Kobo is launching a new tablet device and a more compact e-reader as it seeks to expand its market share and battle with Apple Inc and Amazon.com Inc in the ultra-competitive mobile device marketplace.
Toronto-based Kobo, owned by Rakuten Inc, Japan's top e-commerce operator, will launch the new devices in the next two months, as Amazon - the world's largest Internet retailer - reportedly prepares to unveil a new tablet, along with an update of its popular Kindle e-reader.
Kobo, which has e-reading applications for the iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry and other devices, will name its tablet device 'Kobo Arc'. It will come in an 8 gigabyte version priced at $200 and a 16 gigabyte version priced at $250, Chief Executive Mike Serbinis said in an interview. The 7-inch Android-based devices will come with high definition displays, front-facing cameras and 1.5 gigahertz dual-core processors.
The company is also launching a new e-reader dubbed the 'Kobo Mini', a pocket-sized 5-inch device which will come with an e-ink touchscreen and 2 gigabytes of storage. Books, newspapers and magazines can be downloaded onto the $80 device via a wi-fi or micro USB connection. Kobo is also launching an improved version of its flagship e-reader that will be called the 'Kobo Glo', a new 6-inch e-ink touchscreen device that will come with an adjustable front light. The Kobo Glo, priced at $130, also comes with 2 GB of memory and the option to expand this capacity by using a micro SD card.
"The devices will start hitting shelves in early October. Mini and Glo - the two devices that are e-ink readers will come out first," Serbinis said. "The Kobo Arc, our new Android-based tablet, will come out in November." The devices will all be unveiled at an event in Toronto on Thursday.
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