Large-screen E Ink writing tablets seem to be gaining popularity recently, with several ereader makers launching 10.3-inch models back to back in the last few years. While the Kobo Elipsa from 2021 wasn’t the first such device, it was from a mainstream manufacturer, giving it a leg up over its biggest competitor, Amazon. It was over a year later that the Amazon Kindle Scribe made an appearance, but the gap in the market propelled some of Onyx Boox’s devices – particularly the Note 2 series – and the reMarkable 2 to become favorites with users.
Kobo is again adding to the growing number of 10.3-inch notetaking ereaders with the launch of the Elipsa 2E. With the new model, the Japanese-Canadian ereader brand now has a total of three E Ink writing tablets in its catalog. However, Kobo is known for discontinuing older models a few months after the launch of an upgrade, which could leave the Elipsa 2E as the only large-screen option and the Kobo Sage as the more portable 8-inch ereader in the near future.
While not a lot has changed in the Elipsa 2E from a features perspective, the body has been made from recycled plastic – keeping with Kobo’s eco-friendly roadmap that started with the Clara 2E.
However, the new Elipsa 2E does not ship with the sleepcover this time around and, with a price hike over its predecessor in some markets, is now looking like a hefty investment if you’re after a large-screen E Ink writing tablet.
Kobo Elipsa 2E hands-on review: price & availability
- Announced April 5, 2023; shipping from April 19
- Available to pre-order now in most markets
- Retail price of $399.99 / £349.99 / AU$629.95
The launch price of the Kobo Elipsa 2E remains the same as its predecessor’s in the US and UK, arriving with a tag of $399.99 and £349.99 respectively. It’s a different story in Australia, where the original Elipsa launched for AU$599 and the new model will now set you back AU$629.95. However, given the economic conditions, that’s no surprise, and this price does include the cost of the stylus for all customers.
What is a bummer is that the Elipsa 2E will not ship with a sleepcover like the older model did. This needs to be purchased separately for $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$89.95 and you are going to need it if you want a secure spot for the Kobo Stylus 2 when transporting the Elipsa.
To sweeten the deal, Kobo is offering customers who pre-order the device in Canada, US, UK and Australia between April 5-18 a bonus $25 / £25 / AU$25 eGift card to put towards purchasing ebooks and audiobooks from the Kobo Store. Pre-orders are now open directly from Kobo and the device will begin shipping from April 19, which is when it will also be available at select retailers.
Despite needing to buy the sleepcover separately, the Kobo Elipsa 2E is competitively priced. The Amazon Kindle Scribe with 32GB of storage (like the Kobo) and shipping with the Premium Pen will cost you $390 / £380 / AU$629, a marginally cheaper option but with limited writing tools in comparison. The reMarkable 2, for example, costs $399 / £399 / $499 for the tablet alone and you’ll need to pay an extra $49 / £49 / AU$79 to get the Marker (stylus). And it’s not really an ereader with no frontlighting.
Kobo Elipsa 2E: key specs
Kobo Elipsa 2E hands-on review: design & display
- Tablet and sleepcase made using recycled plastic
- Same screen tech as the original Elipsa
- Redesigned stylus much improved
Compared to the Amazon Kindle Scribe – the Kobo Elipsa 2E’s biggest competitor – the new writing tablet falls short in terms of looks and screen. While both use the E Ink Carta 1200 screen technology (as does the original Elipsa), I’m in love with the 300ppi screen on the Kindle Scribe – it’s bright, sharp and just looks better than the 227ppi display on the Elipsa 2E. That’s not to say the Elipsa 2E is bad, it’s just that teensy bit lackluster in comparison, but text and images are rendered really well.
One improvement the Elipsa 2E has over its predecessor is the addition of amber LEDs that now allow both the brightness and the light temperature (or hue) to be adjusted. The dark mode that the Carta 1200 screens support is also available here.
Where the Kindle Scribe (and even the Onyx Boox models) look premium with a metallic finish, the Elipsa 2E is all plastic in both look and feel. However, said plastic is mostly (85%) recycled material, 10% of which would have ended up in our oceans. While I applaud Kobo’s eco-friendly approach, its ereader designs are now looking dated and that’s quite disappointing, especially on a device that’s going to cost me hundreds of dollars to purchase.
