Tolino Shine 2 HD Unveiled as Second New eReader at Frankfurt Book Fair 2015
UPDATE: By now, the Tolino Shine 2 HD and the Vision 3 HD have been officially unveiled. You can find more details on their individual pages or in the presentation article.
About two weeks ago, we exclusively reported on the new Tolino Vision 3 HD, which is highly likely to be introduced at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015. The secret was revealed through a product description for a protective film on various Tolino partner websites. According to this, the film not only fits the Vision 2 but also fits the new Vision 3 HD precisely. This made it clear that the eReader is set to compete against the new HD competition from Amazon (Kindle Paperwhite & Kindle Voyage) and Kobo (Glo HD).
In the wake of the recent Tolino expansion (Osiander and Mayersche join the book trade alliance), it was mentioned in the press release as an aside that the German Kindle competition will not be unveiling one, but two eBook readers. However, it was unclear whether they were referring to two dedicated reading devices with E-Ink displays or if a tablet was considered as the second device.
Possible Relaunch of the Original Tolino
Today, I might be able to shed a little light on this mystery once again because, just like 14 days ago, a new Tolino model has appeared by name via accessory articles in the book trade alliance’s database. This time, the new device is named Tolino Shine 2 HD.
Accessory articles for the Tolino Shine 2 HD appear on a Romanian website
This designation currently appears on the Romanian website “Books-express.ro,” where various cases for the device can be found in the search results. Unlike the aforementioned film description, the Shine 2 HD cases lack any details about the device itself, meaning it’s unclear if the dimensions and (retro) design match the current model.
The Romanian website obviously receives data from the same sources as the Tolino partners, so we can assume the designation for the revised Tolino Shine is correct in this form. The relaunch of the model, which has been on the market for over two years, is no real surprise. Several months ago, I suspected the Shine might be equipped with an E-Ink Carta display.
Two Retina Models?
That it now apparently even features an “HD” display is quite unexpected. The name suggests the Tolino Shine 2 HD also features a so-called “Retina” display with a resolution of 1448×1072 pixels and a pixel density of 300 ppi (with a 6-inch screen diagonal), just like the competition from Amazon and Kobo. If this is indeed the case, it probably means the Tolino partners will adjust the pricing structure of the two eReader models.
The Tolino Shine 2 HD could then compete against the Kindle Paperwhite 3 and Kobo Glo HD in the price range of 110 to 130 euros, while the Tolino Vision 3 HD would target the higher price segment starting at 150 or 160 euros. However, it’s questionable what additional features the Vision would have in such a case since merely the more attractive front casing, nano water protection, and Tap2Flip function are insufficient to justify the presumed price increase compared to the Shine, and to compete with the high-tech Voyage.
Seen from this perspective, it is conceivable that the Tolino Vision 3 HD would be equipped with a brightness sensor. Although pressure-sensitive page-turning buttons like on the Kindle Voyage are not impossible, I personally find them less likely.
The fact that two new eReaders, presumably in two different price segments, are being introduced also explains why the two newest alliance members, Osiander and Mayersche, are also opting for the communal devices. Since PocketBook doesn’t plan to introduce new devices this year, they would have had a harder time in the Christmas market against the technologically superior Tolino models than in previous years.
Aside from the names, the conclusions in this article are purely speculative, so they should be taken with a grain of salt. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait much longer for the resolution: the Frankfurt Book Fair starts on October 14. By then, we’ll know what strategy the Tolino alliance plans to use to compete against the US rival Amazon. Should there be any further news in the meantime, you’ll of course hear it here first.
UPDATE: Meanwhile, the name has also been confirmed from another source, namely directly on the French-language Tolino homepage. There, at the bottom of the homepage (see image below), both the Vision 3 HD and the Shine 2 HD are mentioned by name, so we can now be sure that these two devices will appear as anticipated.
Leak on the official Tolino homepage, in French language
