Kobo announces smallest eReader in Kobo Mini, Kobo Glo, and Kobo Arc 7 inch Android tablet
I am a big fan of the Kobo eReader Touch and use it as my primary eInk device because the form factor is so compelling and I can read all of my EPUB content on it. With Amazon's Kindle press event, I am not sure that Kobo's announcedment today of several new devices was timed well. However, it is likely that I will preorder one of them. They announced the new Kobo Mini, Kobo Glo, and Kobo Arc with preorders available now.
Kobo Mini
The new Kobo Mini is a very pocketable eInk reader that is actually the world's smallest and lightest electronic reading device. The display is 5 inches and it includes WiFi as well for getting your content. Like most Kobo products you can order it in different colors, achieved through a SnapBack interchangeable back cover. Kobo was one of the first to integrate social networking features in their ebook readers and this support is available in the Mini as well.
Specs include a 5 inch Vizplex V110 display, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, 2GB internal storage, 800 MHz processor, and a weight of just 4.73 ounces. It will be available soon for $79.99.
Kobo Glo
Like the Nook GlowLight, the Kobo Glo includes support for integrated lighting to help you read in bed or in low light situations. Their ComfortLight directs light at the page and has a reported 55 hours of run time with the light on all the time. It also comes in four colors with that great soft touch back we see on the Kobo Touch.
Specs include a 6 inch high-res XGA (1024x768) Pearl eInk display, 1 GHz processor, 2GB integrated memory with microSD card slot, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, and a weight of 6.5 ounces. It will be available soon for $129.99.
Kobo Arc
The Kobo Arc is the replacement for their Kobo Vox tablet that I never found impressive enough to write up a review for. It was a decent device and they did get Google Play on it, but the hardware was clunky and I found no reason to recommend it over a Kindle Fire. The new Kobo Arc has a 7 inch IPS display at 1280 x 800 resolution (215 ppi), 2 megapixel front facing camera, dual front facing speakers, 1.5 GHz dual core processor, 1GB RAM, Android 4.0, and comes in 8GB or 16GB configuration.
The Kobo Arc looks like a great Kindle Fire competitor with a bit more openness to Android. It will be available soon for $199.99.