Will 5-6 inch smartphones force . . .

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by sealbeater

Personally I still don't see why someone would read on their phone. I have a book reader that gets excellent battery life...why would I run down my phone's battery?

It's very simple why I read with my phone. I prefer to carry only one device, I can read and listen to my music all at the same time. I have excellent battery usage since my phone is in airplane mode 99% of the time.

Even if I forgot to charge it the night before which might my bring my battery down to 50%, I have a charger at work to charge it there. It will be fully charged by the time I go to lunch.

Oh and before someone brings out the old chestnut of not being able to read outside, I choose not to do so, so that has no bearing on how I read on my phone.

The 5.5" screen is very easy to read off of, the Orig Sony was a 5" screen.

Different strokes for different folks. You read your way, and I'll read mine.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

...The 5.5" screen is very easy to read off of, the Orig Sony was a 5" screen.

Different strokes for different folks. You read your way, and I'll read mine.

Yep. But carrying a 5.5" phone is not something I want to do. I'd rather carry a Kobo Mini or a Sony PRS-350 if I'm going to have a screen that big.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Older models lacked built-in lighting. That was a major deal breaker for me so prior to getting a tablet, I'd more often read on a 3.5" retina iPhone than on the Sony PRS-350.

They're also easier to use for browsing libraries and downloading certain content to (e.g. library books, Hoopla Digital borrows, fanfics, etc).

I got a lighted cover for my Sony.

At home I usually browse the library and check out on my desktop, then sync from the desktop to my Sony reader. If I'm away from home but have wifi access I browse and check out on my phone, then connect the Sony to wifi and download the book from the library. I have my library loans page saved as my browser home page on the Sony so this process is pretty quick.

Originally Posted by rcentros

If I plan on reading I'll always take an eInk reader with me. If I'm stuck somewhere I'll read on my phone, but usually not for more than ½ an hour at a shot.

Me too. When I first got my smartphone I tried using it as a reader but it gave me eye issues if I used it for long periods of time (never had any eyestrain with e-ink). I have no problem with small print and don't want to carry or hold a large device, so my 6" Sony reader is a good size for me.

[cfrizz]

I think this picture shows which device is larger than the others. Top phone 5" second phone 5.5" third Sony 6" reader. The first two can easily fit in any pocket that I have, the Sony not so much.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by sealbeater

Personally I still don't see why someone would read on their phone. I have a book reader that gets excellent battery life...why would I run down my phone's battery?

Here are some reasons I do:

My phone is always with me.
I charge my phone every night anyway.
I read is poor light far far more than the Good light needed for eInk.
Very comfortable to hold a phone, more so than a large tablet.
Even though a phone screen is small, you can set the font size to what you want.

If not my phone...then I read on tablets. I keep thinking that an ereader is so cheap..but I already have phone and tablets and read quite comfortably on them. Why buy yet another device?

[leebase]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

Oh and before someone brings out the old chestnut of not being able to read outside, I choose not to do so, so that has no bearing on how I read on my phone.

It’s not often I read outside in the bright sun...but when I do, my phone is still readable.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I just finished reading a book last night on my PRS-350, using a Kobo Clamp Light that fit comfortably over the flaps of the case. If I plan on reading I'll always take an eInk reader with me. If I'm stuck somewhere I'll read on my phone, but usually not for more than ½ an hour at a shot.

I actually do have the official lighted cover for the PRS-350. Alas, I can never get rid of light glare from external reading lights sufficiently so I ended up just using it in brightly lit environments (which happens quite rarely).

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

I think this picture shows which device is larger than the others. Top phone 5" second phone 5.5" third Sony 6" reader. The first two can easily fit in any pocket that I have, the Sony not so much.

Add a Kobo Mini or Sony PRS-350 to the mix and you'll have a different result. These will fit in a shirt pocket (when out of their cases). But if I'm going to be reading when traveling somewhere, I just stick the eReader in "pocket" of my car door. If I get stuck somewhere (as an emergency) I can still read on my Blackberry Q10. I've got the Kobo and Kindle apps on it -- actually I loaded the Nook app, but even though it installed it won't connect to B&N's server. (I had forgotten I had done that.)

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

I actually do have the official lighted cover for the PRS-350. Alas, I can never get rid of light glare from external reading lights sufficiently so I ended up just using it in brightly lit environments (which happens quite rarely).

