Kobo Forma vs PocketBook InkPad

2024. Pocketbook is now a co-owner of Bigme



In the vast and improbably complex cosmos of e-reader ventures, Pocketbook, over the course of a year that seemed both interminably long and suspiciously short, has managed to bumble—no, strategically navigate—its way into becoming a substantial shareholder and co-owner of Bigme, the Chinese wizard behind those E INK-drenched e-readers and notebooks. This, dear reader, is no small feat; it's Pocketbook’s first grand leap into the somewhat murky waters of acquisition since they began flinging e-readers into the universe back in 2012. But wait, there's more! This isn’t merely a matter of owning shiny new shares; no, the two entities are now skipping merrily hand-in-hand through the fields of mutual product development and R&D cross-pollination. Evidence of their newfound union? The PocketBook InkPad EO, crafted with great fanfare for the US and European markets, a gadget so polished it practically winks at you. And as the improbable partnership unfolds, the galaxy of possibilities stretches out before them—probably shimmering with the glow of yet more E INK screens.


2023. Pocketbook unveiled its first e-note - Pocketbook InkPad X Pro



Pocketbook has introduced its first e-note, the Pocketbook InkPad X Pro, specifically crafted for digital note-taking. This innovative product is tailored for note-taking, freehand drawing and PDF file editing due to its incorporation of a WACOM screen. The package includes a novel jet-black stylus with an eraser, boasting an impressive 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity. Nevertheless, the device is also compatible with third-party styluses. The highlight of the device is its 10.3-inch E INK Mobius display, which contributes to its lightweight design. Boasting a resolution of 1404×1872 pixels at 227 PPI, the screen is also capacitive, enabling users to employ finger gestures like pinch-to-zoom, tapping and page-turning swipes. Convenient manual page-turn buttons, a home button and settings button are situated at the device's bottom. Notably, this marks the company's first foray into the Android product realm, as all their previous offerings have been based on Linux. Anticipated to be released in late September, the InkPad X Pro will be priced at $420.00.


2023. Dark Mode is now available on new Pocketbook e-readers



In a turn of events that could only be described as "entirely sensible, though slightly mysterious," the latest 6.8 firmware update has gently arrived to grace the Pocketbook Era, Pocketbook InkPad 4, and Pocketbook InkPad Color 2 with Dark Mode—a feature that, like any good technology, has been urgently desired yet wholly unanticipated by anyone not prone to reading device firmware updates for sport. Alongside Dark Mode, which cunningly flips your display into white-on-black to save you from squinting like a mole at midnight, the update introduces a host of suspiciously useful features, including an option-laden control panel, adventurous new filter choices in the Notes app, a rather opinionated text suggestion feature, and much more that can’t be fully described in a single paragraph without bending space-time. But fear not, for these delights will soon make their way to other Pocketbook models, spreading their magic across the Pocketbook universe. And if you’re reading in the murky shadows of night, you can even invert your book’s illustrations to align with Dark Mode’s gently sinister aesthetic, reducing contrast with the ambient darkness and making it look as though the universe cares deeply about your ocular well-being.


2023. Pocket updates support for Kobo e-readers



News and article reading service Pocket has announced that Kobo e-readers will no longer be supported. The reason is that in order to improve security all Pocket accounts are migrated to Firefox accounts. This news caused great indignation among Kobo users and the developers of Pocket decided to solve the problem anyway. Sarah Vasquez, the Senior Manager, Communication at Mozilla, told Good e-Reader in an exclusive statement, “Kobo is aiming to update the Pocket login on their e-readers to support Firefox accounts. The exact timing is to be determined. However, Pocket’s existing Kobo users will not be affected nor lose access to their accounts.


