Rakuten Kobo will launch two new color e-readers, the Kobo Libra Colour and the Kobo Clara Colour, at the end of April. The latest devices utilize the E Ink Kaledio 3 module screen.
The Libra Colour and Clara Colour appear to be incremental upgrades to the existing Kobo lineup, with the most significant update being the color screens.
The Kaledio 3 screens have a resolution of 300ppi when viewed in grayscale, but it's cut in half to 150ppi when switched to color. However, it's still an upgrade from the previous Kaledio screen, which managed 100ppi.
We’re very curious about how the new screen handles graphics novels and manga. We recently compared the Kindle Paperwhite and the iPad Mini for reading comics. With the depth of color and sharp screen resolution, the Mini was the winner. Still, the Kobo Libra Colour might be a nice, less expensive alternative.
Compared to the Kindle Paperwhite, the Kobo model offers extra features like physical page-turning buttons, double the storage space and no ads. However, the $219.99 / £219.99 / AU$359.95 Libra Colour is comparable to the Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition, which has the same 32 GB of storage.
One way that the Libra Colour upgrades storage over the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kobo Libra 2 is by integrating cloud storage with Google Drive and Dropbox.
The Clara Colour is comparable to the standard Paperwhite with 16 GB of storage and a price point of $149.99 / £139.99 / AU$259.95.
Within the Kobo family, the Libra is similar to the Libra 2 and features the same IPX8 waterproof design as the Paperwhite. One new feature of the Libra Colour is that it is compatible with the Kobo Stylus 2, which must be purchased separately for $69.99.
The Clara Colour is similar to the Clara 2E but with color and an improved processor, which should improve performance.
Kobo is releasing an upgraded Kobo Clara BW with the processor upgrades offered by the Libra Colour and Clara Colour devices for $129.99 / £119.99 / AU$239.95.
The newest trio of Rakuten Kobo e-readers are available to preorder now and are expected to begin shipping on April 30th.
