The e-reader market has long been dominated by just two players in many parts of the world: Amazon's Kindle and Rakuten's Kobo, but as we've seen with smartphones in recent years, this is a comfortable situation. . it could soon be shaken up by a new Chinese competitor. As Notebook Check found out, a product called the Xiaomi Mi Ebook Reader was recently certified by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group and will feature the latest Bluetooth 5.0 standard. This means the device could come with audiobook support just like the current line of Kindle e-readers. Xiaomi is not new to the world of e-book readers. Last year, the company released two devices exclusively in China: the iReader T6 in May and the MiReader in November. Both only support Chinese scripts, but if this list is anything to go by, Xiaomi may be preparing to launch an e-reader worldwide.
Deep in my book
No specifications for the upcoming Xiaomi device have been revealed, and it's not yet clear whether the eReader is in fact a new product or a reincarnation of one of the existing Xiaomi models. Based on the product listing name in the Bluetooth SIG database, Mi Ebook Reader, it is likely that Xiaomi will be able to rename your existing MiReader. If so, the new device will feature a 6-inch E Ink capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 1024 x 768 (or 212ppi). These are the same screen specs of the newly announced Kobo Nia and a step up from the 167ppi screen on the entry-level Amazon Kindle model. MiReader's current display is front-lit, and like the Kobo Clara HD, Libra H2O, Forma, and Kindle Oasis, the hue can be changed to filter out blue light that interferes with sleep. Under the hood is a 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage—twice the capacity of any Kobo and four times the capacity of the cheapest Kindle. The MiReader also comes with Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi, uses Android 8.1 as the operating system, and has a very respectable 1800 mAh battery. This is more than any other popular e-reader can offer right now. Another feature of the MiReader that is currently not available on any other reader on the market is USB-C charging. And just like Kobos, MiReader can support a wide variety of file formats, including EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT, DOC, and XLS. It's also highly portable, measuring 159,2 x 116 x 8,3mm and weighing slightly more than the Kindle and Kobo Nia (178g vs. 172g and 174g respectively). The MiReader is pretty affordable, too, with a suggested retail price of ¥599 in China (about $86 / £67 / AU$120). If the new Xiaomi e-reader can enter global markets at a similar price, then Amazon's entry-level Kindle and Kobo Nia could face stiff competition.