Sony was at the forefront of the e-paper segment - for many enthusiasts, the iconic Sony Reader PRS-505 became the first reader, Japanese developers were the first to release an E Ink reader with built-in backlight (Sony Reader PRS-700), and in the subway you can still meet people with extremely successful aluminum models Sony Reader PRS-3×0/6×0. Unfortunately, the current Sony Reader PRS-Tx product line cannot boast of similar success, for obvious reason with the Amazon name. Nevertheless, the third model of the Sony Reader PRS-T3 line continues to move in the right direction, it received an updated design, a new E Ink Pearl HD screen, but most importantly, a “smart” cover integrated into the case, which allows you to start reading simply by opening a book. .
Versions, equipment
The Sony Reader PRS-T3 e-book is offered in three color options: black, white and red, while absolutely all surfaces are made in the main color, including the front and back panel, sides and cover.
The front panel of all three versions of the reader is made of slightly rough matte plastic, although the predecessor Sony Reader PRS-T2 had only a matte black version, while the white and red versions had a less practical glossy finish.
The CIS version of the Sony Reader PRS-T3 comes in a thin flat cardboard box with localized design. All available information is given in English and Russian, and even in the photo of the reader you can see the beginning of the novel “How the Steel Was Tempered”. Of the packaging design features, we note a clear indication of support for the popular FB2 format and a warranty card in a separate plastic bag.
Removing the outer shell reveals an origami box made from unassuming recycled cardboard. In addition to the actual reader inside, you can only find a short USB/micro-USB cable and a quick start guide in Russian and Ukrainian. Note that the international version of the bundle includes a plastic stylus, but the charger and branded backlit cover, if necessary, will have to be purchased separately.
Embedded cover
At first glance, the novelty looks almost the same as the previous version of the Sony Reader PRS-T2, but it is not. Unlike the monoblock design of its predecessor, the third model of the series has a “smart” cover integrated into the body, which not only protects the screen, but also acts as a decorative back panel. Such a solution allows to significantly reduce the overall dimensions and weight compared to the standard “reader + cover” version.
Magnets built into the front of the cover securely fix it on the front panel of the device and, in addition, automatically “wake up” the reader as soon as you open the cover and put it into sleep mode as soon as you close it. Note that in nature there is also a simplified version of the Sony Reader PRS-T3 with a conventional plug on the rear panel instead of an integrated cover, but it will not be sold everywhere.
To remove the cover, you need to carefully snap off the latches around the perimeter of the rear panel, after which you will have access to service information, a microSD memory card slot, and power contacts. You can use the Sony Reader PRS-T3 with the cover removed, but you should not do this, at least for aesthetic reasons. You should also take into account the non-zero probability of accidentally shorting the contacts that are used to power the optional removable cover with a built-in LED lamp.
We note the rather original design of the Sony Reader PRS-T3 card reader - this is not a miniature slot with a plug in one of the sides of the case, but a large rectangular recess in the center of the rear panel with an activity indicator and a slot hidden in the inner edge. As a result, the memory card in the “loaded” state is practically invisible, and the recess is necessary only to make it easier to remove it from the case.
Design, connectors
Despite the use of the screen of the same 6-inch diagonal, the Sony Reader PRS-T3 model has become noticeably more compact compared to its predecessor. If the width of the model has lost only 1 mm, then the difference in height between T3 and T2 is as much as 13 mm. But the weight comparison is more difficult to make, since the predecessor weighed 168 grams without a cover, and the new one weighed 200 grams with a cover. If you remove the cover along with the back panel, then weighing will show about 140 grams, which is quite good for a 6-inch reader.
The front panel of the Sony Reader PRS-T3 is made of slightly rough matte plastic. The screen is quite seriously recessed into its surface due to the features of the infrared module. Despite the possibility of touch control, the reader is equipped with a number of hardware keys. The design of the control block remains the same - these are five buttons in the form of corresponding icons - two arrows, a house, a "Back" sign and a "Menu" list. The sharp edges and unique shape of each of the buttons allow you to accurately determine by touch which one is currently under your fingers.
The rear surface of the Sony Reader PRS-T3 case, including the sides and part of the integrated cover, is made of anti-slip soft-touch plastic. But the front side of the cover is made of leather, and on the outside it is a smooth surface with a natural texture and no markings, and inside there is a soft suede part with a miniature Sony logo and a recess for a row of control keys. As a result, while reading, you touch a soft-touch coating that is pleasant to the touch or an equally pleasant leather surface.
There is absolutely nothing interesting on three of the four sidewalls of the reader, and only on the bottom edge you can find a minimum-sufficient set of a power button with a charge level indicator, a Reset hole and a micro-USB port for data transfer and battery charge. Support for audio files, and therefore headphone output, was abandoned by the developers in the second generation of the Sony Reader PRS-Tx family.
Functionality
The Sony Reader PRS-T3 is equipped with a 6-inch E Ink Pearl HD screen with a resolution of 1024 by 758 pixels and a Clear Touch infrared sensor module. There is no built-in backlight, like most of the current flagship readers, in this model, lovers of reading before going to bed will have to purchase a branded cover with a lamp. On the one hand, this is a step forward, since the previous model of the family was content with an E Ink Pearl matrix with a lower resolution of 800 by 600 pixels. But on the other hand, in terms of the two most important consumer properties - image quality and the presence of backlighting, the Japanese reader is inferior to the segment leader Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2013), which boasts a more recent E Ink Carta screen and front lighting, which you do not have to buy separately.
