Kobo Announces New Family of eReaders

On Thursday, September 6, Kobo announced a new lineup of e-readers. The news comes a week after ABA and Kobo announced an agreement for a new e-book solution for ABA member bookstores. [1]

The three new devices announced by Kobo will all be available to member bookstores participating in the new e-book program. Ingram Content Group is the exclusive device wholesaler for ABA member stores, as was announced this week.  

The new family of devices from Kobo includes the Kobo Glo, a front-lit E Ink eReader; the Kobo Mini, the smallest full-featured E Ink eReader available; and the Kobo Arc, a competitively featured Android 4.0 multimedia tablet.

“ABA member bookstores have made clear to us that a critically important component of the new e-book solution would be offering first-class e-reading devices. The three new devices from Kobo will give indie bookstore customers a great selection of innovative and competitive eReaders,” said ABA CEO Oren Teicher. “With this news, we believe the Kobo e-book solution for independents is even more compelling and attractive.”

“The eReading market is heating up, and Kobo has more eBooks and devices for consumers than ever before,” said Wayne White, general manager of devices, Kobo. “Together, Kobo and ABA give consumers a way to enjoy a truly personal and enjoyable eReading experience right from their local bookstore.”

The new front-lit, Kobo Glo is the next generation in comfortable eReading. It offers innovative and adjustable ComfortLight technology to enable consumers to read anytime—day or night. It features a durable high-resolution screen and customizable page-turning features. The Kobo Glo uses E Ink technology, customizable fonts and a no-glare, high-resolution six-inch screen. It connects easily to WiFi allowing consumers to explore and discover recommendations. The Kobo Glo eReader will be available in October, with a MSRP of $129.99.

The Kobo Mini is the world’s smallest full-featured E Ink eReader, offering the full Kobo experience at a great value. The five-inch Kobo Mini easily fits in purse or pocket, and features a no-glare E Ink screen, even in bright sunlight. Perfect for people on-the-go, young adults, and easy for first-time readers to hold, the highly portable Kobo Mini holds up to 1,000 eBooks. The Kobo Mini will be available starting October for MSRP of $79.99.

The new Kobo Arc offers booklovers a competitively featured Android 4.0 multimedia tablet with a new way to discover content  — books, movies, television shows, music, web pages, and more. The seven-inch, high-definition display delivers crisp, sharp text, and, with 16-million colors, vividly displays photos and videos. The Arc features front-facing speakers with SRS TruMedia, and a built-in microphone and 1.3 MP camera to take photos and videos. The Kobo Arc offers up to 10 hours of continuous reading or video play, and two weeks on standby. The Kobo Arc will be available this November, starting at $199.99 (8G) MSRP and $249.99 (16G) MSRP.