With Pocketbook releasing the new Era Lite with a 7″ black-and-white E Ink Carta 1300 screen, I can’t help but notice it’s exactly what Kobo customers have been asking Kobo to release for the past 2 years. It highlights the fact that Kobo still isn’t listening to what their customers want by refusing to release a new Libra BW to counterbalance their Libra Colour.
Kobo is the only ereader company that sells a 7″ color model without offering a black-and-white equivalent. Pocketbook now sells two BW 7″ Era models to complement the Era Color. Amazon sells the Paperwhite alongside the Colorsoft. And Onyx and Bigme both sell 7″ BW models as alternatives to their 7″ color models.
So why is Kobo the only one that refuses to release a 7″ BW model?
It’s been over two years since they released the Kobo Libra Colour, while inexplicably discontinuing the very popular Libra 2 with a BW screen. They could’ve just kept selling it and people would’ve been happy to buy it, but no, they had to force people to buy the color version instead if they wanted page buttons and a 7″ screen.
Kobo only sells one 6″ BW ereader now, the Kobo Clara BW, and one BW 10″ eNote called the Kobo Elipsa 2E. They’ve been reusing the same basic design on the Clara since 2018, and the Elipsa 2E is outdated and overpriced compared to similar eNotes, which isn’t surprising since it was released over 3 years ago.
Yet Kobo seems content with their current lineup of ereaders. There are no signs of any new models coming out in 2026, and they seem happy to stick with the Libra Colour and the two Clara models moving forward. They’re still advertising the 8″ Kobo Sage on their website, despite the fact it hasn’t been available to purchase for over a year now.
I know some people are still hoping for a Libra BW to get released, but after two full years it’s time to accept the fact that Kobo just doesn’t care. I still think they must have some kind of agreement with E Ink to push color screens at a discount because Kobo usually listens to what their customers want to some extent, but it’s like they’re going out of their way to ignore requests for a 7″ Libra BW. Something just doesn’t add up about that. There’s no reason why Kobo’s ereader lineup shouldn’t be more diverse.
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