Electronics maker Sharp plans to release two new Google Android-powered e-readers to the Japanese market in early December, setting up the market for a possible e-reader free-for-all.
One Sharp device will feature a 5.5-inch color LCD screen (1024 x 600), while the other e-reader uses a 10.8-inch color HD LCD screen able to support 1366 x 800 resolution. Both models have Wi-Fi, mini-USB, built-in speaker, and ship with 8GB microSD memory cards.
Content ranging from Japanese-formatted newspapers and books that must use the Sharp XMDF format. The 5.5-inch model includes seven hours battery life and the larger model has 10.5 hour battery life.
The smaller 5.5-inch model will launch for about $475, and the 10.8-inch model will launch at $651.
Also on Dec. 10, Sharp will launch the Galapagos e-book store that will initially open with 20,000 books, magazines, newspapers, and videos available for rent and purchase. The company hopes to open the e-book store to its smartphone owners sometime in the spring, but didn't confirm an official date.
The e-reader market in Japan faces competition from a mobile phone crazy nation, but manufacturers are willing to step into the market. Sony recently decided to give another try at electronic readers in Japan, as the company hopes to secure 50% of the Japanese e-reader market over the next 24 months.
The Apple iPad, Amazon Kindle, and other popular devices are available, along with the still strong craze for smartphones, offering consumers a variety of different alternatives. I’m curious to see how Sharp will do with these higher-priced e-readers, as consumers may not want to spend such a high amount on gadgets. No word on whether or not these new Sharp e-readers might make it to North America or Europe.
