Amazon and Barnes & Noble are now at loggerheads over the issue of which e-book reader, Kindle or the Nook, has the better battery life.
Barnes and Noble had earlier claimed that its NooK e-reader could run for two months on a single charge. According to this claim, the Nook’s battery life was twice to that of its competition — the Amazon Kindle.
But soon after the claims were made, questions were raised over the way Nook’s battery life was calculated. It was said Barnes and Noble assumed readers would use the device for 30 minutes a day with wireless connection turned off.
The calculations by Amazon Kindle officials assumed per day reading time of 60 minutes with wireless turned off.
“A single charge lasts up to two months with wireless off based upon a half-hour of daily reading time. If you read for one hour a day, you will get battery life of up to one month. Keep wireless always on and it lasts for up to 10 days. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle Store, Web browsing, and downloading content. In low-coverage areas or in EDGE/GPRS-only coverage, wireless usage will consume battery power more quickly,” a promotional copy of Amazon read, as reported by the CNET.
After the Barnes and Noble battery-life claim came, Amazon also adjusted its calculations accordingly and claimed a battery life of two months on its website.
The Nook makers stuck to their claims and said at the reading rate of one page per minute, the e-reader’s battery lasted for 150 hours, which is much more than Amazon Kindle when pages in were turned at the same rate.
All the e-reader manufacturers are attempting to release cheaper devices in the market, and the battery life battle between e-reader companies is a result of it.
Amidst all this happening, the readers should not miss the unmistakable strategy shift by Barnes and Noble — it has decided to follow (to some extent) the Amazon Kindle by accommodating the E-ink display in Nook, which helps readers to read even under direct sunlight.