A lot of people have started switching from Kindles to Kobos this past year because of Amazon making changes to the Kindle platform and locking down Kindle ebooks more than ever, but has the Kobo platform started to reach the enshittification stage as well?
I can’t help but notice a number of things changing for the worse with Kobo over the past couple of years. It’s getting to the point where there are more negative changes than positive changes. It’s not on the same level as Amazon, but there are a lot of little things that are steadily getting worse with Kobo too.
It seems like Kobo has been resting on their laurels for years now. There was a time when they were regularly expanding their store into more countries and taking over other failed ebook stores, but that hasn’t happened in a long time. And their ebook catalog is seriously lacking in some areas, especially when it comes to color content for their color ereaders, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better.
Furthermore, they have the most uncreative sales strategy ever. When it comes to deals on Kobo ereaders, they just keep doing the same $20 off sales a few times a year. They never do “big” sales. Even their Black Friday sales are just the same old $20 off deals that they always do. They never do trade-in deals or special upgrade promotions for long-time customers. They used to offer a lot of coupon codes for discounts on ebooks, but now the codes are much less frequent and less effective and they usually only apply to a certain list of books.
Evidence of a Decline
Kobo ereaders no longer support using multiple libraries through OverDrive. They removed the OverDrive login option awhile back so it’s no longer possible to use multiple library cards.
Kobo has raised the prices of their ereaders post release twice in the past two years now. People can point the finger at tariffs for this, but the fact is Amazon hasn’t raised the price of existing Kindles and Barnes and Noble hasn’t raised the price of Nooks during the same time frame.
Kobo refuses to release new BW models, despite countless requests for a Libra BW from customers. Right now Kobo only sells one current BW model. The Elipsa 2E had an outdated screen when it was released two years ago, and the Kobo Sage is 4 years old now and they stopped selling it in the US months ago. One basic 6″ BW model and that’s all we get.
Kobo’s price match guarantee is no longer guaranteed on certain books.
Kobo’s software updates have gone downhill over the past two years, with fewer new features getting added and more bugs getting introduced. They’ve only released one main update over the past year, when they used to release updates every few months, and the latest software update notoriously bricked a number of devices. To Kobo’s credit, I’ve seen a few reports of people getting sent new Kobos because of that, but it doesn’t look like they’ve actually fixed the problem with the software update yet.
They added some new accessibility features, including a screen reader, but it turns out they are very difficult to use and require different software with less features than the standard software, and the accessibility software is only available in Europe for some reason.
Kobo’s US distribution has worsened since their Walmart partnership ended. Now they only have one US partner, BlueProton, who regularly charges above MSRP for Kobo’s devices in the US. And they aren’t available in any retail stores to test before buying. Kobo launched their own Amazon store earlier this year, but they inexplicably don’t sell their ereaders from there, only covers.
Kobo no longer allows refunds on downloaded ebooks. On one hand this seems logical, but the problem is Kobo ereaders and apps automatically download ebooks after you purchase them, and once that happens you can no longer get a refund.
No more cash back on purchased ebooks and audiobooks. This seems to be another recent change for the worse.
Here’s another one to add to the list. The Kobo Desktop app has apparently been discontinued without any explanation.
Doesn’t Amazon refuse to sell competing e-readers? I think not having e-readers in their Amazon store is not Kobo’s choice.
No, they sell other brand’s e-readers
Amazon sells Kobo readers. Please, check before you comment.
Everyone in my family has a Kobo, and they all are very happy with it.
End of the story.
Please stop the Kobo bashing.
Agreed. I have each size of Kobo because I like switching out. I buy all my books from them and have never had any problem with them. I have also downloaded all of my books and have loaded them onto the Pocketbook Versa Pro since it is the lightest and smallest with page buttons – easy to use and take with me to chemo treatments. I think Kobo has done a good job with their devices and have never had any problems with their customer service reps. I am glad they added the software updates where can chose to update or skip instead of automatically updating. I have always ordered directly from Kobo and my devices are shipped to me from Idaho. They have arrived as timely as USPS can deliver and are packaged well. Even before Amazon made all of their negative changes I have always like Kobo devices over the Kindle PW which I have and rarely use. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and mine is that Kobo is doing a great job in their ereaders and website.
Agreed, this is getting ridiculous. I use my KLC pretty much daily, and it’s such a joy to use, and nice not to have to pay for ad removal (or even be shown ads!)
