The new Kobo Glo HD e-reader promises to make your ebooks look fantastic, and it’s all because of the 1,448 x 1,072 pixel display, with a 300ppi pixel density. That’s more than enough to provide a print-style reading experience on the 6-inch screen. Sound familiar? That’s because Amazon offers the same size and pixel density screen on the Kindle Voyage, except that device costs $200, and Kobo’s Glo HD is a considerably more affordable $130.
Kobo thinks the Glo HD is ideal for readers who still cling to their paper books, but are quietly intrigued by ebooks. The high-resolution screen is made to tempt them into giving ebooks a try, and to make the transition a smooth one, Kobo’s offering a free concierge service called Welcome. A free telephone number will connect new owners with a helpline, where you’ll get an overview of how to get started, some book recommendations, and a selection of special deals.
The Glo HD’s 4GB of internal storage memory is enough for around 3,000 books, the same as Amazon’s Kindle Voyage, and the 180 gram device measures 9.2mm thick — which is a tiny bit thicker than a Nexus 7 tablet, but half the weight. There’s a backlight for reading in the dark, Wi-Fi connectivity, a fast 1GHz processor, and a battery that should return around two months of use, provided you go easy with the light. Kobo has also loaded the Glo HD with plenty of file options, so it’ll read ebook files along with HTML, TXT, image files, and the CBZ file type for comics.
The Glo HD will go on sale in the U.S. on May 1 for $130, and will be available for pre-order on April 24 at Kobo’s website. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will also see the Glo HD released on May 1, but the UK (where it’s priced at £110), Italy, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands will have to wait until June 1. France splits to two release dates, and the e-reader will go on sale there on May 22.
Available at: Kobo