e-Ink e-Readers with Text-to-speech support

2023. Bigme introduced its first 7-inch e-note - B751



The B751 from Bigme is, one might say, the sort of device you’d get if a highly intelligent yet slightly eccentric alien decided to make note-taking fun and multilingual. It sports a delightfully compact 7-inch E Ink display, which, in the way of all excellent gadgets, does its best to look as clever as it actually is. Underneath its understated exterior hums an AI so smart it could probably write its own product review—boasting speech-to-text accuracy of over 98%, dabbling confidently in 36 languages and 27 dialects. It doesn’t just stop there: translation, transcription, summarization, chat, smart drawing, and even intelligent creation (whatever that may involve) are all in its bag of tricks. A 4096-level pressure-sensitive stylus and a battery robust enough to outlast even the most verbose user at 3000 mAh make it all the more irresistible. Topping things off, it supports physical page-turning buttons (because simplicity is bliss), OTG expansion for accessories galore, and runs Android 11, offering cloud-based wizardry. And at $240 USD, you might wonder if the folks at Bigme are just trying to show off—or trying to save the universe one stylish e-note at a time.


2023. Pocketbook unveiled Verse e-reader with Text-to-speech



In the far-flung, ever-unpredictable realms of technological innovation, PocketBook has waved its metaphorical wand to conjure up two shiny new e-readers, the Verse and its slightly swankier sibling, the Verse Pro. Both are adorned with 6-inch screens, effectively nudging the erstwhile Touch Lux 5 and Touch HD 3 into the dusty archives of e-reader history. The Verse Pro, however, is the one likely to cause the most raised eyebrows (and possibly jealous glances) at intergalactic book clubs—it not only reads to you aloud with voices so naturally expressive they could pass for a slightly smug linguist, but it does so with the simple magic of a double-click. It’s even IPX8 water-resistant, making it the ideal companion for bathtime existential crises. This marvel of modern storytelling comes at the rather precise Earth currency of $169.99. Meanwhile, the more humble Verse, priced at a breezy $129.99, offers its own set of niceties with an E Ink Carta touchscreen and SMARTlight technology, perfect for those quiet, shadowy corners of the galaxy. Both devices are equipped with MicroSD slots (up to 128GB, should you feel the need to archive the Library of Alexandria), USB-C ports, G-sensors, WiFi, and a tidy 1500 mAh battery. They even share identical dimensions, measuring in at 108 × 156 × 7.6 mm—a size so universal it might just fit into your hyperspace jacket pocket.

2023. iReader Neo e-Readers come with AI for Text-to-speech function



The iReader Neo series, a recent debut in the brand's line-up, is what one might call e-readers with a touch of existential minimalism—they steadfastly eschew note-taking in favor of simply being, well, readers. The range includes two models: the Neo, with a perfectly adequate 212 PPI for everyday existential crises, and the Neo Pro, which flaunts a near-outrageous 300 PPI for those who like their text crisp enough to cut reality itself. At $230, the Neo Pro will set you back $40 more than its contemplative sibling, but both share an Android-powered soul. Their pièce de résistance is a suite of AI wizardry that seems uncannily clever: an intelligent edge-trimming function that tames unruly PDFs, letting you fiddle with fonts, font sizes, and typesetting to your heart’s content. The Neo series even whispers your books aloud with text-to-speech, spruces up contrast, and performs the digital alchemy of one-click PDF watermark removal, ideal for indulging in the visual splendor of magazines and comics. As if that weren’t enough, these devices speak English quite fluently, armed with a dictionary that instantly translates words as if it were an old friend looking over your shoulder. For the linguistically adventurous, there's even a language learning mode with real-time translations, making the Neo series as cosmically clever as an improbability drive in paperback form.


2021. Onyx BOOX Nova Air - 7.8 inch E Ink tablet



The Onyx BOOX Nova Air is a new E Ink tablet featuring a 7.8-inch, 1872 x 1404 pixel E Ink Carta display, support for both finger and stylus input and software based on Android 10. Available for pre-order at $350, the Nova Air can be used for reading eBooks, taking notes, or running third-party applications from the BOOX Store (or sideloading other Android apps from different sources). Onyx claims the BOOX Nova Air supports over 10 different text file formats, as well as JPG, PNG, TIFF and BMP images and WAV and MP3 audio. It also includes text-to-speech functionality, enabling the system to read books aloud through the device’s speakers or headphone jack.


2016. Amazon released Kindle Paperwhite USB Audio Bundle



Amazon introduced a new USB audio package that enables Kindle e-Readers to provide audio cues when navigating menus and offers text-to-speech features for listening to e-books. VoiceView for Kindle, which utilizes Amazon’s natural language text-to-speech voices, also allows visually impaired users to read Kindle books. The USB audio adapter connects to headphones or speakers, enabling users to both listen to and navigate the interface, in addition to enjoying books. Currently, the new adapter is compatible only with the latest generation Kindle Paperwhite. Amazon indicates plans to expand compatibility to other models in the future, such as the Kindle Voyage and Kindle Oasis.


2014. Pocketbook InkPad with Text-to-Speech announced



Since the improbably industrious Ukrainian company Pocketbook began its quest in 2007 to conquer the e-reader cosmos, it has consistently churned out delightful gadgets, the latest of which is the gloriously oversized *InkPad*. With a sprawling eight-inch display based on the marvelously clever E Ink Pearl technology, it boasts a resolution so absurdly sharp (1600×1200 pixels, if you must know) that fonts, whether whispered small or shouted large, remain perfectly pristine. Beneath its sleek exterior hums a 1GHz CPU and a sprightly 512MB of RAM, ensuring pages turn as smoothly as buttered poetry and apps behave as docilely as well-fed Vogons. It offers 4GB of internal memory—expandable to a staggering 32GB, should your library rival the Great Galactic Encyclopedia—and comes with the thoughtful addition of a 3.5mm headphone jack, perfect for audiobooks or the occasional bout of interstellar jazz. Oh, and because Pocketbook is nothing if not charmingly thorough, they’ve even baked in Text-to-Speech technology, so your books can read themselves to you, presumably while you sip tea and contemplate life, the universe, and everything.


2012. Amazon unveils Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle 5



The e-reader competition continues unabated these days. Today, Amazon has introduced two new e-ink e-readers—the budget-friendly Kindle 5 and the "frontlit" Kindle Paperwhite. Naturally, the latter is set to rival the Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight and the Kobo Glo. All these e-readers enable reading in the dark, but the Paperwhite seems to outshine the competition. The display appears almost flawlessly white, whereas the Nook still has a hint of gray. Additionally, Amazon has enhanced the battery life, boasting eight weeks of use even with the light on (compared to the Nook’s one month). The Kindle Paperwhite features a touch screen, effectively replacing the Kindle Touch in Amazon's e-reader lineup.