Earlier this month Kobo released a wireless page turner called the Kobo Remote that’s compatible with Kobo ereaders, and demand seems to be more than Kobo or anyone else could have expected.
The Kobo Remote is completely out of stock from Kobo’s Canadian store, and they’re expected to get “limited quantities” sometime in January. It’s also out of stock on Kobo’s UK store, with no estimate for return. Both colors are currently in stock on Kobo’s US store, so at least it’s available somewhere, but the white one has been out of stock for most of the month.
What’s surprising is the Kobo Remote has already amassed 115 reviews on Kobo’s website in less than one month, and it’s been out of stock a large portion of the month. Reviews are very positive, with an overall rating of 4.5-stars. 92 of the reviewers gave it a 5-star rating.
The Kobo Remote already has 34 more reviews than the Kobo Elipsa 2E that came out over 2.5 years ago, and it’s already closing in on the Kobo Sage that came out over 4 years ago.
Apparently the Kobo Remote is an accessory that a lot of people wanted. Other 3rd-party page turners like the 8BitDo Micro have worked with Kobos for a long time so it’s kind of weird how long it’s taken Kobo to figure out they needed to come out with their own remote (Amazon still hasn’t capitalized on remote page turners for Kindles yet, but they will eventually).
Remote page turners are becoming a big deal for ereaders. A lot of people have resorted to using those clunky clip-on page turners for Kindles since Amazon refuses to enable Bluetooth page-turning. At least Kobo has released their own official option, and people seem to be happy to pay twice as much as 3rd-party page turners.
I still don’t quite understand the hype. Kobo’s most popular model is the Kobo Libra Colour and it already has dedicated page buttons built-in. I can somewhat see the appeal with the buttonless Clara models, but with the small 6″ screen you have to be within an arm’s reach to be able to see the screen clearly anyway. I guess a lot of people just want to be able to keep their hands warm under the covers while reading, or use stands and not actually hold their reading devices. I’m a big fan of having buttons on ereaders, but I don’t really understand how there’s such a big demand for wireless page turners to use with devices that are meant to be held in your hands. I get the appeal is some cases, but how is this becoming a mainstream thing all of the sudden? Are hands-free ereaders going to be the next step in the evolutionary process?
I use the 8Bbitdo Micro on my 8″ and 10″ Android and PocketBook e-readers, mainly because I usually read with them propped up on a book seat so I have my hands free. This Bluetooth device allows me to use numerous shortcuts (as many as it has buttons) without having to touch the screen and open menus. I find it practical and convenient (at least with brands that allow me to configure the buttons directly from the e-reader itself and its reading programmes). I don’t use it on smaller e-readers (nor on Kobo devices because I can’t be bothered to configure it).
The key is that it should be useful to the user for whatever reason they personally find convenient. In this sense, I welcome this type of Bluetooth device for the brands that incorporate them into their catalogue. I admit that I would like to have a similar one for the Kindle Scribe, preferably with more functions than just turning pages.
Now we need a head mount, one that holds it about a foot or so away from your face.
Many disabled people enjoy reading, and having a page-turner can be a real blessing for them.
Others prefer to read in bed, having their e-reader held by something like gooseneck holder.