Somewhere along the line, and it wasn’t too recently because I can recall seeing it a few weeks ago, the Kobo Mini received what appears to be a permanent price drop down from $79 to $59.
That’s the price listed on Kobo’s website, anyway. And there’s no indication that it’s on sale. $59 is also the price listed at Powell’s Books, but they are only showing one left. QVC has a variety of Kobo Minis in different color combinations on clearance for $49, with $6.97 for shipping.
The fact that the Kobo Mini is on clearance is one sign that its shelf life may be coming to an end. The bigger sign is the fact that most of the retailers in Canada that used to sell the Kobo Mini online no longer list it at all anymore.
Given the fact Canada is Kobo’s home country, that is as sure a sign as any that the Kobo Mini may be being phased out.
The third and final indication is the price-cut extends to the UK as well. The Kobo Mini costs half the regular price, marked down from £60 to £30 at WHSmith.
It seems to be on sale or clearance on most websites that still carry it, and there are limited color options available at most of those places, including Kobo.
I wonder if Kobo is slowly pulling the plug on their only 5″ ereader. It was first released 1 year ago. Given the fact it has a touchscreen and all the same software features as the larger Kobo ereaders, the low price is a pretty good bargain. I really liked the pocketable form factor of the Kobo Mini when I reviewed it last November.
Hopefully Kobo is planning on releasing a new updated Kobo Mini at some point. A Kobo Aura Mini could be pretty sweet. Perhaps one with a frontlight…
Yes! A Kobo Aura Mini with frontlight would be the bomb!
I love my Kobo mini. My preferred font size is very small making the Mini ideal.
Kobo is out of stock of black since last week. If, by chance, you want the Kobo branded sleep cover, the QVC deal is excellent. For $60.34 shipped you get the mini (white or black) plus the sleep cover (in black or red). The mini plus sleep cover at Kobo will cost you $88.99 shipped, so that’s a big savings.
Here in Spain this week a library, La Central, began to sell Kobo readers, and they don’t have the Kobo Mini. They have all the rest: Touch, Glo, Aura HD and Aura.
So the Mini is being phased out, and it doesn’t look like Kobo will make a ligthed replacement as many of us are wishing for. Sigh!
The problem with adding a light is that it would probably add $20 dollars to the price of the Mini. I would actually prefer they work on reducing the manufacturing cost of the unit and getting to the magical $50 price point.
I really do hope they continue to sell the Kobo Mini (or better yet come up with a replacement) — it is a really nice e-reader! Awesome device for gifting purposes.
DEAR KOBO,
PLEASE MAKE A KOBO MINI WITH FRONTLIGHT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!