Watch out, Kindle Scribe: Rakuten’s new Kobo e-reader has stylus support

If you’re an avid reader who has given up paper books for e-readers, you might be happy to hear that another e-book subscription service just hit the market. Rakuten’s Kobo Plus subscription made its way to the U.S. And, as a bonus announcement, the Kobo Elipsa 2E eReader is available to pre-order.

Also: The best e-readers aren’t all Kindle

What is Kobo Plus?

Kobo Plus is an e-book subscription service with three tiers: Kobo Plus Listen, Kobo Plus Read, and Kobo Plus Read and Listen. Kobo Plus Listen gives users access to over 100,000 audiobooks for $7.99 per month. Users can listen to audiobooks with the Kobo App or with compatible Kobo e-readers.

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Kobo Plus Read supplies users with over 1.3 million e-books that users can read on any Kobo eReader or with the Kobo App for $7.99/month. Kobo Plus Read and Listen is a combination of both subscriptions, offering access to over 100,000 audiobooks and over 1.3 million eBooks for $9.99/month.

Subscribers without a Kobo eReader can listen to audiobooks or read its e-books offline on Kobo’s iOS, Android, or desktop app. 

What is the Kobo Elipsa 2E eReader?

The Kobo Elipsa 2E is the improved version of its 2021 predecessor. The Kobo Elipsa 2E has a 10.3-inch e-ink touchscreen and a 300 pixels-per-inch resolution. The e-reader has ComfortLight technology that adjusts the screen’s color temperature and brightness to decrease eye strain.

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According to Kobo, the e-reader’s battery life lasts for weeks but the company didn’t specify the e-reader’s battery capacity. The Elipsa 2E comes with a Kobo Stylus 2, a rechargeable stylus for writing on the device’s screen. 

The Kobo Elipsa 2E will retail for $400 once it’s available in stores and online on April 19. You can preorder the new e-reader on Kobo’s website starting on April 5.

Kobo Elipsa 2E vs. Kindle Scribe

Both e-readers are highly rated on their respective websites. But the main differences between the Kindle Scribe and the Kobo Elipsa 2E lie in the device’s storage options. Both e-readers offer adjustable screen lights, 300 pixels-per-inch, accompanying styluses, and weeks of battery life.

Review: Amazon Kindle Scribe: 7 ways it could be even more remarkable

However, the Kindle Scribe offers 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB options, while the Kobo Elipsa 2E only offers 32GB of internal storage. Although 32GB is probably enough storage for an e-reader, some people might want more storage if they use their e-reader like a tablet to import and write on files.