Approximately 60 digital e-readers are currently available on the market. Each has unique features such as colour enhancements, waterproofing technology and notetaking abilities. Although Kindle is the most popular and well-known brand, other significant players keep shaking things up. According to Statista, the industry’s market value for e-readers is projected to reach approximately USD 46.94 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 15.3% from 2021 to 2031. This indicates that the industry will continue to grow and prosper for years, and why wouldn’t it? Humans love to read.
This fact is solidified as the top brands continue to release new and updated versions, with several releases in the past month alone. This trend is expected to continue as we approach the upcoming holiday season. Readers everywhere are excited for news about the innovative features that will be coming. One thing is sure: as artificial technologies continue to evolve, there will no doubt be a significant change, but that is a story for another day.
Meet the brands behind digital reading technology.
- Amazon Kindle
Kindle was the first e-reader on the market. It was introduced in 2007 by Amazon and has been the leader in the industry ever since. Touted as the best overall reader time and time again, it is well known for its distraction and glare-free reading capabilities due to powerful Eink display technology. Staying true to its brand has proven to be a winning strategy for Amazon, and while new models and features like colour have been added, the focus has always been on providing the best reading experience.
The most recent Kindle models are Paperwhite, a basic high-speed and powerful reader, Scribe, an AI-powered reader and note taker and the new coloured version, Colorsoft.
- Rakuten Kobo
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Amazon’s top competitor, Rakuten, has achieved that with Kobo e-readers. Kobo is often described as the more affordable alternative to Kindle, although they are just as capable.
Kobo offers the Clara and Libra models as simple e-readers with black and white and colour options, and the Sage and Elipsa models with excellent note-taking capabilities
- Barnes & Noble Nook
Using Adaptive GlowLight® illumination display technology, Nook is known for its high-resolution paper-like reading. Backed by one of the most famous booksellers in the world, Barnes and Noble keeps things simple with two versions, the Nook 4 and the Nook 4 Pro.
- Onyx Boox
Produced in China by Onyx International, Boox is an ultra-light and ultra-thin e-reader built on Android IOS using an Elink display. It is described as the most versatile and high-quality e-reader because it can access applications on Google. However, it has a hefty price tag that matches its “open and adaptable” Android features.
Models include Page, Poke and, coming soon, the Palma.
Other notable brands:
- Pocketbook, BigMe, MeeBook and reMarkable, which is a writing/reading tablet
Big brands mean big competition, and when it comes to e-readers, there is no exception to the rule. DRM is an essential factor to consider when purchasing any reader.
What is DRM and why does it matter?
Amazon enforces Digital Rights Management (DRM) to prevent Kindle eBooks from being used on non-Amazon devices, leading competitors to adopt similar measures. This resulted in each brand creating a library of proprietary content. In other words, you cannot read Nook Books on Kindle or Kobo, and vice versa.
Kindle seems to be the most stringent in enforcing this rule. Many people are unaware that when you purchase an e-book on Kindle, it does not belong to you. Downloading it to your Kindle is similar to borrowing a book from a library; this privilege can be revoked at any time.
However, these brands have millions of ebooks to choose from (with new books added daily), so reading is not seriously impacted. It is unlikely that any person will ever be able to read that many books in their lifetime.
Some applications like ReadWise can circumvent this issue by reading many file formats but require access to other services like Google. For most of us, any of these devices will provide a lifetime of streamlined and exceptional reading experiences.
Perhaps a reader that can download and read any file type would be the future of reading devices, which I would consider buying.
Image by Capucine from Pixabay