The Polymer Vision Readius received a release date of sometime toward the middle of this year, and the cell phone/e-reader hybrid is shaping up to be an enticing contender against Apple's iPhone and the new wave of e-readers. It has a roomy 5-inch e-paper display, which folds to ensure that the Readius is no larger than your average cell phone. The unit's reportedly long battery life and powerful 3G network capabilities are also very attractive. Still, there are some drawbacks: it has only eight buttons (no keypad functionality), can't display in color and won't play any more advanced media such as a video.

So how well will a cell phone do that combines calling and reading? A lot will come down to its price — if it's as expensive as a high-end phone, and it looks like it may be, then that seems a bit much. After all, the gadget comes in the wake of Steve Job's proclamation that the book is dead, so it must be a failed endeavor, right?

Check out the gallery below for more shots of the Readius.

Readius, via Reuters, via Textually