Following sharp cuts in the price of e-readers from both Amazon and Barnes and Noble, Sony is following the pack and doing the same. Although they are late to the show, Sony is making the right move in lowering the sticker numbers on their readers to stay competitive.
You could argue that Sony makes the best electronic reading devices around, but that does not mean that in this cut throat market they want to be at a price disadvantage, right? Surprisingly, Sony seems to answer yes to that question. While they have cut their prices, they are still not in line with what their competition is offering. This is the new Sony line up pricing:
The Pocket Edition matches the price of the WiFi Nook, but is not WiFi enabled. The Touch Edition lacks the 3G capability that the Kindle and the higher priced Nook both offer for just a few ten dollar bills more. The Daily Edition is still far and away overpriced. Sony seems to be unwilling to fight a price war, and that just may sink its e-reader line.
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The trend seems to be that eventually e-readers will be akin to a razor, and e-books that razor’s replacement blades. Expect the cost of e-readers to drop even further in the coming months. Sony needs to cut deeper, and soon, to keep up.
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