There’s a significant disruption in the e-reader industry’s supply chain. Numerous companies and brands have openly admitted that a range of their products are completely sold out and won’t be available for shipping until the end of May or early June. The affected models include the Meebook M7, Onyx Boox Palma, Hyread Gaze Note CC, the new Bigme dedicated monitor, the SuperNote Nomad, and many others. The fact that they’re all sold out indicates the severity of the situation.
I have a feeling one of the reasons there is a shortage is likely due to insufficient E INK screens being produced for various screen sizes. This often occurs when big companies place huge orders and revise their entire portfolio. This could be due to Kobo buying up all six and seven-inch Kaleido 3 colour screens and all six-inch for the Clara BW. There aren’t enough screens to go around to the smaller players in the industry. This is likely why the Kobo-branded Tolino Shine Colour, Vision Colour, and new Shine BW models are not coming out until June when more screens and components will have been produced and manufactured.
You might still be able to find some of these models on 3rd party retailers, such as Amazon. However, if you order straight from the vendor, you likely will be greeted with a sold-out message.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.