Tech Thursday: What’s new in e-Readers in 2014: Christmas shopping guide
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Background
The Tech Thursday blog started almost exactly a year ago with a post about the different questions you need to ask yourself when buying a device for reading. This post will update what is new and make some more concrete recommendations for specific devices.
What’s new in 2014
But first, here’s a summary of last year’s post. You can download it as a MindMap here.
The choices did not change but some of the answers have. The big changes are:
Pricing
- Tablets that are perfectly usable for reading are now about the same price as the illuminated e-readers.
- The cheapest illuminated e-reader (£80-£110 for the Kobo Glo or Kindle Paperwhite) now costs the same as or more than the cheapest useable tablet (£80-£90 for tablets from ACER, ASUS, Lenovo).
- The most expensive high-end e-readers are now more expensive than average tablets (over £170).
- The cheapest non-illuminated e-readers are still cheaper (around £50).
Tablet size
If you decided on a tablet, you now also have to choose what size you want. I would not recommend 9 inch or 10 inch tablets for reading. But both 7 inch and 8 inch tablets are suitable for reading.
Personally, I prefer the 8 inch option but they are more expensive and also bigger so portability suffers. However, you can see more when you browse the web on an 8 inch tablet. But 7 inch tablet is certainly sufficient.
Phone size
Smart phones have increased in size since last year. There have been large phones for a long time but now even the iPhone has a large version. Many people will find reading on a 5.5 to 6 inch phone very comfortable. The Kindle’s screen is 6 inches, after all. One report even suggested that 80% of the people who bought a large iPhone prefer to use it for reading instead of their iPad.
Illuminated e-Readers
The big advantage of an e-reader is that you can read on it easily in bright sunlight. But it also meant that you need an external light to read in the dark. But since last year, all big manufacturers have introduced affordable high-quality illuminated e-readers which remedy that last down side. They are more expensive but I can’t imagine my life without one now.
Some e-readers to consider buying
Here some e-ink e-readers that I would recommend buying. I have not been able to test all of them extensively but I’ve read reviews and tried them in stores when possible. The prices keep changing as stores introduce discounts. When possible, I tried to give the cheapest price I’ve seen as well as the typical price.
Kindles
Kindle is the standard in e-readers but you will be locked into the Amazon eco system.
· Kindle (£59) is the cheapest and most straightforward Kindle. It is touch but cannot be read in the dark
· Kindle Paperwhite (£99-£109) is my current e-reader. The battery lasts for a long time, it is light, has a responsive touch screen and glows in the dark when needed.
· Kindle Voyage (£179) is going to be my next Kindle. Its premium price is for high contrast screen and physical buttons for turning pages (in addition to touch). You may struggle to get it before Christmas, though.
Kobos
I haven’t used Kobos as extensively as the Kindles but all reviews I’ve seen were positive. You won’t be able to read books purchased from Amazon on them but they supports standard ePub format. They are directly connected to WHSmith’s ebook store.
· Kobo Glo (£79-£99) is the cheapest illuminated touch e-reader.
· Kobo Aura and Aura HD (£89-£129) provides higher resolution and the HD size also a slightly larger screen.
· Kobo Aura H2O (£139) is the only water proof e-reader. Ideal if you like reading in the bath. It is also dust proof for worry-free reading on the beach.
· Kobo Touch (£59) is the cheapest Kobo option.
Nooks
The future of the NOOK is a bit uncertain, particularly in the UK. But the NOOK GlowLight is still a great device for £89. You will have the same reading options as with the Kobo, except being tied in to the Barnes and Noble book store.
Some tablets to consider buying
There are too many tablets on the market to list them all as I was able to do with e-readers. Here are some tablets from reputable manufacturers that I think are safe to consider. But that does not mean that others could not be very good.
One of the things to consider when buying a cheaper tablet is battery life.
· Acer Iconia (B1, B2) – We have bought a large number of these tablets for a project testing literacy games and reader apps and they proved very solid performers despite low spec. If price is your key concern, this is the one to look at.
· ASUS MeMO Pad – Another budget option with good reviews.
· Google Nexus 7 – Nexus 7 started the 7 inch tablet revolution with great specs and low prices for 2 years ago. But now perhaps isn’t the most cost-effective option although might be still worth it at the right price.
· Lenovo IdeaTab A7 or A8 – Both the price and performance of these tablets makes them worth considering. Our partners on a project use these for their testing and are very happy.
· Samsung Tab 7 or 8 – Samsung has been making great tablets of all prices for a long time. They can be a great option but sometimes at a small price premium. Also, there are many models so read the reviews carefully.
· TESCO hudl2 – Last year, TESCO introduced a cheap OK tablet. This year, the reviews indicate they did even better. So you won’t go wrong if you add to your shopping basket with your carrots. It’s a great choice for an affordable 8-inch tablet. It also comes in a variety of colours.
· Apple iPad Mini – by far the most expensive option starting at £199 for last year’s model but certainly not a bad tablet if you prefer things the Apple way.
How to buy a tablet
I did not include links for any of the tablets listed above. If you want to explore buying one I recommend the following steps.
· Watch a YouTube video showing how the tablet works. If there is not a video of someone demonstrating the tablet, it’s probably not worth buying.
· If you want more details or prefer reading Paste the name into Google followed by ‘Review’ to read about what people thought about it.
· Paste the name and model of the tablet into your favourite price comparison search engine and find the cheapest option from a retailer you’re comfortable with.
· If you prefer to touch the tablet personally, go to a physical store to try it out, but I find an online video from an independent reviewer will give me enough of a feel.
Good phones for e-Reading
Here are some phones that would be suitable for reading. I do not mention pricing because they vary greatly by phone carrier. However, unless, you get your smart phone as part of a contract, the prices are going to be much higher than with tablets or dedicated e-readers.
· OnePlus One (my current phone) is one of the cheapest off contract but not easy to buy due to shortages.
· Galaxy Note (2, 3 or 4) is great in any iterations. I just replaced my Note 2 after 2 years. If your main concern is reading, you could look for a great price on one of the earlier models.
· Nexus 6 is one of the largest phones out there at a screen the size of a Kindle. It is large but still not impossible to hold or put inside the pocket.
· iPhone 6 Plus is Apple’s recent response to the large phone craze. Certainly worth considering if you’re stuck in the Apple ecosystem.
Note there are many other large phone out there worth considering.
What I would buy
I tried to present as many options as possible but you may want to know what I would spend my own money on.
I absolutely cannot live without a large phone and an e-reader.
· I have OnePlus One smart phone which I am extremely happy with but I am considering the Nexus 6 from Google for that extra size.
· I have the Kindle Paperwhite but I am considering the Voyage for the touch buttons, lower weight and decreased bezel size
With the large phone for reading I don’t feel like I need to spend money on a tablet. But because of what I do, I always have multiple tablets around me. So I might change my mind if I did not have a tablet.
In that case, I would probably opt for one of the 8 inch tablets choosing by weight and width (the thinner the better) rather than power.
Next time
Next time will have a look at what are the key apps for reading you should install on your new tablet or phone. We will also address in more detail the differences between Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS.
Image of e-readers by melenita2012 licensed under CC BY
Image of woman reading on phone licensed from Fotolia.
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