The device is running a Russified interface based on the Android OS, which allows us to hope for the appearance of custom firmware, so loved by some e-reading enthusiasts. The reader supports JPEG, PNG, GIF and BMP image formats, as well as TXT, ePub and PDF book formats. Modifications intended for sale in the CIS countries additionally support the locally popular FB2 format. It is interesting that we are talking about FB2 files, the device still does not support the FB2.zip archive version. Built-in memory is 2 GB of which only 1.2 GB is available to the user. However, the presence of a slot for memory cards allows you to completely remove the problem with the lack of free space.
The Sony Reader PRS-T3 is equipped with a 1000 mAh battery, a full charge of which, according to the manufacturer, should last for 2 months, if you read half an hour a day or 30,000 page turns. The battery charge from 0 to 100% lasts 2.5 hours when connected to a PC USB port and 2 hours when using a charger. The reader also supports ultra-fast charging - just 3 minutes should be enough to read 600 pages of text.
Interface
The presence of a touch screen and 5 hardware keys at once make it quite comfortable to control the Sony Reader PRS-T3 - a specific element is selected by pointing with a finger, and the context menu is opened, the transition back or to the main screen is carried out using the buttons. You can flip through the pages either with the help of two hardware arrows (by the way, holding the hardware “arrows” for a long time leads to fast rewinding of the text), and with a characteristic scrolling gesture, while simply touching the edge of the screen does not work.
The main interface window is divided into several zones. At the very top is a service line with icons for the wireless network and the degree of battery charge, and it is proposed to judge the state of the latter using only four divisions. By touching the upper right corner, you can quickly turn on or turn off the Wi-Fi module, as well as read system notifications. By pressing the Menu button, you will see the current time for a few seconds.
The central part of the screen is occupied by your current book and the four most recently added files. Moreover, if in the latter case the matter is limited to the covers and the title, then for the book that you are currently reading, the author's name, reading progress in digital and graphic form, as well as the date of the last opening are also available. If you like to read several books at the same time, then you will certainly appreciate the opportunity to see not one, but four recently opened text files at once.
And finally, at the very bottom, you can find three icons that go to the sections “Bookshelves”, “All Notes” and “Applications”. The library has standard features for sorting and displaying books, search and location marks (built-in storage or memory card) are also available. The Notes section lets you organize all the quotes you've highlighted, and the last tab contains links to the Browser, Dictionary, Pictures, Memo, Pictures and System Settings, Evernote, and Facebook apps.
In the system settings of the Sony Reader PRS-T3, you can set the necessary swipe gesture, determine the language of the menu and keyboard (Russian or English); Application Settings contains useful features such as a preferred font size, an option to force a full screen refresh every time the page is turned, a choice of default dictionary, slide duration, and three pages of system web browser settings. The remaining items contain the settings familiar to any modern device.
In reading mode, you see only the text and reading progress in the form of the current / last page of the book. Thanks to the optimization of the page refresh algorithm, artifacts practically do not manifest themselves, so there is no particular need for a full page refresh with a black fill. A long touch brings up a pop-up context menu with options to copy, send, and search for a word or phrase. At the same time, the most interesting is the ability to translate a word from Russian into English, from English into Russian, or to clarify the meaning of an English word in the Oxford Dictionary.
The Sony Reader PRS-T3 settings menu is called by a hardware button, and not by tapping in the center of the screen, as is usually the case with touch devices. The “Navigation page” item allows you to navigate to the desired page using the slider, specifying the number or content. The “Font” item contains 8 font gradations and 6 different types. “Pictures” and “Notes” allow you to respectively leave handwritten and text notes to the text of the book, “View Settings” is more interesting when reading PDF rather than text files, and the “Advanced” item is interesting for the ability to change the text orientation (only two options) and find out complete information about the book.
Exploitation
In the previous sections of the review, we have told almost everything that is worth telling about the Sony Reader PRS-T3 reader, and now we will dwell on the impressions of its operation in more detail.
The idea with a built-in cover, if you wish, you can find a lot of disadvantages associated with the lack of alternatives to this proposal. Some people do not like covers in principle, because they want to get the thinnest, lightest candy bar without moving parts and do not need a separate screen protector (for example, they only read at home). Someone does not like the design of the branded cover, and in another case, he would be happy to change it to a variant from a different material, with a different color/pattern and fixation method. You should not lose sight of the increase in the cost of the reader because of this “free” cover, since it will be almost impossible to buy a version without a cover in our country.
The second major complaint about the Sony Reader PRS-T3 cover was the method of fixation. We understand that a more “gentle” mount, which would be easier to remove, would likely become correspondingly less secure. But if you often remove the cover to, for example, remove a memory card, then sooner or later you will probably get tired of this clicking. In particularly unfortunate cases, plastic latches can simply be broken out. The situation is even worse if you have purchased a branded cover with an LED lamp and are going to regularly change the covers for reading on the road and before bed. Naturally, such claims will not arise from those who remove the cover only once - in order to insert a memory card.
