Sony PRS-T2 Pro Reviews

The Sony Reader PRS-T2 offers a greatly improved menu and apps over its predecessor. The Reader Store integration is a bit fiddly, and the selection of books can't match Amazon. The biggest problem, however, is the high price considering the lack of a built-in light.

In the last couple of years, Sony has only offered incremental improvements to its e-reader line, which is really down to this single model (that said, it's good that it has simplified its line). While Sony's never released sales numbers for its e-readers or e-books, the prevailing opinion is that it has only a small share of the U.S. e-reader market -- but the Reader does have international appeal. However, as Amazon, Apple, and upstarts like Kobo expand their e-book offerings into fast-growing markets abroad, Sony's facing plenty of competition outside of North America. Also, Barnes & Noble has recently taken the Nook brand overseas. I like the Reader PRS-T2. It's lightweight, the text looks good on the screen, page turns are fast, and the new interface has been improved. As I said, there's nothing significantly wrong with it other than it doesn't do anything to distinguish itself from the competition. And in a crowded field of commodity products (yes, e-readers have essentially become just that), you risk looking a little mundane if you're not beating anybody on price, design, features, or performance. Ultimately, that's what the Sony PRS-T2 is: a solid but undistinguished e-reader.

The Sony Reader is a fine device. If you’re already invested in Sony’s Reader store, you’ll find a good device here to read on. The only problem with it is that Sony’s competition has jumped ahead. Both the newest Nook and Kindle offer light-up screens for night reading and smoother touch controls; they rely less on physical buttons, another small way the Reader is slightly behind the times. And even these issues wouldn’t be a problem if Sony would price the Reader more competitively. It currently costs $130. By comparison, both the Nook Paperwhite and Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight cost $120. It’s hard to recommend a product that costs more and offers less, but if you like physical buttons, don’t need a light-up screen, or want extra storage (microSD), Sony’s reader is a decent option.

The Sony Reader PRS-T2 is a nicely upgraded ebook reader that still costs too much for what you get. And without a backlight, it's virtually a non-starter.

Still, aside from the price, there’s a lot to like about the device. I certainly have no major qualms with it, and in fact I really enjoyed the time I spent with it. If you can get over the price and don’t mind the fact that you won’t have a backlight at your disposal, then I’m sure you’ll be satisfied with the Reader PRS-T2. It comes packed with a lot of extra features and is easy to use – making it a good idea for those who are new to the eReader scene – and it’s a good looking device to boot, so if you’re in the market for a new eReader, definitely give the PRS-T2 a look before you make your decision.