I’ve been following the e-reader scene for years now, and few things get me as excited as new hardware. This has been a good year for E Ink devices with the Boox Go 7 and reMarkable Paper Pro Move being released, but it doesn’t look like the new-hardware party is over. Last week, Kobo revealed a new color for its Clara Colour, and a few days ago, Kobo’s CEO Michael Tamblyn teased a “little hardware surprise” on his Threads account, and we’re itching to know what it is (via Good e-Reader).
It’s probably an accessory of some sort
Although a new e-reader would be welcome, the “little” language hints that it’s likely something smaller. I suppose it could be a new stylus, but Kobo already has a first-party stylus available on its store, so while a new one is possible, I don’t think it would be tease-worthy.
The theory that has the most merit is a page-turner of some sort. Using an 8BitDo Zero as a Bluetooth page-turner is already popular among the Boox crowd, so Kobo may be cooking up a first-party solution for its e-readers. There are also third-party devices that clip onto your e-reader’s screen and electronically touch it to advance the page, but most don’t let you turn back.
Personally, if it’s going to be a page-turner, I’m hoping for Bluetooth, because I don’t dig the look of the clip, nor having to keep two things charged. Plus, if it’s a Bluetooth page-turner, Kobo will likely have to make some changes to its firmware to make it happen, changes that would almost certainly enable third-party options. Kobo has a reputation for being pro-consumer, so I’m hopeful.
Wild, irresponsible Kobo speculation
Now that we’ve done away with the responsible, reasoned guesses, let’s have some fun. Last summer, respected industry prognosticator Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Kobo’s next e-reader would be a color Elipsa that would launch in 2024 at the earliest. It’s possible that Kobo is finally ready to launch the next iteration of its 10.3” writing-focused e-reader.
In the same post, Kuo also speculated that Kobo could move to Gallery 3 technology. For the uninitiated, this is the same high-contrast color display used by the reMarkable Paper Pro and Paper Pro Move. Gallery 3 is fundamentally different from the Kaleido 3 (the current industry standard for color e-readers) in that it uses colored e-ink pigments instead of a CFA overlay. The drawback is that it takes noticeably longer to refresh than Kaleido 3.
Another possibility is that Kobo could literally be releasing a “little” e-reader. The Xteink X4 4.3” e-reader has been getting a lot of attention in e-reading circles, and long-time Kobo fans likely remember the Kobo Mini 5” e-reader, so it’s possible that a Mini 2 is on the way. Given the popularity of Boox’s Palma or Bigme’s HiBreak, this guess isn’t that far of a stretch.
We’re waiting on Kobo at this point
There’s nothing we can do but wait and find out at this point. There haven’t been any FCC disclosures to indicate a new e-reader, so it’s almost certainly an accessory of some sort, but we don’t have any clue what it could be. We’ve reached out to Kobo for more information, so hopefully we’ll know something soon.
