The Kobo eReader is an e-reader produced by the Toronto-based company 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. The Arc series of tablets, released between 2011 and 2013, was based on LCD technology instead.
Common Features
All Kobo e-readers share a unique pagination system that allows users to count and reference pages separately for each chapter, rather than for the book as a whole. However, the user can choose the latter option. Until an update in January 2022, Kobo e-readers required an Internet connection during the initial installation phase and did not work until they were connected to Kobo’s servers. Kobo eReaders support reading unprotected Epub, Adobe PDF, plain text, HTML and Mobipocket (mobi, prc) ebooks. They also support many other formats, such as ZIM, unofficially.
Kobo Elipsa
The Kobo Elipsa was released on June 24, 2021. It has a 10.3-inch E-Ink display of 1404×1872 pixels, with a density of 227 ppi. It is equipped with an Allwinner B300 SoC with an integrated computer controller.
Kobo Nia
The Kobo Nia was released on July 21, 2020. It has a 6-inch E-Ink display of 1024×758 pixels, with a density of 212 ppi.
Kobo Libra HO
The Kobo Libra HO was released on September 15, 2019.
The Libra features a 7-inch E Ink Carta HD display with a resolution of 1,680 x 1,264 pixels and a density of 300 PPI.
Kobo Libra 2
The Libra 2 was released in October 2021.
The Kobo Sage and Kobo Libra 2 are the first Kobo e-readers to feature Bluetooth, so audiobooks can be played from the e-reader using an external Bluetooth speaker. The Kobo Libra 2 features USB-C, which replaces the previous standard, Micro-USB. The Libra 2 has a 7-inch E-Ink Carta 1200 display with a resolution of 1680 x 1264 and 300 PPI. It has a storage capacity of 32 GB.
Kobo Forma
The Kobo Forma was released in November 2018. It has an 8-inch, 300 ppi E-Ink screen that can be held by both right- and left-handed people, and it can be flipped horizontally. It has physical page up and page down buttons to flip through pages.
Kobo Aura One
The Kobo Aura One was released on September 6, 2016 and it is the first e-reader with a 7.8-inch E Ink Carta HD waterproof touchscreen with a 300 ppi display. The Aura One weighs 252 grams and measures 195 by 138.5 by 6.9 mm. It comes with Wi-Fi, 8GB of internal memory and 512MB of RAM. The Aura One is illuminated by nine white and eight RGB LEDs around the frame. The additional RGB LEDs allow the device to have a night playback mode that limits the blue light from the white LEDs. The Aura One was the first Kobo e-reader with built-in OverDrive support.
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.” It features a 6-inch E Ink Carta display with a 1024×768 resolution at 212 ppi. The exterior styling is similar to that of 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 HO Edition 2
The Kobo Aura HO Edition 2 was released in May 2017. It features a 6.8-inch, IPX8 waterproof, 265 ppi E Ink HD Carta display. Its LED light, called “ComfortLight PRO,” can automatically reduce blue light exposure at night to reduce the screen’s effect on sleep.
Discontinued
Kobo e-reader
Kobo Inc. announced its first e-reader on March 24, 2010, at CTIA. The device was officially launched on May 1, 2010. It featured expandable memory, capable of holding an additional 4GB via an SD slot, and limited wireless connectivity via Bluetooth to select Blackberry wireless devices. It was available in black or white and came pre-loaded with 100 public domain books. It was manufactured by Netronix Inc, a Taiwan-based company with plants in Taiwan and China.
The original Kobo’s pricing strategy, at US$149, was intended to compete with Amazon’s Kindle, which was US$110 more expensive. However, in June 2010, just after the launch of the Kobo, Amazon lowered the price of the Kindle to $189. Its pricing strategy in Australia was equally aggressive: the Kobo was available for $199 AUD, $100 cheaper than the Kindle. Borders Australia said it hoped to sell large volumes of the Kobo to boost sales of its e-content store.
The original Kobo received a poor review from CNET, which said that while the Kobo was compact, lightweight and affordable, the lack of Wi-Fi or 3G made it obsolete, especially when there were similarly priced eReaders available with those features.
In December 2010, the original Kobo’s feature set was updated with a firmware update to more closely match the Wi-Fi model.
Kobo Wi-Fi
A new model with Wi-Fi capability was released on October 15, 2010. It included an improved processor and screen, as well as new color choices (porcelain/metallic silver, porcelain/pearl lilac and onyx). The SD expansion was enhanced to allow storage of up to 10,000 books with a 32GB SD card. Other improvements include longer battery life and a built-in dictionary.
Like the original model, the Wi-Fi model comes pre-loaded with 100 public domain books.
Kobo Touch
The Kobo Touch was launched in June 2011. It introduced a 6-inch infrared touch interface. Other improvements over the Kobo Wi-Fi included an E Ink Pearl display, a faster processor capable of PDF panning, 802.11n capability and reduced size and weight.
Kobo Glo
The Kobo Glo is an e-reader released on September 6, 2012. It is a front-lit, touchscreen E Ink reader. The Kobo Glo supports most e-book standards, including EPUB. It has a 6-inch touchscreen, 1024×768 resolution, 213 ppi, 6.53 oz, 2 GB of storage and supports microSD.
Kobo Mini
The Kobo Mini is smaller, at 5 inches, and lighter than standard ebook readers. It was released on September 6, 2012. It has 2GB of internal storage and Wi-Fi. The 5-inch E Ink Vizplex screen has a resolution of 800×600 with 200 ppi.
Kobo Aura
The Kobo Aura is the basic e-reader with a 6-inch E Ink ClarityScreen with 1024×768 resolution, 16-level grayscale and built-in LED front lighting. It has 4GB of storage, weighs 173g (6.1oz), has a two-month battery life, a 1GHz Freescale i.MX507 processor and a microSD expansion slot. It was released in September 2013.
Kobo Aura HD
The Aura HD was a limited edition device released on April 25, 2013, with a 6.8-inch E Ink display with a high resolution of 1440×1080 with 265 ppi. It weighs 8.47 oz and has a microSD expansion slot. Other improvements over the Kobo Touch include a built-in “ComfortLight” LED light, a faster processor (1 GHz), twice the onboard storage (4 GB) and twice the battery life (estimated at two months).
Kobo Aura HO
The Aura HO, released on October 1, 2014, is the second commercial waterproof e-reader. It features an upgraded version of the Aura HD’s 6.8-inch E Ink Carta screen, with a resolution of 1440×1080 with 265 ppi. While its screen is improved over the Aura HD, it contains the same processor, on-board memory and software as the Aura HD, and it’s dust and waterproof – it’s certified to be submerged for 30 minutes in one meter of water with its lid closed.
Kobo Glo HD
The Kobo Glo HD, released on May 1, 2015, is an e-reader with an E Ink Carta screen and is the successor to the 2012 Glo. It has a 6-inch screen with a resolution of 1448×1072, or 300 ppi, matching the resolution of the Kindle Voyage.
Kobo Touch 2.0
The Kobo Touch 2.0 was released on September 8, 2015 as an entry-level e-reader with a 6-inch E Ink Pearl screen with a resolution of 800×600 and 167 ppi. The exterior is similar to the Kobo Glo HD and it features a 1 GHz Freescale i.MX6 Solo Lite processor and 4 GB of internal storage.