Is this the next must have electronic device or just an over-hyped, over-priced tech demo. My money is on the latter.
Readius, a new eBook Reader from Polymer Vision is set to be released sometime in the Fall. The big selling points for this eBook reader are that it has a foldable screen and has some cellphone functionality. On the product website they dub it as “the first pocket eBook reader.” After watching some videos on YouTube I am not so sure that is a good thing.
As a first generation product using a new technology, foldable paper screens, it seems less than comfortable for its main purpose of reading books. The controls seemed a bit awkward for reading books and it didn’t look comfortable to hold. Also in some of the videos it looked like the screen didn’t fold out completely flat so I am not sure how that affects reading on the device. Also the screen is 5 inches compared to the almost standard 6 inches found on most other eBook Readers. edit: The screen not folding flat problem has been addressed.
Another problem with this device is the price. While no definite price has been set, it certainly won’t be cheaper than current eBook Readers at its launch and word on the net is that the cost will be around 600 euros.
If people find it hard to consider paying $350 for a Kindle or even $280 for a Sony Reader then what makes Polymer Visions think people want an eBook Reader at this price? The problem I see with the device mainly is that adding phone functionality and a foldable screen doesn’t add anything to the devices core uses. Who wants a $600 dollar cellphone that can’t play videos and is not in color. I don’t know many people who would trade in their iPhone for one of these.
Who is the target market for this device? It seems to lack focus and it doesn’t seem like it can compete in the phone market on features nor can it compete in the eBook Reader market on price.
This is all purely speculation however and it is not to say that the device doesn’t provide some positive new things for eBook reader users.
For some, the portability that the foldable screen provides with be just what they want. I don’t see that being a deal maker in most cases though as the added portability comes at a steep price. The device is very light at 115g according to the Readius website which adds to the portability of the device.
The Readius also has 16 levels of gray with is twice as many as the Sony Reader and four times that of the Kindle. The only device that has the same 16 levels of gray currently is the equally expensive iRex Iliad Reader. The only problem though is that the screen is QVGA resolution (320×240) which means that it is the same resolution as a normal cellphone. This seems insane since all the current readers are at least VGA displays (600×800). The screen too is smaller than the current standard of 6″, weighing in at a meager 5″.
The Readius does seem to offer very good connectivity options. It has Tri Band/3.5G HSDPA so you can access the internet from pretty much anywhere. Bluetooth is also included which is a useful addition as well. It is hard to say though whether this can trump the free EVDO connection that the Kindle offers.
Their website doesn’t seem to provide any definite answers on what kind of file types the Readius will support but it sounded like they will be offering quite a few. They also stated that it will not be a closed environment unlike the Kindle which ties you to one format and store. They will offer their own portal but allow you to download from other “content partners” as they put it. Here is a picture from their website showing Content World, their web portal.
One thing that I do like about the device is the fact that you can change the orientation of the device. Since I am left handed this is always a welcome feature for me.
A last thing to note about this eBook reader is that it seems to come with more PDA features that most other readers out there which could be pretty useful. I reccomend checking out the Readius website for more details on the device, especially the product specifications page.
Summary
While I am sure that foldable or compactable screens are where all portable devices are headed, I think that this will not be the device to popularize this technology. The cost is too high and there is too little upside to this device to make you replace your current cellphone or eBook Reader. As a phone the Readius lacks a full set of keys to type numbers and lacks the flexibilty that an LCD screen offers. As an eBook Reader it will simply be too expensive when compared to other models on the market. The only benefit it has over other eBook readers is its small form factor. This actually might be a negative however if it turns out to be uncomfortable to hold (which it appeared to be from the video demos I have seen).
What’s your opinion on the Readius? Do you think it is the next big thing or will it be a flop?
I had a chance to hold Readius in my hands, and I have to disagree with your conclusions.
First of all, Readius is not a phone or PDA, it’s a pocket eReader. Just like their website says:-) It’s 2-3 times smaller and lighter than any other eBook reader known to me. This might be a clear benefit to people who travel frequently. Of course, you can also take Kindle with you on your trip. But you won’t save any space in a suitcase, as Kindle needs a plastic case to protect its e-ink display, and has about the same size and weight as any “normal” paper book.
And I don’t understand why the foldable screen is “less than comfortable for its main purpose of reading ebooks”, as you write. It’s the same e-ink screen used by Kindle and Sony. The only difference is that you can fold / roll-up the Readius display to save space and make an eBook reader much smaller than the conventional ones. So you can take your eReader on business trip or holiday it in a pocket. It’s like Play Station Portable compared to PS3 or XBox - it does the same job but is much more mobile:-)