Shinano Kenshi to Launch 'PTR3PLUS' Recording and Playback Device for the Visually Impaired and 'PLEXTALK Reader' iPhone App
Shinano Kenshi will release the 'PTR3PLUS' recording and playback device for the visually impaired and the 'PLEXTALK Reader' iPhone app in June 2026. This aims to provide a seamless reading experience at home and on the go, promoting the use of accessible electronic books.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 19:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 11:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 17:52 (126h 50m after Collected)
Shinano Kenshi Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture; President and Representative Director: Yukihiro Kaneko; hereinafter "Shinano Kenshi") has developed 'PTR3PLUS' (read: P.T.R. Three Plus), a desktop recording and playback device, as a new product in its "PLEXTALK" series for the visually impaired, and will begin sales in June 2026.
While inheriting the operability and functions of the conventional 'PTR3' model, it newly incorporates a linkage function with the dedicated iPhone app 'PLEXTALK Reader', which has the same operability as PLEXTALK. This provides a seamless playback environment for recorded books, whether at home or on the go, realizing a more convenient and comfortable reading experience.
[PTR3PLUS Product Photo]
[Development Background ~Responding to User Voices~]
Since the 1990s, Shinano Kenshi has been engaged in the development, manufacturing, and sales of its own brand "PLEXTALK" series of audio reading devices compliant with DAISY (Digital Accessible Information SYstem), an international standard for accessible electronic books that anyone can read.
In recent years, reading using smartphones (hereinafter "smartphones") has become common, and there is an increasing need to easily continue reading even when out and about. While there are voices from PLEXTALK users saying, "I want to continue using an easy-to-operate desktop model," there has also been a strong demand for:
* "I want to read with a smartphone app that has the same operating system as PLEXTALK."
* "I want to continue reading DAISY books on CD or SD card that I was playing on my desktop PLEXTALK at home, even when I'm out."
In particular, since many DAISY books are still provided only on CD or SD card, there was a need for an environment where these contents could be transferred to a smartphone and continued reading on the go.
To respond to these changes in the reading environment and user voices, we developed the new product 'PTR3PLUS' and the iPhone app 'PLEXTALK Reader'.
'PLEXTALK Reader' reproduces the easy-to-understand operability cultivated through years of PLEXTALK development. While taking into account the current increase in smartphone reading, it also responds to the voices of users who have long favored the portable 'PLEXTALK Link Pocket'.
[Development Grant from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Project]
'PLEXTALK Reader' and its linkage function with 'PTR3PLUS' were developed with a grant after being adopted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's "FY2025 Promotion Project for Development of Self-Support Equipment for Persons with Disabilities." This was evaluated as socially important for building an accessible reading environment utilizing smartphones, and it supported efforts to expand the scope of reading from traditional reading terminals to mobile environments.
In addition, during development, monitor evaluations were conducted in cooperation with libraries and special needs schools, and development proceeded with an emphasis on readability and ease of use for visually impaired individuals.
[Recipient of the Kazuo Honma Cultural Award]
Shinano Kenshi received the "22nd Kazuo Honma Cultural Award" hosted by the Japan Braille Library on October 7, 2025. This award recognizes individuals and organizations that have contributed to the cultural advancement of visually impaired individuals, and this award is proof that our efforts through the PLEXTALK series have been widely recognized by society.
Specifications and Features of 'PTR3PLUS' and 'PLEXTALK Reader'
PTR3PLUS Product Overview
* **Product Name**: PLEXTALK Portable Recorder PTR3PLUS
* **Model Number**: PTR3PLUS/T0
* **Release Date**: Scheduled for June 2026
* **Standard Retail Price**: 85,000 JPY (tax included) - Candidate for daily living aids
* **Category**: Information and communication support device (portable recorder for the visually impaired)
It adopts a simple operating system with a cover, allowing even those who are not good at operating devices or those who are new to DAISY books to use it with peace of mind.
PTR3PLUS Main Features
Points that remain safe and reliable: Inherited from PTR3
* Supports DAISY playback, recording, and editing
* Supports various media: CD / internal memory (4GB) / SD card / USB memory
* Supports search, playback, and download from Sapie Library
* All operations possible with PTR3 are available
While inheriting the operability and functions of the conventional 'PTR3' model, it newly incorporates a linkage function with the dedicated iPhone app 'PLEXTALK Reader', which has the same operability as PLEXTALK. This provides a seamless playback environment for recorded books, whether at home or on the go, realizing a more convenient and comfortable reading experience.
[PTR3PLUS Product Photo]
[Development Background ~Responding to User Voices~]
Since the 1990s, Shinano Kenshi has been engaged in the development, manufacturing, and sales of its own brand "PLEXTALK" series of audio reading devices compliant with DAISY (Digital Accessible Information SYstem), an international standard for accessible electronic books that anyone can read.
In recent years, reading using smartphones (hereinafter "smartphones") has become common, and there is an increasing need to easily continue reading even when out and about. While there are voices from PLEXTALK users saying, "I want to continue using an easy-to-operate desktop model," there has also been a strong demand for:
* "I want to read with a smartphone app that has the same operating system as PLEXTALK."
* "I want to continue reading DAISY books on CD or SD card that I was playing on my desktop PLEXTALK at home, even when I'm out."
In particular, since many DAISY books are still provided only on CD or SD card, there was a need for an environment where these contents could be transferred to a smartphone and continued reading on the go.
To respond to these changes in the reading environment and user voices, we developed the new product 'PTR3PLUS' and the iPhone app 'PLEXTALK Reader'.
'PLEXTALK Reader' reproduces the easy-to-understand operability cultivated through years of PLEXTALK development. While taking into account the current increase in smartphone reading, it also responds to the voices of users who have long favored the portable 'PLEXTALK Link Pocket'.
[Development Grant from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Project]
'PLEXTALK Reader' and its linkage function with 'PTR3PLUS' were developed with a grant after being adopted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's "FY2025 Promotion Project for Development of Self-Support Equipment for Persons with Disabilities." This was evaluated as socially important for building an accessible reading environment utilizing smartphones, and it supported efforts to expand the scope of reading from traditional reading terminals to mobile environments.
In addition, during development, monitor evaluations were conducted in cooperation with libraries and special needs schools, and development proceeded with an emphasis on readability and ease of use for visually impaired individuals.
[Recipient of the Kazuo Honma Cultural Award]
Shinano Kenshi received the "22nd Kazuo Honma Cultural Award" hosted by the Japan Braille Library on October 7, 2025. This award recognizes individuals and organizations that have contributed to the cultural advancement of visually impaired individuals, and this award is proof that our efforts through the PLEXTALK series have been widely recognized by society.
Specifications and Features of 'PTR3PLUS' and 'PLEXTALK Reader'
PTR3PLUS Product Overview
* **Product Name**: PLEXTALK Portable Recorder PTR3PLUS
* **Model Number**: PTR3PLUS/T0
* **Release Date**: Scheduled for June 2026
* **Standard Retail Price**: 85,000 JPY (tax included) - Candidate for daily living aids
* **Category**: Information and communication support device (portable recorder for the visually impaired)
It adopts a simple operating system with a cover, allowing even those who are not good at operating devices or those who are new to DAISY books to use it with peace of mind.
PTR3PLUS Main Features
Points that remain safe and reliable: Inherited from PTR3
* Supports DAISY playback, recording, and editing
* Supports various media: CD / internal memory (4GB) / SD card / USB memory
* Supports search, playback, and download from Sapie Library
* All operations possible with PTR3 are available