Kobo eReader
File:Kobo logo (2015).svg | |
Manufacturer | Kobo Inc. |
---|---|
Type | e-Reader |
Operating system | Kobo firmware |
Power | Internal li-ion rechargeable battery |
Website | www |
The Kobo eReader is an e-reader produced by Toronto-based Kobo Inc. The company's name is an anagram of "book". The original version was released in May 2010 and was marketed as a minimalist alternative to the more expensive e-book readers available at the time. Like most e-readers, the Kobo uses an electronic ink screen[1] (but for the Arc tablet series, released between 2011 and 2013, based on LCD technology instead).[2]
E Ink devices
Chronological Overview
Legend: | Unsupported | Discontinued | Current |
---|
Component | Display | Input | Storage | CPU | Connectivity | Features / Notes | Dimensions | Weight | Introductory price | Released | Battery & RAM | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Model | Type | Size | Resolution | ppi | Internal | Expanded | Make and model | USB + | (US$) | ||||||
Kobo eReader | E-Ink | 6" | 800x600 | 170 | D-Pad | 1 GB (1,000 books) | 4 GB SD | Bluetooth | $199 | May 2010 | |||||
Kobo WiFi | E-Ink | 6" | 800x600 | 170 | D-Pad | 1 GB (1,000 books) | 32 GB SD | Freescale i.MX335 | Wi-Fi | 184 × 120 × 10 mm (7.2 × 4.7 × 0.4 in) | 221 g (7.80 oz) | $199 | October 2010 | ||
Kobo Touch | E-Ink Pearl | 6" | 800x600 | 170 | Touch | 2 GB (1,500 books) | 32 GB microSD | 800MHz Freescale i.MX507 | Wi-Fi | First touchscreen. | 165 × 114 × 10 mm (6.5 × 4.5 × 0.4 in) | 200 g (7.05 oz) | $129 | May 2011 | |
Kobo Glo | E-Ink Pearl | 6" | 1024x768 | 213 | Touch | 2 GB (1,500 books) | 32 GB microSD | 1GHz Freescale i.MX507 | Wi-Fi | First illuminated display. | 157 x 114 x 10 mm (6.2 x 4.5 x 0.4 in) | 185 g (6.5 oz) | $129 | September 2012 | |
Kobo Mini | E-Ink Pearl | 5" | 800x600 | 200 | Touch | 2 GB (1,500 books) | 32 GB microSD | 800MHZ Freescale i.MX507 | Wi-Fi | 133 x 102 x 10 mm (5.2 x 4 x 0.4 in) | 134 g (4.73 oz) | $79 | September 2012 | ||
Kobo Aura HD | E-Ink Pearl | 6.8" | 1440x1080 | 265 | Touch | 4 GB (3,000 books) | 32 GB microSD | 1GHz Freescale i.MX507 | Wi-Fi | 175.7 x 128.3 x 11.7 mm (6.91 x 5.05 x 0.46 in) | 240 g (8.5 oz) | $169 | April 2013 | ||
Kobo Aura | E-Ink Pearl | 6" | 1024x768 | 213 | Touch | 4 GB (3,000 books) | 32 GB microSD | 1GHz Freescale i.MX507 | Wi-Fi | 150 x 114 x 8.1 mm (5.9 x 5.6 x 0.3 in) | 174 g (6.1 oz) | $149 | August 2013 | ||
Kobo Aura H₂0 | E-Ink Carta | 6.8" | 1440x1080 | 265 | Touch | 4 GB (3,000 books) | 32 GB microSD | 1GHz | Wi-Fi | Waterproofed | 179 x 129 x 9.7 mm | 233 g (8.22 oz) | $179 | October 2014 | |
Kobo Glo HD | E-Ink Carta | 6" | 1448x1072 | 300 | Touch | 4 GB (3,000 books) | No | 1GHz | Wi-Fi | 157 x 114 x 10 mm (6.2 x 4.5 x 0.4 in) | 180 g (6.3 oz) | $129 | May 2015 | ||
Kobo Touch 2.0 | E-Ink Pearl | 6" | 800x600 | 167 | Touch | 4 GB (3,000 books) | No | Freescale SoloLite iMx6 1Ghz | Wi-Fi | 157 x 115 x 9.2 mm | 185g | $61 | September 2015 | ||
Kobo Aura Edition 2 | E-Ink Carta | 6" | 1024x768 | 212 | Touch | 4 GB (3,000 books) | No | Freescale SoloLite iMx6 1Ghz | Wi-Fi | 154.5 x 109 x 8.5 mm | 180g | $119 | September 2016 | ||
Kobo Aura One [3] | E-Ink Carta | 7.8" | 1872x1404 | 300 | Touch | 8 GB (6,000 books) | No | Freescale SoloLite i.MX 6 1Ghz | Wi-Fi | Waterproofed,
ComfortLight PRO[4] |
195.1 x 138.5 x 6.9 mm | 252 g | $230 | September 2016 | 512 RAM |
Kobo Aura H₂O Edition 2 | E-Ink Carta | 6.8" | 1440x1080 | 265 | Touch | 8 GB (6,000 books) | No | Freescale SoloLite iMx6 1Ghz | Wi-Fi | Waterproofed,
