We have seen a massive new movement in e-reader operating systems in 2014, with the advent of open Android. This is a concept where instead of locking you down to a specific ecosystem and custom UI, we are now seeing the equivalent of a pure vanilla Android experience. Onyx and Icarus have both released numerous models and now Boyue is entering the fray with their Boyue T61 e-reader.
The Boyue T61 features a six inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024×758. It has a sunken screen, instead of one flush with the bezel, which provides the illusion it is using Neonode IR technology. This e-reader uses a fairly solid front-lit display, which will allow readers to easily view eBooks while in the dark.
Underneath the hood is a A9 1Ghz Dual Core processor with 512MB of RAM. There is 4GB of internal storage with the option to increase it up to 32GB via the MicroSD card.
Android 4.2.2 Jellybean is the main attraction and users can load in their own apps. There is no built in app store, so you will need some sort of technical knowledge in order to sideload in your own.
The T61 is basically the exact same as the Icarus Illumina E653, they both use the same hardware shell and internal components. The software is quite different though, as Icarus has a slew of reading apps right out of the box and will be adopting a e-ink based app store soon.
This is an e-reader that is primarily available in China, international users might be able to buy them from eBay, or 3rd party markets.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.