Kobo is releasing a new ereader and note-taking device called the Kobo Elipsa, and just like every other time Kobo has released a new model the details got leaked ahead of the official announcement.
This time some crafty folks at MobileRead followed clues that led to a Vimeo video showing Kobo’s new ereader and notepad in action. The video is restricted from being embedded so I can’t post it but you can watch it here: Kobo Elipsa Product Video.
The video might get pulled since it was posted a bit early, but the cat is out of the bag now either way.
The new Kobo Elipsa has a 10.3-inch E Ink Carta screen with 32GB of storage space and it comes with a stylus pen for notes and drawings. It also has a frontlight but it lacks the temperature control option.
The Kobo Elipsa includes a dedicated notes app, which is the first for a Kobo device, and it looks like you’ll be able to write directly on ebooks and PDFs. Dropbox is supported as well to transfer files.
The design is a lot like the Remarkable 2 and the Onyx Note Air with one side larger but without any page buttons.
Kobo is going to sell the Elipsa as part of a package that comes with a stylus and a cover. We still don’t know what the price will be just yet but I would guess somewhere in the $400-450 range.
It’s nice to see Kobo not afraid to go in a new direction and finally adding a larger 10-inch model to their lineup. It’s a bit curious, though, because a note-taking device isn’t monetizable in the same manner as an ebook reading device, especially when people are using their own PDFs. Kobo can’t sell notes to people so it’s more about hardware sales, and marketing it as a note device might put some people off that just want a larger ebook reader without the added expense of a stylus and cover. Plus Kobo has some very strong competition up against the Note Air with a boatload of additional features and superior hardware for $479. It’ll be interesting to see how the Kobo Elipsa stacks up. I’ll post an update when Kobo makes the announcement official.
Update: The Kobo Elipsa is now available to pre-order for $399. The release date is June 24th.
I bought my first Boox Nova as an reader, but quickly found the note taking ability to be so useful it passed the Kindle Oasis 3 as most used. I think this is a good move for Kobo as long as they keep the prove competitive. I think people trust them more than the other enote companies besides maybe Boox and Remarkable, but they’re a shoe in for third place I think.
This is especially true when it comes to warranties where you normally have to ship to another country if there’s a defect (especially one that doesn’t show up immediately).
Why do you think its hardware is inferior to Onyx? The video says it has comfort light, isn’t it a color temperature adjustable?
The ones with temperature adjustment are referred to as ComfortLight Pro. Onyx has superior hardware compared to everyone. The Note Air has an octa-core CPU, 3GB of RAM, USB-C, a rotation sensor, and a frontlight with adjustable color temperature. There’s no way the Kobo Elipsa is going to match that. I would bet it has the same dual-core processor as the Remarkable with 1GB of RAM.
I think it would be more appropriate to compare it with the remarkable since the note Air is a full blown android tablet. This means that it actually requires more resources and is most likely more power hungry (I haven’t used it, I’m just basing it off my experience with my Kobo Forma and my Dasung not eReader). One reason the remarkable didn’t convince me was that syncing required their server (when I checked doing it directly was something they were playing around with but hadn’t been implemented officially) and I don’t like it when a device will be severely crippled if the manufacturer ceases to be. Kobo has always been good with sideloading files by connecting directly to a computer (I assume Boox is too), which is one reason this would be more tempting for me. That said, glass substrates scare me, too many have broken on me.
I’m all for more large-format E-ink devices becoming mainstream. Good luck to Kobo with their new product! Prices will ultimately come down and maybe we’ll see some more advancements. Who knows, maybe even Amazon might get into the mix.
Prices have not decreased in recent years – only in some promotions.
Prices have dropped significantly in recent years. For example, you can now get a 10″ Likebook P10 for $349. The cheaper models use Carta screens instead of the more durable Mobius screens, but I haven’t heard any reports of these Carta screens breaking yet.
You can’t compare a P10 with the 10.3 devices – especially not technically.
Alita became more expensive, P78, although the hardware is weaker, is more expensive than Mars.
The Boox devices cost the same as they did at launch.
It depends on how far you go back. The Note Pro was originally $599. Now the Note3 is $549, and the Note2 was $479 when they were clearing them out, and the Note Air is $479 too, albeit with a Carta screen. The Remarkable 1 was $599 and the RE2 is $399, so at least there’s been some progress.
The same device from Kobo has held its initial price – it only got cheaper during promotions.
See Kobo Forma, Kobo Libra – they have not become cheaper.
I have seen maybe 10 broken reMarkable 2 screens on Reddit, so they do break, but don’t know how easily (this is the device I have, I imagine it’s similar for other devices with this screen).
That’s disheartening. I really wish they would all just use Mobius screens instead of going the cheaper route. Not only are they more durable they’re considerably lighter too.
There are many reports on Reddit of people who broke their reMarkable 2. Carta background appears a bit whiter but it’s a bad decision for such a big device in my opinion.
Great to see…the age of the large e-reader has finally started. Wish they implemented page buttons and light temperature control.
It is a may buy…curious to see if Kobo improved the screen uniformity.
Will Amazon even look up and notice? Put something out?
Presumably this does not have a 300 DPI screen. Kobo is striking out with this one. We need a larger, modern e-reader not something with a stylus.
What is needed is a 10 inch 300 DPI reader in a package similar to their Aura ONE. Do that and you’ll have a winner. Until then the Forma is by far the best Kobo reader and only because of the slightly bigger screen and the lack of availability of the Aura ONE.
Kobo Forma is great except the screen uniformity is terrible. I tried 4 models all same issues. Nothing like the Kindle Oasis
If the Kobo price is competitive with the Air, I’ll race to replace my Amazon reader with an an Elipsa. Amazon’s never going to release a 10-inch reader, never mind one with a stylus like I’ve wanted them to do for years now. I’ll just use Calibre to port the books remaining on my Oasis to the Elipsa.
“The Kobo Elipsa includes a dedicated notes app, which is the first for a Kobo device, and it looks like you’ll be able to write directly on ebooks and PDFs. Dropbox is supported as well to transfer files.”
The notebook app would be more interesting if it could integrate with with a variety of cloud services. Nextcloud in particular.
Price is 399 €/$
CPU is a quad core 1.8ghz
Screen has the standard 227dpi resolution
What I feared. If Carta brokes so easily, I’d rather buy a P10.
Onyx is unreachable for me because their prices.
Kobo website is showing the Elipsa as sold out.
That’s unfortunate, especially since I didn’t order one (I was waiting to buy one from Walmart but who knows how long it will be before they have any).
I had just finally made up my mind and went to order it……….
Pre-orders are back up today. Maybe it was just a glitch…