Rakuten Kobo has announced the joint launch of Kobo Sage and Kobo Libra 2, two new eReaders in its range and the first to support Bluetooth for listening to Kobo audiobooks and USB-C for easy charging & sideloading ebooks from a computer.
Sage
Kobo’s recently launched Elipsa 10″ model which Jo reviewed recently remains the largest Kobo e-reader but the new Sage is the most fully featured Kobo ereader to date with an 8″ screen as well as new features including Bluetooth, USB-C, Kobo Stylus support (optional accessory) and the new PowerCover case which recharges the Sage when it’s off.
The Sage’s premium features are stylus support, PowerCover support, faster CPU and a bigger screen. Curiously its battery at 1200mAh is smaller than the Libra 2’s 1500mAh.
Display: 8” HD flush E Ink Carta 1200 touchscreen
Resolution: 1440 x 1920 resolution (300 PPI) with Dark Mode
Device size: 160.5 x 181.4 x 7.6 mm
Weight: 240.8 g
Processor: Quad Core @ 1.8 GHz
Waterproof: IPX8 – up to 60 minutes in 2 metres of water
Manufacturer: Netronix
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 ac/b/g/n (dual band), Bluetooth® wireless technology and USB-C
Light: ComfortLight PRO adjustable brightness and colour temperature
Button: Power on/off
Storage: 32 GB
Battery: 1,200mAh
TypeGenius: 12 fonts and over 50 sizes
Supported file formats:
eBooks: EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, FlePub and MOBI
Audiobooks: Kobo Audiobooks only
Images: JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP and TIFF
Text: TXT, HTML and RTF
Comic Books: CBZ and CBR
Languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Catalan, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Turkish, Japanese, Traditional Chinese
Content: Instant, 24/7 access to Kobo’s eBook store with over 7.5 million titles. Library eBook access via built-in OverDrive support in select regions.
Libra 2
The new Kobo Libra 2 is the next generation of the Kobo Libra H2O with 32 GB storage (4x more), a ~20% faster E Ink screen, USB-C connectivity and Bluetooth technology. Like its predecessor, the Libra 2 is waterproof IPX8, has a 7” screen, ComfortLight PRO adjustable brightness and temperature control.
Display: 7” HD E Ink Carta 1200 touchscreen
Resolution: 1264 x 1680 resolution (300 PPI) with Dark Mode
Device size: 144.6 x 161.6 x 9 mm
Weight: 215 g
Processor: 1 GHz
Waterproof: IPX8 – up to 60 minutes in 2 metres of water
Manufacturer: Netronix
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth wireless technology and USB-C
Light: ComfortLight PRO adjustable brightness and colour temperature
Button: Power on/off
Storage: 32 GB
Battery: 1,500 mAh
TypeGenius: 12 fonts and over 50 sizes
Supported file formats:
eBooks: EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, FlePub and MOBI
Audiobooks: Kobo Audiobooks only
Images: JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP and TIFF
Text: TXT, HTML and RTF
Comic Books: CBZ and CBR
Languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Catalan, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Turkish, Japanese, Traditional Chinese
Content: Instant, 24/7 access to Kobo’s eBook store with over 7.5 million titles. Library eBook access via built-in OverDrive support in select countries including Australia.
Availability
Both e-readers are available at the Kobo website and select retailers eg Booktopia and JB Hi-Fi.
Kobo Sage will retail for $439.95 (in Black, with Kobo SleepCovers in Light Green and Black, and PowerCover in Black).
Kobo Libra 2 for $279.99 (Available in White and Black, with SleepCover colours: Poppy Red, Lavender, Slate Blue and Black).
Pre-orders can be placed now and the devices will be available in stores and online beginning 19 October in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Turkey.
