Sony's unannounced Reader PRS-T3 leaks out at the FCC

[Laine]

I think Sony lost the plot long ago. I hate the buttons on the T2, they make my fingers sore.

I have T2, Glo and Paperwhite and by far prefer the paperwhite. It just works.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Laine

I think Sony lost the plot long ago. I hate the buttons on the T2, they make my fingers sore.

I have T2, Glo and Paperwhite and by far prefer the paperwhite. It just works.

Sony Readers just work.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

Whatever they come out with no matter how well-made, given that it's Sony, will be too little, too late to take away any market share.

I think if the T3 is done correctly, it could very well take market share from other ePub capable Readers. And if that is the case, then it will be better then the Kindle since it handles ePub and has a seamless Overdrive experience.

[ersott]

I think this ereader seems to be a bit thicker than the t2 and t1. So I´m hope it includes frontlight.

Sony doesn´t change the form last year whith t2, and there wasn´t too much changes with t1.


This year, the form of t3 is very different to t2...

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I think if the T3 is done correctly, it could very well take market share from other ePub capable Readers. And if that is the case, then it will be better then the Kindle since it handles ePub and has a seamless Overdrive experience.

I used to be a big fan of Sony readers. But the Sony store sucked big time and they never seemed to get the idea of cloud syncing between devices, even between their own devices. Maybe that has changed in the past few years since I went over to Kindle, but I doubt it. Personally I cannot bring myself to purchase from a company that conspired to drive up the prices of eBooks?!?

[ghero]

From this picture:


It is very hard to see clearly, however, I think I see (at the bottom edge): micro usb port, microSD slot, power button. (also, can't see it clearly, is that a headphone jack left to the "power button"?).

All other sides/edges of the device I have seen from the leaked picture so far, are clean (beside page turn buttons). So those three things at the bottom edge, I think, has to be the essential stuffs like micro usb port, microSD slot and power button, because otherwise, you can't find them at elsewhere on the device.

The interesting thing is, while I look at all the pictures that leaked from FCC, I cannot see a dedicated front light button. So base on this observation, if the observation is correct, then I suspect it to imply one of the below 2 possibilities:

1. It has no front light.

2. It has a front light, but the front light is controlled softwarely like KPW (assume sony did not alter the image to erease the light button).

Another personal feeling I draw from pics, is that, the screen seems to be front lit:

The same picture above, if it is not altered, it seems the screen has the front light on, interesting thing here is, the background is blue. As we all know, most front lit screen on the market has bluish looks (at least on camera). So I suspect sony added the blue background deliberately, to dilute the bluish front lit screen (try cover the blue background with your hand, and only look at the screen), so people cannot draw a front lit conclusion easily, to protect prs t2 sales.

Also the pic below:

This picture seems to me, is a front lit screen with the front light off (or at the very minimum, compared to the enviromental lighting). The observation is the contrast. The screen with a front lit layer will appear to be darker (than non-front lit) with the front light off, and this picture is a perfect demostration of the point for me. However, since there is no non-lit screen side by side to compare, I can only draw this observation by feeling, which I suspected it to be a front-lit screen with light off.

So summerize all the current observation above and so far, my guess is: The screen is a front-lit, but probaly entirely controlled by software.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by ghero

From this picture:


Another personal feeling I draw from pics, is that, the screen seems to be front lit:

The same picture above, if it is not altered, it seems the screen has the front light on, interesting thing here is, the background is blue. As we all know, most front lit screen on the market has bluish looks (at least on camera). So I suspect sony added the blue background deliberately, to dilute the bluish front lit screen (try cover the blue background with your hand, and only look at the screen), so people cannot draw a front lit conclusion easily, to protect prs t2 sales.

Wow, I think you are right. Cover everything but the reader, and it definitely does look lighted!

[ersott]

@ghero

I think you're right, but i am very sad with it.

I really love the t2 screen, is whiter than kindle paperwhite screen with light off, is the best screen that i never seen.