ComfortLight PRO |
172 x 129 x 8.9 mm | 210g | $180 | May 2017 | |
Kobo Clara HD | E-Ink Carta | 6" | 1448x1072 | 300 | Touch | 8 GB (6,000 books) | No | Freescale SoloLite 1Ghz | Wi-Fi | ComfortLight PRO | 159.6 x 110 x 8.35 mm | 166g | $130 | June 2018 | 1500 mAh |
Kobo Forma [5] | E-Ink Carta | 8" | 1920x1440 | 300 | Touch/buttons | 8 GB (6,000 books) | No | Freescale SoloLite i.MX 6 1Ghz | Wi-Fi | Waterproofed, ComfortLight PRO | 160 x 177.7 x 8.5 mm | 197g | $279.99 | October 2018 Pre-order | 1200 mAh / 512 RAM |
Kobo Libra H₂O [6][7] | E-Ink Carta | 7" | 1680x1264 | 300 | Touch/buttons | 8 GB (6,000 books) | No | Freescale SoloLite i.MX 6 1Ghz | Wi-Fi | Waterproofed, ComfortLight PRO | 144 x 159 x 5.0 - 7.8 mm | 192g | $169.99 | September 2019 | 1200 mAh / 512 RAM |
Current
Common attributes
All Kobo e-readers share a unique pagination system giving users the option to count and reference pages separately within each chapter as opposed to the book as a whole, although the latter is user selectable as an alternative. All Kobo readers require connection to the Internet during the initial setup phase and will not work until it has connected to Kobo's servers. Kobo e-readers support viewing Epub, Adobe PDF, plain text, HTML, and unprotected Mobipocket (mobi, prc) e-books. It also supports many other formats unofficially such as ZIM.
Kobo Libra H₂O
Kobo Libra H₂O was released on September 15, 2019.[6]
Kobo Forma
The Kobo Forma was released in November 2018. It has an 8-inch, 300ppi E-Ink display that can be held by right- and left-handed people, and it can be flipped horizontally as well. It has the physical page up and down buttons to flip pages.[8]
Kobo's website gives the following technical specifications:[9]
- Features: Waterproof IPX8 - up to 60 mins in 2 meters of water
- Screen: 8.0" 300 PPI E Ink Carta display, 1440 × 1920 resolution
- Weight: 197 g
- Size: 160 x 177.7 x 8.5 (thickness at gripping area) & 4.2 (thickness at the thinner side)
- Storage: 8 GB - 32 GB
- Front-light: ComfortLight PRO – Adjustable color temperature
- Customizability with 11 different fonts and over 50 font styles with a font weight and sharpness setting
- Supported formats: 14 file formats supported natively (EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR)
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Micro USB
- Battery Life: 1200 mAh, weeks of battery life
Kobo Clara HD
The Clara HD was released on June 5, 2018.[10] It has a 6 inch, 300 ppi screen.[11]
Kobo Aura One
The Kobo Aura One was released on 6 September 2016 and it is the first e-reader with a 7.8-inch E Ink Carta HD waterproof touchscreen display with a 300 ppi screen.[12] The Aura One weighs 252 grams and measures 195 by 138.5 by 6. 9 mm. It has Wi-Fi, 8 GB internal storage, and 512 MB RAM. The Aura One is lit by nine white LEDs and eight RGB LEDs around the frame. The additional RGB LEDs allow the device to have a night reading mode that limits the blue light that comes from white LEDs.[13] It was the first Kobo eReader with built-in OverDrive support.[14]
Kobo Aura Edition 2
The Kobo Aura Edition 2 was released with the Kobo Aura One in September 2016 as "a refreshed version of a beloved classic".[15] It has a 6-inch E Ink Carta display with a resolution of 1024×768 at 212 ppi. The exterior styling is similar to the Kobo Aura One. Unlike the original Kobo Aura, there is no MicroSD slot. The specifications are otherwise similar to the original Kobo Aura.