Same for us! I have a KL2 and my MIL has a KLC, we are both very happy with our devices and with our Kobo Plus subscription. Our library works with Adobe DRM and not with Overdrive. Kobo devices, including Sage, are readily available in all our electronic retailers, you can just walk into a Mediamarkt or a Coolblue store and test them all you want. The software updates have indeed slowed down but maybe it’s not a bad thing (looking at you MacOs Tahoe). Their catalog in our language is great and they have a partnership with our biggest online retailer, anything that you buy on bol.com shows up on your Kobo, and many of these books have turned out to be DRM-free. We also don’t care about the price matching because the book prices in our language are fixed by law for a period of time after the release to ensure fair competition between different stores, this is why Kobo doesn’t even offer this feature in our country.
Their accessibility feature is only available in Europe because it was most likely introduced to comply with the European Accessibility Act.
So I don’t think that they have reached the enshitification stage yet. It’s a great option here in EU!
Maybe the entire e-ink ecosystem is showing signs of enshittification as interest in these devices declines, not just with Kobo.
E-readers are becoming increasingly niche. There’s a small group of enthusiasts: those who love to read on ereaders. There’s another group that uses e-ink for serious note-taking, and a larger group content with standard Kindles or Nooks that work out of the box without customization or stylus support.
Most others are satisfied with phones, tablets, or printed books.
Color e-ink and note-taking features have introduced trade-offs that hurt regular reading. Now we have every possible compromise: color screens with stylus support but poor latency, color without stylus, low latency note taking but no front light, and so on. There’s still no all-around “killer” device for the hardcore user.
I own several e-ink devices, and none come close to the seamless reliability of something like an iPhone (and that’s coming from an Android user) where everything just works right out of the box. I’d bet we don’t see it getting better in the next few years but I’d be thrilled to be proven wrong.
I may be wrong but your grievances sound like just that: grievances, some possibly indicating Kobo is a smaller business than Amazon’s Kindle and thus with smaller ressources.
But I don’t see much in terms of enshitification as I understand the term. I think the term actually applies more to Amazon with their ads and the priority given to the store and the lockdown of the devices and the ebook format.
Kobo has in fact reacted quickly and effectively by replacing the read it later app with Instapaper.
In agreement with Claude, I am under the impression that this blog is biased against Kobo and while Kobo might not provide enough news for sites such as this there really is no need to bash them to the extent on display in this article.
If anything I’m bias against everything after 16 years of being disappointed by the lack of advancement with E Ink and the degradation of ereaders in general. My biggest problem with Kobo is they’ve only released two new black and white ereaders over the past 4 years, not counting their eNotes, and one of those was replaced by the other (the Clara BW replaced the Clara 2E). It’s like they’re barely trying anymore, and I find that seriously disappointing. Companies start taking their customers for granted once they reach a certain number of customers and start making a certain level of money.
Let’s examine your grievances.
“It seems like Kobo has been resting on their laurels for years now. There was a time when they were regularly expanding their store into more countries and taking over other failed ebook stores, but that hasn’t happened in a long time.
And their ebook catalog is seriously lacking in some areas, especially when it comes to color content for their color ereaders, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better.”
Well, we got Kobo Plus, Overdrive Audiobooks, Dropbox etc. available in Denmark, which is a very small, tiny market. I’m not a user of any of the offerings, except Dropbox, and I could argue that Denmark is not an important market, I think these examples document Kobo actually are introducing features, trying to make them consistent across territories, and not resting on their laurels.
Are there any failed ebook stores to be taken over? I am by far no expert, but I’d like to know if any are left. And would we not want to make sure that such takeovers make strategic and economic sense before buying?
Which countries are not served? You may have point but you don’t seem to provide evidence. Again, such a move needs to make sense from Kobo’s point of view. Growth only for its own sake is not encouraged these days.
The complaint about their ebook catalog lacking is imho just a variation on the old remark about the Apple ecosystem containing more apps than the competitors and therefore by default being superior.
Kobo does lack the width and breadth of Amazon, but shop with Google Play Books; they’re reasonably priced and easy to get into any ereader via Calibre.
And who wants colour anyway? Don’t we all complain about that fad? You also state as a grievance that Kobo refuses to release b/w ereaders. Do you want to have your cake and eat it too?
