Dangdang to Release E-Reader with Hybrid Touch/E-ink Screen in May

Dangdang CEO Li Guoqing

It seems Dangdang is mentioned less and less these days in conversations about China’s major e-commerce players. In fact, the most recent time we mentioned the company here at Tech in Asia was to point out that its stock is one of the all-time worst performers in China’s tech sphere. But Dangdang CEO Li Guoqing hopes to turn things around a bit when the company releases a new touchscreen e-reader for the Chinese market this May.

Li announced the device in an interview with DoNews, and although he wouldn’t disclose the price, he did say that it will cost more than the first generation Doukan e-reader the company produced, which retails at 499 RMB ($79). Most of the extra price will be coming courtesy of the parts and R&D costs for the new device’s hybrid touch/e-ink screen. Li says Dangdang plans to sell the device using the pre-order model to help cut down on warehouse costs and the risks of overstocking.

Li told DoNews that the biggest threat to domestic e-readers is Apple, especially in the wake of the release of the iPad Mini. And the patent Apple just filed for a hybrid LCD/e-ink display certainly sounds like it might pose an even greater threat to Dangdang’s newest e-reader, although the Chinese company should have at least a few months before Apple can get something using its new screen onto the market. Of course, there’s always the question of competition coming from e-reader kings Amazon as well, but despite the recent rumors, the China Kindle remains ghostware at this point.

The road ahead for Dangdang looks rough, but with Apple taking a series of body blows from state media over the past month (including the most recent accusation that its app store is full of porn), perhaps the government will weaken China’s appetite for what Li sees as Dangdang’s biggest competitor. Personally, I wouldn’t bet on it, but I could be wrong.

(DoNews via Sina Tech)