A listing for a new Kobo ereader turned up on the FCC website a few days ago so we can expect a new Kobo model to hit the shelves at some point in the near future (probably a few months from now).
The FCC paperwork doesn’t reveal any specific information about the new device so there’s no indication what size the device is or what model it might replace.
As I posted about a couple months ago, Kobo should release a new entry-level model considering they’ve basically been selling the same entry-level model for over seven years now. They released the Kobo Nia in 2020, but the screen and the hardware were the same as the Kobo Aura 2 that came before it so they essentially re-released the same device with a slightly different casing and a different name.
Or maybe Kobo is going to release a new Kobo Libra or Kobo Sage, but you’d think they’d update both of them if that were the case since they were both released at the same time in October of 2021.
It’s kind of weird timing considering Kobo usually releases new ereaders in fall at the same time that Amazon releases new Kindles. The one recent exception being the Kobo Elipsa and Kobo Elipsa 2E. The first gen Kobo Elipsa was released in June of 2021 and the updated 2E version was released in April of 2023.
Maybe it’s going to be an Elipsa with a 300 ppi screen like the Kindle Scribe. Or maybe they’re going to offer a version with a color E Ink screen like Onyx with the new Note Air3 C. I think color screens make more sense on larger models than smaller ones, and the latest Kaleido 3 screens look surprisingly good as long as you don’t mind having the frontlight on all the time.
Kobo released the Kobo Clara 2E in September of last year so it’s safe to rule out an updated version of it. But other than that the new model could be just about anything.
What do you want to see from the next new Kobo ereader?
via: reddit
HOPEFULLY, they will release a COLOR large screen 10″ device. With page turn buttons – it can be done!
The latest Onyx screen looks good and there is the possibility of a new E ink screen.
I would guess new Sage with improved battery might be coming. It’s a premium device they want to sell to masses but right now a lot of people avoid it because the infamous battery life… But yeah, it might be new Nia too I guess.
Updated Kobo mini
Absolutely! It seems like just about every Kobo ereader has been updated and improved except the Mini. It’s been over a decade. C’mon Kobo.
That is what I am hoping for too!
Want: new Sage.
Likely: new Nia.
Maybe: colour reader.
As long as whatever it is causes a significant drop in the price of the Sage it can be anything they want it to be.
I only like the 6 inch screens. I love the Kobo Clara 2e for epubs and txt files. But PDFs are a total joke with Kobo and always have been! Even after ten years they have not bothered to provide a PDF reader on their devices that is usable! Hitherto Kobo simply did not care about the hoax they have perpetrated on the public in this regard.. I’d like to see them create a totally new PDF reader on their devices from scratch. Also, how long can their minimal browser be in beta? Another decade of poor functionality behind them on that one. I would like to see an improved browser as well. Ah, well, we can dream….
I’m puzzled by your comment. I read a lot of white papers. I drop the pdfs in Dropbox and my Elipsa 2e automatically picks them up. I then read with no problem. I especially like the persistent zoom from page to page,
While we’re at it, Kobo’s fairly recent addition of a pinch and zoom font feature with one of their mandatory updates was a terrible idea by pie in they sky software engineers who wanted to imitate LCD tablets on that feature, knowing full well Kobo does not have the RAM capability for it. The result is the worse thing Kobo has ever done. Just a minor accidental slip of the finger on the screen activates it, making the font gigantic or minuscule, totally unreadable, and then you have to manually reset the font to an acceptable font size. I have personally contacted kobo about this but I don’t know if my message was received. I told them the best remedy for it was to create a disable option on one of their updates.
The option to disable pinch-zooming has been available since it was added (page 2 of Reading Settings). I don’t like it either. It’s way too slow and wonky, and it often shows a blank section on the screen so you can’t see what it’s doing anyway. Pinch-zooming works great on Kindles and other devices; Kobo just did a bad job of implementing it.
Wow Nathan, you are totally right about the disable function on page 2 of settings for pinch zoom!. I didn’t see it! Thanks! You just made my reading experience all the better!
Second thanks from me! Just disabled it, much appreciated.
For me the ideal size of an ereader is still 6″. Therefore I really hope for another 6″ reader, with buttons. That’s the only thing I miss from my ClaraHD. Also the screen sharpness of the first Kobo Touch.