and Kindle DX.
The 5-inch Pocket Edition (model PRS-350) will come with 2GB of internal memory, a microUSB port, support for a number of text formats including PDF and EPUB, 6 adjustable font sizes, and a battery good for about 2 weeks worth of reading. Available in silver and pink, it is now available for US$179.99
The 6-inch Touch Edition (model PRS-650) is very similar to its smaller sibling but aside from the larger display, adds SD and Memory Stick Duo expansion slots, a headphone jack, and support for MP3 and AAC audio files. Available in black and red, it will sell for US$229.99.
The new Daily Edition will have double onboard memory to 4GB and will come with 3G connectivity from AT&T, Wi-Fi, improved battery life (up to 27 days on a single charge with wireless off). Final price has not been set but should be around US$299.99. It is expected to come later this fall.
With its latest models, Sony definitely shows its still in the game. While the touch screen technology really does bring the best of both the E-Ink and LCD worlds to an e-reader, the higher price may be a deterrent that holds consumers back. On the other hand, if the idea of touch navigation—swipes to change the page, for example—is a must-have feature, the extra dollars may be worth it.
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