Earlier this week PocketBook officially announced the release of their new PocketBook Color ebook reader, along with a new mid-level model called the PocketBook Touch Lux 5.
The PocketBook Color is a 6-inch device with E Ink’s new Kaleido screen technology that can display 4096 colors. Black and white content has a resolution of 300 ppi and color content is lower resolution at 100 ppi.
The PocketBook Color is the first color ereader outside of China available with E Ink’s new color screen technology.
It’s available to order from a few retailers in Europe, including the PocketBook German store for €199.00.
So far it has yet to appear on PocketBook’s Newegg store, but hopefully they’ll add it soon since that’s their only distribution channel in the US.
I still find it a bit odd that E Ink’s new color screens are only available in the 6-inch size when most color content is better suited for a larger screen, but maybe if enough people are interested in it they’ll start producing larger screens. PocketBook released an 8-inch ereader with a Color Screen back in 2013 using E Ink’s older color screen technology and nobody wanted it. Maybe things will be different this time around.
Here’s a list of the specs for the PocketBook Color:
- 6-inch E Ink Kaleido screen with 1072 x 1448 resolution (300 ppi grayscale; 100 ppi color) and 4096 colors.
- Frontlight with adjustable color temperature.
- Touchscreen.
- Dual-core 1GHz processor.
- 16GB of storage.
- 1GB of RAM.
- MicroSD card slot for cards up to 32GB.
- MicroUSB port.
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n.
- Bluetooth.
- Accelerometer.
- Linux-based OS.
- Battery: 1900mAh.
- Weight: 160 grams.
- Dimensions: 161.3 x 108 x 8mm.
- Formats supported: ACSM, CBR, CBZ, CHM, DJVU, DOC, DOCX, EPUB, EPUB (DRM), FB2, FB2.ZIP, HTM, HTML, MOBI, PDF, PDF (DRM), PRC, RTF, TXT, JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF, MP3, OGG, M4A, M4B, OGG, OGG.ZIP, MP3, MP3.ZIP.
Here’s Pocketbook’s promotional video:
I owned a pocketbook once, and the lack of regular updates and low to non-existent availability of apps to their linux-based os decided me on never going there again and sticking with android.
It’s an e-reader not a general use tablet. It’s small size makes it handy to use and carry. That’s a plus in my view.
Everything could seem fine, until you realize something is bugging you about it and there is no fix in sight, and no replacement app that will bypass it.
The more versatile and extendable a device is, the more likely it is to answer your needs in the long run.
“The more versatile and extendable a device is, the more likely it is to answer your needs in the long run.”
Is that why the Kindles never took off?
Yes! Pocketbook has very versatile devices. I love Pocketbook and find their devices much handier than Kobo or Kindle.
Color just doesn’t work for a six inch screen, but if that image is what we should expect, then I may be waiting in line for the first one around 10 inches.
I agree, Sportbike Mike
A couple concerns:
Battery life
Clarity of regular text through the color layer
White screen versus temperature control screens available currently
This high tech e-reader at a reasonable price deserves your consideration. Its size sure makes it handy, fits in my jacket pocket ready to use. The fact that its color is a plus because I have books with diagrams that look better in color. I’m on the go and read where I can so this reader makes it ready to go.,
No
I look forward to several years from now when this tech is old to have Kindle finally release a color version probably with 900 ppi grayscale, 300 ppi color and a battery life of approximately five minutes and have a price tag on par with an Ipad lol
Not for me. I’d use a color e-ink reader for comics and 6 inches is way too small for me.
Actually I bought one. I’ve had it for four days. It replaced my old Kindle Paperwhite 2. I am very happy with my purchase. Of course, let’s face it, the colors are not intense – in my opinion they are enough, for someone else they will be disappointing. First of all, it is not a tablet, but an ebook reader and is used for reading books, not browsing the internet and viewing photos 🙂
How it it with standby time? How is the battery life on long reading sessions? Do you use Calibre?
Battery life is hard to judge after such a short time. The whole day of reading – about 10h, used no more than 20% of percent with enabled wifi, running synchronization couple of times and sudoku too. Now, as I read in airplane mode, after 4 hours I have 96%.
I use Calibre, why?
Hi Ann,
I hope you are enjoying your new e-reader. I have a question: how do you judge the speed of the e-reader in all its activities? I read in the web sometimes complains about the speed of the Pocketbook e-readers. I have no complains at all with Kobo, faster than my Paperwhite (but not of the Oasis that I also have). Instead I had very bad experience with Tolino…..slower than a turtle.
Can you compare the pacoketbook with some of the e-readers you have/had?
Thank you in advance.
Cheers
Soon Robert from https://swiatczytnikow.pl/ will post the PocketBook Color test, I think his experience in testing will allow him to objectively assess the speed and the reader in general.
I can only compare to my old Kindle Paperwhite 2 – pages in the same book are flipped at the same time, I judge it visually, without a stopwatch 🙂 But I’m only a user, not a tester. While using the menu, I did not notice any significant delays or poor responsiveness. Nothing to be irritating.
Here is the test https://swiatczytnikow.pl/test-pocketbook-color-co-daje-kolorowy-ekran-w-czytniku/
Thanks for the link. That’s an excellent review, even translated. I like the comparison with a regular E Ink screen, which highlights the main problem with color E Ink. It actually looks worse than regular E Ink when it comes to displaying black and white text because the added filter layer is yet another element (along with the touchscreen and frontlight layers) that degrades the clarity of the screen. I suspected this would happen. I’ll have to see it in person to tell if it’s a fair tradeoff or not, but given the lack of color content within typical ebooks I doubt it.
I guess the comparison with a regular E Ink screen is the most important. It looks worse when screens are next to each other, but when it comes to reading, overall experience is very good. Those tiny dots you see in review on zoomed picture, you can’t actually see them, it is more like some sort of screen protector is applied. It seems background will always be a bit grayish, but when compared to #efefef color on fully lit laptop screen PB is still is much lighter. I use it for over a week now, and wouldn’t go back to my kindle 🙂
Hi Ann. I would like to get a color pocketbook for some children books, but just concerned if the screen makes eyes tired as compared to a black and white e ink reader
12 inches or don’t bother.
I have a Kindle Oasis; I purchased this reader just to have the colored covers. I know to most this don’t matter, but to me it always did. You see, I loved reading regular books until these e-readers start popping up lol.
I find this color reader just nice, the covers are visibly in color plus you can have the colored book cover on your screen when you shut down, this is a feature that Amazon has ignored to put on their device even if it is black and white.
I love reading on the Pocketbook Color I truly don’t miss the 7 inch advantage at all. However I will say one thing; the store sucks, I just side load books takes very little time and works great. And no I don’t work for this company or was not paid by them. Just giving a solid review, best that I can.
So basically if your in the market for a color reader, this is it. Enjoy
Is it possible to download kindle store in the device and buy books from kindle store pr only through the store available from de device ? Many thanks
No, that’s not possible. You’d have to download the Kindle books to a computer, remove the DRM, and then convert them to ePub to read on the Pocketbook.