Kobo uploaded a quick teaser video on X (Twitter) last night, hinting at a new white model for the Clara Colour, and today the company has confirmed without a doubt that a new white model is set to land on September 23rd, which is only a few weeks away. Up until this announcement, the only color available for the Clara Colour was black. Soon enough, this changes, and the color of the e-reader isn’t the only thing that’s changing.
What’s new with the white Kobo Clara Colour
Source: Rakuten
Not only has Kobo been busy tweeting about the new white color for its Clara Colour e-reader, but a fresh video is available on the Rakuten store that showcases just how clean the white Clara Colour looks. All of the expected features of the previous model are here, like the color Kaleido 3 E Ink display, waterproofing, and consumer-friendly repairability.
There’s a bigger battery
However, not everything beyond the color is going to be the same. Kobo has also bumped up the 1500 mAh battery size of the existing black model to a 1900 mAh battery for the white, which is reportedly because the older, smaller battery is no longer available (via Good e-Reader), which is undoubtedly a win for consumers, seeing the device is keeping the $160 price point of the original design.
While this isn’t the first time Kobo has bumped the battery size of a device mid-cycle (the Kobo Clara BW jumped from 1500 mAh to 2000 in June), Amazon also recently refreshed its color e-reader, the Colorsoft, but that was more about addressing the device’s banding issue by updating the screen, rather than a new color or battery size change.
White isn’t always a win when it comes to e-reading
Source: Rakuten
Now, I’ve used my fair share of e-readers, from black devices to white, and there does appear to be a lack of consensus on which is better to read on. Black e-readers can look like their contrast is lower thanks to the black plastic that surrounds the screen. This is where white can be preferred, as the screen’s contrast will be more apparent. Then again, white plastic doesn’t hide LEDs as well as black, with light sometimes bleeding through the bezels (the Remarkable Paper Pro knows what I’m talking about). So it can be a mixed bag, no matter your color choice, but at least we now have a choice, which is why the new color is undoubtedly welcome.
You can already pre-order
Still, I’m sure more than a few people will be excited to pick up the new white Kobo Clara Colour when it drops on September 23rd, so if you’re already planning on the purchase, pre-orders are open on the Rakuten store as of this morning.
Pre-order on Rakuten
