Following Samsung’s release of the Galaxy Tab S2 8-inch tablet, as expected Barnes & Noble has announced their parallel release of a Galaxy Tab S2 NOOK version. As with earlier co-branded tablets, Nook’s $400 device includes an offer for free ebooks and magazines, and in-store at BN stores. Earlier in the week, Kobo announced a refreshed version of their eInk reader, the Touch 2.0, promising “a sleeker design with more internal storage memory and a battery life that lasts up to two months depending on individual usage.” The $90 reader goes on sale next week in the US and Canada, and rolls out elsewhere “later […]
eReaders
eNews: New Kindle Paperwhite, Oyster’s Lumin
Amazon has refreshed its Kindle Paperwhite device, whose screen now has a 300-pixel-per-inch resolution, a new “Bookerly” font, and a $119 price. The device is available for pre-order and ships on June 30. Oyster has launched Lumin, a new feature designed to improve the quality of the in-app reading experience by automatically adjusting to the natural sunlight outside based on the time of day and the user’s location. The company says that Lumin “gradually filters the blue light from your screen, replacing it with a warm, soft amber light” as the sun sets.
UK Booksellers Report Good Holiday Sales (And Low Kindle eReader Sales)
Two UK bookstore chains reported encouraging holiday sales. Waterstones says print book sales were up 5 percent in December, and Foyles said same-store book sales were up 11 percent for the holiday. With 290 stores, Waterstones now expects to open a dozen or more new stores during 2015. Both booksellers also reported weak sales for ereading devices — which should hardly be a surprise, as most consumers have moved on tablets and ereading loyalists are most likely to buy directly from their platform of choice rather than stumbling on devices through a third party. Waterstones said Kindle device sales “disappeared to […]
New Google Play Features Aim to Improve Nonfiction eBook
On Thursday morning Google Play Books introduced an update to their reading app providing “a redesigned reading experience that’s optimized for nonfiction books” with feature improvements meant “to solve the ever more challenging reference book” in digital form. Their new “skim mode” makes it easier to skim across an entire book (recommending for reference works from cookbooks to travel guides). And “quick bookmarks” let you flag and navigate back and forth between multiple spots in a book. For students, the new features also make it easier to find and refer back to highlighted text passages and personal notes. Since we’re […]
Kobo Shares Examples of Reader Data Analysis
Kobo has released a white paper designed to show publishers and authors how reader data that platforms like Kobo compile “can actually help publishers unlock previously hidden equity within their publishing lists and inform decisions on which authors and franchises to invest in, which ones are running out of steam, and where trouble may lie within any individual book.” Multiple examples focus on “completion rates”; books that readers actually finish. Apparently, large numbers of people do not finish their ebooks. As an example, “the industry benchmark for completion in mystery books is 62 percent.” Books with higher-than-average completion rates with […]
Amazon Refreshes Kindle eReaders and Tablets, Adding Kids Tablet
After some leaks at their international stores, on Wednesday evening Amazon announced new ereaders and tablets, all set to ship in October. The new basic Kindle is thinner, adds a touchscreen, and sells for $79, with ads. (That’s $10 more than the previous basic model, or 15 percent higher. So the people who fight to control pricing because “e-books can and should be less expensive” are charging more for their least expensive device to read those ebooks.) The newest addition, tipped earlier, is the Kindle Voyage, “the thinnest device we’ve ever built” (7.6 mm thick), weighing 6.4 ounces, with a high-resolution display (300 pixels per inch) and improved front […]