On, and now about the merits of this Integrated Snap Cover. It just fits perfectly into the design and construction of the Sony Reader PRS-T3 reader, thanks to which it delivers aesthetic and tactile pleasure during operation. This solution is very much like a regular book, since you do not have to press any buttons to start reading - just pick it up, open the cover and get to the same page on which you finished reading. You get used to this “warm lamp” model of behavior very quickly and you begin to expect the same behavior from other readers, but alas ... We should also note the maximum energy savings, because the reader goes into standby mode as soon as you close the cover. What is especially valuable is that you do not need to force yourself to this action (as in the case of pressing the buttons on the case), it is familiar to anyone who has ever held an ordinary book or magazine in their hands.
Thus, it is up to you to decide whether the built-in cover is an advantage or a disadvantage, since this assessment is essentially subjective.
Sony Reader PRS-T3 video review
Results
As a result, the Sony Reader PRS-T3 is a rather interesting update of the line of Japanese readers with an original design solution in the form of a smart cover built into the case. The device will certainly appeal to lovers of comfort and minimalism, although it has not received the latest E Ink Carta screen and trendy front lighting.
Liked
Built-in cover with magnetic fixation and automatic screen lock
1024 x 758 E Ink Pearl HD screen
Updated design, minimal body dimensions
Practical materials, excellent solution for the block of control buttons
Two ways to turn pages (hard buttons, touch screen)
MicroSD card slot available
Support for FB2 format, Russian-language interface
Did not like
- high price
- no built-in backlight
- integrated cover features
The product was provided for testing by Origami, the official distributor of Sony products in Ukraine, http://www.origami.co.ua
 |
Sony PRS-T3 Notify when available |
| Operating system | Android |
| Keyboard type | buttons + touch control |
| Accumulator battery | there is no data |
| Operating time (manufacturer's data) | up to 2 months (Wi-Fi off), up to 1 month (Wi-Fi) on - with 30 minutes of reading daily |
| Dimensions, mm | 109x160x11.3 (with cover) |
| Weight, g | 200 (with cover) |
| Diagonal, inches | 6 |
| Permission | 1024x758 |
| Matrix type | E Ink Pearl HD |
| Touch screen, technology | touch (infrared) |
| Additional screen | — |
| Built-in memory | 2 GB |
| Memory card slot | microSD |
| Text | ePub, PDF, TXT, FB2 |
| Audio | — |
| Images | JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP |
| Video | — |
| USB | microUSB |
| Audio jack | — |
| Other | — |
| IrDA | — |
| Bluetooth | — |
| WiFi | + (802.11b/g/n) |
| 3G (EDGE) | — |
| Accelerometer | — |
| QWERTY keyboard | — |
| speaker | — |
| FM receiver | — |
| Browser | + |
| Organizer | — |
| Dictionary | there is no data |
| Games | — |
| Reading aloud (Text to speech) | — |
| book store | + |
| More | integrated cover |
Information about the make, model, and alternative names of a particular device, if any.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, suggested colors, certificates.
| Width Width information refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 109 mm (millimeters) 10.9 cm (centimeters) 0.36 ft 4.29in |
| Height Height information refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 160 mm (millimeters) 16 cm (centimeters) 0.52 ft 6.3in |
| Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement. | 11.3 mm (millimeters) 1.13 cm (centimeters) 0.04ft 0.44in |
| Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 200 g (grams) 0.44 lbs 7.05oz |
| Volume Approximate volume of the device, calculated from dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. | 197.07 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 11.97 in³ (cubic inches) |
| Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale. | Black Red White |
SoC (System on a Chip)
System on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device in one chip.
| SoC (System on a Chip) System on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation. | Freescale i.MX508 |
| Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is made. The value in nanometers measures half the distance between the elements in the processor. | 65 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) of a mobile device is the interpretation and execution of instructions contained in software applications. | ARM Cortex-A8 |
| Processor bit depth The bit depth (bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance than 32-bit processors, which, in turn, are more productive than 16-bit processors. | 32 bit |
| Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands by which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv7-A |
| First level cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently accessed data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small and much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for them in the L2 cache. With some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2. | 32 kB + 32 kB (kilobytes) |
| Second level cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1, but in return it has a larger capacity, allowing more data to be cached. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or RAM. | 256 kB (kilobytes) 0.25 MB (megabytes) |
| Number of processor cores The processor core executes program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing many instructions to be executed in parallel. | 1 |
| Processor clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 800 MHz (megahertz) |
| The amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost when the device is turned off or restarted. | 512 MB (megabytes) |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has a built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed amount.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the image quality of information directly depends. | E Ink Pearl |
| Diagonal For mobile devices, the screen size is expressed in terms of its diagonal length, measured in inches. | 6 in 152.4 mm (millimeters) 15.24 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate Screen Width | 3.57in 90.67 mm (millimeters) 9.07 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate Screen Height | 4.82in 122.49 mm (millimeters) 12.25 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.351:1 |
| Permission Screen resolution indicates the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means sharper image detail. | 758 x 1024 pixels |
| Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be shown on the screen in clearer detail. | 212 ppi (pixels per inch) 83 ppcm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Screen area Approximate percentage of screen space on the front of the device. | 63.89% (percentage) |
| Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen. | capacitive Multitouch |
| Screen shades - 16 Clear Infrared touch screen |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that are recognized by the mobile device.
