Kobo Introduced Kobo Nia Entry-Level E-Reader for $99.99

by Noah Harris

Rakuten Kobo, a Canadian company specializing in e-books, audiobooks, e-readers, and tablet computers, has introduced a new entry-level e-reader that may well become Amazon Kindle’s rival as the e-reader is an alternative to the current cheapest option of Kindle worth $90. The novelty is called Kobo Nia and costs $99.99/£89.99, which is less expensive than the company’s Kobo Clara HD gadget.

Compared to Kobo Clara HD, the Nia has a bit worse specification, even though they both feature a 6-inch display, and Kobo Nia includes a high-resolution display, no ads on the lock screen (unlike the 90$ Kindle that displays advertisements and sponsored messages in sleep mode), and a backlight.

The front and back look of the new Kobo Nia e-reader

“With each new device we design, the goal is simple: to make people’s reading lives better. As pioneers in the digital reading space for over a decade, we have been pushing what’s possible in an eReader every step of the way,” said Michael Tamblyn, CEO, Rakuten Kobo. “With Kobo Nia, we reimagined what our entry-level eReading experience could be and I could not be more proud of the outcome.”

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Here are the Kobo Nia’s key specs:

  • A 6-inch high-res display of 1024x758 pixels (212 ppi)
  • Weight: 172 g
  • Dimensions: 112.4x159.3x9.2 mm
  • 8 GB of storage
  • A one-color light with adjustable brightness
  • 12 different fonts and over 50 font styles
  • Wi-Fi connectivity and Micro USB
  • Native support of 15 file formats
  • 1000 mAh battery
  • Over 15 supported languages

The Kobo Nia has a better performance as it also features a 1GHz processor, and 8 GB of storage will allow you to store up to 6,000 eBooks on the device. The e-reader also supports OverDrive, meaning that users from countries like Sweden, Canada, the US, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Australia, the UK, and the US will be able to borrow eBooks from their local libraries. Even though it is not subsidized by ads, the Nia offers book suggestions in the online store.

The novelty is available for pre-order starting today, and will hit the market on July 21.