2023. Pocketbook Inkpad 4 gets 7.8-inch screen


Pocketbook announced the release of a new ereader called the Pocketbook Inkpad 4. It has a 7.8-inch E Ink Carta 1200 screen and a frontlight with temperature control. It has 32GB of storage space, built-in speakers for audiobooks and text-to-speech and it’s waterproof with an IPX8 rating. Other specs for the PocketBook InkPad 4 include a USB-C port, a rotation sensor, a dual-core processor, it has WiFi and Bluetooth and it has a 2000mAh battery. The overall design of the PocketBook InkPad 4 looks quite nice, though, with similar characteristics to the design of the PocketBook Era, which is actually really nice all except for the horribly washed-out screen. The newer E Ink Carta 1200 screens have better contrast, but it doesn’t matter when they add a cloudy flush front layer over the top of it.


2023. Pocketbook 6.7 firmware update adds audio pronunciation



Pocketbook has launched a new firmware update for the Inkpad 3, Inkpad Color and Touch HD 3. What are the significant new features? Users can now initiate audio pronunciation in the dictionary and translations can be saved to the device and exported. Additionally, there is enhanced functionality for improved page borders in CBR, CBZ and PDF files. Other updates include a larger pressure area for easier navigation of footnotes (links) in books, more precise page margins in scrollable PDF files and refined note list sorting algorithms.


2022. New Kobo software update added a pinch-zooming gesture



Kobo has launched a new software update for their range of Kobo e-readers, compatible with all models dating back to the original Kobo Touch (excluding, as usual, the overlooked Kobo Mini). The update introduces a pinch-zoom gesture for adjusting font size and adds another useful gesture that lets you swiftly access the last three recently read books by swiping down from the top of the screen. Additionally, they've included a couple of new font options designed for digital reading: Rakuten Sans and Rakuten Serif. The interface now supports three additional languages: Czech, Polish and Romanian. There’s also a new Recently Viewed list that displays ebooks you've recently browsed in the Kobo store, which can be turned off in the settings.


2021. Kobo released Sage and Libra 2 with Bluetooth and stylus support



A pair of new e-readers from Kobo advance the company’s premium lineup, introducing Bluetooth audiobook and stylus support to the familiar asymmetrical design of its larger devices. The Sage and Libra 2 also feature a new charging cover, allowing you to plug in the device only every few months instead of every few weeks. The Sage is the more advanced of the two models, representing an evolution of the Forma. The impressive 8″, 300 PPI screen and color-adjustable front light remain the same, ensuring a continued excellent reading experience. Similarly, the Libra 2 is the successor to the Libra H2O (dropping the H2O designation, but it remains waterproof), with the same type of display and light at 7″ instead. (For a smaller option, the Clara is still the top choice.)


2021. New PocketBook InkPad Lite 970 has cheap 9.7-inch E Ink Screen



PocketBook has introduced a new e-reader featuring a 9.7-inch E Ink Carta display, named the PocketBook InkPad Lite. It’s essentially a budget-friendly e-reader with a large screen, slated for release in autumn 2021. The price is rumored to be $299, making it the most affordable large-screen e-reader on the market by about $50. The PocketBook InkPad Lite is somewhat unusual in 2021 because PocketBook chose to use a low-cost display with the same 1200 x 825 resolution that 9.7-inch E Ink screens had over a decade ago. This results in a resolution of only 150 ppi. Even the Likebook P10 offers a better screen with 200 ppi and is just about $50 more expensive, featuring an upgraded quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM and a more versatile Android OS.


2020. Pocketbook Inkpad 3 gets a brand new UI



Pocketbook has released a major update for its popular model InkPad 3. The update features an improved UI design across all applications. Notifications, the control panel and the status bar have also been redesigned. Firmware 6.1 rethinks and streamlines the authorization system: users can now access PocketBook Cloud, PocketBook Store, Send-to-PocketBook and ReadRate services with a single account. Additionally, users can log into their account via smartphone using the PocketBook app by scanning a QR code. New book formats CBR and CBZ have been introduced to support comic reading. The updated Notes application enables users to view, edit, add comments to notes and transfer notes to other devices. Furthermore, all your records are now consolidated in one place, making them easier to locate.


