Skip to main content

Oyster, the Netflix for books, to shut down after just two years

oyster the netflix for books to shut down after just two years harry potter
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Initially launching during September 2013 as a $10-per-month book subscription service, Oyster has announced that the company will be gradually closing over the next few months. With several members of the Oyster team moving onto Google Play Books, subscribers will eventually have to turn to another service, like Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited, for access to a large library of books for a single monthly subscription price.

Detailed on the official Oyster blog today, the team wrote “As we continue on, we couldn’t be more excited about the future of ebooks and mobile reading. We believe more than ever that the phone will be the primary reading device globally over the next decade—enabling access to knowledge and stories for billions of people worldwide. Looking forward, we feel this is best seized by taking on new opportunities to fully realize our vision for ebooks.”

Anyone that’s a current Oyster subscriber that wants to halt all service with the company immediately can do so by sending an email to refunds@oysterbooks.com in order to request a refund. Besides Kindle Unlimited, Scribd offers a similar subscription service for $9-a-month. That offers unlimited access to over one million digital books as well as comic books and audio books; both of which are notably missing from Amazon’s service.

Of course, the likelihood of Google launching a similar competing service in the near future has increased exponentially with the talent acquisition poached from Oyster. Detailed by re/code, Google is paying off investors for the right to hire Oyster employees, a practice that’s commonly known as acqhire. With this talent acquisition, anyone on the Android mobile platform may soon be able to take advantage of a new book subscription service.

Editors' Recommendations

Mike Flacy
By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…
How to turn off Activity Status on Instagram
Instagram on an iPhone.

Instagram is a popular social networking site that allows users to communicate through text, photos, and videos. One of its features is the app's Activity Status, which lets users know when someone was last active on the app or if they are currently online.

Read more
Grab a 4-pack of Apple AirTags while they’re on sale
Person holding an Apple AirTag.

If you're one of those people who always keep misplacing their stuff, then you may want to take advantage of Walmart's offer for the Apple AirTag. Four of the Bluetooth trackers, which will make sure that you never lose anything again, are available for just $80, following a $19 discount on the bundle's original price of $99. There's no telling how long this lowered price will last, so if you think you'll find some use for these tracking devices, it's highly recommended that you proceed with the purchase as soon as possible.

Why you should buy the Apple AirTag
The Apple AirTag is highlighted in our roundup of the best Bluetooth trackers as the top choice if you're invested in the iOS ecosystem. In addition to a quick and easy one-tap setup to link the tracking device to your iPhone or iPad, the Apple AirTag uses Apple's Find My network to keep track of your things. Precision Finding with Ultra Wideband technology will lead you to your Apple AirTag, with the help of the millions of devices in the Find My network that will work together to locate your missing item when you activate Lost Mode.

Read more
Huawei’s gorgeous Pura 70 phones just got expanded availability
Huawei Pura 70 pink, green, white, and black colors.

Huawei Pura 70 Huawei

After being announced for China in mid-April, the Huawei Pura 70 series is now confirmed for the EU market. Those in the European market can expect to preorder the Pura 70, Pura 70 Pro, and the top-tier Pura 70 Ultra starting May 2 for 999 euros, 1,199 euros, and 1,499 euros, respectively. This pricing is in line with what we saw in China, with the Ultra coming in at 9,999 yuan ($1,400) and the base Pura 70 at 5,499 yuan ($760).

Read more