A couple of days ago, Kobo announced their second-generation Elipsa 2E e-note and e-reader. This product is a solid upgrade from the first-gen model that came out in 2021, and it is an improvement in every single way and not merely an incremental upgrade. It has a dual-core 2 GHz processor, which is 45% faster. Illumination has improved the front-light display with the brand-new Confortlight Pro lighting system, which is brighter. The Kobo Pen has been redesigned; it now has an eraser at the top and a single button on the side to do highlights; the pen nib is better to write with since it is 25% lighter. Your notes can now be saved to the Kobo Cloud and viewed on the Kobo website, allowing users to view content and email it to themselves or a 3rd party. Finally, the retail packaging and case are almost 100% recycled, and the device itself is 80% and uses ocean-bound plastic.
The Kobo Elipsa 2E features a 10.3-inch E INK Carta 1200 e-paper display panel with a resolution of 1404×1872 with 227 PPI. The screen is flush with the bezel and protected by a layer of glass. It uses the ComfortLight PRO, an improved version of the original ComfortLight system found in the first Elipsa, with white and amber LED lights that provide warm and cool lighting or a mixture of both. There are five magnets alongside the bezel. The stylus will automatically attach itself to the side, limiting the potential misplacement on it. A new back platting with a textured design makes it easier to hold and will leave fewer fingerprints.
Underneath the hood is a brand-new processor that Kobo has not used before. They are employing a dual-core 2GHZ Mediatek RM53. The single core count is 45% faster than the All-Winner one they utilized on the first-generation Elipsa. Kobo had to make several architecture changes to its Linux operating system to use the new processor. This has resulted in more compute power, reduced latency when using the stylus and better power consumption, preserving battery life. Will Kobo use this new processor on future products? Given the many positives, it would make sense, but Kobo never confirms plans for future developments.
Aside from the new processor package, the e-note uses 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The device has WIFI to access the Kobo bookstore and cloud storage providers. Speaking of cloud storage, Kobo provides access to Dropbox to save and import books and PDF files. When the Elipsa 2 reaches customers on April 19th, they will add Google Drive, too, since the average user is likelier to use it for their data.
Good e-Reader would like to provide you with an unboxing of the Elipsa 2E. We show you the retail packaging and everything inside the box and give our first impressions on the newly designed pen. Of course, we also address the Elipsa itself and point out all of the design changes from the original.
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.
