Adding still more volatility to the e-reading device market, Copia, DMC Worldwide’s much anticipated reading device, social media and retail venture, announced still lower prices on a reconfigured line of devices beginning with 5"color LCD model for $99 and a 10.1" color LCD touchscreen for $299 that will support video and multimedia.
Copia’s 5" device is non-touchscreen and nonwireless while the 10.1" device offers a color LCD touchscreen as well as wi-fi support. Copia will also offer a 7" color LCD non-touchscreen in addition to two 6" b&w e-ink devices, both a Wi-Fi and a non-Wi-Fi device, whose prices have not yet been set.
Anthony Antolino, senior v-p of Copia Interactive, said the Copia social networking platform—which will also offer physical books as well as e-books for sale—will launch in July and the new line of devices will available in the fall for the holiday shopping season. Antolino said that Copia’s retail venture will offer both the agency model pricing and wholesale pricing.
Back during the Consumer Electronic Show in January, Copia presented the first version of a line of about six b&w e-ink devices priced from $200 to $300, among the lowest price range at the time. But the ever-growing popularity of the multimedia and multi-function iPad—Apple reports that it has sold more than 3 million devices since April—has led to price slashing for single-function b&w e-readers. In recent weeks Borders announced plans to sell a $119 device; B&N introduced a new wi-fi only device for $149 and dropped the price of the 3GWi-fi devices to $199; and Amazon dropped the price of the Kindle from $259 to $189.
Antolino cited recent device price cuts by Amazon and B&N and said, “the price wars are heating up the market and I think our pricing will add to the appetite for these devices.”
