Just over a week ago, I started complaining about trying to read books on an Android tablet. At the time, I was unaware that there were new e-readers coming from both Kobo and Amazon, oddly enough; not that I suspect any complaints from this end would have changed anything either way, but with these new offerings, there’s something new for both the tablet fans and the e-ink fans.
Canada’s homegrown Kobo has a new Android-based tablet, the Kobo Arc, which will be available for sale in mid-November. It’s an update on the Kobo Vox, increasing the horsepower of the processor to 1.5 GHz dual-core, and the seven-inch screen is bumped up to 1280x800, making it possible to play full-on 720p videos. While the Arc has both 8GB and 16GB models available ($199 and $249 respectively), this time out there’s no expansion slot for microSD storage – instead, you’ll have to rely on the cloud for additional storage space.
The Kobo Arc has also made the move to Ice Cream Sandwich, which – while not exactly the newest and best operating system – is still more current than many of the other tablets out there. Of course, Google’s new Nexus 7 tablet, which is matched pretty closely in hardware specs and pricing, is running the new Jelly Bean OS, which means the Kobo Arc is at a slight disadvantage here.
On the other hand, the Arc has introduced the Tapestries interface, which gives you a slightly different way of organizing your content on the device. Tapestries allows you to pin your content together in different ways (including books, music and movies), so you can organize it on the tablet the way you see fit, rather than having it rigidly siloed, like on other tablets. Time will tell if that’s enough to prevent people from buying a Nexus 7 and installing the Kobo app.
Not to be outdone, Amazon announced a few new models on the exact same day as Kobo.
The Kindle Fire has now been updated to the Kindle Fire HD, and will be available starting September 14. Like the Arc, it’s powered by Ice Cream Sandwich. The Fire HD’s seven-inch screen sports a 1280x800-resolution, but unlike the Kobo Arc, it’s powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor rather than a 1.5 GHz model.
However, the Kindle Fire HD comes with Dolby-certified sound onboard (the Kobo Arc comes with SRS TruSound), and an updated dual-antenna Wi-Fi configuration for better wireless performance. Plus the Fire HD gives you more storage for your money: it’s available in 16GB and 32GB models, for $199 and $249 respectively.
Amazon has also upped the ante a bit by releasing two versions of the Fire HD with an 8.9-inch screen. The Kindle Fire HD 8.9” model bumps the screen resolution up to 1920x1080, and the processor up to 1.5 GHz dual-core. It runs $299 for the 16GB model, and $369 for the 32GB model. And there’s also a 4G LTE Wireless version coming, tied to AT&T in the US (Canadian availability and carrier to be determined). This model comes in a 32GB model for $499, and a 64GB model for $599.
While that price seems a bit high after looking at the more affordable versions of the Kindle Fire HD, it’s really worth comparing that to its true competitor: the iPad. Right now, the Wi-Fi only version of the iPad starts at $519 in Canada; the 4G LTE version is $649, and that’s only the 16GB model. As it stands, the new versions of the Kindle Fire HD 8.9” are undercutting the iPad’s price by about $250, which is a pretty substantial sum.
When Amazon launched the original version of the Kindle Fire into the marketplace, it pretty quickly became the number one Android-based tablet. If Apple doesn’t have any tricks up its sleeve during Wednesday’s launch event, it’s likely that these new Fire HD tablets will shift more of the overall tablet market share into the Android column.
Despite the launch of these new Android-based e-readers, it’s worth noting that both Kobo and Amazon had something for the e-ink fans out there.
The first of Kobo’s two new e-ink readers is the $129.99 Kobo Glo, which comes with LED front-lit illumination, so you can read in the dark (the lighting is hidden at the bottom end of the bezel). During the day, it’ll be the same touch-based e-ink display as you’re used to with the Kobo e-ink models such as the Kobo Touch.
The second new Kobo reader is the $79.99 Kobo Mini, which sports a five-inch touchscreen, and an overall design that makes it easy to fit into a jacket pocket – the key here is extreme portability. While this new form factor may be a bit too small for people with large hands, it may be the perfect stuffing stuffer for those with smaller hands, or for children. Both the Glo and the Mini will be available at retail at the beginning of October.
Over at Amazon, the new e-ink model is the $119 Kindle Paperwhite, which also comes with a built-in light for reading in the dark. But this awkwardly-named reader’s real selling point is the increased resolution, and the higher contrast between the ink and screen, both of which are designed to make the device look more like a sheet of paper. There’s also a version with built-in 3G, for $179. Both will be available in October.
Of course, these new e-ink models are dedicated e-readers, unlike the new Android-based models. But for people like me who find the backlit tablets a bit eye-gouging, it’s nice to know that our favourite e-book purveyors still have our backs…and eyes.
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