Are other vendors doing better? I think not, but please, I might be wrong.
“Furthermore, they have the most uncreative sales strategy ever. When it comes to deals on Kobo ereaders, they just keep doing the same $20 off sales a few times a year. They never do “big” sales. Even their Black Friday sales are just the same old $20 off deals that they always do. They never do trade-in deals or special upgrade promotions for long-time customers. They used to offer a lot of coupon codes for discounts on ebooks, but now the codes are much less frequent and less effective and they usually only apply to a certain list of books.”
Yes. I would like more sales and coupons. That might actually induce me to buy at the Kobo Store. Like I used to do. As it is, I buy at Google Play Books. But I would also like more sales and discounts in the grocery store, in the bookshop, in the bikeshop, at the gas station etc. This seems a grievance we can apply to just about everything.
“Kobo ereaders no longer support using multiple libraries through OverDrive. They removed the OverDrive login option awhile back so it’s no longer possible to use multiple library cards.”
As I understand it, this situation was initiated by Overdrive. While we can debate whether Kobo has failed to handle the situation satisfactorily, they did not make the decision.
“Kobo has raised the prices of their ereaders post release twice in the past two years now. People can point the finger at tariffs for this, but the fact is Amazon hasn’t raised the price of existing Kindles and Barnes and Noble hasn’t raised the price of Nooks during the same time frame.”
Price of eggs, butter, meat, gas, electronics etc has gone up. I suspect the reason why B&N has not raised their prices is that they seem to reuse very old (ancient) casings.
“Kobo refuses to release new BW models, despite countless requests for a Libra BW from customers. Right now Kobo only sells one current BW model. The Elipsa 2E had an outdated screen when it was released two years ago, and the Kobo Sage is 4 years old now and they stopped selling it in the US months ago. One basic 6″ BW model and that’s all we get.”
I guess they do what their market research tells them to do whether we like it or not. Personally I’d love, love, love to get my hands on a KA1 successor; b/w screen, 8”, 32gig, flush bezel, no buttons, no note taking device. But I have to accept that the probability of that happening, even though I’ve alerted Kobo to my interest, is very limited. I guess they’re slimming down their portfolio in the interest of cutting cost
And imho, many companies offer products with outdated technology. Just to mention one example, your smart tv is generally only equipped to handle the OS with which it was shipped. I think Amazon Kindles have also been called out for reusing old hardware – and on this blog too, iirc. Also see my remark regarding B&N.
“Kobo’s price match guarantee is no longer guaranteed on certain books.”
Their books are too expensive. Agreed.
“Kobo’s software updates have gone downhill over the past two years, with fewer new features getting added and more bugs getting introduced. They’ve only released one main update over the past year, when they used to release updates every few months, and the latest software update notoriously bricked a number of devices. To Kobo’s credit, I’ve seen a few reports of people getting sent new Kobos because of that, but it doesn’t look like they’ve actually fixed the problem with the software update yet.”
So, what features do you think are needed? Some of us might not agree, or we might agree, but please be open to the possibility that some of us only want to read on our ereader, and everything else is an unwanted distraction.
Regarding updates bricking devices I have not had any problems with my KA1 nor my LC2. Sorry for the folks who have experienced this as I know how frustrating it is from other products I own, where software updates have bricked hardware or caused major distress. In comparison, Kobo in my experience have been near flawless.
“They added some new accessibility features, including a screen reader, but it turns out they are very difficult to use and require different software with less features than the standard software, and the accessibility software is only available in Europe for some reason.”
Here they add a new feature, which you claim they never do. The implementation may be clumsy and botched, but it seems to me that Kobo are at least trying to be innovative.
“Kobo’s US distribution has worsened since their Walmart partnership ended. Now they only have one US partner, BlueProton, who regularly charges above MSRP for Kobo’s devices in the US. And they aren’t available in any retail stores to test before buying. Kobo launched their own Amazon store earlier this year, but they inexplicably don’t sell their ereaders from there, only covers.”
Well, this is entirely a question about which strategy Kobo, or any company, wants to pursue in terms of distribution and selling of their products. And what is within their reach. Could/Should they do better. Probably. But this is not in any way whatsoever related to entshitification.
Fyi; B&N are completely unavailable in Denmark. Is this a sign of enshitification?
