The Kobo Sage just came out this week and people who pre-ordered it, a couple of weeks ago, are starting to receive it. This e-reader has a giant 8 inch screen and has the ability for Bluetooth headphones to listen to audiobooks. It also has full compatibility with the Kobo Stylus, so you can freehand draw and write inside ebooks purchased from Kobo. The demand for this device is really high and it is completely sold out in the light green and black color options on the Kobo website in Canada and the United States.
Kobo has a series of distribution partners, where you can buy it online or purchase it inside of a store. Chapters Indigo is sold out inside of the stores, but it is still available online, but not for very long. Walmart has exclusivity in selling Kobo e-readers in the United States and they are not available online anymore, however they are taking pre-orders with a ship date of November 16th.
I think Kobo rushed bringing the Sage to market and released it a week before the new Kindle Paperwhite 5 and Kindle Paperwhite 5 Signature edition. Either there was more demand for the Sage than Kobo expected, or due to the EPD shortage, they did not have many to begin with. The Kobo website does not accept pre-orders or mention when they will be back in stock. At least, Canadian and US residents can order from Indigo, until they too are sold out.
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.
