Kobo Announces Two New E-Readers, One With Note-Taking Capabilities

Mid-grade Libra line also gets updates

By
Lawrence Bonk
Lawrence Bonk
Lawrence Bonk
News Reporter
  • Florida State University
Lawrence Bonk is a tech news reporter for Lifewire, specializing in gaming, AI, VR, and consumer tech, including iOS, macOS, wearables, and more.
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Updated on October 5, 2021 12:34PM EDT
Fact checked by
Rich Scherr
Rich Scherr
Fact checked by Rich Scherr
  • University of Maryland Baltimore County
Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire.
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Amazon may have successfully battled off competition from Barnes & Noble to command the e-reader segment, but Canadian company Rakuten Kobo is proving that the Kindle will not be the only name in town. 

Kobo just announced two new products to its growing line of well-regarded e-readers. There’s the $260 Kobo Sage, its latest flagship e-reader, and a refresh of the company’s popular Libra line, the $180 Libra 2. Both devices are available to pre-order and will ship on October 19.

Someone lounging in a chair reading on a Kobo e-reader.

Kobo

Both devices feature E Ink Carta 1200 screens and Kobo’s ComfortLight Pro feature that adapts screen brightness and color depending on the time of day. They also include Bluetooth support for wireless headphones, though you’ll only be able to use them with the company’s proprietary audiobook service. 

As for unique functionalities, the Sage boasts a large 8-inch (1440 x 1920) touch display that allows for note-taking if you spring for the company’s Kobo Stylus ($40). The Sage includes 32GB of non-expandable storage, a quad-core 1.8 GHz processor, and a USB-C port. Interestingly, the Sage is much cheaper than Kobo’s dedicated e-note slate, the Elipsa, which clocks in at $399. 

The Libra 2 does not offer the capacity for note-taking, but it does feature a 7-inch display and an IPX8 rated water-resistant exterior, so it can survive up to 60 minutes of submersion in two meters of water. Kobo’s Libra also includes 32GB of non-expandable storage, a relatively snappy 1 GHz processor, and USB-C functionality. 

These are not the first e-readers Kobo released in 2021. Back in January, the company released the Kobo Nia, which was a Walmart exclusive.

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