I saw this posted on reddit and thought some folks over here might find it interesting to speculate about.
Kobo’s CEO is always posting stuff on social media, and the picture above shows a recent post with a tease about some new hardware coming soon.
Some folks are getting riled up about the possibility of a Kobo Libra with a black and white E Ink screen finally getting released, but that’s probably just wishful thinking at this point. That would qualify as a “big” hardware surprise, in my book.
Some people keep bringing up the recent FCC lisings, but those products already exist in the form of revised Clara models. There are no new FCC listings that would indicate a new model is coming soon. And it’s definitely not going to be something called the Kobo Spa, as that has been completely debunked.
I think this is most likely going to be something other than a new Kobo reading device. I’m thinking maybe it’s some kind of new accessory or stand or case, maybe a new stylus, or something down those lines.
Whatever it is I bet it will have something to do with appealing to the social media crowd. Kobo seems to make a lot of decisions based on what’s popular and trending on social media lately, and considering the source of the tease, there’s likely going to be some angle that ties back into that.
The new hardware will probably be a letdown for most people, so try not to get your hopes up, but there’s a chance it could be something cool. I just don’t think it’s going to be a new ereader. It doesn’t make sense to release a new white Clara Colour and then another new model a month or so later.
What do you think the “new little hardware surprise” could be?
Would a Mini be considered hardware?
Probably the least thing we need. My guesses are: BT page turner, a power case, BT head/earphones for audiobooks, or an updated stylus maybe? Nothing less useful comes to my mind…