Amazon may well be prepping a Kindle tablet along with a new Kindle, but that doesn't seem to be stopping Sony ploughing on with its e-readers. The latest Wi-Fi version is the lightest 6-incher ever, and at just 8.9mm thick, it's sure to fit snug in your luggage, even if you have filled it with far too many pairs of emergency pants.
A limited edition version comes with a voucher that'll let you download the ebook of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (the first in JK Rowling's gajillion selling series) from the Pottermore website. Good news for fans of the boy wizard.
Using Wi-Fi you can not only buy books from the Reader Store (coming to the UK in October, bookworms), you'll also be able to borrow ebooks from your local library. Well, it sure beats digging out the dog-eared card you haven't used for years.
Like previous models you can pinch to zoom, swipe to turn the page, and there's a bundled stylus for making notes on the page. Or childish doodling, whichever you prefer. You can look up things using Wikipedia or Google, and there's even a basic browser, though don't expect to use Google Earth on it.
The PRS-T1 will display lots of file formats, including EPUB, PDF and TXT. It has an MP3 player, and you can use it as a photo viewer, if you fancy giving your eyes a rest. Its battery will last three weeks without a charge, you can choose from a range of font sizes and styles, and it comes in three fetching colours: red, silver or black.
All very exciting. We're still waiting on a price, as we reckon it'll have to go as low as the £111 Kindle to have a real chance. And as for Amazon's Android tablet? Let's just say things are going to get mighty interesting around ebook reader/tablet town in the next few months.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Comments 7
Add your comment
mark2410 31 August, 2011 21:14
want
anonymous 1 September, 2011 01:37
but does it have free internet?
anonymous 6 September, 2011 11:34
I have owned a Sony PRS-650 for nearly a year and I really love it. I spent a lot of time comparing the Kindle and Sony eReaders before deciding that the Sony was the better choice. I did not like that the Kindle tended to lock you into buying books from Amazon and it did not support all ebook formats. I also had my doubts about the merits of having Wi-Fi or 3G on a book reader. How desperate do you have to be to download a book that you can't wait to plug it into a computer?
The Sony touch screen took a little time to get used to, but now turning pages only requires the gentlest flick of a thumb. The inbuilt dictionaries have been very well used. It is the easiest thing to look up the meaning of a word or phrase, or to translate a foreign word.
So I have been waiting eagerly for the new model Sony reader to be released and am looking forward to giving it a try. I am please to see that it is lighter and the touch screen has more functions. I still have my doubts of the benefits of Wi-Fi.
anonymous 26 September, 2011 00:58
'want' is an understatement!!! I LOVE my Sony eReader (PRS-350) - it is simply QUALITY in all respects when compared to all other ebooks (kindle, nook, bookeen etc) I'm practically living on the Sony UK website drooling & trying to choose which colour PRS-T1 & matching cover with built in light to buy immediately it's released.
anonymous 18 October, 2011 12:52
The Sony is now released - available in the Sony stores at £129 inc VAT (or free delivery from sony.co.uk). Interestingly, because it's an Android base, people have already started working out a hack to make it use apps - this could well be more exciting than anyone thought.
anonymous 25 October, 2011 21:10
Yes the hack seems to be already allowing a range of andoid apps to be run effectively turning this into a tablet, albeit a black and white one. Still trying to decide on this or an Asus eee pad though!
anonymous 12 November, 2011 16:37
Big, big plus for keen readers and all those who want to support their libaries - the Sony allows downloads of up to 3 books at a time from UK public libaries (at least those using Overdrive), whereas the Kindle doesn't and there are as yet no plans to allow it to do so.