An e-book reader with foldable screen - similar to the Readius - will be launched next year, Taiwanese manufacturer Wistron has claimed.

Brian Chong, Product Planning Chief at Taiwanese manufacturer Wistron, said that his firm is currently developing a handheld device with flexible e-paper display measuring between 5in and 6in.

Chong also told website DigiTimes that the unnamed device will feature a similar design to the Readius e-book reader, developed by Polymer Vision and acquired by Wistron for roughly €12m (£10.8m/$17b.9m) just last month.

Polymer Vision's Readius: now owned by Wistron

The Readius, to refresh your memory, was set to feature a 5in roller blind-style pull-out display for viewing e-books. It was also hoped the gadget would include both tri-band GSM/GPRS and HSDPA 3G connectivity.

It’s still unclear if Wistron’s foldable-screen e-book reader will carry the Readius name when it comes to market 2010, or how much the device is expected to cost. ®

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