alt Hacker NewsI was thinking of getting one for exactly the use case you've described here but then I thought, "why don't I just get my phone out and read the ebooks directly on that?"
Can you explain to me why one of these is better for this please?
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It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't used an e-reader, but e-paper screens just look more natural, they also don't require a backlight so they can be easier on the eyes. Combined with a matt display, you can comfortably use them in direct sunlight without having to faff about with brightness or finding shade.
Also e-readers have way less distractions than a phone.
A phone is a gateway to much more than just reading books, so your brain might prefer it.
Also notifications etc
Personally I much prefer e-ink when I read for more than 10 minutes or so. The LED light from my phone just makes my eyes tired, while e-ink + "backlight" (guess it's really "kind of from the front light" in reality) just feels like reading normal paper.
The font rendering in the official firmware isn't that great though, especially compared to even a old phone screen. I had much better text rendering with 3rd party firmware.
It's a mental thing. The phone is the doorway to all the things, and the reader is the doorway to reading. When I'm being intentioal about my phone usage (not always, but most of the time), I defer to devices that are focused.