As was being speculated all along, Kobo has announced the launch of its new generation of color e-reader devices, the Kobo Libra Colour and Kobo Clara Colour. Accompanying the two is the Kobo Clara which comes with a black and white display.
In terms of hardware specifications, both the Kobo Libra Colour and Kobo Clara Colour have seen an upgrade in processors, moving from a single-core 1.0GHz to a dual-core 2.0GHz, resulting in a noticeable performance boost. It is estimated that they are using the same MediaTek MT8113 chipset as the Elipsa 2E. Both color models are labeled as having “FastGLR,” indicating that Kobo has adjusted algorithms specifically for color display, promising users a better and faster color reading experience
The battery capacity of the Libra Colour has been increased from the previous 1500mAh to 2050mAh, while the Clara Colour remains the same as its predecessor at 1500mAh. There have been slight changes to the design as well, with the Libra Colour being slightly narrower, thinner, and lighter than the Libra 2. It now measures 144.6 x 161 x 8.3 mm compared to the 144.6 x 161.6 x 9 mm dimension of the Libra 2. Further, it now weighs 199.5g compared to the 215g of its predecessor. The Libra Colour otherwise comes with a 7-inch E INK Kaleido 3 colour e-paper display and the latest E Ink Carta 1300 panel.
On the other hand, the Clara Colour and Clara BW are slightly wider, and thicker compared to the Clara 2E. It now measures 112 x 160 x 9.2 mm compared to the dimensions of 112.05 x 159.02 x 8.66 mm of the Clara Colour/ Clara BW. It’s a tad bit heavier too, it being 174g compared to the 171g weight of the previous gen Clara. This also points to accessories from the previous generations being incompatible with the latest-generation e-readers. The Clara Colour features the Kaleido 3 display tech and comes with the latest E Ink Carta 1300 display.
Furthermore, it’s important to note that the Libra Colour comes equipped with note-taking functionality, allowing users to back up handwritten notes to Kobo Cloud and sync them with Dropbox and Google Drive. Kobo is presently providing pre-sale discounts on their latest offerings, set to begin shipping on April 30th.