Kobo Returns With Powerful New E-Reader and a Beefy Subscription Service

E-reader purveyor Kobo is back with a new tablet and a subscription service that could give Kindle Unlimited a run for its money. 

First up, the company’s latest e-reader is called Kobo Elipsa 2E. It brings some nifty features to the table, including a large 10.3” glare-free E-ink touchscreen and some tech underneath the hood to reduce blue light and associated eyestrain. Just like the recently-released Kindle Scribe, this is an all-in-one device for reading and writing, as it ships bundled with the newly-launched Kobo Stylus 2. 

The battery allows for weeks of use on a single charge, like most e-readers, and there is 32GB of built-in storage to hold hundreds of books and documents. It also plays audiobooks, but you will need a Bluetooth speaker or headphones. The Kobo Elipsa 2E costs $370, and preorders start today, with availability on April 19 in much of the world, including the good ole USA. 

However, all of those tech-forward goodies would be essentially useless without stuff to read, which is where the company’s new subscription offering comes in. Kobo Plus is a definite rival to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service, offering access to over 1.3 million ebooks and 100,000 audiobooks. Plans start at $8 per month and shoot up to $10 per month for complete access to the entire library of ebooks and audiobooks.

Kobo Plus is available now in the US and UK and is available for iOS/Android smartphones and tablets, in addition to Kobo e-readers. The company also says they are busy adding more titles to the library, with more books coming every month.