Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s largest maker of televisions, plans to sell its first electronic-book readers early this year, taking on Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle.

Samsung will offer two models: a 6-inch (15-centimeter) product called the E6 for $399 and the 10-inch E101 for $699, according to a statement. The devices will have stylus-based handwriting recognition, wireless Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities, Samsung said yesterday when it unveiled the products at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Samsung, based in Gyeonggi, South Korea, is joining the growing ranks of competitors to the Kindle, which dominates the e-reader market in the U.S. Sony Corp., maker of the Daily Edition reader, ranks second.

This year’s CES features the first section devoted to e- readers, with 28 companies demonstrating products, according to the Arlington, Virginia-based Consumer Electronics Association, which runs the show.

Samsung advanced 2.3 percent to 841,000 won in South Korean trading yesterday. The shares climbed 77 percent last year.

Source:Bloomberg