PocketBook has released another ereader with a color E Ink screen called the PocketBook Verse Pro Color, and it’s now available to order from PocketBook’s official Amazon store.
This model features a 6″ E Ink Kaleido 3 screen like the Kobo Clara Colour that was released a few months ago. At $169, the PocketBook is $20 more expensive than the Kobo, but it does have a few things the Kobo lacks, like physical page buttons and text-to-speech support. The build quality of PocketBooks tends to be a bit nicer as well.
The Verse Pro Color runs PocketBook’s Linux-based software, not Android like some PocketBooks, so the software doesn’t support installing Android apps unfortunately, but apps like KOReader usually work on PocketBooks.
This model has 16GB of storage space and a quad-core CPU, so it should be a bit zippier than older models, and it’s also waterproof, but it doesn’t have a memory card slot like some PocketBooks.
It has an indented screen instead of a flush front like some models. It also has a Smartlight with adjustable color temperature. There’s Bluetooth for TTS and audiobooks, and the USB port supports audio adapters as well. PocketBooks support Adobe DRM for purchased ebooks and library ebooks, along a number of additional DRM-free formats.
Here’s the full list of specs and PocketBook’s introductory video:
PocketBook Verse Pro Color Specs
- 6″ E Ink Kaleido 3 Screen.
- Resolution: 300ppi – 1072 × 1448 (greyscale); 150ppi – 536 × 724 (color).
- Capacitive touchscreen.
- Quad-core 1.8 GHz CPU.
- 1GB RAM.
- 16GB internal storage.
- 2100 mAh Li-Ion Polymer battery.
- Rotation sensor.
- Dual band WiFi.
- Bluetooth 5.4.
- USB-C port.
- Waterproof: IPx8 rated.
- OS: Linux 4.9.56.
- Supported ebook formats: ACSM, AZW, AZW3, CBR, CBZ, CHM, DJVU, DOC, DOCX, EPUB (DRM), EPUB, FB2, FB2.ZIP, HTM, HTML, MOBI, PDF (DRM), PDF, PRC, RTF, TXT.
- Supported audio formats: MP3, MP3.zip, OGG, OGG.zip, M4A, M4B.
- Text-to-speech.
- Dimensions: 108 x 156 x 7.6mm.
- Weight: 182 grams.
- Price: $169 at Amazon
Hi dears,
I report my personal experience with the Pocketbook e-readers…generally they have a good software, but the frame (the silver part) is in plastic and only charging it you take the risk to broke it (I did it two times, with two different new inkpad color color 3), so as soon as Kobo released the libra-color I returned to a more ‘solid’ brand.
The problem you mentioned is a well known one and can be isolated to InkPad Color 3 devices which have the production date 12/2023 – 02/2024 (you can read the whole story in the following chat with a Pocketbook employee: https://www.e-reader-forum.de/t/neues-pocketbook-inkpad-color-3-mit-e-ink-kaleido-tm-3-farbbildschirm.160437/page-8)
I had myself the problem twice (always happening after 2 Weeks). They fixed the production issue. The new Production date (06/2024) is without that issue (I’ve got the new version for 4 weeks now.. no problem).
In a nutshell: the problem is not a Pocketbook overall problem. But rather a production issue. You can alway contact them for really good support.
Given the low internal memory to me at least and the lack of expandable memory, would this work for manga? I’d figure it would fill up fast with those types of files rather than regular epub.
Size doesn’t mean much to me as I was reading for 15+ years on Droids (my manga workhorse) and on a s7. Both are smaller than this reader and I while I do have vision problems I do take off my glasses to read.
A good candidate if my touch hd 3 dies. Still going strong though.
It depends. Do you want to _read_ manga on it or are you also interested in carrying your entire collection with you?
I’ve seen people on reddit that insisted on always carrying all their manga with them instead of sideloading the one that they are currently reading and deleting it from the device after it’s finished. If that’s your usecase then you won’t be happy with a 16 gb device.
I’m a take everything with you type of person when possible but I can work within the memory limitations. So long as I can get more than one complete series on it I’m happy. Anyways I don’t think I have any single series that comes close to 16gbs or whatever is the real usable amount.
I’m not too accustomed to using calibre to sideload manga though.
If I recall correctly, Pocketbook mentioned on a forum that all of their USB-C devices have OTG support and would all be expandable that way.
I only have experience with the Pocketbook Era but I put some manga on a small USB-C flash drive and with a standard USB flash drive via an adapter and the Era loaded every single one of them.
I knew Boox devices had OTG but I have reservations about supporting that company. I didn’t know that Pocketbook did it as well.
I also considered Boox but wrote them off for likely similar reasons as you.
I found a post where they list OTG support: https://www.e-reader-forum.de/t/usbc-stick-am-verse-pro-moeglich.160802/post-2482444
The Verse and Verse Pro are excluded but the Verse Pro Color does mention it on its product page: https://pocketbook.ch/en-ch/catalog/color-e-reader/pocketbook-verse-pro-color-ch
Thanks for the info Klein.
I’ve had two pocketbook ereaders. The inkpad 3 which was probably the best ereader I’ve ever had but has a very fragile screen. Second is a touch hd 3 which with a suitable case is quite robust.