September 1, 2022 By Michael Kozlowski 9 Comments
Kobo has just announced the Kobo Clara HD 2e and pre-orders begin today and it will be shipping out on September 22nd. This brand new device that is made of 85 percent recycled plastic—including 10 per cent ocean-bound plastic—includes Bluetooth wireless technology and is Kobo’s first 6 inch waterproof e-reader. Kobo’s custom-designed and protective SleepCovers are also made from recycled materials, now available in Black, Deep Ocean Blue, Coral Reef Orange, and Sea Glass Green.
The Kobo Clara 2e features a six inch E INK Carta HD display with a resolution of 1448×1072 with 300 PPI. The screen is not flush with the bezel, instead it has a small dip and does not have any glass. The exposed e-paper will be perfect for reading outdoors, since it will not reflect the light. You will be able to read at night via the ComfortLight PRO adjustable brightness and color temperature system. The color scheme is deep ocean blue and is made of 85 per cent recycled plastic exterior— including 10 per cent ocean bound plastic, like water bottles or CDs.
Underneath the hood is a 1 GHZ dual core processor and 512MB of RAM. There is 16GB to house ebooks and audiobooks. You will be able to connect to the internet via WiFi 802.11 ac/b/g/n, and you can listen to audiobooks exclusively with Bluetooth. This is the first Clara model to have USB-C, which is users for transferring digital content from your computer to the reader or use for charging. Read in the bathtub or the beach, without worry about water, since it has IPX 8, which should be good for around 60 minutes in fresh water. It is powered by a 1,500 mAh battery and the dimensions are 112.05 x 159.02 x 8.66 mm and weighs 171 g.
The Kobo Clara HD 2e supports 10 fonts and over 50 sizes. You can buy books from the Kobo Store or sideload in your own, since it has native support for so many different formats, such as EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, CBZ, CBR FlePub and MOBI. User can’t load in their own audiobooks, content can only be purchased from the Kobo Store.
“Kobo Clara 2E is about living our values: providing a better reading experience while also taking an important step toward sustainability,” said Michael Tamblyn, CEO, Rakuten Kobo. “We believe that each small, thoughtful and intentionally placed act can make a meaningful impact. So we’re starting by incorporating recycled materials into the device, accessories and packaging to complement our booklovers’ favorite features, like waterproofing and Bluetooth® wireless technology so they can listen to their favorite audiobooks.
The launch of Kobo Clara 2E follows Kobo’s commitment to offset 100 per cent of the carbon emissions associated with direct shipments of its Kobo e-readers. Revenue from the 2021 offsets are currently directed to the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project, which supports First Nation communities and helps protect British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest, one of the largest temperate rainforests in the world. Proceeds from the offsets help to improve forest and marine management practices through Indigenous-led stewardship efforts, while also investing in the local community youth, Elder and Guardian Watchmen programs.
Pre orders start today and it will retail for $159 CAD or $129 USD. It is only launching in a handful of markets to start. You can also pre-order this from the Good e-Reader Store for $199.
Michael Kozlowski Michael Kozlowski has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past twelve years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Share 29 Tweet 2 Share Reddit Vote Email 31 Shares
Michael Kozlowski has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past twelve years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Filed Under: e-Reader News, Kobo e-reader news