Sony Reader Pocket Edition temporarily $169

Sony today quietly slashed the price of the Reader Pocket Edition to $169. The $30 discount is rare for the e-reader line and should last until April 4th, until just a day after the launch of the iPad. Sony's digital reading head Steve Haber claimed the price drop was intended to drive the popularity of the devices as a whole and that this sort of sale "occurs naturally" in the industry.

The timing of the sale is nonetheless unusual as it comes well after releases or price cuts for conventional readers that are much more likely to compete in its class, such as the $259 Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook. However, the $169 price helps bring attention to the Pocket Edition at a point when it's likely to be overshadowed and helps widen the price gap between itself and Apple's reader, which while $499 is likely to hurt sales of rivals closer to its price. The Pocket Edition's lack of Internet access and significant platform extras are potentially advantages as it allows a lower price and a considerably wider price gap between itself and its imminent competitor. [via WSJ]

By Electronista Staff