Wall Street Journal’s Jennifer Maloney recently wrote about the rise of phone reading. That’s not very surprising as I have been reading a lot on my iPhone 6 Plus.
I used to read books on 3.5-inch and 4-inch iPhones as well, but it is significantly better on the bigger screen of the iPhone 6 Plus, so much so that I hardly use my iPad Air 2 for reading.
One of the reasons the iPhone became such a popular camera is convenience. You have it with you wherever you go to capture the priceless moments in your life – especially the unexpected ones.
That’s the same reason why I’m also reading a lot more on the iPhone, and not surprisingly people are too. It is difficult to find time these days to read a book at a stretch, so it is great to be able to read a book whenever I can. As Willem Van Lancher, co-founder and chief product officer of the subscription book service Oyster aptly puts it “The best device to read is the one you have with you”.
From the Wall Street Journal report:
One reason people are reading on phones is convenience. If you’re standing in line at the deli, waiting at the DMV or riding home on the train, you may not have a print book or an e-reader or tablet. But chances are, you are carrying a smartphone.
Wall Street Journal also reports that more people have started downloading books on the iPhone since the launch of bigger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Since the release of the bigger, sharper iPhone 6 and 6 Plus last September, Apple has seen an increase in the number of people downloading books onto iPhones through its iBooks app. Some 45% of iBooks purchases are now downloaded onto iPhones, an Apple spokeswoman said. Before that, only 28% were downloaded onto phones, with most of the remainder downloaded onto iPads and a small percentage onto computers.Amazon has also noted the development. Among all new customers using Kindles or the Kindle app, phone readers are by far the fastest-growing segment, an Amazon spokeswoman said, declining to disclose figures. Among those who use the Kindle app, more people now read books on the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus than on any other Apple device, even the popular iPad Mini, she said.
The report notes that most people who read on their phones toggle back and forth between devices, but I don’t switch back to my iPad when I am at home.
Having said that, the reading experience can be better. iPhone’s bright screen isn’t ideal for reading while going to sleep. The goods news is that the rise in phone reading has captured publishers’ attention and hopefully Apple’s too. Publishers are experimenting with ways to make the mobile reading experience even better.
It is quite amazing how the smartphone has changed our habits, and I’m sure it is freaking out companies making digital cameras and e-readers.
Do you read books on the iPhone or smartphone? Or are you still sticking to your iPad or tablet?
[Image credit: WSJ, Illustration: Kagan Mcleod]
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