It has been some time since Rakuten Kobo launched its color e-readers, the Kobo Libra Colour and the Kobo Clara Colour. There is a black-and-white version too in the list, the Kobo Clara BW. Now, all three e-readers have been launched in India, which incidentally comes just days after Amazon introduced its all-new Kindle range which too includes a color Kindle model for the first time ever.
The Kobo Libra Colour is going to cost Rs 19,999 in the country while the Kobo Clara Colour will set one back Rs. 16,999. The Kobo Clara BW is the cheapest of the lot, with a sticker price of Rs. 14,999. The Kobo Stylus 2 which is compatible with the Kobo Libra Colour will have to be procured for an additional Rs 6,899. All three e-readers are available to order in India via Flipkart and Amazon.
Also available is Notebook SleepCover that have a Kobo Stylus 2 holder built in. The cover comes in shades of Black and Sand Beige and is priced at Rs. 3,999. Apart from this, Rakuten Kobo has launched a magnetic sleep cover also priced at Rs. 3,999 and comes in shades of Black, Dusk Blue, and Butter Yellow. The Basic SleepCover is cheaper at Rs. 2,999 and is available in Garden Green color. Needless to say, all of the above-mentioned covers apply to the Kobo Libra Colour.
For the Kobo Clara Colour and Clara BW, you can have SleepCovers priced at Rs. 2,999 and are available in Black, Candy Pink, Misty Green, and Cayenne Red color options. There are also Basic SleepCovers available for the Clara Color and Clara BW which is priced at Rs. 2,399 and comes in a Cobalt Blue shade. There is the Clear case available too for the same price which you can personalize with stickers and photos.
Coming to the e-readers, the Kobo Libra Colour comes with a 7-inch Kaleido 3 display which offers 300 PPI and 150 PPI resolution in color and Black-and-White modes respectively. With a built-in front light, you can continue with your reading even in the dark. It comes with 32 gigs of storage, which can be enough to hold thousands of e-books and audiobooks. Its battery lasts several weeks though that has a lot to do with the device usage. It supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB-C connectivity.
A highlight of the Libra Colour is its waterproof build. Given that it is made from recycled and ocean-bound plastic, it should appeal to the environment conscious as well. The Kobo is also unique in that it is fully repairable with replacement parts available right from Kobo itself. With the compatible stylus, you can annotate, highlight, or jot down notes easily. The Oasis-like asymmetrical design with physical page turn buttons makes the Libra Colour unique in its segment.
The Kobo Clara Colour, in turn, comes with a 6-inch Kaleido 3 display. e-Books, magazines, and comics all are more life-like thanks to the color e-paper display. The color display also lets you highlight texts in the color of your choice. A single charge of the battery can last weeks. A waterproof build ensures the e-reader is safe against damage from water ingress.
The Kobo Clara BW can be considered the monochrome version of the Clara Colour. It comes with the same 6-inch display but is black-and-white this time. The E Ink 1300 display is also the latest that you can have. Complementing the glare-free display is the ComfortLight PRO feature which offers controls to set brightness and color temperature as per your preference. It comes with 16 GB of storage and boasts a waterproof build.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I’ll likely make a film sometime in the future.
