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New Sony Reader PRS-T3 leaks via the FCC

A new Sony Reader is on the way, according to documents pertaining to compliance testing on the US Federal Communications Commission website.

Michelle Starr Science editor
Michelle Starr is CNET's science editor, and she hopes to get you as enthralled with the wonders of the universe as she is. When she's not daydreaming about flying through space, she's daydreaming about bats.
Michelle Starr
2 min read

A new Sony Reader is on the way, according to documents pertaining to compliance testing on the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website.

(Credit: FCC)

It's official: e-reader season is now open. Kobo and Amazon have announced their 2013 offerings, and now we're only waiting on Sony as the last of the local "big three" e-reader triumvirate. Apparently, it's coming tonight at IFA, if documentation found on the US FCC website by Spanish website Librista is any indication.

Called the PRS-T3, the new e-reader follows last year's PRS-T2, with a few notable changes. The first is what is called an "integrated snap cover" — the e-reader and cover come as an all-in-one unit.

Its 6-inch Pearl E Ink display has been given a resolution upgrade — it's now 1024x758 compared to the T2's 800x600, bringing it up to the 212 dpi high definition boasted by the new Kobo Aura and the new Kindle Paperwhite. Unlike those devices, though, Sony has still not included a built-in light — on purpose. In March this year, Stephanie Lang of Sony France said in an interview with Clubic, "We believe that the integration of a lighting system on the sides is not necessarily useful, and may even degrade the reading experience."

(Credit: FCC)

In the past, Sony has included an external light on its e-reader cases for those who want portable illumination — that will no doubt be the case with the PRS-T3, as well.

Other features include two months of battery life based on 30 minutes of reading per day with the Wi-Fi switched off (again, the same as Kobo and Amazon), Wi-Fi (obviously), quick charge whereby three minutes of charging can provide enough power to read 600 pages, four hours between full-page refreshes and built-in dictionaries — English, French, Spanish, German and 10 bilingual dictionaries.

According to photos spotted on German e-reader website Alles Ebook, the software looks pretty similar in terms of how you use the e-reader, including how the libraries are organised and Sony's excellent note-taking function. Hopefully, we'll also see a return of features such as Evernote integration and public library support. Interestingly, we didn't spot a stylus for the device.

Sony has been pretty good at keeping its pricing relatively low. With the PRS-T2 priced at AU$179, and the new Kindle Paperwhite coming in at US$139, we estimate that it will be somewhere between these two price points — probably around AU$150.

We expect to have more information tomorrow, so stay tuned.