PocketBook International

PocketBook International S.A.
Privately held company
Industry Consumer electronics
Online distribution
Founded 2007
Headquarters Lugano, Switzerland
Products E-book readers, multimedia readers and Android-based tablet computers
Revenue Increase $ 151 million (2010)[1]
Number of employees
 230(July 2013)
Website www.pocketbook-int.com

PocketBook is a multinational company which produces e-book readers based on E Ink technology (an electronic paper technology), as well as multimedia readers and Android-based tablet computers, under the PocketBook brand.

The company was founded in 2007 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Its headquarters is located at Lugano in Switzerland. PocketBook is the fourth largest global manufacturer of e-readers.[2]

Development and manufacture

The devices are assembled at the Foxconn, Wisky, Yitoa and other factories.

Sales geography

The company's products are sold in 30 countries worldwide – in Central, Eastern, and Western Europe, in Russia and Baltic and Commonwealth of Independent States countries, as well as in Australia, Israel, New Zealand, and others. As of December 2013, PocketBook claimed it had sold over two million e-reader and tablet devices.[3]

History

Date Event
September 2008 The company starts shipping its first e-reader, the PocketBook 301.[4] The model became the top-selling device in Russia (the total volume of sold devices exceeded 100,000) according to 2009-2010 results.
January 2009 Release of PocketBook's second e-reader, the PocketBook 360°[5] - that is the world's first e-book reading device created based on the comments from the-eBook.org community, a popular forum in Russian dedicated to e-books.
March 2009 PocketBook 302 Cookie – the world's first e-reader supporting Bluetooth wireless data transfer protocol.
November 2010 PocketBook IQ 701 [6] – a multimedia e-book reader running the Android operating system. In 2011 PocketBook IQ 701 became the second top-selling device in Russia after the iPad.
December 2010 Market launch of PocketBook Pro 602[7] and PocketBook Pro 902.
February 2011 PocketBook launches the world's first e-book readers with a smartphone set of wireless interfaces (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G) – PocketBook Pro 603[8] and 903.[9]
May 2011 Market launch of PocketBook 360 Plus[10] – an updated version of the PocketBook 360 model with Wi-Fi support and more powerful architecture. Three versions of the PocketBook 360 were ultimately produced – 360, 360+ and 360+ New.
September 2011 Production of PocketBook devices starts at the specially designated production line at a Foxconn factory.
October 2011 Market launch of PocketBook A10[11] – a tablet computer running Android 2.3.5, exhibited for the first time at IFA 2011 in Berlin, Germany.
December 2011 Market launch of PocketBook Basic – an e-book reader which became one of the top ten best-selling and most recommended eReaders in the French retail chain Pixmania following the results of 2011.
February 2012 Market launch of PocketBook A 7" – a multimedia e-book reader that runs Android 2.3.7.
March 2012 Market launch of PocketBook Touch [12] - an e-reader with a multi-sensor 6-inch E Ink Pearl display.
September 2012 At the international IFA exhibition in Berlin, PocketBook introduces two new devices:

• PocketBook Basic New — an improved version of PocketBook Basic 611 • PocketBook SURFpad — a tablet computer running Android 4.0.4., which became one of the first devices with the pre-installed Yandex.Store app store.

April 2013 The company presented a new premium product line:

• PocketBook Colour Lux – the world's first color E Ink e-reader with built-in light[13] • PocketBook Touch Lux – an e-reader with Pearl HD display and frontlight[14] • PocketBook SURFpad 2 – a multimedia device running Android 4.0.4

July 2013 Release of PocketBook Mini a 5-inch slim and compact E Ink e-reader[15]
October 2013 The presentation of new devices at IFA 2013 international exhibition in Berlin:

• PocketBook CoverReader [16] – the first flip-cover with E Ink screen for smartphones • PocketBook Basic Touch – E Ink reader with a «film touch» technology based screen, And also two Android tablets PocketBook SURFpad 3 (7,85") and PocketBook SURFpad 3 (10").

November 2013 The company presents PocketBook Touch Lux (Limited edition)
December 2013 Presentation of the new construction-oriented device PocketBook CAD Reader [17] with EPD E Ink Fina screens at Autodesk University international exhibition in Los Angeles, USA. The CAD Reader has remained vaporware ever since.
PocketBook Basic 2 - a 6-inch E Ink e-reader represented
January 2014 PocketBook Touch Lux 2 - E Ink e-reader with frontlight represented
March 2014 The company announced the first serial waterproof and dust protected E Ink e-reader – PocketBook Aqua [18]

Recent awards

Device Award Nomination Country\Year
PocketBook Pro 912,

Basic 611, Touch

Pixmania Pixmania Top 10 Sales France (2012)
PocketBook Touch Computer Bild Best eReader in Europe [19] Germany (2012)
PocketBook A10 Red Dot 2012 Awards Best product design [20] Germany (2012)
PocketBook Touch Tablet PC Winner of testing of new e-book readers with multisensor displays Germany (2012)
PocketBook Touch, PocketBook Basic, PocketBook Basic New PC Format Winner of e-book reader rating Poland (2012)
PocketBook A 10’’ 3G Consumer Electronics & Photo Expo Product of the Year 2012 (Mobile and Digital Devices) Russia (2012)
PocketBook Pro 612 PC Magazine/RE Russia: Best of the Best 2011 (E-book readers) [21] Russia (2012)
PocketBook Touch Lux allesebook.de Best E Ink Reader [22] Germany (2013)
PocketBook Touch Lux Tablet PC Best E Ink Reader Germany (2013)
PocketBook SURFpad 2 The-eBook Quality Guarantee [23] Best tablet Russia (2013)
PocketBook SURFpad 2 allesebook.de Test winner [24] Germany (2013)
PocketBook Touch Lux SFT Magazins Best E Ink reader Germany (2013)
PocketBook Mini Tablet PC Best E Ink reader Germany (2013)
PocketBook SURFpad 3 (7,85’’) Tablet PC Best E Ink reader Germany (2013)
PocketBook Touch Lux The-eBook Championship 2013 Best E Ink reader [25] Russia (2013)
PocketBook Mini The-eBook Championship 2013 Best E Ink reader [25] Russia (2013)
PocketBook Touch Lux 2 Red Dot 2014 Best product design [26] Germany (2014)

PocketBook’s projects

See also

References

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