“Kobo no longer allows refunds on downloaded ebooks. On one hand this seems logical, but the problem is Kobo ereaders and apps automatically download ebooks after you purchase them, and once that happens you can no longer get a refund.”
Not sure I understand this point . Do the ereaders download books you don’t want, or what are you saying?
“No more cash back on purchased ebooks and audiobooks. This seems to be another recent change for the worse.”
I don’t understand your point here, either.
“Here’s another one to add to the list. The Kobo Desktop app has apparently been discontinued without any explanation.”
Oh, the nerve of Kobo to discontinue the Desktop app! Well, we have become used to desktop apps but why should a company provide and maintain apps for Windows or Apple desktops in a time where desktops are more and more replaced by Android and Apple phones? Would it not be simpler, and cheaper, to just go to a website rather than maintain desktop software? You can just as easily purchase books on a website and download updates for the ereader from the website.
Cory Doctorow defines enshitification as 1) company offers product consumers like so consumers come. 2) company changes product to attract advertisers to increase revenue. 3) company product is now of no value to customer because of changes implemented due to advertisers’ requirements taking over, and ultimately company will fail because customers leave the product.
I think the real story behind this is that Kobo are turning every nickel and dime three times over to save money. And they’re trying very hard to carry only the devices that make them the largest amount of money. All ebook companies are fighting with tablets and phones for sales. That is why we see such products as e-ink devices in a phone form factor and this drive to sell colour screens and note taking capabilities. Hardcore readers don’t want them but the marketing departments tell the companies that this will sell.
I love my Kobo and i will NEVER go to Amazon Kindle (USA no thanks), Elbows up !
Jens: Based on your defensiveness of kobo, would it be fair to accuse you of being a shill for kobo? Or to claim that you must be getting money from kobo?
Whoosh! So Amazon has NOT raised the price on the new Kindle Scribes? Seems to me they DID, in a big way with their 2025 releases! I was contemplating getting one, but not at the moment!
I’m still using my Kobo devices, I’m still happy with them.
I did make sure to buy a second Sage BEFORE they could discontinue offering it in the USA. In other words, I could see the handwriting on the wall and acted accordingly. It’s a niche device, and likely has sales far below that of the 7″ devices. I covered my bases.
Amazon has YET to make an 8″ e-ink device of any sort!
If Kobo declines to make new 7″ or larger BW readers when my two Sages have died, hopefully there will still be BW options from other manufacturers. Either that, or perhaps color options will have improved. I should be good for the next 4 years at the least, between my Kobos and my Pocketbook Era.
All four of my Kobos, including my Aura One from 2016 are running the latest update without any issues. The reading experience remains excellent.
Let’s bear in mind that Kobo, at least, offers firmware updates to most of its older devices. Amazon does NOT. Yes, something went badly wrong with the latest update for SOME older Kobo devices, but in many cases, they’ve been replacing the bricked devices for their customers, even if technically, they didn’t have to!
How often have Kindle customers NOT been pleased with an Amazon update, hmm? More often than once in a very great while.
Although I never really used Pocket much, and have yet to sign up for an Instapaper account, Kobo did act to replace Pocket fairly promptly.
And I can still download my epubs from the Kobo store to my PC. And get true DRM-free epubs from publishers like TOR, who offer that. Kobo is just SO horrid that way….
What I was saying is Kobo has raised the prices of their devices after already being released with a set price. Newer models are usually going to be more expensive.
I don’t have a Kobo. I see how much people like them, and have briefly considered getting one. However, while I do my best to support small/local businesses, I am invested in kindle/Amazon. I have 5000+ books. I borrow from the library all of the time and use KU. I also subscribe to a few emails where books are offered for free/$.99. I don’t like being so connected to it, but I’m on a small pension and need the various deals Since reading is my thing – after the Nov election I canceled my Sling TV. – and during Covid, I strictly quarantined – I appreciated not coming in contact with hard-copy books which might contain covid germs (I did not get covid).
I don’t know if kobo books are as budget friendly. Plus, since covid, I order some staple groceries, etc from Amazon – peanut butter, Tylenol, some vitamins, etc cos they are cheaper than my grocery store.
Completely agree with all of your points! I have had a Kindle of some sort since 2009 (I didn’t even know about other reader alternatives until a few years ago). At this point, I am very, very locked into the Amazon ecosystem for ebooks, so getting a Kobo even a few years ago, never mind now, never made much sense,
Honestly, I am also a really simple person. I am quite happy to use my kindles as is, right out of the box. I just want to read my books without having to carry the weight of my books, and to be able to read them without getting a headache. Everything else is just frosting on the cake.
