Kobo’s newest device for reading eBooks features a 7.8 inch, 1872 x 1404 pixel E Ink display.
It’s called the Kobo Aura One, and it goes up for pre-order August 30th for $230.
The Kobo Aura One features an illuminated touchscreen (with an option to reduce the blue light when reading in bed). The eReader has a waterproof design, and 8GB of storage. Kobo says that should be enough to store up to 6,000 eBooks. But unlike some earlier Kobo eReaders, the Aura One does not have a microSD card slot.
Kobo’s device supports 14 file formats including EPUB, PDF, Mobi, TXT, HTML, JPEG, and PNG and books can be rendered in 11 different fonts and more than 50 font styles.
It supports 802.11b/g/n WiFi, features a micro USB port, and Kobo says you should be able to get up to a month of battery life (depending on how much reading you actually do).
The Kobo Aura One is a bit larger than most other eReaders on the market, and could appeal to eBook enthusiasts who find the 6 inch screens on the latest Kindle, NOOK, and Kobo devices to be a bit too small.
Personally I like 6 inch eReaders… but then, I’ve also always preferred reading paperback books to large hardcover editions.
Anyway, the Kobo Aura One is still pretty compact compared with a book made from dead trees. It measures 7.7″ x 5.4″ x 0.27″ and weighs 8.1 ounces.If $230 seems like a lot of money to spend on an eReader, Kobo still offers 6 inch models with prices ranging from $90 to $180.
That includes a new 2nd-edition Kobo Aura eReader priced at $120. This model has a 6 inch, 1024 x 768 pixel illuminated touchscreen E Ink display, 4GB of storage, and up to 2 months of battery life.
One feature that’s missing from the new model? A micro SD card slot. The original Kobo Aura had one. The new model does not.
Details about the eReader have been leaking for weeks, but the price and release data have only now been officially confirmed.
