Tencent Halts E-Reader Service Following Kindle’s China Retreat

Chinese are reading online more, but not necessarily from e-readers.

Chinese readers are gradually disconnecting from e-reading devices.

China Literature is the latest to end its e-reader services in another major withdrawal, just months after Amazon pulled Kindle from the Chinese market in June, according to a statement published Monday. The online literature arm of tech giant Tencent will discontinue offering books on its e-reader Koudaiyue, both of which will be phased out by Oct. 26.

Existing Koudaiyue users will no longer be able to purchase new books after the service is suspended but pre-downloaded titles and other personal files stored on the device will still remain readable, the media report said. Unused credits and users’ purchase history on Koudaiyue will be transferred to Tencent’s other online reading app, Qidian. Continue to read the full article here

– This article originally appeared on Sixth Tone.