Last year, Digital Book World asked its Twitter crowd, “Do you read on your smartphone? Do you read on other devices, too?” They got 30 answers. About half said they read on multiple devices; the other half said they don’t read long works on their phones.
Now, 56% of Americans have smartphones, which are also called pocket reading devices. Some companies are marketing ebooks only to their pocket readers, like the Samsung Galaxy S4.
With some many mobile devices like this, publishers should consider them first when designing ebooks and ebook marketplaces.
I totally read books on my iPhone, although usually only for a few minutes at a time.
I have a Windows phone, and B&N has yet to release a Nook version that I can use. Otherwise, I think I probably would use my phone to read, for times like waiting for an appointment, etc.
I have the kindle app on my Straight Talk Galaxy Centura. I have read a few books on it, but mostly use it as a secondary reading source. It makes it handy to have something to read while waiting at the doctors office and other such places.
I was using the ESV Bible app while talking at a campfire during last summer’s Bible Camp. It was nice to have a backlit screen so I didn’t need a flashlight to read the Scripture. After reading the verse, “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet.” I turned the phone away from my face to talk to the kids. They suddenly broke out in laughter. I didn’t realize it, but when I turned it downward the screen from my phone with the Bible App displayed was lighting up the ground in front of my toes.
I think my sister has said she keeps a book or more on her phone for those waiting room times. I think she’s read 1/3 of a large Wodehouse Omnibus that way.
I don’t have a smartphone.
I have a Kindle and most of the fiction I read is done there or on the Kindle app on my android phone. I read a lot of theology and that is done the old fashion way because it is much easier to refer back to something in a print book.