The Kobo Elipsa 2e is a brand-new e-reader and digital note-taking device. Kobo announced it a few weeks ago and started taking pre-orders. This second-generation product has several new things that should appeal to many users. The pen has been redesigned; it is now 25% lighter and charges via USB-C; the old pen used batteries. The processor has changed from a single-core All-Winner to a 2GHZ Mediatek RM53, resulting in the processor speed being 30% faster and better battery life. The device is also environmentally friendly, with the plastic using 85% ocean plastic and recycled magnetism.
Kobo introduced several new software enhancements such as Google Drive, which joins Dropbox as two cloud storage providers that users can access to store their digital collections. All your notebooks are now synced and stored automatically in the Kobo Cloud, notes can be viewed on the Kobo website, and notebooks can be shared via email or downloaded to a PC or MAC. Plus, Kobo Elipsa 2E is compatible with the third-party service Readwise and allows you to sync your annotations to tools like Notion, Roam, Evernote and more. Of course, famous Kobo software is also included, such as Overdrive, which lets users attach their library card to browse, borrow and read books on the device. Pocket is a read-it-later program; you can send web articles to the Kobo with browser extensions for most browsers for MAC or PC.
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 front-light system, 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. This is where you will find the power button and two rubber feet to prevent the Elipsa from sliding around on a desk when drawing on it with a pen.
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.
You can learn all about the Elipsa 2e with our very comprehensive written review; it also includes several videos, such as a full unboxing, review and comparison with a few other e-notes in the industry. The device goes on sale this week, on April 19th. It is available to order on the Kobo website, Indigo Books and Music, Walmart and many retail partners in Europe, Australia, Singapore and Japan. Will you buy the Elipsa 2e?
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.