I feel like they only need to do software updates if there actually is a problem. Everyone complains about Amazon’s constant tinkering and DRM adding with updates – why do we need Kobo following suit?
There are only two small things I would like Kobo to add in their software : The option to see the clock when I read, and to put the Dark Mode toggle up with the lighting menu. No dealbreakers here, just personal preference.
The clock is also something I wish Kobo would add also. I truly love being able to swipe the screen for the lighting adjustments instead of going thru the extra steps Amazon makes you go thru.. I also like Kobo allowing you to delete your WiFi to keep offline instead of Amazon’s airplane mode. Where we live our internet is very limited and lets you have only a certain number of devices connected. I don’t want Kobo making a lot of changes. Their home page and finding your books is easy. How many changes has Amazon made to their home page.
While Kobo doesn’t offer a native software implementation to see the clock on the screen, there is a very simple hack out there in order to see both the clock and the actual battery percentage (as a numerical value). I was looking around just the other week for a solution and came across it (a simple internet search should turn up many results). It was quick, and painless, and now I have both these features on screen while reading.
However, just last week I ended up picking up a Nook GlowLight 4 Plus because I wanted both a bigger screen, as well as page turn buttons (on either side of the screen), and this was the only reader I could find that fit the bill. I don’t buy e-books directly from Barnes & Noble (I have all my e-books in my computer and they are managed by Calibre), and still primarily get them from either Kobo or Google Books, but the actual Nook hardware is great. The Nook software, on the other hand, is pretty lackluster. I wish Kobo made an e-reader with this kind of hardware, as I love the actual Kobo software, and even switched back to it from KO Reader as I didn’t need all the options that offers. Unfortunately, my Kobo Clara BW only has a 6″ screen and has no page turn buttons, and I found myself really wanting something else.
Nickel Clock does not work well on Libra Colour.
I admit that I had to look up the word “enshittification” to find out what it means. And if I understand it correctly, I’m not sure it applies to Kobo, and I would venture to say that it doesn’t apply to other e-reader brands either (not even the “evil” Amazon). That doesn’t mean, as people here think, that Kobo is beyond criticism. My long experience with their e-readers (I’ve had 10, currently only 3) and my comparison with other brands have made me put their virtues (which, of course, they have) into perspective.
In any case, I believe that user satisfaction with their favourite brand of e-reader is quite high. I sincerely believe that most users of Kindle, Kobo, PocketBook, Onyx Boox… are happy with their respective brands. And I don’t think there has been a decline in their rating from their inception to the present day. There will always be people who feel disappointed and switch brands, but in general (and I am sorry to say that what is expressed in e-reader forums and blogs is not very representative of that generality), I believe there is great loyalty to their respective brands.
As the owner of Kindle, Kobo, and Pocketbook, it’s safe to say I love ALL THREE … for different reasons and use cases. I have in the distant past used a Sony and a Nook device as well, and enjoyed reading on both of those.
Every single one of my current devices are excellent for READING. And THAT is all I care about!
This whole business of which is “best” or what “family” or “club” to be in is pure PIFFLE from my point of view.
Of the three brands I own, the latter two (Kobo and Pocketbook) are MORE excellent for reading for my older eyes, for the simple reason that both Kobo and Pocketbook allow me to use more of their screen size than Kindle does. Thus I get a more pleasing experience at larger font sizes than Kindle ever allows.
My loyalty is to READING. Not a brand, an ecosystem, or anything else.
Could it be that people – particularly younger people – are just not interested in a separate ereader? I mean, most young-to-middle age folk have a phone and/or tablet and/or laptop. And if you grew up with one or all of these, you’d be used to reading on them so why buy another device, one that’s dedicated to only one purpose?
Also, as was mentioned, Kobo may not have the financial backing or oomph that Amazon does and even BN has physical stores to generate income. AFAIK, Kobo doesn’t so huge discounts, etc. hits them harder than the others.
Sounds like they’re trying, but struggling to keep up.
I would like to add:
I really miss the quality of the old timer e-readers. While my Kobo Touch and Aura have a good rubbery finish on them, the Libra 2 has a very low and cheap plastic case and it does not feel as good as the older devices which were cost less money in their time.
