Reuters is reporting the triumphant return of the Readius, an e-reader we first saw a prototype for two years ago. But now it's back, it's not just an e-reader anymore, it's actually got a target release date, and it's a lot cooler than it was before, too.
How? Well, see that screen? It's about the size of two business cards (5" diagonal) and folds over the main device - itself the size of a normal mobile phone - when not in use. Yep: it's a flexible video display. Polymer Vision out of the Neatherlands (staked in part by Philips) has been playing with these for a while, and the Readius is going to be their coming-out party.
But that's not all! The Readius is also a 3G HDDPA tri-band phone, which means worldwide calling and fast downloading of that e-book you want to read. How you're going to call out with only eight buttons on the entire device puzzles us slightly, but if what they're saying about a 30 hour battery life (for reading) is true, then someone send a memo over to Apple's iPod division. The Dutch battery technology is superior.
As a direct competitor to the Kindle, we have to say that so far, the Readius out-cools Amazon's e-reader, particularly if it's more liberal with file type compatibility. And naturally, you'll be able to put a SquareTrade warranty on it with (or without) Accidental Damage coverage, just in case that flexible screen isn't so sturdy.
There's no word yet on price or what kind of interface the Readius will be using, though it promises to access eBooks, podcasts, blogs and music with ease. We'll find out more when it gets closer to shipping time in mid-2008.
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