read and listen to books on one device
Storytel recently launched its own e-reader in the Netherlands: the Storytel Reader. With this device you can read and listen to your favorite books for a fixed amount per month. You can read exactly how that works in this review.
Contents
What is Storytel?
Storytel is a digital subscription service that allows you to listen to audiobooks on your phone or tablet. You can use the Storytel app for Android or iOS for this. The Storytel app streams the books to your phone and you can also save them on your phone so that you can also listen to books offline if there is no good internet connection. For example, you can listen to a book on the train and continue reading at home where you left off listening.
With Storytel you have unlimited access to thousands of (audio) books for a fixed amount per month. In addition to (international) bestsellers, there are also audiobooks on the platform that are produced by Storytel itself and these are the so-called Storytel Originals.
Storytel was founded in Sweden in 2005 by Jon Hauksson (CTO) and Jonas Tellander (CEO) under the name Bokilur. In 2007 the name was changed to Storytel. The company is now active in 22 countries and since May 2013 also in the Netherlands. Since its inception, Storytel has more than 1.3 million subscribers worldwide. Later this year, Spotify users will be able to stream audiobooks from Storytel in addition to music and podcasts.
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Storytel is an audiobook subscription service. The Storytel app for smartphone and tablet gives unlimited access to thousands of listeners (lu..
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How much does Storytel cost?
There is a monthly subscription for 12.99 euros that can be used by one adult and one child. In addition, there are two family subscriptions for two or three adults and children that cost 16.99 euros and 19.99 euros respectively. You can try the streaming service for free for the first 14 days.
What is the Storytel Reader?
The Storytel Reader is not new. The e-reader is already available in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. The Netherlands is the fifth country and according to Storytel this is a logical step: “With the e-reader, users always and everywhere have access to the best stories in any way they want; read or listen. In addition, the platform is responding to the needs of consumers who read an e-book more often than listened to an audio book in the past year.”
The audiobook expert therefore wants to grab a piece of the e-book market and that is not unwise. Recent research by Statistics Netherlands and KB, the National Library, has shown that interest in reading and listening to digital books has grown enormously. For example, it appears that in 2020 both the number of e-books lent (+45 percent compared to 2019) and the number of audiobook downloads (+44 percent) increased in the Netherlands.
Nice and compact
The Storytel Reader is a compact e-reader with the dimensions 17 x 11.7 x 0.87 cm and a 6 inch E-ink Carta HD screen. You can easily put the e-reader in your backpack or bag and in terms of weight (195 grams) you will not notice that it is in your bag. The e-reader comes standard without a case to protect the screen from scratches. Caution is therefore advised. Aren’t you so careful? Then you can go for the bundle with protective cover and it costs 20 euros more. Also watch out for children who make bombs in the pool while you are listening to a book. The Storytel Reader is not waterproof.
Control and speed
You can read e-books on this e-reader and listen to audiobooks through a wireless headset or speaker. I used wireless earphones and pairing with the e-reader was very easy. It is also possible to listen to books via the 3.5mm audio jack with a wired headset. It’s nice to have both options. You can then operate the e-reader via the touchscreen, but the device can also be used with the two handy physical buttons on the sides and that works quite nicely for quickly turning a page.
The navigation on the device is not comparable to the speed of a high-end smartphone, but that didn’t really bother me. The speed is comparable to most other e-readers, and they are slow. I also used the Storytel app on the phone to choose books, then read or listen to them on the e-reader. That’s a little faster.
The battery lasts up to a few weeks after charging. Fans of audiobooks will have to charge a little more often.
Additional options
You can adjust the brightness or warmth of the backlight yourself. This makes the screen easy to read with a lot or little ambient light, for example in a sunny garden or in bed at night. In both cases, reading e-books on this screen is very pleasant.
There is also a sleep timer. With this you can fall asleep with an audiobook after, for example, 15 minutes. You can also adjust the font size, line spacing and more, filter between only e-books or audiobooks and use the Kids mode.
Memory and subscription
The Storytel Reader has a storage memory of 8 GB, sufficient for storing 3000 e-books or 35 audio books. These can also be external files, such as epub files or documents. The memory is unfortunately not expandable with a memory card. If your library is full, you will have to remove a few books. 35 audiobooks in this case is not very much.
To use the Storytel Reader you need a subscription. So you can’t buy individual books like with competitor Kobo and that is a loss for those who don’t devour so many books, or only want to read a novel on it during the holidays. You cannot put e-books that have already been purchased on the e-reader.
Existing Storytel users can log in with their normal Storytel login details. New users must first create an account via the Storytel website and take out a subscription.
Specifications Storytel Reader
| Dimensions and weight: | 17 x 11.7 x 0.87 cm, 195 grams |
| Screen: | 6 inch E-ink Carta HD screen (212 ppi) |
| File formats: | DOC, FB2, HTML, PDF, ePub |
| Connections: | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
| Memory: | 512MB + 8GB (3000 eBooks) |
| Battery life: | Several weeks (3000 mAh) |
| Bluetooth and Wi-Fi | Bluetooth 4.1 + Wi-Fi b, g, n |
| Extras: | 3.5mm headphone jack, adjust backlight, physical buttons |
What are the advantages of the Storytel Reader?
- Read and listen books on one device
- Read or listen to books offline when there is no WiFi connection
- Nice screen to read e-books
- Compact size and very light
- Handy physical buttons
What are the disadvantages of the Storytel Reader?
- No individual books available
- Not all audiobooks are available as e-books
- You cannot hide books that have already been read or listened to on your bookshelf
- A built-in speaker is missing
- Switching between listening and reading could be faster
Conclusion
Already a Storytel customer or planning to become one? Then purchasing this e-reader is a must. The device is easy to use, has a nice screen and lasts a long time. In addition, the device is nice and compact and you can easily take it anywhere. But the biggest plus is being able to read and listen to books on one device, even if there is no WiFi nearby.
If you are looking for a faster device on which you can only read e-books, then the much more expensive Kobo Elipsa is an alternative. You can also read books on this device without a subscription.
Buy Storytel Reader
The Storytel Reader is for sale at Coolblue for 129 euros. The Reader comes with two months of free Storytel and that offer is open to both existing and new subscribers. There is also a bundle with e-reader and protective cover.
If you buy the Storytel Reader including the protective cover between now and August 12, you will receive 2 months of Storytel as a gift. This offer is valid for both new and existing Storytel customers.
- Buy Storytel Reader – Coolblue – 129 euros
- Buy Storytel Reader + Protective Cover – Coolblue – 148.99 euros