WiFi
Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for short distance data transmission between different devices.
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to communicate.
Headphone jack
This is an audio connector, which is also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
| Browser Information about some of the key features and standards supported by the device's browser. | HTML HTML5 |
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Sony PRS-T3 e-reader
Embedded cover and no backlight
It would seem that the trends in the market of devices for reading e-books are obvious: new items receive E-Ink Pearl displays, preferably high resolution, Wi-Fi modules, a touch unit and built-in backlight. Sony, which has a long path in the market for such devices, surprises with its rejection of the last element. When the previous model PRS-T2 came out, instead of a built-in light, it received a cover with a flashlight. The next novelty PRS-T3 again demonstrated the unusual accent given by Sony to the covers - this time the case was built into the body of the reader, and for reading in the dark, users are invited to purchase its backlit version separately. So fans of Sony products have to put up with its "special way". Otherwise, the new model Sony Reader PRS-T3 meets the basic requirements, and the infrared touch screen even outperforms competitors in speed.
In early August it became known that Sony was withdrawing from the consumer e-book market, and the PRS-T3, released almost a year ago, was thus the latest in the line. However, we are far from linking the unprofitability of the company's mobile division with the lack of backlighting in its books - it is most likely a dumping from bookstores (Amazon and Barnes & Noble), which offer their reading devices at almost cost and earn on selling content for them. Sony got rid of its Reader Store at the beginning of the year.
Device specifications
| Manufacturer | Sony |
| Name | PRS-T3 |
| Dimensions mm | 160×109×11 |
| Weight*, g | 197 (with cover integrated into the book) |
| Memory | 2 GB |
| Display | 6″ E-ink Pearl HD 1024×758 |
| CPU | 1000 MHz |
| Interface | Micro USB 2.0 |
| Memory expansion | microSD up to 32 GB |
| Text formats | PDF, EPUB, FB2, TXT |
| Audio formats | — |
| Graphic formats | JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF |
| Battery | 1000 mAh |
| Wireless modules | WiFi |
| OS | Android |
*according to the results of our weighing
Delivery set and appearance
The packaging is designed in a minimalistic style: the black and white gamma is diluted only with the logo of the World Cup in Brazil (its connection with e-books is not traced, so the conclusion about the sponsorship of Sony remains). On the front side of the box, we see the manufacturer's logo, an indication of FB2 format support and a large image of the device in the cover (there is no deception here, it really comes in the kit), and the key characteristics of the book are traditionally listed on the back. For the first time, we encountered an unusual location of the warranty card: instead of lying sedately in the depths of the box, it is folded 10 times and glued to the back of the box (by the way, closing the last two paragraphs of the device description).
To pull out the actual box of plain cardboard from a glossy paper cover, you will have to be patient and have a knife, but still, when opening the box, you will have to partially tear it. Those wishing to buy this model as a gift should take this fact into account when they want, for example, to check the operation of the device before handing it over. The regular cover without identification marks on the front side covers only the screen and is attached to the case in such a way as to minimally increase the dimensions of the device. We had no objections to such a decision, because the back side made of soft touch plastic lies so nicely in the hand.
Its main advantage, in addition to actually protecting the screen from damage and compactness, is the instant switching between the work of the reader and the standby mode. Everything happens as in the case of a paper book: as soon as you open the cover, you can immediately continue reading from the page where it was interrupted. One cannot but agree that it is very pleasant and natural - not to press additional keys, not to open the desired file again. The disadvantages of this solution include the fact that it will not be easy to replace the case with a branded version with built-in lighting or any other - you have to open the plastic cover. On the other hand, once you still have to open it to insert a microSD card, because the slot for it in the PRS-T3 model “ran away” from the edge of the case right there. Inside the cover is covered with a velvety material, the Sony logo gleams beautifully in the center.
Our test unit is finished in black, which contrasts nicely with the bulky metal buttons below the screen. They look original and attractive, they are easy to press blindly, but we did not like them as a functional element: firstly, they are pressed with a loud click, and secondly, they slightly scratch the fingers. There are five buttons in total: “back” and “forward” instead of the side paging keys, “home”, “return” for navigating through different levels of directories and a “context menu”.
On the bottom side, there is traditionally a Micro-USB port, a recessed Reset button and a power button for the device.
Screen
The already familiar 6-inch high-resolution screen with E-Ink Pearl technology pleased us with its speed and sensitive sensor. Compared to other e-readers, the Sony PRS-T3 rarely has black 'blinks' to erase traces of text from previous pages on the current page. The model in question allows you to set a page-by-page update of the screen (for this you need to delve into the settings) or leave its default frequency - after about the 15th page change, and during this period no annoying traces of text appeared. From this we conclude that the process of updating the display here is worked out very well, which confirms the reputation of such products from Sony. The paging process itself looks faster than competitors, which makes reading even more comfortable.
