Reader Pocket Edition / PRS-350 ($179) - Measuring 5.7 x 4.1 x 0.3 inches and weighing .4 pounds, the new Pocket Edition is noticeably smaller and lighter than the previous version, and while it still has a five-inch display, it's now of the E Ink Pearl variety and covered with a touch layer. However, it's not just any typical touchscreen -- Sony tells us it's improved the experience by using its own enhanced touch technology that doesn't blur the E Ink panel. We've got to say the quality's quite crisp, but more impressive is how responsive the touch page turns are -- you'll want to check that out in the video below. A small stylus ejects from all three of the readers now, so you can also take notes on screen and save them inline. As we mentioned there's still no WiFi or 3G here, but the $179 e-reader now has 2GB of memory and an SD card slot. It'll be available very soon in both pink and silver.
Reader Touch Edition / PRS-650 ($229) - Even though the Pocket and Daily Edition now have touchscreens, Sony's still calling its mid-range Reader the Touch, which is bound to confuse some. Either way, the Touch has also gone on a serious diet -- it weighs only .4 pounds -- and has the new touchscreen technology. It's similarly fast and responsive when turning pages. The Touch's still got to be sideloaded with books from your PC or Mac, but like the Pocket it now has 2GB of onboard storage along with SD card and MemoryStick Pro slots. This one comes in black and red.
Reader Daily Edition / PRS-950 ($299) - Sure, it was less than a year ago when Sony unveiled the seven-inch Daily Edition, but why not update it along with the rest? Obviously, it's got the new touchscreen and faster page turns, but it's also now only .5 pounds and has WiFi. Sony's finally gone and added a simple browser, but it will only work over WiFi. Obviously, we asked Sony about its plans to put out a WiFi-only Reader, but we were told that's not in the cards right now. The new Daily Edition will be hitting shelves in November for $299, which seems a bit high to us considering the 3G-equipped competition rings up at about $200, but that's the case with all of Sony's new Readers -- you've got to be willing to pay a bit more than the rest for touch and very slim hardware.
