Kobo has officially announced the upcoming release of the second generation Kobo Elipsa, called the Kobo Elipsa 2E, and it will be available starting April 19th.
Kobo is selling the Kobo Elipsa 2E for $399, the same price as the 1st gen model. It can be pre-ordered now from Kobo’s website, and pre-orders include a free $25 Kobo gift card that can be used to purchase ebooks and audiobooks from Kobo.
As the leaked unboxing video that was posted last week showed, they didn’t really change a lot with this model. It still has the same 10.3-inch 227 ppi screen and the same overall design, although it’s now partially made from recycled plastic like the Kobo Clara 2E that was released last year.
Basically Kobo just added a warm frontlight to the original Kobo Elipsa and made a few tweaks to the stylus pen. Most of the improvements are software related, and those should trickle down to the original Kobo Elipsa and the Kobo Sage with the next software update.
Some of the software improvements include more note templates, the addition of folders to help keep notes organized, they added a search tool for handwritten notes, you can make edits with a lasso tool, and they’re adding some more cloud storage options. Support for Google Drive is supposed to get added soon, and they’re making it so you can view your notebooks on Kobo’s website.
Unfortunately it looks like Kobo is taking a page from Amazon by charging a small fortune for a cover. The original Kobo Elipsa sold for $399 and it included a heavy-duty case. The Kobo Elipsa 2E also sells for $399, but the cover sells separately for a whopping $69.99, and it’s one of those covers that’s basically just a front flap and nothing else. It doesn’t cover the back or sides of the device and it doesn’t appear to offer any real protection at all—it just covers the front of the screen and has a notch to hold the stylus.
Most of the specs remain the same as before, but apparently they’re using a different CPU because now it says 2GHz instead of 1.8GHz, but storage space is still 32GB, and it supports dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth, and it has a USB-C port.
At 390 grams, the Kobo Elipsa 2E is also a bit heavier than the 1st generation model, buy only by 7 grams. The dimensions are slightly different as well at 193 x 227 x 7.5 mm (the measurements for the 1st gen model are 193 x 227.5 x 7.6mm).
Check back later this month for a full review of the Kobo Elipsa 2E, or subscribe to The eBook Reader Blog for updates.
Its strange, I read on other resources that new model has 300 ppi. However 227 ppi only on offsite, pity.
I hope this pressures Amazon to step up their features on the Scribe.
Doubtful, The Scribe is actually fairly good..screen and battery. If the Ellipsa had a 300 dpi screen, I would purchase today. IMO, Kobo has the best software; Just waiting for the screen embargo to end.
I expect good stuff out later this fall…300 dpi 10″ screens from Kobo, Onyx and others.
Kindle might try to monopolize a large color reader…or maybe they pass and Kobo and/or Onyx puts out an updated color screen.
It’s highly unlikely that Kobo would release two 10″ ereaders in the same year. Why would they bother releasing the 2E at all if they’re going to release a better version in 6 months? That’s Onyx’s style, not Kobo’s. And Onyx has been a bit slow to upgrade lately too. I think most of their models are still using regular Carta screens instead of the newer Carta 1200 screens that came out in 2021. They’ve had plenty of time to start using those on their 10″ models but still haven’t. Plus Amazon released the Scribe on the last day of November so if there is an exclusivity agreement of one year other companies probably won’t start releasing new models with 300 ppi 10″ screens until 2024.
Someone in A..zon just doesn’t get it(seem to fear software complexity will confuse readers)
It’s a lot more expensive than the elipsa 1 though. The £350 price tag doesnt include the £65 cover. I might pay thatbprice for the new pocketbook with the 3rd gen colour screen but not for ver 1.1 of a product I already have.
Yeah, it’s a shame they’re charging so much for the new cover and not lowering the price of the 2E for not including a cover this time. They’re basically charging $70 more for the 2E just for adding a warm frontlight and an eraser to the stylus.
Has anyone who preordered this received any notification of shipment?
Mine shipped the same day I ordered it but I ordered from Walmart, not Kobo.