Electronic Book Readers, which have garnered a significant following worldwide, haven’t seen as much popularity in Iran. The lack of substantial demand has prevented these products from entering the country through commercial means, resulting in the absence of warranties for foreign models. Nevertheless, some domestic models possess the capability to compete with international counterparts. However, their high prices remain one of the significant challenges.
According to IDEA, reading books is no longer just a pastime. Books used to be exclusively available in printed editions, which, alongside all their advantages such as the joy of flipping through their pages, carried limitations like transportation and preservation. In today’s era, where all aspects of life have been influenced by technology, books are no exception to this rule. The introduction of electronic book readers worldwide has brought about a significant transformation and led to a remarkable increase in the sales of e-books.
Before the advent of this technology, many books were being downloaded illegally, which was disheartening for publishers. Electronic book readers have managed to largely curtail this trend. However, these devices have not gained significant popularity in our country. According to market insiders, electronic book readers are predominantly available through online stores and are not easily found in physical markets. Furthermore, due to the non-commercial entry of foreign e-readers into the market, warranties for them are non-existent, effectively diminishing prospects for post-sales services.
Popular E-Book Readers in the Market
Electronic book readers have gained significant attention worldwide, resulting in a notable surge in e-book sales and subsequently boosting publishers’ revenues. On the other hand, the popularity of electronic book readers has led to the introduction of more advanced and up-to-date models into the market.
Various brands are now competing in the market with different features and capabilities. Notably, although electronic book readers have a specific and limited audience in the Iranian market, various models are still available. Field investigations conducted by IDEA reporters indicate that the top electronic book reader brands in the market include Amazon Kindle, PocketBook, Fidibook, BOOX, and Kobo. According to many, Amazon Kindle is the best electronic book reader brand. Kindle offers a range of models, including Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Oasis, all of which provide high-resolution displays and access to Amazon’s extensive e-book library. The most popular Kindle model in Iran is the 11th-generation Paperwhite, featuring a 7-inch screen. However, due to its relatively high price, users might opt for the more cost-effective 10th-generation Paperwhite with 8GB of memory, which also offers significant features. Nevertheless, Iranian users face limitations when trying to access books available in Amazon’s marketplace when using these devices. Another popular choice in the market is the Fidibook e-book reader, a product of the Fidibo brand by Digikala, which was introduced several years ago. Although this device had issues like a slow user interface, it gained popularity due to its compatibility with Persian books. The second version of this product, Fidibook F2, has been released with considerable improvements over the previous model and holds a spot in the list of best e-book readers in the market. This device features a 6-inch e-ink display with an acceptable resolution of 300 pixels per inch, enhancing the reading experience. Full support for the Persian language, access to thousands of books through Fidibo, and compatibility with formats like PDF, EPUB, and Mobi are some of the advantages of this e-book reader. The only drawback might be its relatively high price, which isn’t significantly different from Kindle’s. Kobo also secures a place on the list of top e-book readers. Kobo offers a wide range of models, including Kobo Clara HD, Kobo Forma, and Kobo Libra, known for their durable design and personalized reading experience, which has garnered significant popularity among customers. Onyx Boox e-book readers are less recognized compared to other brands, but they find their place in the list of the best due to advanced features like note-taking and text highlighting, appealing mainly to professional users. Reviews suggest that if users are seeking e-book readers for academic texts, Onyx Boox models like Note Air and Nova3 are ideal choices. PocketBook e-book readers are also popular models in Europe, recognized for their INKPAD, HD3, ERA, and Touch Lux 5 series, offering high-resolution displays and extended battery life, along with support for a wide range of formats. Another e-book reader that has gained attention in Iran is the MiBook e-reader, introduced to the market with the support of the Taaghche platform. This device runs on the Android operating system, allowing the installation of various online reading platforms. According to the Taaghche team, it has been released to complement the platform’s book and e-reader products.
Foreign Models Without Warranty
Despite having a dedicated group of supporters and buyers, these devices don’t attract a significant market share. This uniqueness has led e-book reader buyers to avoid traditional markets and physical stores, knowing that they can only find e-book readers in online marketplaces. The exclusivity of these devices has also contributed to them not being favored by official traders and importers, who show little interest in importing e-book readers. Thus, it’s not surprising that market insiders often claim that these products are brought into the country through informal channels or smuggling.
Mohammad Reza Faraji Tehrani, the head of the Computer Technologists Association of Tehran, speaks to IDEA about the e-book reader market, saying: ‘These e-book readers are not officially imported, hence there is no warranty for them. Generally, a crucial aspect regarding e-book readers pertains to the completeness of the book library and access to reference books and the complete book archive. This is why the indigenous aspect of these devices is vital for us, as in foreign models like Amazon Kindle, users face limitations in accessing books not available in the Amazon marketplace. Another important point is the complete support for the Persian language, which is naturally better handled in Iranian models.’
Faraji discusses Iranian e-book readers: ‘Currently, the existing Iranian brands are Fidibook and MiBook. Fidibook, released in 2018, is similar to the Amazon Kindle model, and the MiBook, a product of Taaghche, is sold in the market.’ Faraji emphasizes that MiBook is a global brand and has fewer issues for Iranian users compared to the Kindle model. Furthermore, MiBook’s hardware is stronger compared to Fidibook. With these considerations, this market could become a competitive platform for Iranian producers, offering them more opportunities and advantages compared to their foreign competitors.
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