Kobo Aura H₂O Edition 2
The Kobo Aura H₂O Edition 2 was released in May 2017.[16] It has a 6.8-inch E Ink HD Carta waterproof IPX8 display at 265 ppi.[17] Its LED light, called the "ComfortLight PRO", can automatically reduce blue-light exposure during the night to lower the screen's effect on sleep.[18]
Discontinued
Kobo eReader
Kobo Inc. announced its first e-reader on 24 March 2010, at the CTIA show.[19] It was officially released on 1 May 2010.[20] It had expandable memory, holding an additional 4 GB via an SD slot and limited wireless connectivity via Bluetooth to select Blackberry wireless devices. It was available in black or white and came preloaded with 100 public domain books.[1] It was manufactured by Netronix Inc.,[21] a Taiwan based company with factories in Taiwan and China.[22]
The pricing strategy of the original Kobo, at USD$149, was to rival the Amazon Kindle, which was USD$110 more expensive.[1] However, in June 2010, just after the Kobo was released, Amazon dropped the price of the Kindle to USD$189.[23] Its pricing strategy in Australia was similarly aggressive where it was available for A$199, again A$100 less than the Kindle.[24] Borders Australia said that they hoped to sell high volumes of the Kobo to drive up sales at their e-content store.[24]
The original Kobo received a mediocre review from CNET, which said that, while the Kobo was compact, lightweight and affordable, the lack of Wi-Fi or 3G made it outdated, especially when there were similarly priced eReaders available with those features.[23]
In December 2010, the original Kobo's feature set was updated with a firmware update to more closely match the Wifi model.[25]
Kobo Wi-Fi
A new model with Wi-Fi capability was released on 15 October 2010. It included an improved processor, screen, and new colour choices (porcelain/metallic silver, porcelain/pearlized lilac, and onyx). The SD expansion had been improved to claim a capacity for up to 10,000 books with a 32GB SD card.[26] Other improvements included a longer battery life and a built-in dictionary.[27]
As with the original model, the Wi-Fi model came pre-loaded with 100 public domain books.[26]
Kobo Touch
The Kobo Touch was released in June 2011.[28] It introduced an infrared 6-inch touchscreen interface. Other improvements compared to the Kobo Wi-Fi included an E Ink Pearl screen, a faster processor capable of smooth PDF panning, 802.11n capability, and reduced size and weight.[29]
Kobo Glo
The Kobo Glo is an e-reader released on 6 September 2012. It is a front-lit, touch-based E Ink reader.[30] The Kobo Glo supports most ebook standards, including EPUB. It has a 6-inch touchscreen, 1024×758 resolution, 213 ppi, 6.53 oz, 2 GB of storage, and supports microSD.[31]
Kobo Mini
The Kobo Mini is smaller, 5-inch, and lighter than standard ebook readers and was released on 6 September 2012. It has 2GB internal storage and Wi-Fi. The 5" E Ink Vizplex screen has a resolution of 800x600 with 200 ppi.
