The new Kindle 3 and Kindle WiFi might soon get some solid competition.
There are rumors that the Sony PRS 350 (follow-on to the Pocket Edition) and Sony PRS 650 (follow-on to the Touch Edition) are set to arrive soon.
Kindle vs new Sony Reader – Sony PRS 350 to take on Kindle WiFi
Sony Insider is a site that focuses on Sony products and they claim an exclusive scoop on the new Sony Reader releases -
According to one of our most trusted sources, there is word that two new touchscreen Sony Reader devices (PRS-350 and PRS-650) with E-Ink technology are coming to the market soon.
The details they unveil for the Sony PRS 350 are -
- 5″ eInk touch screen.
- Possible increase in storage capacity to 2 GB.
- No wireless.
- Note-taking software from PRS 600 added.
- 2 weeks battery life.
- Word, PDF, ePub, BBeB book, and Adobe Digital Edition compatibility.
- Same color choices as before. This was Silver, Rose and Navy Blue for the Pocket Edition.
The touchscreen and note-taking software are good additions. The decision to not have WiFi is puzzling. How much does a WiFi card cost?
There’s no mention of the screen – don’t see how it could be anything other than the new eInk pearl screen. The configuration suggests the Sony PRS 350 might be at $100 to $125. Hard to see this affecting the Kindle WiFi much.
Kindle vs new Sony Reader – PRS 650 to take on Kindle 3
Here’s what Sony Insider hints at for the Sony PRS 650 -
- 6″ eInk screen. No mention whether it’s eInk pearl though it’s very likely.
- 2 GB storage.
- WiFi support.
- Touchscreen.
- New UI.
- 2 weeks battery life.
- Support for PDF, ePub, Word, and Adobe Digital Editions.
- Same colors – which would be Silver, Red, and Black.
The combination of touch screen with eInk Pearl (if it is indeed eInk Pearl) and WiFi makes this a more interesting device. If it comes in at below $200 then it will steal a small part of Kindle 3 sales since there’s ePub support and support for Library Books.
However, it doesn’t sound like there are any new killer features added – unless Sony is saving those up for the formal announcement.
new Sony Readers sound pretty boring
Hopefully there’s something in there – some killer feature in addition to the touchscreen. Anything that makes the Sony Readers worthy competitors to Kindle and Nook.
With the Kindle 3 setting a very high bar the last thing Sony can afford is a nonchalant release that doesn’t keep up. Nook 2 might be as impressive as Kindle 3 (or close). The Sony 350 and Sony 650 sound rather drab - Let’s hope Sony surprises us with some killer features that the rumors have missed.
Filed under: sony reader Tagged: | kindle vs sony, kindle vs sony reader
