If you’re waiting for Amazon to launch a color Kindle e-reader, prepare to be tempted by a rival. PocketBook has just launched the world’s first 7.8-inch e-reader with a color E Ink display.
As The Verge reports, the device is called the PocketBook InkPad Color and it costs $329. It uses a 7.8-inch E Ink new Kaleido display with a resolution of 1,404-by-1,872 when viewing greyscale (300DPI) and 468-by-624 for color (100DPI). It uses a frontlight, includes 16GB of internal memory, which can be expanded using up to a 32GB microSD card, and recharges via a USB Type-C port. The battery is 2,900mAh, connectivity includes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and it only weighs 225 grams.
According to PocketBook, the new Kaleido display offers better contrast and color saturation thanks to an improved color filter pattern. The video above certainly makes the 4,096 available colors look impressive. The format support is also impressive, offering 19 different text formats, four image formats, and six audio formats. You can also use an adapter to connect headphones via the USB-C port.
The InkPad Color is already available to buy on NewEgg and Amazon. NewEgg also states stock of the e-reader is within the US, so the problems of international transport during the pandemic shouldn’t impact orders. At the time of writing, Amazon is out of stock.