They came up with the ‘recycled plastic’ speech about the build quality, which honestly feels more like marketing bs. They justify it by saying they’re protecting the environment, yet you still need a certain level of technical knowledge to repair your device.
Instead of making it easy to swap the battery out, they glued everything together and made it worse with the water resistant goo which needs to be removed for any repair step.
That’s not helpful, and most people, instead of repairing it, will just end up buying a new device because of a component worth only a few bucks (the battery), which should take like 3–5 seconds tops to swap out, just like it did in the old days.
I also really miss the feature updates. There were no significant improvemets in the past decade in the software. If you read on a Kobo in 2013, you will get almost the exactly same experience if you read on a Kobo in 2025.
Of course they don’t have as much resources as amazon, but they have Rakuten behind them. Plenty of room for improvements, yet they’re missing the oppurtinity.
Yeah, you’re right. I should’ve used their cheap plastic casing as another bullet point. I’m not a fan at all, and they’ve gotten more cheap feeling over the years.
1000% correct
They made the best b/w screen
Don’t want/need their subpar blrry color screen.
If they don’t radically improve the color screen to at least the clarity of the discontinued black and white screens – or just bring back a decent b/w one with buttons, I’m done as a customer
Interesting kobo owners get defensive about pointing out problems with the kobo line but have no problem when talking bad about kindles. I don’t see this article as bashing on kobo, just pointing out some of the concerns over the support kobos are recently getting. It’s refreshing to hear that not everything is perfect in the kobo side. Both companies need to continue fixing problems and improving their product line. One is no worse or better. Just get the device and company that best serves your needs.
I’m happy with my Libra H2O for now, but I really regret not buying a Libra 2 when it was available. If Kobo keeps going down this path, my next reader definitely won’t be from them. Right now, Onyx seems like the only option for me, maybe I should buy a Go 7 before they start doing something nonsensical too.
Here we go again. At this point I think you are getting paid by Amazon. You keep bashing Kobo time after time for no real reason and you keep making up all these ridiculous little things trying to make them look bad. While they’re actually working hard to make everything better.
They added Instapaper support in no time when Pocket shut down, they made a completely new smartphone app which is lightyears ahead of anything Amazon or any other company can do (which is something that can take most of their developers very long time to finish, which is probably why there were no significant firmware updates). They introduced white Clara because that’s what girls (their primary users) wanted. They added clear cases because again girlies wanted them to show off their stickers. They gave Clara bigger battery. They do many positive things. Yet you seem to only focus on tiny negatives.
It’s Amazon who gets everything wrong. Literally every device they produce is crap. I had to return six Colorsofts and four Paperwhites and never got a single one without technical issues. They don’t let us download our books. Their UI and their apps and like something from two decades ago. They’re constantly deleting people’s content. Their prices are ridiculously expensive compared to Kobo (which is why they didn’t have to increase the prices). And I could go on and on.
Kobo isn’t perfect, but they do much more than Amazon. Oh and BTW interesting deals and promotions for example are not a user benefit. That’s a benefit for you to write articles about.
You should really stop this, you’re writing one negative article after another about Kobo while there is clearly nothing negative to write about. It’s getting ridiculous. You have great blog but I hate these made up negative articles (always about Kobo).
I don’t think you read this blog every day, because if you did, you’d know that amazon gets more bashing here than any other brand.
I like kobo and using their devices for over a decade. But their quality is going downhill.
About your beloved instapaper update:
Rakuten is behind kobo, so they should have enough money, at least enough to pay the software developers properly so they don’t brick half or more of the product line with their latest update, which is still available and downloadable to this day, ready to brick even more devices that haven’t bricked yet.
Don’t you wanna talk about that?
I do read this blog every day. And I see mostly praisal for Amazon and bashing for Kobo. It’s clear what company Nathon favors. I use ereaders of all major companies (Amazon, Kobo, Boox and Pocketbook) and I do see flaws of all the brands but the level of hate Kobo is getting here is ridiculous.
Never had any bricking problem, never heard of it, so no, I won’t talk about that. If I encounter any problem with Kobo, I will say it. But I never had any software problem with it while I had dozens with Kindle.
You never had any problem or heard about it, so the problem doesn’t exist. I see.
