Quick Summary
New versions of the Kobo Clara Colour and Kobo Clara BW have been spotted at the FCC.
The details suggest that new versions of these e-readers could be about to launch.
There are really only two names in the e-reader market, Amazon, with its Kindle family, and Kobo, which beat Amazon to the punch with its colour e-reader in 2024. There could be some changes coming to the Kobo readers too, presenting even more of a challenge for Kindle.
Amazon updated all its Kindle models in 2024, refreshing everything from the humble entry-level Kindle right up to the Kindle Scribe, the model that supports reading and writing. New to the selection was the Kindle Colorsoft, rivalled by the Kobo Libra Colour.
Kobo, however, has two tiers of colour devices, with both Kobo Libra (a 7-inch device) and Kobo Clara (a 6-inch device) offering a colour display, making for a much more affordable way to get a colour E Ink device than Kindle.
It's the Clara devices, both the Clara Colour and Clara BW that could be getting an update according to Good E Reader. As the source suggests, one of the suppliers to Kobo has just filed new FCC applications, suggesting changes to the Clara Colour and Clara BW.
The precise details of the changes can't be determined by the FCC filings, but they are listed as new devices, with the model numbers carrying a B on the end. While the Clara BW recently surfaced with a larger battery in Europe, it's likely that the new versions will bring changes to both Clara devices globally.
The source of this information tells us that Kobo devices have been out of stock in the US for some months, which often happens before a new version is released.
What's the state of play with e-readers?
The move to colour has been pushed as a way to make e-readers more engaging, allowing cover art to be shown, while bringing big benefits for those who read graphic novels. However, reception to the Kindle Colorsoft has been rather muted.
Not only is the Colorsoft really expensive, but readers note a drop in speed and display quality. At the same time, reading graphic novels on a 7-inch device isn't as engaging as using a larger screen and most other books don't really need colour.
That's seen the Kindle Paperwhite remain as Amazon's most popular Kindle – and with Prime Day on the horizon, it's likely that there will be plenty of discounts for those looking for a new device.
Kobo offers greater affordability than Kindle, while also offering more flexibility when it comes to buying or borrowing ebooks. While the Kindle Store is easy to use, OverDrive integration on Kobo devices opens up borrowing from public libraries, while there are still Kobo devices with physical page turn buttons.
It looks like the choice is about to widen too.
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