Whatever happened to cheap eReaders?

Summary

Way back in 2012, The Guardian reviewed an eInk reader which cost a mere £8. The txtr beagle was designed to be a stripped-down and simplified eReader. As far as I can tell, it never shipped. There were a few review units sent out but I can't find any evidence of consumers getting their hands on one. Also, that £8 price was the subsidised price when purchased with a mobile contract. Their website ceased working long ago. But it got me intrigued. Moore's law is supposed to drive down the cost of electronics. So where are all the dirt-cheap eReaders? The cheapest Kindle for sale on Amazon UK right now is about £100. Back in 2012, it was about £70. Taking inflation into account, that price has stayed static. Brands like Kobo are also in the £100 to £150 range. About the cheapest retail eReader is the PocketBook Lux 4 for £85 or the (terribly reviewed) Woxter Scriba for £70. AliExpress has loads of second-hand and obsolete models at cheap-ish prices. But a surprising dearth of new eReaders. Going wholesale, Alibaba has a range of models, some of which clock in at around £30. But, of course, that's before shipping and tax. They won't come with any manufacturer's warranty and don't expect any software updates. Also, good luck getting accessories! So what's stopping new eReaders being released at a cheap(er) price? I think it comes down to four main things. Around 40% of UK adults didn't read a single book last year. That survey combines reading books and listening to audiobooks. Of the 60% who do read/listen, about 14% primarily listen. Of those that read, around 60% do so on paper books. If reading is niche, reading electronically is a tiny niche! This is somewhat of a chicken-and-egg argument. If an eReader were the same cost as a mass-market paperback, I'm sure many more paper-book readers would become converts. The whole point of an eInk reader is that it is a distraction-free environment. Yeah, you could scroll TikTok on one, but it isn't a pleasant experience. An eR...