Sony adds touch screen to updated suite of e-readers

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On September 1, Sony revealed three revamped models in its range of e-reading devices. Two of the three new devices, which all feature touch screens, will be available internationally.

The new readers feature pearl e-ink displays with increased contrast, sped-up page turns, and touch-screen functionality, a feature that distinguishes them from their top competitors, including the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble's Nook. They also sport a reduced size and weight and an increased memory, now at 2GB.

Two of the redesigned devices - the 5"-screen Pocket Edition and the 6"-screen Touch Edition - are available beginning September 1 in the US, according to Publishers Weekly, and are also slated for release internationally. The upgraded 7" Daily Edition, now equipped with wireless in addition to 3G, will be launched in the US only in November.

While the Sony e-readers' upgrades give them a competitive stance in the market, their cost remains high in comparison to the new wave of lower-priced devices. The Pocket Edition is priced at $179 in the US, the Touch Edition at $229, and the Daily Edition $299. In contrast, Amazon's just-released Kindle 3 with WiFi, which has the same screen size as Sony's Touch, has a US price of $139.

http://ebookstore.sony.com/reader