Storytel is launching their first e-reader this summer and it is the first device of its kind that is directly tied into an ebook subscription service. Although the company has a myriad of apps for Android and iOS they are betting some of the 530,000 paid subscribers will purchase one.
The Storytel Reader features a six inch E Ink Carta display and resolution of 1024×768. It will have 8GB of internal memory and 512MB of RAM. You will be able to read at night via the front-lit display. You will be able to turn the pages of a book with the touchscreen or the physical page turn keys. It does have a 3.5mm headphone jack and WIFI.
Storytel Reader will be launched in Sweden, Denmark and Finland within the next month or two. The company also plans on marketing it in other countries by the end of the year. The price for the e-Reader will be 999 SEK in Sweden, 799 DKK in Denmark and 99.99 € in Finland.
Update: Storytel confirmed with Good e-Reader that they will soon issue a new firmware update so customers can take advantage of the 3.5mm headphone jack and listen to audiobooks. The entire Storytel audiobook library will be available for paid subscribers who own the e-reader.
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.