The non-backlit screen remains readable even in dimly lit environments, such as indoors on a cloudy day. The infrared touch display with the Clear Touch module responds adequately to point pressures, scrolls well, scrolls through lists and zooms. The keyboard is convenient to use in terms of speed and accuracy of response to pressing, but switching between layouts at first caused us difficulties. The symbol for switching from letters to symbols, as it turned out, also allows you to change the language from Russian to English and vice versa with a long touch. Since not all users read the instructions, someone will have to go into the system settings every time and select one of the two languages. We also noted the absence of French and German as input options as a disadvantage, as they might be required for searching through the text of the book.
Firmware
After successfully connecting to a Wi-Fi network, we went into the settings and launched a software update check, which immediately offered us a new version, which, as indicated, for some reason stops supporting Facebook. Since we had already made an attempt to enter the social network and received a vague notification about the small screen size that did not allow us to use the application, we boldly downloaded the update to version 1.0.02.17140 and installed it successfully.
Main screen
When you turn on the device for the first time, it will prompt you to set the date and time, and then go to the home screen, while loading will take only 5-6 seconds. The display space, as in previous models, is divided into 4 zones: the status bar at the top, the last opened books, the last added books and a menu of three items. The status bar lets you view file download notifications and manage your Wi-Fi connections, as well as showing the current time (after pressing the menu button), network signal strength, and battery power. Next is a large icon of the last opened book with the cover image, title and author's data, as well as indicating the pages read and remaining pages and the time the file was last opened. by clicking the symbol in the upper right corner, you can convert the view to the covers of the last four books opened, which is useful for those who like to read several works in parallel. The next line also includes four icons of the latest text files added to the device (graphic files will not be displayed). If the book has not yet been opened, then the cover will be marked "New". The last line is the menu items "Bookshelves", "All Notes" and "Applications". On the main screen, pressing the control keys will do nothing except display the time in the status bar.
Library
Here the catalog of books is called "Bookshelves", which becomes clear when displayed with icons: indeed, the screen is crossed by three virtual "shelves", each of which fits three books. This view is pleasing to the eye, but due to the cropped names and the lack of recognizable covers for a number of files (for example, Word format), this option is not suitable for everyone, so viewing in the form of a list is also offered. Sorting is available by date (apparently, additions), book or file name, author's last name or opening date (this is how we deciphered "previously read"). The search by title and author's data also works, including when entering only a part of the searched word.
The device does not display folders with files, but systematization is available to users through the Collections tool, familiar to many from the Amazon Kindle. Viewing content is available in three versions: collections, all available text files and Evernote, which gives access to notes and is not directly related to reading. For each collection, you must specify a storage location - internal memory or a microSD card. Adding books to the collection is carried out by calling the "Menu" key: the necessary items are marked with a "tick", and right in the process, you can create a new collection.
Also, the context menu allows you to delete and protect (from all the same deletion, apparently) files and slightly change the appearance of the list. The same operations plus viewing information are available for each element separately - for this, a long touch is made on the title of the book.
Notes
The main menu item "All Notes" is a list of all notes to the text from all the books read. It can be sorted by date, book or file name, and filtered by type: bookmark, drawing, just highlight. For some reason, the filter is missing a text note, which is the most popular type. Each item can be opened, automatically taken to the corresponding page of the book, deleted or uploaded to Evernote.
For FB2 and EPUB formats, all note tools are available, and for DOC and PDF documents, only pictures and bookmarks are available, however, you can leave a text comment on the bookmark using the keyboard.
Applications
Despite the fact that the Android platform is chosen for the Sony Reader, the device does not allow users to install applications on their own, which is hinted at by the absence of the Google Market in the list of applications. The programmers did not equip the reader with such excesses as a variety of games and a calendar, and limited themselves to the minimum set:
Browser
It works at medium speed, which is quite acceptable for an e-book reader with an E-Ink screen. You can read the news and check your mail without any problems, although with slight freezes. Of course, it will be more convenient to view those sites that have specially adapted mobile versions.
Dictionary
Work is available only with English in the following variations: translation from Russian into English and vice versa, as well as two explanatory English dictionaries - Oxford and American (New Oxford American Dictionary). Dictionary selection is carried out by the context menu button, the search sequentially substitutes possible values with the input of each letter, which allows you to avoid typing a long word by simply selecting it from the list. Words go in a row in such a way that the dictionary can be read like a book, flipping through the pages with the corresponding buttons. Calling up a dictionary is also possible right in the process of reading using the single word selection function.
Drawings
The program allows you to create drawings by swiping your finger across the screen and erasing extra lines with an eraser. Each file can be deleted or protected, and saved as a JPEG using the Screenshot feature. Such drawings do not require export to Evernote, unlike those related to the Notes menu item.
Text, memo
The most simple tool for creating text notes that are not related to books read and, therefore, not available through the "All Notes" menu. They are not exported to Evernote either.
Images
This menu item provides access to graphic files stored on the device. According to the manufacturer, it recognizes the JPG, PNG, BMP and GIF formats, but the last two, transferred from a computer via a USB cable, did not open. The appearance of images can be configured both with icons and with a list, and the sorting capabilities surprised us: everything is clear with the date, but “Book Title” is not at all suitable here (apparently, they wanted to say: “File name”).
