Sony’s new 3G wireless e-reader to be powered by AT&T

Sony, AT&TWith the objective of closing a notable 'feature gap' with Amazon's Kindle e-reader, Sony has recently announced having entered into an agreement with AT&T, in order to power the wireless connection on Sony's newly-released the 3G e-reader - the Reader Daily Edition!

Priced at $399, the Sony Reader Daily Edition, with built-in wireless connectivity and 7-inch touchscreen display, will start shipping this December. The product comes in two more already-released models, namely - the $299 Reader Touch Edition with a 6-inch display, and the $199 Reader Pocket Edition, with a 5-inch diagonal display.

According to Sony, the Reader Daily Edition shows nearly 30-35 lines of text in its portrait mode. The incorporated memory of the device would be sufficient for storing almost 1,000 standard e-books, and will also have provision for optional memory expansion.

Reader Daily Edition's wireless connection, via AT&T's 3G mobile broadband network, would provide users with the direct purchase of books from Sony, comparable to the way Kindle customers can purchase e-books directly from Amazon.

So far as AT&T's gain from the Sony tie-up is concerned, The Wall Street Journal suggests that it would receive a part of the profits from all wireless purchases made through the Sony e-readers. The journal said: "The deal with Sony reflects a concerted effort on AT&T's part to maximize use of its wireless network and develop new revenue stream."