I want a t3 with this white screen when light is off, not grey screen :-(

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I used to be a big fan of Sony readers. But the Sony store sucked big time and they never seemed to get the idea of cloud syncing between devices, even between their own devices. Maybe that has changed in the past few years since I went over to Kindle, but I doubt it. Personally I cannot bring myself to purchase from a company that conspired to drive up the prices of eBooks?!?

That wasn't Sony. That was Apple who conspired to drive up eBook prices and guess what? Apple managed to do it.

[JSWolf]

ghero that is the best reasoning I've seen yet in favor of a front light.

[Xanthe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That wasn't Sony. That was Apple who conspired to drive up eBook prices and guess what? Apple managed to do it.

The problem with the Sony store was that the ebooks were over-priced right from the start. It was cheaper to buy an ebook from BN or Amazon and strip the DRM.

[gamba66]

Finally! I have been wondering why it would take them so long to release the T3..

Also why is everyone speculating? Given the current market-situation the T3 has a 99% possibility of having a front-lit display, probably with a 1024x768 resolution!

Given the minor changes from the T1 to the T2 I don't think there will be any major changes besides the frontlit HD-Display.

And that Japan Display will not be used, the guy speaking in the Video even says there are still some problems that will have to be resolved with the passive lcd reflection technique. And I don't think Sony suddenly mass-produces a new technology for a T1/T2 sucessor. Usually, like with the Sony 13,3 E-Ink Slate, huge announcements would be made before introducing a new technology.

[cghipp]

We are speculating because, according to various reports, a Sony representative flatly stated they would not be going in the front-lit direction because their previous effort was such a disaster. Somehow this person thought that meant no one cared about having one, because no one wanted that particular crappy product.

http://www.clubic.com/livre-electron...oeclairee.html

Translated:
At the level of actual reading lights, how you position yourself in the market?
Sony has long been the market leader. There are no official figures, but estimates have kept a good position on the market in 2012, so we are happy, we think clearly still be part of the market leaders. Compared to our competitors, we have estimated offer reading lights "premium". particular we put forward reading comfort for the consumer, and it is this technological aspect that emphasizes

Unlike much of your competitors, you do not put today focus on autoéclairage screen. But this is the big trend, why not follow it?
It is believed that the integration of a lighting system on the sides is not necessarily useful, and may even degrade the reading experience. It moves away from the traditional reading experience on paper. By cons, we believe it can be useful to have a cover that incorporates a lighting system that can guide the reader as he wishes. But we are not trying to incorporate lighting directly into the hardware of the reading light.

You are totally against the current competition in the matter, so...
One should know that we launched such a system a few years ago (the Sony Reader PRS-700 in 2008, Ed) and it did not work very well market. We just studied the issue at this time ... we had concluded that e-readers are really intended for heavy readers who seek a close experience of the paper, and light alter the experience. So we relied on other features that the book is not, as the ability to enlarge the font to reinforce reading comfort.

You were clearly ahead in 2008, would not it be time to try again now that everyone has started?
tudies we have conducted have shown us that the presence of an integrated lighting system was not a criterion: it is a popular feature of time time, but that's all. We prefer to focus on the rest of the reading light to provide a high performance product, without this feature, it offers the option of using accessories. This is the bias that we take.

La suite sur Clubic.com : Stéphanie Lang, Sony : pas de liseuse avec éclairage intégré en vue http://www.clubic.com/livre-electron...#ixzz2XpiYt6kp
Informatique et high tech

[jersysman]

Why so long to release a T3? Sony, if not anything, is consistent with the releases of their new ereaders. We knew when they were coming. The speculation now is on what will be or not included. An HD display and frontlit screen would be a major change.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by jersysman

Why so long to release a T3? Sony, if not anything, is consistent with the releases of their new ereaders. We knew when they were coming. The speculation now is on what will be or not included. An HD display and frontlit screen would be a major change.

They're not late.
They are *exactly* on schedule; the T1 was first leaked two years ago and shipped in august. The T2 leaked a year ago and did the same.

It may seem like a longer time because the market moved two full technology generations (maybe 3 if you count the Kobo Aura) while Sony stayed pat with the T2.