Settings
The settings menu is quite extensive, although its structure is not always clear; under each item, the number of elements contained inside is signed. General settings include choosing the direction of the swipe gesture to go to the next page, the language of the menu and keyboard (only two languages are available, Russian and English). The following are the standard settings for wireless networks, date and time. Application settings include 4 sub-items:
- Books: set the default font size (relevant for the EPUB format) and display refresh rate;
- Vocabulary: in our opinion, an extra element is simply the choice of a valid dictionary;
- Images: select the duration of the slide show; duplicated in the application itself;
- Browser: standard and, at the same time, quite flexible settings for comfortable web surfing.
The System Management item allows you to create a PIN code to access the device, set the image for standby mode, select a download location (internal / external memory), check for software updates and enable demo mode. The mysterious word "Initialization" means only the possibility of formatting memory, clearing the input history (it is not known what; perhaps search queries) and restoring the default settings.
Finally, the “About” item (another firmware jamb) reveals legal information, device data, and a license agreement. The last in the list is turning off the device, which is also carried out by long pressing the power button (short, as usual, is responsible for entering and exiting the standby mode).
Evernote
To set up the program, you need an Internet connection and a service account. In general terms, Evernote is a convenient way to be able to access your notes, to-do lists, and reminders from any device after logging into your account. From our point of view, the use of an e-reader for these purposes is hindered by the dependence of the Internet connection on the availability of available Wi-Fi networks and a not too nimble keyboard. On the other hand, this feature will allow you to add selected words and comments from books you read, as well as drawings, to your virtual notebook. You can read notes created on other devices after converting to the EPUB format, which automatically imposes some restrictions on their content, which may be distorted during the format change. In the settings of the service, we encountered another flaw in the Russification of the software: the key tool - a notebook - is called a laptop (from the English notebook), although the translation is correct in the user manual.
This item existed in the menu before the firmware update, but since the mobile version of the social network refused to work on the device, we do not regret losing it.
Search
The search is not rendered as a separate menu item, but is available both in the "Bookshelves" and in reading mode. The function works correctly; when searching through a book, you can conveniently switch between the found values and continue reading from any of them.
Reading mode
The list of recognized formats for this device is not too wide compared to competitors, but it includes the most popular formats in Russia: PDF, EPUB, FB2, TXT. For reading PDF documents, there is a multi-touch gesture zoom tool, which is quite fast for an E-Ink screen. After zooming in, a window with a schematic image of the current page segment appears in the lower right corner; With finger movements, you can move the segment you are viewing on the page, and with paging buttons, you can switch between pages.
The context menu allows you to go to the selected page, draw something directly in the text, change the screen orientation, view information about the file and the created notes. The function of changing the font for this format is not available, as is the search function, and notes are created only through bookmarks (tap the upper right corner of the screen, then select the keyboard to enter a comment). Page cropping can be done both manually and automatically, and you can also rearrange the content into two or three columns, or adjust to the width of the "landscape" (apparently, they meant the screen). View settings allow you to adjust even the contrast and brightness of the image, however, the original settings still turned out to be the most convenient for reading.
- select (analogous to a marker, which can be “erased” if necessary);
- note (it is also the creation of a note, using the keyboard or drawing);
- send (upload to the Evernote service, subject to an Internet connection);
- search (on this book, Wikipedia and Google services).
You should pay attention to the fact that FB2 format recognition does not apply to archives (FB2.ZIP) - the device will not be able to read them.
Energy consumption
This device belongs to the class of "long-livers", which is facilitated not only by a capacious battery, but also by the lack of backlight, coupled with a "smart" cover, which automatically puts it into sleep mode when closed. For greater energy saving, the book is forced into sleep mode after 10 minutes of inactivity, and after 3 days in this state it automatically turns off. In addition to charging from a PC via a USB cable (approximately 2.5 hours for a complete process), the manufacturer recommends purchasing an AC adapter separately to speed up the process: a full charge will take 2 hours, and in just 3 minutes you can accumulate a charge to read approximately 600 pages. According to official data, a full charge should be enough for 30,000 pages per second of a book with the Wi-Fi function turned off. In testing, the book performed well: after charging from a PC for an hour and reading for about two hours a day with brief Wi-Fi connections, it retained half the charge after 2 weeks.
Compared to competitors, the Sony Reader wins due to the touch screen and compact size, but for complete happiness, this model lacks built-in backlighting and a more affordable price. The list of supported text formats looks less impressive than that of the "neighbors", but all the most popular types will be read.
pros
- support for popular formats
- "smart" built-in cover
- sensitive touch screen
- handy notes feature
- dictionaries for english
- integration with Evernote
- wifi receiver
Minuses
- no backlight
- "difficulty in translation"
- relatively high price
Summary
Sony's latest model can be praised for its traditionally high build quality, great screen and intuitive interface, but many buyers will turn away from the PRS-T3 due to the lack of built-in lighting and support for several formats (for example, DJVU and DOC). Considering that the price of the book is by no means low, it may be more profitable to buy a competitor with richer content and backlighting, and purchase the cover separately. On the other hand, Sony Reader boasts not just a long battery life, but a uniquely fast recharge: just 3 minutes of charging is enough to read another book. Thus, if the issue of reading in the dark is not paramount for you, then this model looks very worthy.
