The folks at The Digital Reader have sharp eyes. Sony has yet to officially announce their PRS-T2 ebook reader, but at TDR they noticed said model is already quietly live at Sony Style for $129.99.
There have been very few comments, rumors, or leaks about this device, and for good reason. It’s not terribly exciting. It appears to be a refresh of the PRS-T1 I reviewed last year, and it doesn’t even get any fun bells and whistles like a NOOK-style glow screen. Instead, it is almost exactly the same as the T1, but with a beefier battery (two months off one charge instead of just one month). Screen resolution, weight, and dimensions are exactly the same.
This release is so lackluster I wonder if Sony is just phoning it in to maintain a toe in the ebook waters. They can’t even articulate a good reason why their devices are better than the competition. Just look at their comparison chart:
Ooh, the Sony has a “dedicated public library icon”. I can barely contain my unbridled enthusiasm.
If you really want a Sony eReader, I have a better idea than buying a PRS-T2. Buy a refurbished PRS-T1, and get effectively the same device but for $30 less. Or, you know, get a Kindle or NOOK for less than the PRS-T2. Once again, Sony has delivered an overpriced and under-specced ebook reader. For a company that helped pioneer the ebook reader revolution, this is a sad, painful fall to watch.
