The PocketBook InkPad Color is an eBook Reader with a 7.8 inch E Ink Color display. First revealed in Russia last week, where it will be available soon under a different name, the InkPad Color is now available for purchase in the United States from Amazon and Newegg.
The InkPad Color is one of the first devices to feature an E Ink Kaleido display capable of showing up to 4,096 colors. While there are a handful of other devices that have Kaleido displays, most are eReaders and smartphones with smaller screens.
The only other device I’m aware of with a 7.8 inch Kaleido display is the BigMe S3, which is a pricier gadget that’s as much an Android tablet as it is an eReader. It’s also only sold in China, while the InkPad Color is available internationally.
A few things to keep in mind about Kaleido technology before pulling out your wallet:
- Like grayscale E Ink displays, a Kaleido display is a low-power, sunlight-visible screen that can display a static image indefinitely without consuming electricity and which may reduce eye strain for readers sensitive to it.
- But the colors look muted and subtle compared with LCD or AMOLED displays, and the color palette is much more limited.
- Due to the way color is implemented, grayscale text and graphics will be displayed at 300 pixels per inch, but color is only rendered at 100 pixels per inch, which may lead to a “screen door” or newsprint-like effect.
So there are some trade-offs involved in this technology – especially when you consider that devices with Kaleido displays tend to cost more than those with grayscale E Ink screens. But those compromises might be worth if it you’re looking for a large-ish screen device for reading digital magazines, comics, textbooks, or other content where color may be more important than sharpness.
Here are some other key specs for the InkPad Color:
| Display | 7.8 inch E Ink Kaleido 1404 x 1872 4096 colors (100 ppi) 16 shades of grey (300 ppi) Front-light Capacitive touch |
| CPU | 1 GHz dual-core |
| RAM | 1GB |
| Storage | 16GB microSD card reader (up to 32GB) |
| Ports | USB Type-C |
| Audio output | via USB or Bluetooth |
| Wireless | WiFi 4 Bluetooth |
| Battery | 2900 mAh |
| Software | Linux-based OS with support for EPUB, PDF, ACSM, MOBI, RTF, TXT, HTML, FB2, CBR, CBZ, JPG, BMP, PNG, TIF, MP3, M4A, and OGG file formats |
| Materials | Plastic (body) Glass (screen) |
| Dimensions | 195 x 136.5 x 8mm |
| Weight | 225 grams |
via The eBook Reader and The Digital Reader
I want the bigger screen, but most of my books are on my kindle so it would have to support mobi
It claims to support mobi. It’s there in the specs table
I am tempted but I will wait to see what else comes out. A 10~inch device would be better for work and provide higher definition (albeit at the same density). Also as most of my books are from Kobo I’d either prefer a Kobo device or an Android one so I can install the app. But if nothing of the sort comes out by my birthday I might just indulge with this. Might =)