My eyes seem to tolerate the external reading lights a lot better than the LCDs or front-lit eReaders. Actually I read for hours at night with the case lights -- or the Kobo Clip Light, or M-Edge E-Luminator.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by leebase

It’s not often I read outside in the bright sun...but when I do, my phone is still readable.

When I was up in Idaho this spring, I got to read outside a lot in nice weather. But it doesn't happen much in Texas (though I did read out on the balcony when I was in Galveston -- before going to Idaho).

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

At home I usually browse the library and check out on my desktop, then sync from the desktop to my Sony reader. If I'm away from home but have wifi access I browse and check out on my phone, then connect the Sony to wifi and download the book from the library. I have my library loans page saved as my browser home page on the Sony so this process is pretty quick.

Alas, my PRS-350 doesn't have wifi. USB was the only option. I've never actually bothered with connecting my Paperwhite to Overdrive. Even then, I read plenty of content from other sources that would require conversion and/or DeDRM before I can read them on the PW3.

At home, I'm rarely in front of the PC (like once in a blue moon for the past 4 years). In fact, apparently the last time my Calibre library was loaded with new/updated content was way back in March. Since then, I've accumulated ~700 ePubs temporarily saved on Dropbox that I need to import and organize. Most are dupes for WIP fics but there are enough corner cases that I don't wish to fully automate the import/dedupe process.

[cootcraig]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I'm using my Blackberry Q10 on Twigby — 500 minute, 500 MB plan (I'm not a big data user). They didn't accept it when I signed up, but when I did a phone change it allowed me to switch to the Blackberry. This was about one and a half years ago, so I don't know if it still works that way.

This might be worth a try for me. I was exhausted and dissappointed with the price of Sprint and failed attempts with Ting first and then Patriot.

Originally Posted by rcentros

I do know that Ting allows Blackberries, but I think they're almost as expensive as Sprint.

I was a happy Ting customer until I broke a qwerty slideout phone and decided I wanted an older qwerty BlackBerry. Ther compatablility page said no support for Blackberry and support confiremed that.

The patriot compatibility page said Blackberry was supported, but despite valiant efforts on their part it never worked. Eventually it was escalated and I was told Sprint blocks Patriot from Blackberry devices.

I ended up buying a cheap flip phone and stayed with Patriot because it was cheaper than Ting. I really liked Ting's approach and customer support.

To stay thread related, I will not use a phone as an ereader. While I don't have a Kobo reader, I plan to get one and hope they continue strong in dedicated ereaders.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by cootcraig

This might be worth a try for me. I was exhausted and dissappointed with the price of Sprint and failed attempts with Ting first and then Patriot.

I just realized that you may be talking about pre-OS10 Blackberries (ones that needed BIS or BES). If that's the case, I don't think this any way to activate them on a Sprint MNVO. (Sorry if I gave false hope.)

[azayn]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

This. I have an e-ink reader because I prefer to read on e-ink. The size of my phone has no effect on this preference.

Ditto. Notwithstanding articles and news stories, I'm loathe to road on any kind of backlit device. Moreover, the narrow bar shape of phones and phablets doesn't lend itself well to reading.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by leebase

Here are some reasons I do:

My phone is always with me.
I charge my phone every night anyway.
I read is poor light far far more than the Good light needed for eInk.
Very comfortable to hold a phone, more so than a large tablet.
Even though a phone screen is small, you can set the font size to what you want.

If not my phone...then I read on tablets. I keep thinking that an ereader is so cheap..but I already have phone and tablets and read quite comfortably on them. Why buy yet another device?

Same for me as well, since a week or so.

While I do like to read in peace and quiet at home, I often don't have the time. As I'm in public transport for at least one hour a day, I can just as well read something, and as my hour is split up into multiple short stretches, I've found I'm much more apt to grab my 5.5 inch phone to read something, than my 7.8 inch KA1.

So after I put some books onto the phone, I find I'm reading less news and less sites, and more books. At home, I'd prefer a somewhat larger screen than 5.5 inch, to be honest; maybe 7 or 8 inches, or even 10.x inches with double pages side by side.

As I like Moon+Reader, and it can sync reading position through both DropBox (which I've been using specifically for sharing things such as this between devices) and G-Drive (which I have because I have an android phone), I might just get myself a dedicated reading tablet for use at home.

If I can get one not made by Samsung... but that's a different topic.