Add built-in backlight and fix flaws in Russian firmware.
Sony introduced a new generation reader under the PRS-T3 index. As you know, Sony stood at the very beginning of the segment of devices based on electronic paper technology, however, due to competition, it was seriously moved in the market. This model has the potential to somewhat improve the situation. 24Gadget will tell you more about it in the sequel.
Appearance
Housing PRS-T3 is made of nice matte plastic in one of three colors - black, white or red. The device has an integrated case made of genuine leather, which is made in the color of the case. This is very convenient, as it eliminates the worry of finding the right accessory on your own. The cover is fixed on the front panel with magnets. When you open it, the tablet turns on automatically. A special version of the cover with LED illumination is optionally available. It is powered by a special connector on the back of the reader.
The good news is that Sony engineers have not succumbed to the trend to use the touch interface everywhere and have retained the normal hardware interface buttons. They are located in one row directly below the screen and have a special profile that allows you to distinguish them by touch. At the top end there is a microUSB connector and a power button. Weight with cover - 200 g.
Display
The PRS-T3 is equipped with a 6-inch E Ink Pearl HD touchscreen with a resolution of 1024 x 758 pixels. It is slightly recessed into the body due to the design features of the infrared touchscreen.
Technical equipment
There is a WiFi module (802.11b / g / n), a microUSB connector, the amount of internal memory is 2 GB, but only 1.2 GB is available to the user. Fortunately, there is a microSD slot for expansion. The sound module is missing.
autonomy
The reader is equipped with a 1000 mAh battery, which is enough for 2 months of work with WiFi turned off, and for 1 month with it turned on. There is a quick charge function for three minutes, which is enough to read an entire book.
Operating system
The interface is based on the Android operating system. He is Russified. In the presence of a browser, support for text formats ePub, PDF, TXT, FB2 and graphic JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, as well as the ability to select different fonts. The settings are called by the hardware button.
pros
Quality materials
- compact body
- display
- convenient management and operating system
- thoughtful cover
Minuses
No built-in backlight
Verdict
Sony Reader PRS-T3 sells for about 6,000 rubles, which, in principle, is acceptable compared to other devices with an E Ink screen, for example, from PocketBook. The built-in cover is thoughtful and convenient, but not everyone needs it, and the dimensions of the device are a little, but increase. Otherwise, we have a quality product with a user-friendly interface. The choice is up to the user.
Hello dear fellow book lovers. Yes, yes, this review is for those who prefer to occupy their free time with good old reading, and always carry their library with them.
As a preamble, I will only note that for me this is the first experience of writing reviews, there has never been a reason to do this after buying devices. But in this case, things turned out a little differently. Thanks to my local Sony dealer, I got my hands on the latest e-reader. Sony Reader PRS-T3, and I, as a lover of all kinds of electronic toys, could not resist the temptation to be one of the first to write a review for a gadget that has not yet gone on sale. And asked him to test.
So, the lyrics are over, let's quickly get down to business.
PRS-T3 comes in a small rectangular box. In the photographs you see crossed out images, these are factory-made features, they say, not intended for sale.
By pulling the loop on top, we release a standard cardboard box from the “dust jacket”. Inside the box we will find: the reader itself, packed in a soft protective pocket and in a bag, a micro-USB cable for charging and synchronizing with a computer, operating instructions in different languages. There is no mains plug, but nowadays it is practically the standard for small and inexpensive electronic devices, including e-readers. It is understood that for rare recharging, you can use the computer's USB port, or a plug from some device already in the house, or buy it in any electronics store on your own. It is really rare to charge such a device, 1-2 times a month with moderate daily reading. Electronic ink consumes energy only at the moment of turning the page.
The size is standard for readers with six-inch screens. This means that it can be safely carried in a jacket pocket. In the back pocket of jeans PRS-T3 fits three quarters. The design of the device is strict and pleasant. The front part is covered with a built-in cover made of artificial leather. It's very convenient, you don't have to shell out extra for an expensive original accessory or pick up something from Uncle Liao's products on eBay. The cover can be detached, but only in its entirety with the back of the book. A little later I will tell you why this is necessary. The case is covered with a pleasant soft-touch plastic, and of very good quality. Fingerprints are not very willing to stick to it, which is surprising for this type of coating, I also tried to scratch it with my nails and a key, I did not succeed.
On the back we see the Reader logo. At the bottom of the book is a micro-USB connector, a power button and a paperclip hole for a hard reset. The remaining ends do not carry any connectors, buttons and switches.
The cover has magnets inside that attract it to the body of the book when closed, they also give a signal to the device when to turn the screensaver on or off. Opening the cover, we see the Sony inscription on its back and the Sony inscription above the screen. Under the screen are the paging buttons, the home button, the back button and the menu. The buttons are made "under the metal", are pressed with a noticeable tactile and clearly audible click. Everything else is controlled via the touch screen. In general, nothing more, perfect design. No backlash or squeaks when twisting the device and pressing on its various parts could not be reproduced. Quiet and strong. It sounds like a hackneyed advertisement, but this is the famous Sony quality, which is what buyers of this brand are paying for.