2018. Kobo Forma e-Reader gets first major update



Kobo has just released their first major update for the Kobo Forma e-reader, addressing several ongoing issues such as Wi-Fi reliability and manga performance improvements. Now, while reading, you can use a page-turn button to navigate one page forward or backward and press and hold the button to flip through pages quickly. Kobo has also made the e-reader adaptable for both left-handed and right-handed users. Simply hold your Kobo Forma in either hand and the screen will automatically adjust. You can now read in either landscape or portrait mode—just rotate your device to read in any orientation. To lock the orientation while reading, tap the center of the page to open the menu, then select the rotation icon in the header (you can still hold the device in either hand).


2018. Kobo Forma - e-Ink reader with IPX8 case



Kobo has introduced a new eBook reader called the Kobo Forma. It’s Kobo’s most advanced e-reader to date and surpasses the Kindle Oasis in several aspects. It features a similar design to the Kindle Oasis with page buttons on one side of the screen and a contoured back (but without the wedge). You can read in both portrait and landscape modes and the screen can be set to rotate automatically. The Kobo Forma boasts an 8-inch screen and is waterproof. You can borrow eBooks directly from Overdrive, which helps save money over time. It also includes ComfortLight technology to reduce the bright white screen when reading at night. The Forma’s adjustable front light is gentle on your eyes and gradually decreases blue light exposure, helping you read before bed and then fall asleep easily. This e-reader has an IPX8 rating and is waterproof for up to 60 minutes. Additionally, the Forma comes with the popular library app OneDrive pre-installed, allowing you to easily connect your library account to the e-reader.


2018. Kobo's latest e-reader is called the Forma



Kobo has introduced a new e-reader called the Forma, the latest enhancement in the company’s line of e-ink devices. The Forma boasts an 8-inch 1920 x 1080 pixel (1080p) e-ink screen, a new ergonomic design, waterproofing, weeks of battery life and a range of other new features. One of the most notable aspects is the new design, which includes an ergonomic grip on the side of the device that provides a fresh look while also making it more comfortable to hold. There are also several buttons on the right edge of the Forma that make page-turning effortless, especially compared to tapping or swiping on a touchscreen. The device weighs 197g, about 15 percent lighter than the Kobo Aura One. Despite its lightweight design, the e-reader remains robust, with Kobo claiming it can endure a two-meter drop. Additionally, the device can be submerged in up to two meters of water for around 60 minutes thanks to its IPX8 rating. The Forma starts at $299.99 CAD for the 8GB version.


2018. Pocketbook e-Readers get gesture controls



Pocketbook has released a new firmware update for the Aqua 2, InkPad 3 and Touch HD e-readers that introduces gesture controls for adjusting the brightness of the front-lit display and color temperature. While reading an eBook, you can swipe your finger up or down on the left side of the screen to increase or decrease the light intensity. This feature is available whether the e-reader is in portrait or landscape mode. Other enhancements include smoother page scaling with gestures in PDF or DjVu format books, more accurate word selection for note-taking and the option to toggle the position sensor on and off via the settings menu.


2016. Pocketbook Announces the InkPad 2



Pocketbook InkPad 2 is a new e-reader that was just unveiled today. This device boasts an 8-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1,200 x 1,600 pixels. It includes a front-lit screen and physical page-turn buttons. The InkPad 2 is equipped with a 1 GHz processor and 512 MB of RAM. It has 4 GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 32 GB with a Micro SD card. The presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack is likely to attract users, as it allows for listening to audiobooks and music. This e-reader will be available soon for 199 Euros.


2014. Pocketbook InkPad with Text-to-Speech announced



Ukrainian company Pocketbook has been producing e-readers consistently since 2007 and the company has introduced a new e-reader—the InkPad—that aims to offer more screen real estate with its large eight-inch display. The screen utilizes E Ink Pearl technology and boasts the highest resolution available for such devices—1600×1200 pixels. This high resolution allows you to adjust the font size from very small to very large without losing clarity. A robust 1GHz processor and 512MB of RAM ensure smooth page transitions and reliable performance across any application. With 4 GB of internal storage, expandable up to 32 GB, you can build an extensive library that’s always within reach. Additionally, it features a 3.5mm headphone jack for listening to audiobooks or music. Pocketbook has also incorporated Text to Speech functionality in this model, enabling books to be read aloud.