Looking for the best ebook reader for you? This ereader comparison makes the job easy by outlining the prominent features of all the competing brands. The market for ebook readers has settled into three different categories, Premium, Mid-Range and Value which we have as separate sections below. With the huge range of selection from several manufacturers and retailers, we’ve hand picked the most popular in each category along with the best price for each model as part of our ebook reader comparison.
Premium Ereader Comparison
These are the Cadillacs of the ereader market and are definitely what you’re looking for if you want the best ebook reader. Full featured with big screens, wireless or 3G connectivity and ample storage space, if you want to invest in the highest quality product to enjoy for a long time to come, this is the category for you.
| Kindle DX | Nook Color | Daily Reader | BeBook Neo | iPad | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mfgr | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Sony | Endless Ideas | Apple |
| Picture |  |  |  |  |  |
| Best Price | $379 | $249 | $299 | $249 | $529 |
| Our Pick |  | ||||
| Screen Size | 9.7" | 7" | 7" | 6" | 9.7" |
| Screen Type | E-Ink | LCD | E-Ink | E-Ink | LCD |
| Touchscreen | | | | |
|
| Color | | |
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| Wireless | 3G | WiFi | WiFi + 3G | WiFi | WiFi + 3G |
| Storage | 4GB | 8GB | 2GB | 2GB | 16GB |
| Battery Life | 7 days | 8 hours | 7 days | 7 days | 10 hours |
| Audio Player | | | | | |
| Weight | 18.9 oz | 15.8 oz | 9.6 oz | 10.5 oz | 25.6 oz |
| Other Retailers | $329 $329 | $529 |
Premium – Best Ebook Reader – Barnes & Noble Nook Color
One of the benefits of the Premium class of ereaders is additional functionality like color touch screens and web browsing capability, which makes the Nook Color the best-in-class. Anywhere there’s a WiFi connection you can search all the content of your favourite blogs, news sites and forums for a third of the price of an iPad. The interface is fast and easy to navigate, and it’s automatically connected to the Barnes & Nobles ebook store which is slightly more interactive than the Amazon equivalent. And because of the vivid color screen, visually stunning works such as graphic novels or photography portfolios can be enjoyed anywhere you go. While the battery life suffers running such a powerful device, it can easily be taken out and about for a full day of mobile reading and browsing, especially with it’s more than ample storage.
Mid-Range Ereader Comparison
Here you’ll find the bread and butter of ebook readers. Easily the bestselling of all models, versatile enough to suit a wide range of users’ needs and priced far more competitively than premium models. They’re also smaller, easier to carry and with longer battery life.
| Kindle 3G | Kindle 3 | Nook 3G | Touch Reader | Cruz Tablet |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mfgr | Amazon | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Sony | Velocity |
| Picture |  |  |  |  |  |
| Best Price | $189 | $139 | $199 | $340 | $198 |
| Our Pick | | ||||
| Screen Size | 6" | 6" | 6" | 6" | 7" |
| Screen Type | E-Ink | E-Ink | E-Ink | E-Ink | LCD |
| Touchscreen | | | |
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| Color | |
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| Wireless | WiFi + 3G | WiFi | WiFi + 3G | - | WiFi |
| Storage | 4GB | 4GB | 2GB | 2GB | 2GB |
| Battery Life | 10 days | 3 weeks | 2 days | 2 weeks | 10 hours |
| Audio Player | | | | | |
| Weight | 8.7 oz | 8.5 oz | 12.1 oz | 7.9 oz | 16 oz |
| Other Retailers | $349 | $201.09 $249  |
Mid-Range – Best Ebook Reader – Amazon Kindle 3G
There’s a reason the Kindle is the greatest selling ereader of all time. Its high contrast E-Ink screen is easy on the eyes for flipping through novels even in bright sunlight, it’s designed to be light and portable and its battery life is second to none. If you’re looking to load up on new titles and take it with you for a vacation on the beach, you probably won’t even need to bring your charger! Better still, if you’re short on time while packing and can’t download all the ebooks you wanted, the 3G will work for free almost anywhere in the world to automatically connect to the Amazon store, which has more selection than any other. And new to this 3rd generation model, you can use the wireless connectivity for basic web browsing as well. Everyone knows the Kindle name, find out for yourself what all the fuss is about.
Value Ereader Comparison
If you don’t need all the bells and whistles, prefer a device that’s even more portable and are glad to save a bit of money doing so, the value category has what you’re looking for. Many of these models come without wireless connectivity, the ability to play music, or extensive storage capacity, but if all you need is a basic ereader you can load up with all your new and favourite titles, why ask for anything more?
| Pocket Reader | Libre Pro | jetBook mini | eReader | Cruz Reader |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mfgr | Sony | Aluratek | Ectaco | Kobo | Velocity |
| Picture |  |  |  |  |  |
| Best Price | $164 | $89.99 | $87.95 | $99.99 | $119.54 |
| Editor's Choice | | ||||
| Screen Size | 5" | 5" | 5" | 6" | 7" |
| Screen Type | E-Ink | E-Ink | E-Ink | E-Ink | LCD |
| Touchscreen | | |
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| Color | |
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| Wireless | - | - | - | - | WiFi |
| Storage | 2GB | 2GB | 100MB | 1GB | 256MB |
| Battery Life | 2 weeks | 24 hours | 4 days | 2 weeks | 10 hours |
| Audio Player | | | |
||
| Weight | 5.7 oz | 7.5 oz | 5.8 oz | 8 oz | 16 oz |
| Other Retailers | $169 $179 | $97.99 $119.99  $120.20 | $99.99 | $125 | $129.99 |
Value – Best Ebook Reader – Sony Pocket Reader
Sony’s latest update to their Pocket Reader line shows that big things can come in small packages. Very small packages, as in the lightest 5” ereader on the market. They’re also widely available so competition helps keep the price exceptionally low for a name brand, well received product. While it has no wireless connectivity or audio player, as an ebook reader it works great. The addition of touchscreen functionality is also very welcome as it gives a tactile feel to the experience and is a great space and weight saver.
