Introducing the new Sony e-readers

Posted by Christie Silk on August 5, 2009 at 6:38 PM

Sony is set to launch two new e-reader models next month, which should act as rival products to Amazon's Kindle, the biggest name in the scene, and the forthcoming slim-line Plastic Logic.

The Sony Reader Pocket Edition has a 5-inch display and is priced at $199, which according to a Sony statement, makes the product the least expensive device on sale. The Reader Touch Edition, which boasts a touch-screen, will be sold at a $299. Sony's current e-reader devices are priced at $279 and $349. The pricing is obviously of immense importance for the commercial viability of the product, particularly as it seems that its "affordability" is being used as its greatest asset in comparison with the dominating Kindle. Amazon last month cut the cost of the standard model to $299, while the larger screen Kindle DX costs $489.

Users of the Sony products will have access to a potential 500,000 electronic book titles, thanks to an arrangement between the Tokyo-based company and Google Inc. Unlike the Kindle, the Sony devices will sell at a number of stores, including Best Buy, Costco, Target, and Wal-Mart.

It will be interesting to see if there is enough demand in the e-reader market for two new products. Currently, there are no comprehensive figures which sufficiently illustrate the sales rates of all of the e-reader models together, although one Forrester analysts estimates that by the end of 2009, 3 million e-reader devices will have been purchased. It is probable, however, that the a price-war will ensue with the release of a purposefully more affordable device.

Sources: Bloomberg.com
CNN money.com