Sony plans $199 U.S. e-reader, takes on Amazon
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Sony Corp will begin selling this month the cheapest digital book reader for the United States, heating up the competition with Amazon.com Inc in the small but fast-growing market for electronic readers.
Sony plans to start selling its 5-inch-screen Reader Pocket Edition at $199 — which it called a breakthrough price — and a larger touchscreen reader for $299, through nationwide retail outlets such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy.
To drive demand, the company plans to reduce the price it now charges for downloads of best-sellers and new releases to $9.99 from $11.99, bringing prices in largely in line with Amazon’s.
Analysts say people that may have been holding off in the middle of a recession may be tempted by Sony to jump onto the digital-reader bandwagon.
“Achieving the $199 price point, we believe, expands the market dramatically,” Steve Haber, president of Sony’s Digital Reading division, told Reuters in an interview.
Sony plans,Sony plans News, Sony plans World News, Sony plans Updates, Sony plans Latest, Sony plans Popular, Sony plans Biodata, Sony plans Biography, Sony plans Photo, Sony plans Video, Sony plans History, Sony plans Scandal, News, World news, World updates news, World today, International news, Local news, Asia news, Asia-Pacific news, Malaysia news, Europe news, U.S news, Americas news, Africa news, Middle East news, America Latin news, Asia, Asia Pacific, Malaysia, Europe, U.S, America, Africa, Middle East, America Latin, Latest news, Popular news, Breaking news, Headline news, Headline, Gallery news, News gallery, News hour, Top stories, News channel, Channel news, News web, Web news, News space, Sports news, Science news, Technology news, Science and technology news, Politics news, Political Scandal, Economy news, Health news, Business news, NASA News, Apollo 11 News, Sports, Science, Technology, Science and technology, Politics, Economy, Health, Business, NASA, APOLLO 11, Tragedy, Terrorism, Terrorist, Bf1,