Skip to main content

Walmart’s new eBooks store goes head-to-head with Amazon

It looks like Walmart is ramping up its efforts to take on Amazon. In partnership with Kobo, the company has announced a new ebook store called Walmart eBooks by Rakuten Kobo. The new service brings ebooks to Walmart customers both in-store and online, but perhaps more importantly it represents Walmart’s continued push against the likes of Amazon, which continues to bite chunks out of Walmart’s bottom line.

Thanks to the partnership with Kobo, Walmart eBooks will boast Kobo’s 6-million-title-strong library, as well as access to a $9.99-per-month audiobook subscription (which only gets users one audiobook per month), and more. Of course, customers will also be able to buy Kobo’s e-readers in Walmart stores or on Walmart.com, as well as purchase so-called digital book cards in any of 3,500 Walmart stores. Forty titles will be available at launch.

Thankfully, if you want to take advantage of the new service, you don’t have to buy a Kobo ebook reader — customers can also access ebooks through a Walmart eBooks and Kobo co-branded app, which will be available through both iOS and Android.

New customers will get a few perks, too. Those who sign up online will get $10 off their first ebook or audiobook through the service, and those interested in the audiobook subscription will also get a 30-day free trial.

It makes sense that Walmart would launch its ebook effort in conjunction with Kobo, rather than on its own. Kobo already has an established customer base, as well as its own series of e-readers. We’ve reviewed the Kobo Clara HD, one of the company’s flagship ebook readers, and scored it an impressive 4.5 stars out of 5. We also featured the Kobo Aura One as our top ebook reader to buy, thanks largely to its EPUB support and waterproof design. Walmart specifically will be selling the Kobo Aura, a lower-cost version of the Aura One.

In general, we’re likely to see more efforts like this from Walmart — though that doesn’t mean that it’ll help in the company’s push against online retailers. As Walmart mentions in its press release, the company has been building out its offerings through Walmart.com in general, including the launch of new categories like the ebook store.

Editors' Recommendations

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Apple Watch too expensive? The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is only $150
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 in white, in two sizes.

Are even the older models of the Apple Watch from smartwatch deals too expensive? You may want to consider going for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 if you want a wearable device while on a tight budget. From the 40mm version's original price of $200, it's down to a very affordable $150 following a $50 discount from Samsung. As this is a previous-generation smartwatch, we're not sure how much stock is left, so you'll have to push through with your purchase immediately if you don't want to lose your chance at this bargain.

Why you should buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is the latest entry in Samsung's line of wearable devices, but the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 remains a pretty solid smartwatch up until today. It's very comfortable to wear, lasts up to two days on a single charge, and comes with an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, which are important if you're going to maximize its comprehensive fitness and health-tracking features. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 also offers seamless pairing with Samsung devices, so it's perfect if you're also using a Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

Read more
Your Android phone just got an update that could save your life
A person holding the OnePlus 11 and Google Pixel 8.

When you’re in an emergency, every second matters. And if you already have your health information on your phone, it’s going to be even easier than ever to get that critical information over to operators. Now, when you make an emergency call on your Android phone, your health information can be sent directly to emergency services when you call 911.

This new feature update is made possible due to Google partnering with RapidSOS to allow data from Android ELS (Emergency Location Service) to be given to emergency contacts and first responders. The type of data that we’re talking about is critical medical information that can save your life, such as blood type, emergency contacts, and severe allergies. This is all information that the user sets up and is stored locally on their Android device.

Read more
Apple may have already killed Android’s newest iMessage app, Beeper Mini
Splash screen of Beeper Mini app.

The inevitable has happened, it seems. Beeper Mini, the reverse-engineered app that brought iMessage to Android with a blue bubble hack, has apparently run into an official Apple roadblock. Within the past couple of hours, multiple users have posted online that Beeper Mini texts are not passing through.

Well, it appears that Apple is somehow blocking server access. When asked whether Apple was responsible for the outage, founder Eric Migicovsky said it was likely the case. “Yes, all data indicates that,” Migicovsky told TechCrunch.

Read more