But outside of your bubble the ugly truth is that the current software release, which updates automatically OTA, brings a risk to any kobo device, regardless of the model, and can brick it permanently – or if you have one with microSD storage and can obtain an image for it, you have the chance to fix it for yourself.
For the kobo Aura line the update was rolled back, but other models can be still affected. Probably because of the different hardware revisions, but nobody knows which can be problematic.
Although kobo offered to send a refurbished device in exchange for the broken one – if – but the unlucky customer still has to wait for weeks until they get that.
All this trouble because kobo couldn’t manage ONE software update properly after almost a year since the previous version. So wake up, that’s the reality.
I’m critical of everything; it’s part of the job. Kobo deserves some criticism just as much as the next company. I’m getting tired of seeing posts online where people act like Kobo is some kind of great saviour without any flaws, especially when they’ve only released two new BW ereaders over the past four years and one replaced the other (not counting their eNotes). Plus it’s the same basic Clara model that they keep re-releasing every few years. Their creativity has really gone down the drain, and there software development isn’t close to the same level as it used to be. I’m just stating facts. I can’t help it if some people get offended by that.
You’re only critical of Amazon when it comes to major problems everyone is talking about. But you’re critical of Kobo for non existent problems (they don’t do enough promotions, they don’t do enough updates). These are not real problems.
If stuff works and you keep it that way, that’s not problem. But if you make updates and destroy the device more with each one little more (Amazon) THAT is a problem.
If you only release new devices every couple of years but they work great, that is not a problem. But if you re-release them every year half-naked with zero quality control, that is a problem.
The difference is Kobo does things slowly but well. Amazon does things fast but extremely poorly. I know which attitude is better.
Don’t get me wrong, Kobo is by no means perfect and I can agree with the lack on BW Libra plus I think lack of their version of Send to Kindle is even bigger problem. But yeah compared to Amazon they’re pretty much perfect.
You simply make it way to obvious you don’t like Kobo.
Yes, Kobo can improve some things..
For me, words spacing would be a great add. Also a toggle clock setting.
With Kobo, it comes down to things that they could add to enhance reader experience; with Amazon it comes down to actions they have taken that remove or lessen customer satisfaction.
I agree with this. I would love to see some new features added to the UI, like having a clock setting or a full system dark mode that isn’t just the ebook. These are two things that Amazon does really well. It would also be great to see something like their ‘WhisperSync’ introduced for those with more than one e-reader or those of us who want to use the app while we’re out and about and have a few minutes to catch up on our current read.
I am so glad I bought three Kobo Libra 2’s before they got phased out. I had no idea they were being discontinued, but the device is so perfect and the screen is so beautiful and the contrast so on point that I could care less for anything else. They don’t force updates down your throat like Amazon and overall much better control and don’t mysteriously delete your side-loaded books or slap you in the face with unwanted advertisements.
I am curious about the new Kindle Scribe coming out though, hopefully they fixed the previous issues with poor unreadable contrast.
Thank you for expressing your grievances about this. I’ve been a long-time Kobo user myself & I have loved this company for over a decade. I understand they’re a small(er) company than the competition, so not everything will be amazing. Still, I agree that they’ve seemed to plateau over the years instead of trying to grow and improve over time.
The recent dismissal of the cash back program on the ebooks is pretty freaking shitty if you ask me, since the cash back program is through the parent company. They’ve also offered cash back for as long as I can remember, and it’s pretty crappy that there has been no mention of it at all from them. It seems that they just did away with this within the past month. It’s just odd since they’ve clearly acquired many more users within the past year, jumping ship from another company.
I keep hoping for firmware updates to fix the bugs I’ve come across while using their e-readers, but that has yet to happen. I know they’ve hired more people within the last several months to help with this as well. It just doesn’t seem apparent to consumers what is going on behind the scenes with them. It would be nice to have more transparency with software/updates, etc, from the company. I really want to continue to support them, but I feel it’s becoming more difficult for many reasons (such as seems to be the trend anymore with a lot of companies overall).
To me, all the issues you outlined, & these are many I’ve observed & thought of myself, seem to stem from the top that very well may just be trickling down. It’s a huge disappointment & I sincerely hope there is some real change in the near future for them. (fingers crossed).