Kobo Aura
The Kobo Aura is the baseline e-reader with a 6-inch E Ink ClarityScreen display with 1024×768 resolution, 16-level grey scale and a built-in LED front-light. It has 4 GB of storage, weighs 173g (6.1 oz), has 2 months of battery life, a Freescale i.MX507 1 GHz processor, and a microSD expansion slot.[32][33] It was released in September 2013.[2]
Kobo Aura HD
The Aura HD was a limited-edition device, released on 25 April 2013, with a 6.8-inch E Ink display, with a high resolution of 1440×1080 with 265 ppi.[34] It is 8.47 oz and a microSD expansion slot. Other improvements compared to the Kobo Touch include a built-in "ComfortLight" LED light, a faster processor (1 GHz), twice the onboard storage (4 GB) and a claimed twice the battery life (estimated at 2 months).
Kobo Aura H₂O
The Aura H₂O, released on 1 October 2014, is the first commercial waterproof e-reader and has an upgraded version of the Aura HD's 6.8-inch E Ink Carta display with a resolution of 1440×1080 with 265 ppi.[35] While its screen is improved over the Aura HD, it contains the same processor, on-board storage, and software as the Aura HD, and has dust/waterproofing – certified to be immersed for up to 30 minutes in up to 1 meter of water with its port cover closed.[36]
Kobo Glo HD
The Kobo Glo HD, released on 1 May 2015, is an e-reader with an E Ink Carta screen and is the successor to 2012's Glo; it has a 6-inch screen in a resolution of 1448×1072, or 300 ppi, matching the resolution of the Kindle Voyage. Internally the device stores its operating system and content on a MicroSD card,[37] and this allows storage upgrade for users who open their device; this will invalidate any warranty[citation needed].
Kobo Touch 2.0
The Kobo Touch 2.0 was released on 8 September 2015, as an entry level e-reader[38] with an E Ink Pearl 6-inch display with a resolution of 800×600 and 167 ppi. The exterior is similar in appearance to the Kobo Glo HD and it has a 1 GHz Freescale i.MX6 Solo Lite Processor and 4 GB of internal storage.
Market share
This section needs to be updated.(March 2018) |
Global
Canada
The Kobo e-reading platform was the best-selling in Canada as of January 2012, with research firm Ipsos-Reid estimating that Kobo e-readers represented 46% of the Canadian market.[40]
France
As of spring 2012, Kobo had 50% of the market share in France.[41]
Other countries
In August 2013, Kobo was the second largest ebook retailer in Japan, and Forbes estimated it at 3% of the market share in the United States.[42]
Selected subsidiaries
In October 2012, Kobo Inc. acquired the digital publishing platform Aquafadas to increase the content available on its e-reader devices.[43]
See also
- Comparison of e-book readers
- Comparison of tablet computers
- Amazon Kindle
- Barnes & Noble Nook
- Sony Reader
- Calibre – open source software to manage a digital library with support of conversion between common e-book formats
References
- ^ a b c Nowak, Peter (24 March 2010), "Indigo targets Amazon with Kobo e-reader", News, CA: CBC.
- ^ a b Haselton, Todd (28 September 2013). "Kobo Arc 7, Arc 10HD and Aura Hands-On". TechnoBuffalo. TechnoBuffalo LLC. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
- ^ Albertini, Javier Penalva y (8 December 2016). "Kobo Aura One, análisis: hay vida (incluso mejor) después del rey Kindle". Xataka.
- ^ Store, Rakuten Kobo eReader. "Kobo Aura ONE". Rakuten Kobo eReader Store. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
- ^ Kozlowski, Michael (24 October 2018). "Kobo Forma e-Reader Review".
- ^ a b Store, Rakuten Kobo eReader. "Kobo Libra H2O". Rakuten Kobo eReader Store.
- ^ Kozlowski, Michael (7 September 2019). "Kobo Libra H2O Review".
- ^ Palladino, Valentina (22 November 2018). "Kobo Forma review: A formidable opponent for Amazon's Kindle Oasis". Ars Technica.
- ^ Store, Rakuten Kobo eReader. "Kobo Forma". Rakuten Kobo eReader Store.