That said, I do really like the new Kobo Stylus 2. The white ‘eraser’ on the top of the pen adds a bit of contrast to an otherwise all-black pen and writing with it feels like a pencil on paper (i.e. you can feel some friction). In comparison, the Kindle Scribe’s Pen runs extremely smoothly over the screen which, to me at least, occasionally feels like I’m about to lose control of it. That said, between the two, I’m quite partial to writing on the Scribe.
New to the Stylus 2 is that it’s now rechargeable (as compared to the single AAA battery-powered older model) and there’s a USB-C port to make sure it stays topped up. While the aluminum pen doesn’t stick magnetically to the side of the tablet, the Stylus 2 does so on the top of the bigger bezel right at the edge. While it will help you keep tabs on the pen while you’re reading or writing, it’s not strong enough to keep it secure when packing it up, thus making the sleepcover quite important.
While the sleepcover is an additional purchase, it too is made from 95% recycled materials and now opens in landscape mode (like a book cover) rather than vertically as in the older Elipsa.
Kobo Elipsa 2E hands-on review: performance
- Faster and more responsive than original Elipsa
- Versatile writing tools
- Refresh rate not as quick as Kindle Scribe
I’ve spent a couple of days with the Elipsa 2E prior to its official launch and, so far, there aren’t any new features to write about. Kobo, however, rolls out a new firmware update when it announces a new device, so hopefully that will be pushed to my test tablet in a day or two and I’ll update this review accordingly.
However, just going by what is already on the device, I’m still a fan of the Kobo UX. I prefer it to the Kindle’s interface as it gives me more customization options for my reading settings. More importantly, I get a lot more writing tools on the Kobo as compared to the Kindle Scribe, with several page templates and pen options in varying thicknesses and shades of gray. I also have the ability to add images to my notes, even mathematical formulae (which the tablet can solve by the way), making this a much better writing tablet for researchers, students and academics as compared to the Scribe.
One noticeable difference I found between the Elipsa 2E and its predecessor is just how much faster the newer model is. Writing on screen appears in real time and typing too has improved, while handwriting recognition is still very good, even picking up symbols including degrees as a superscript and poorly drawn ampersands. The only thing it doesn’t seem to like is how I write numbers in digits, not picking up the ‘2’ in the name of the device when I write it, but I’d still rather wait till there’s a new firmware version so I can see if that improves too.
As with all Kobo ereaders, there’s OverDrive support here (which will remain on Kobo devices despite being sunsetted elsewhere) and will allow you to borrow books from an associated public library, as well as Pocket and Dropbox baked in. File format support is also wider than on a Kindle, so there’s no hoops to jump through to upload EPUBs for example – another reason I’m a little partial to Kobo over a Kindle.
The only arena where Kobo has limited its more open ecosystem is in audiobooks, where only those purchased from the Kobo Store will be playable on its Bluetooth-enabled hardware.
The Elipsa 2E inherits the same 2,400mAh battery and, considering I’ve only had the device a couple of days, I’m yet to put that to the test. Still, battery life is looking good as I managed to get a couple of hours with just a 2% drop. That said, a new firmware update will likely change things and I’ll be sure to put the Elipsa 2E through its full paces before reaching a final verdict on whether it’s worth the money.
Kobo Elipsa 2E: early verdict
From my short time with the Kobo Elipsa 2E I’ve got mixed feelings about the new E Ink tablet. I’m thrilled that Kobo has retained all the many writing tools that’ve been available on its note-taking tablets since 2021. These are far more extensive than the Kindle Scribe, making it a much better digital note-taker. In fact, Kobo’s more streamlined and easy-to-use interface makes it a better alternative to the Onyx Boox options too.
However, I’m disappointed with the design – I’m still waiting for the day Kobo makes an all-metal ereader to compete with the premium look of the Kindle Oasis and the Scribe. Plus, the screen, in a side-by-side comparison to Amazon’s large-screen tablet, feels lackluster.
I’m also a little miffed that the sleepcase is now an additional purchase, which diminishes its overall value proposition, but its versatility might just make up for it if you’re really going to put the writing tools to good use. If not and you just want a really good ereader, you might be better off opting for the Kobo Libra 2 instead, which remains our top pick for the best ereader available today.
