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The txtr beagle is an eBook reader designed to work with your smartphone: You purchase books using your phone and transfer them to the 5 inch eReader over Bluetooth.

Since the eReader doesn’t have WiFi or USB, so the only way to load it up with books is over Bluetooth. Because of this phone connection, the company that makes the device sells it through wireless carriers in Europe, and offers phone-like subsidies, allowing customers to buy the beagle for about $13.

Now you can also buy the txtr beagle in the US, but you’ll have to pay full price for the hardware. You can pre-order one for about $70.

Of course, for the same price you can pick up an Amazon Kindle which is a much more versatile eReader which features WiFi, USB, and a content library of millions of books (plus the ability to send your own Mobi, PDF, or other supported files to your device).

A Barnes & Noble NOOK Simple Touch doesn’t cost much more.

Given the choice between a Kindle or a NOOK and the txtr beagle, I can’t really think of any good reason to buy the latter. But I suppose that might change if the company can partner with North American wireless carriers to offer the device for $13 here.

via The Digital Reader