The "cover instant noodle artifact" is almost out of warranty?

Recently, the news of "Kindle may withdraw from the Chinese market" spread like wildfire, instantly causing a thousand waves.

Although the official quickly refuted the rumor that it was only due to the shortage of chips, it can be seen from the weak performance of the Kindle in the market in recent years that as a pure e-book reader, it has gradually lost the favor of consumers.

　　How easy is the "Gai Instant Noodle Artifact" today, how fragrant the Kindle used to be.

In the era of the explosion of smart electronic devices, the Kindle e-book reader may not be the most innovative, but it must be regarded as an epoch-making electronic product.

If we say that Steve Jobs' iPhone shows the world that the original mobile phone can replace the physical keyboard with a whole screen.

Well, Kindle allows people to see that the original book can also be "read" through a screen.

The ink screen that simulates the paper book, the size of one-handed holding, the single-function closed system, and the bonus of the "Wenqing" attribute that people jokingly call, these distinctive labels have made the Kindle leap forward in the domestic market.

According to the official data, from 2013 to the Chinese market, as of June 2018, Kindle e-book readers have sold millions of units in China.

　　However, there is no permanent "overlord" in the market.

Although Kindle still occupies more than 60% of the global e-book reader market, it is obvious to the naked eye that its popularity in the domestic market has faded.

First, find the reasons for yourself. Although Kindle's subsequent product optimization and upgrading can not be said to be nothing new, it can also be regarded as lackluster.

The product design is outdated, the equipment configuration is low, the functions are too monotonous, and the pricing in the Chinese market is "unacceptable"... Gradually, consumers began to turn to domestic brands with higher cost performance and better quality and functions.

　　But the bigger impact comes from the change of consumer usage habits - e-book readers are no longer exclusive to consumers.

Who would have thought that smartphones and e-book readers are products of the same era. Today, the former can include most of the functions of the latter with an App, and may even do better than it.

Moreover, when the reading experience of the ink screen is not enough to wipe out the portability of the smartphone, it is self-evident what people will choose.

In addition, the current mobile phone can not only read books, but also have more interesting "reading" methods than reading text, such as long and short videos, listening to books live, etc.

It is not surprising that the e-reader has a "scent of instant noodles" under the situation.

　　Rather than saying that e-book readers are not fragrant, it is better to say that under the trend of audio-visual reading, text reading has gradually drifted away from the public.

However, because of the temporary decline of the reading environment, it is too early to judge that the e-reader has entered the countdown to the exit.

In fact, e-book readers have always been a must-have tool for deep reading users.

A survey shows that China's e-book reader shipments will be 2.37 million units in 2020, and will grow to 2.75 million units by 2023, showing its market potential.

In the context of the decline in the competitiveness of top brands, this is an opportunity for domestic brands to catch up.

In addition to bold innovations in expanding functional experience, we should also work hard on content services.

After all, content is the life force of reading.

When the e-reader wafts out the "scent of books", people will naturally come to smell the fragrance.

　　(Chen Wenjie)