- ^ Kobo. "Rakuten Kobo Launches Kobo Clara HD: Its Newest Entry-Level, Feature-Rich eReader". Kobo. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
- ^ "Kobo Clara HD - Rakuten Kobo eReader Store". Kobo. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ ‘Kobo Aura One Leaks, Has a 300 PPI 7.8″ E-ink Screen for 229 Euros’, The Digital Reader, 2016-8-9, retrieved 15 August 2016.
- ^ ‘Hands On With Kobo Aura One Night Mode (video)’, The Digital Reader, 2016-8-17, retrieved 18 August 2016.
- ^ ‘Get connected to your local public library right from your Kobo Aura ONE with built-in OverDrive‘ Kobo.
- ^ ‘Announcing Kobo Aura One: A breakthrough waterproof ereader designed with the help of real book lovers’, Kobo, Rakuten, August 2016.
- ^ Kiran, Rao (8 September 2019). "Kobo Libra H20 cheaper but better than Kindle Oasis". LookGadgets. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^ "Kobo Aura H₂O Edition 2". Kobo eReader Store. Rakuten.
- ^ "Kobo's new Aura H₂O is a smaller, cheaper version of its best e-reader". The verge. 2 May 2017.
- ^ Hamblen, Matt (25 March 2010), "Kobo announces $149 e-reader to be sold by Borders", Computerworld.
- ^ "Homegrown Kobo hits the shelves", The Globe and Mail (review), 29 April 2010.
- ^ "Kobo model N416", OET Exhibits List, FCC.
- ^ About (company information), Netronix, archived from the original on 5 November 2011.
- ^ a b "Kobo eReader Review" (video review). C net. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
- ^ a b Bhatt, Neerav (13 May 2010). "Borders to sell Kobo e-Book reader for A$ 199". AU: iTnews. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
- ^ Geier, K. "Customers with the original Kobo eReader we are happy to announce that Newspapers and Magazines Now Available!". Blog. Kobo. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
- ^ a b "Features". Ereader. Kobo. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
- ^ Pilato, Fabrizio (29 September 2010). "Kobo WiFi edition is cheaper, faster and sharper". Mobile Magazine. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
- ^ Ridden, Paul (25 May 2011). "Kobo launches new e-Reader Touch edition". Gizmag. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
- ^ "eReader Touch Specs". Books. Kobo. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
- ^ "Welcome the New Kobo Family of Devices – An eReader for Everyone!". Toronto: Kobo. 6 September 2012. Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ "Specs", Kobo Glo, Gdgt.
- ^ "Tech specs". Aura. Kobo.
- ^ "Kobo's new tablets compete with Google's Nexuses on price, specs". Ars Technica. August 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- ^ "Kobo crams 1.5 million pixels into its 6.8" Aura HD e-reader". Ars Technica. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
- ^ "Kobo crams 1.5 million pixels into its 6.8" Aura H2O e-reader". Ars Technica. April 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
- ^ "Kobo Aura H₂O Technical Specs". Kobo. Rakuten. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- ^ "How to: Extend Kobo Glo HD memory! - MobileRead Forums". www.mobileread.com. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
- ^ ‘Kobo Touch 2.0 e-Reader Review’, Good ereader, September 8, 2015.
- ^ "Digitimes Research: 4.57 million e-book readers to be shipped globally in 2012". DigiTimes. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2013.(subscription required)
- ^ a b Barbour, Mary Beth (19 April 2012). "Latest Wave of Ipsos Study Reveals Mobile Device Brands Canadian Consumers are Considering in 2012". Ipsos Reid. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
- ^ Reid, Calvin (20 April 2012). "With More Funding, Kobo Steps Up". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
- ^ "Taking Another Look At Ebook Upstart Kobo". Forbes. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- ^ "Kobo acquires Aquafadas". Aquafadas Blog. 10 October 2012.
External links
- Official website
- Kobo labs (reader source code repository), GitHub.
- Unofficial Kobo API Documentation (How to develop applications that make use of Kobo's ebook catalog).