Kobo unveils waterproof 'Aura H20' e-book device for readers who like to get wet
E-book reader firm Kobo has launched a waterproof device that is safe to read in the bath and near water, locations where market-leading competitor, the Amazon Kindle, cannot be used.
The Auro H20 will be released in October
The Kobo Aura H20 is IP67-rated, meaning it can remain submerged for periods of half an hour without any leakage. This means users do not have to worry if their device takes a momentary dip in the pool that would render other e-reader devices dead.
The e-reader has a 6.8 inch display and will initially come only in black. It will retail in the UK for £139.99 from 1 October this year, and also in Canada, the US, the UK, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany.
With the sun setting on the e-reader market - with tablet devices providing much of the e-readers’ functionality - Kobo has admitted it produced the niche product to appeal to users who read in locations unsuitable for unconventional electronic devices and books.
Michael Tamblyn, president and chief content officer of Kobo, said: “We are most interested in those people who put books at the center of their lives - what they want to see next, what gets them excited. When we asked our customers what held them back from reading more ebooks, many told us they love to read in the bath, by the pool, or on the beach, but believed that devices and water didn’t mix.
“As we dug deeper, we found that more than 60 per cent of customers surveyed said they would love to be able read near water without worry."
Takahito Aiki, chief executive officer of Kobo, said: “We have brought readers what they wanted: anti-glare displays for easy reading in sunlight and built-in front light technology for reading with ease day or night.
“The new Aura H2O adds another layer to our promise of enabling people to bring their libraries with them wherever they want.”
From Thursday, retailers and e-commerce outlets will accept pre-orders for the splash-proof device.
This comes as Amazon last month issued an open letter to publishers, including Hachette, requesting they lower e-book prices - for the alleged good of readers everywhere.