I agree with this article! These are the reasons why I switched back to Kindle (!) after trying out Kobo for almost a year! The hardware is a joke…the screen on their color readers is so bad in comparison to other brands (Kindle Colorsoft, Pocketbook Inkpad Color 3 and Era Color). The fact that they haven’t updated their bw e-readers in 4 YEARS and even discontinued the Libra 2 completely. The fact that they haven’t even given their only current bw model (Clara BW) the same white frame they did for the color version!
The only “update” in 1,5 years was to give the existing Clara Colour a white frame? Sorry, but I’m out at this point. Take into account that the bookshop on Kindle is so much better, too, I’m back to Amazon… even with their download-policy.
No. It’s not enshitification. It’s progress for the better. The latest Ratuken releases for Kobo have been amazing. Right to repair, better screens, firmware updates that replace dead services with alternatives, and a much better UI.
I can replace (the case, the screen, the battery, and the buttons) without too much hassle, or pay someone that know’s how to solder cleaner than I can to do it for me. Behold, my first, and probably LAST e-reader unless some amazing product comes out.
Lack of bw screens? Have you seen the tariffs? You have any idea how many of the factories and production facilities in China are just shut down, probably forever? When you shut down chemical plants for even a week, the startup time to kick the chem reactors back online takes months of overhauling the plumbing and feed reactors. Shut down for months? The restart time to get a production facility online in the United States starts at 18 months and goes up from there depending on how complex the process flow is. The tariffs were the wake up call to companies to find new supply chains, and anyone not already sourcing from outside of China is finding it really hard to restock existing products, and make new ones. My Fire Resist overalls are “made in Canada” but the fabric is from China. And guess what, the company cancelled the restock orders in late spring, and are just now offering different SKUs made from different fabrics with labels that say made in Pakistan or Bangladesh.
Ever since my K3 died, I’ve had to replace my Kindle / Paperwhite / Oasis every other year because of hardware failures that can’t be fixed, fu oddly numbered firmware releases (that don’t match official releases) that brick my device once the warranty ends, or lately I suspect because I’ve said bad things about Amazon online, and UI changes that make the user experience worse with every update. My NEW Kindle Paperwhite SE green now overheats! Overheats… what is it doing??? Is it mining bitcoin while in sleep mode?? Hey Amazon, teh fk is in 5.18.5 huh??? What did you ADD this time?
Oh right, and you keep mistaking 3rd party services for ‘features’ of the Kobo. The Mozilla Corp announced massive layoffs this Spring, and they laid off hundreds or maybe thousands of employees across multiple divisions. So of course Pocket got shut down, but that’s like having Microsoft shutting down its Office Suite SaaS product, and complaining that your HP laptop is now ‘enshitified.’ No… the company running the service stopped running the service, and your laptop is just fine.
“Lack of bw screens? Have you seen the tariffs?”
Kobo stopped making a 7” BW eReader long before the tariffs were in place.
I have a GloHD which I absolutely love; I have read many, many books which I would not have read if I’d had to rely on paper books or tablet/phone devices with a backlit screen. So, I’m very grateful to Kobo for this. That said, I have not been tempted by any of the recent ‘developments’ to newer ereaders. My needs are simple: I’d like a 6″ reader with no frontlight (and therefore no light layer), and no wi-fi nor bluetooth (yes, these can be turned off, but they add to the price and accidentally turn on sometimes).
The solution for us ‘enthusiasts’, it seems, would be a decentralisation of the system. I’ll take Linux as an example. You can buy your hardware from Dell, or Lenovo, System76, or whoever you like (including using an old Intel Mac); separately, you install a distro of your choice; separately, you can purchase (for example) DRM-free music to play from your computer (including from iTunes!), without being locked into any company’s ‘store’. In the ereader world, this can work easily: there are already platforms selling DRM-free epubs; and KOReader works on many types of devices including Kobos and Kindles. If someone were to create ereaders with KOReader pre-installed, to the specifications many have desired in the comments here (B&W or colour, with/without frontlight, stylus support, etc.), everyone would be happy. They would last a long time (plenty of folks still running Linux on old computers; see https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/eeepc-2024.html and https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2020/12/how-and-why-i-stopped-buying-new-laptops). The only reason no company is doing this is that there’s far less money in it. That said, you can already to this, likely using a reader you already have. Although I still use the Kobo store as my main source of books, but am also confident that, should anything happen to Kobo (I really hope not!), I’ll be able to enjoy my GloHD for many years to come.