An odd thing is occurring. Amazon has started selling the Kobo Clara HD, Kobo’s latest 6-inch ebook reader.
It’s available for $119 with free shipping, which is the same price that Kobo sells it for and $10 cheaper than the equivalent Kindle Paperwhite ($30 minus ads), and unlike the Paperwhite the Kobo has a color-adjusting frontlight that lots of people like, although the Kobo isn’t waterproof like the Kindle.
Other Kobo models have been available to purchase on Amazon for a long time, along with Nooks and a number of other brands, so that’s nothing unusual, but they’ve been sold by third-party merchants, not Amazon directly.
The current listing for the Kobo Clara HD says it is being “shipped and sold by Amazon.com”.
Other merchants are selling it as well but Amazon has the lowest price new with shipping included.
Amazon is also selling the Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2.
It’s interesting how Amazon is selling Kobos directly now, although they’re certainly not an official US partner like Walmart.
Kobo has struggled to find reliable partners in the US when it comes to selling Kobo devices, with Walmart being their lone retail partner currently, and now oddly Amazon is helping distribute Kobo ereaders for them, with Prime shipping to boot.
Now it’s faster to get a Kobo Clara HD from Amazon than ordering from Kobo directly, and just as fast as Walmart, if not faster. How does that make any sense?
Maybe Amazon just isn’t scared of Kobo or Nook. I’m sure they feel, probably correctly that people bought into their ecosystem won’t leave,and fans of Kobo wouldn’t buy a Kindle anyway. They will make money on all the purchases regardless. I see this like a car dealer having a used inventory full of competitors vehicles. They all do.
Perhaps it’s due to the formats supported, with Kindles using MOBI/KF8/KFX, while Kobo is ePUB.
Because they will return it and buy Kindle products.
Oh, meow! LOL!
I think Amazon just finally gave into the superiority of kobo. Hey, if you can’t beat them, join them.
Agree. I have Kobo Aura and I’ve never ever thought about to change to Kindle. OK, once, but than I realized how much I like the small details which make Kobo better than Kindle. They just should build a better ecosystem.
But Amazon beats them all day every day. Ask a random if they’ve even heard of Kobo.
A lot of mainstream artists know how to market themselves and sell millions of records. Does that make them good? Kindle is better because its more known and sells more eReaders?
I mean, why would they give up if they are winning. BTW, the Kindle Oasis is the best ereader out there, but on the PW I agree, the Clara is better.
Walmart employees don’t even know what Kobo is – at least in the store near me.
How I wish for an affordable, easy-on-my-eyes ereader that easily accepts azw3, epub, and PDF. I *love* my PW, but I have nothing but my PC on which to read PDFs.
i got a clara last time walmart had it on sale and just recently bought the 9th gen oasis. i like having both formats, seems to offer me more choices from my public library. definitely prefer buying from amazon, both for their customer service and ease of returns and the politics of the owner.
Kobo makes a lighter smaller reader with better lighting and font
selection & better battery life. Most of my collection is on a Kindle, which is a tank. We all coexist in harmony.
I got both! Love my Kobo. It wins. But, you can’t beat the cheap books and sheer amount available on the Kindle.
So unless you are willing to have to try convert them everytime using E-book management software, the Kindle is more convenient.
well, at least it has a very large screen:
“Display Size 17.27 in”
LOL
I just bought another Voyage, this one from Woot, I love the voyage.
I love my Kobo Aura One too, seeing the book number in a series is so convenient.
but .. $70 for a Voyage !!
my first Voyage, refurbed; was somewhere between 120 and 140 USD
Still lovin’ your blog!
Perhaps amazon simply isn’t afraid of kobo or nook. I’m positive they experience, in all likelihood efficiently than human beings offered into their surroundings received depart, and enthusiasts of kobo wouldn’t purchase a kindle anyway. They may make money on all the purchases regardless. I see this as a car supplier having a used stock full of competitors’ cars. All of them do.