The screen is 6 inches, this is the unspoken standard for e-books. The screen type is the well-established E-Ink Pearl, but in this device Sony has provided it with an impressive resolution of 768x1024, this should best reflect on the quality of drawing fonts and images. This is more than the vast majority of E-Ink Pearl readers have, where 600x800 pixels is still the generally accepted standard. The only exception is the top model of the reader popular in the US - Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, in which the resolution is similar Sony PRS-T3. The touch screen is made using capacitive technology, which means that it does not need to be “pressed” on it, as is the case with cheap devices. The control is very light and responsive, easy enough to touch the screen with your fingers.
Built-in screen backlight PRS-T3 no, for some reason, Sony did not pursue this newfangled chip. Probably, the developers decided that since electronic ink imitates reading from paper 100%, then they should not glow from the inside. Use external light sources, friends. And this is where not only chandeliers, sconces, nightlights and individual light sources in airplanes come into play, but also specially created additional accessories from Sony.
Pulling on the cover, we "tear" it from the book along with the back cover, finding two inconspicuous contacts and a slot for a microSD memory card. Everything is clear with the connector, you will need it if your library suddenly decides to go beyond the available 2GB of internal memory. Then you can use a memory card up to 32GB. What are the connectors for? They are in case you want to purchase additional cover Sony PRSA-CL30 with built-in light source.
This luminous cover is attached to the place of the usual one, the contacts are closed and feed the LED flashlight, which is removed from the upper part of the cover, which has a special thickening. The photo shows the difference in the thickness of the book with different covers.
The flashlight is extended in such a way as to hang over the screen. It is really very comfortable to read with this cover in the dark. It will evoke nostalgic memories for those who, in their childhood, secretly from their parents, instead of sleeping, read books with a flashlight.
Let's go directly to the functionality. Users who have already dealt with e-books understand that one should not expect any shocking innovations and functional complications from new models of such devices. On the contrary, the simpler and more stable, the better. In this regard, Sony is "on the same wavelength" with the leaders of the North American market: Amazon and Barnes & Noble, which are in no hurry to turn readers into multifunctional tablets. Yes, the screen has improved, the scrolling has become smoother, the functionality is quite familiar. Read TXT, EPUB, PDF files. For official Russian devices, the most popular FB2 format in our country will also be available, it is in it that there is the greatest probability of finding any book, both with official purchase and with the use of "pirated" methods. My pre-production non-Russian sample FB2 did not support, but the description on the official Sony website can certainly be trusted.
Comparison with other devices is subjective, of course. Unfortunately, I had no experience in using devices from cheap Chinese and Russian brands, and I don’t see any point in comparing Sony with them. This is a completely different level, even just looking at the appearance is enough to understand it.
But in my personal use at different times there were two devices on the E-Ink Pearl, this is the Nook Simple Touch from Barnes & Noble with a touch screen and Kindle 4 from Amazon, without a touch screen. These are the two most popular devices in North America. Subjectively, they PRS-T3 roughly equal in readability and workmanship.
But PRS-T3 as a fresh model has a better screen. This is felt if you set the font size to small. Also at PRS-T3 Included in the kit is an essential accessory - a high-quality cover, this is a very fat plus.
Compared to Sony, plus "Americans" only in that both B & N and Amazon earn not on the sale of readers, but on the sale of e-books through their online stores. This makes it possible to sell the device itself somewhat cheaper than its competitors, however, for a buyer from Russia, this is true if you only buy it yourself in the USA or bother with the organization of delivery (which also brings the price closer to the level of official supplies of the same Sony). If you buy from gray resellers, in most cases these are prices comparable to officially supplied brands + lack of a normal guarantee.
And finally, the most important thing: both Kindle and Nook have different supported book formats and there is no FB2 among them. Therefore, in 95% of cases, after downloading the book, you have to convert the familiar Russian FB2 with special programs to MOBI or EPUB. For me personally, this drawback is enough to think about buying a reader that the popular format still supports.
In general, who is looking after a high-quality and fashionable reader for himself, or a gift that is not ashamed to give to anyone - I would take a closer look at Sony PRS-T3. A very pleasant thing. In addition to black, books in white and red will be available for sale.
Device Specifications:
Screen: anti-glare E Ink® Pearl, touch (capacitive), with dual touch technology
Screen size: 15.2 cm (6")
Resolution: 758 x 1024, 16-level gray scale
Built-in memory: 2 GB (approx. 1200 e-books), expandable up to 32 GB (MicroSD)
Built-in battery: DC 3.7V 1000mAh
Operating time: up to approx. 2 months (when the wireless function is disabled), up to approx. 1.5 weeks (when the wireless function is enabled)
Fully charged in 2 hours with AC adapter PRSA-AC10/PRSA-AC1A (sold separately)
Wi-Fi: (802.11b/g/n), One-Button Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), Basic Browser
Compatible book formats: ePub eBooks, Adobe® PDF, TXT, FB2 (in Russia)
Image and photo files: JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP
Width: 109mm
Height: 160mm
Thickness: 11.3mm
Weight: 200g
