It’s becoming clear that reading for pleasure is becoming something of a lost art. Numerous studies show that fewer children are reading than they were in the 1980s – and it’s no surprise that smartphones and social media are the primary cause. After all, the multitude of feeds, streams and notifications are all designed to grab our attention, making it challenging to focus on enjoying one thing for any length of time.
With its latest device, the Pocketbook Q, the Swiss eReader brand is looking to combine the one-handed convenience of a smartphone-sized device that allows you to enjoy what it calls “mindful reading”.
A Real Page Turner
E Ink uses microscopic pigment particles to form text, for sharp, high-contrast pages. It only uses power when the pages turn, which means that it will last for up to a full month on a single charge – try doing that with your smartphone. The 5.84-inch display features the latest E Ink Carta 1300 technology, which offers a 25% improvement in refresh speed over Carta 1200, which should make page turning via the physical side buttons more natural than ever.
It also offers an adaptive smart light that adjusts to changing light conditions, so you can read in the dark or by the pool. If it’s the latter, you’ll appreciate its splash-proof IPX4-rating.
Based on Linux, the PocketBook provides support for 25 popular eBook formats without conversion, so you won’t have to be tied down to a single source for content. It’s also compatible with Adobe DRM and LCP DRM and has the Libby app pre-installed for borrowing books online.
A popular alternative to reading are audio books and the PocketQ has this covered with support for Bluetooth headphones so users can relax and listen along. If there isn’t an official audiobook, the PocketBook Q’s natural-sounding Text-to-Speech function will read any text file aloud for you.
The PocketBook Q is set to make its first appearance at IFA 2026 in Berlin and will be available in late fall/autumn for $235/£175.
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