Kobo's new e-reader offers an HD e-ink screen for $130
The Clara HD will ship in June in the US, UK, Canada and other countries.
In a world full of full-color tablet displays, it may seem surprising that dedicated e-readers are still around. But these devices actually have an advantage over tablets that avid readers appreciate -- the e-ink displays are much easier on the eyes than backlit displays. They allow for comfortable long-term reading. Today, Rakuten announced a new Kobo e-reader called the Clara HD. It's a 6-inch device with an HD 300 dpi screen at an affordable $130.
The only other device that Kobo is selling with this resolution is the Kobo Aura One, which has a slightly larger screen (7.8 inches) and it's waterproof. It's a full $100 more than the Clara HD, though. The Aura also has a 6-inch display, and it's just $10 less than the Clara HD.
The Clara HD also comes equipped with the ComfortLight Pro, which spreads a reading light evenly across the screen and is designed to reduce the discomfort of blue light exposure during night reading. It can hold up to 6,000 ebooks with its 8GB of storage and has weeks of battery life. Additionally, it syncs with the free Kobo app available for smartphones and tablets, so you can pick up your reading seamlessly on another device.
The website doesn't make clear when the Clara HD ships, but it's available for pre-order now. According to TechCrunch, the device will ship in the US sometime in June. Those in Canada, the UK, Turkey, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Portugal can get their hands on the device on June 5th, while it will ship on June 1st for readers based in France.
