Last month PocketBook announced a new 7-inch ereader with an asymmetrical design similar to the Kindle Oasis and Kobo Sage/Libra called the PocketBook Era.
Now they’ve started taking orders for the PocketBook Era on Amazon. The 16GB model in Stardust Silver is selling for $199 and the 64GB model in Sunset Copper is $249. Shipping is currently a ways off but that will probably change, as Amazon’s shipping dates are notoriously pessimistic when it comes to new items.
The PocketBook Era has a 7-inch E Ink Carta 1200 screen that PocketBook claims has a 15% increase in image contrast and a 20% boost in touchscreen response time. It also has a frontlight with adjustable color temperature, as you’d expect from a device at this price.
The PocketBook Era is waterproof (it’s IPX8 rated) and it has WiFi and Bluetooth for connectivity, along with a USB-C port. There’s a rotation sensor that automatically switches the screen orientation, and it has text-to-speech and supports audio files using a built-in speaker and Bluetooth for streaming.
Other specs include a 1700 mAh battery, and it has the same dual-core CPU as other PocketBooks. The overall dimensions are 134.3 x 155 x 7.8 mm, and the weight is listed at 228 grams.
It’s hard to tell from the pictures but it has page buttons along the side with the handle. They also have a case for it (not available yet) that attaches magnetically, similar to the Kindle Oasis 2 before Amazon mysteriously abandoned the idea and removed all the magnetic covers from their store.
All in all it looks like a really nice ereader and it’s good to see the price is reasonable. PocketBook’s software supports a number of formats, including ePubs with Adobe DRM. The PocketBook brand isn’t very well known in the US but they’ve been around for a long time and they’re a good alternative to Kindles and Kobos.
I’ve had onyx, kobo and pocletbook ereaders and the pocketbook have been the best for just sitting down and reading. (Do manage my ebooks using calibre which helps) If my touch hd 3 dies this would be a strong contender to replace it.