New Kobo Nia offers a high quality e-reading experience at an affordable price

The Kobo Nia is the latest e-reader on the Rakuten Kobo family of products – it’s a high quality yet affordable device so you can enjoy the latest and favourite books anywhere and anytime.

The compact Kobo Nia has a 6-inch Carta E-Ink glare-free touchscreen which looks just like paper whether you’re reading indoors or out in the sun.

The display has a resolution of 1024 x 758 and 212ppi (pixels per inch) so the type on the screen looks sharp and clear – like the printed page.

And even if you’re reading at night, the ComfortLight makes it possible to continue through the chapters without disturbing your partner and illuminating the whole room with a bright backlight.

Users can easily adjust the brightness to suit their reading conditions.

With the world in various stages of lockdown over the past few months because of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been unprecedented growth in the amount of time we’re spending with books.

“With people turning to digital reading as a source of entertainment and comfort in these uncertain times, we have seen record-high growth in the amount of time people are reading worldwide,” Michael Tamblyn, CEO, Rakuten Kobo.

“From March to July, we saw Kobo users globally spending 93 per cent more time reading than the year before.

“We have also had a flood of new readers trying and falling in love with e-reading with us for the first time, after having the chance to experience the benefits and versatility of digital.

“This is part of the reason we are so excited to introduce Kobo Nia as our newest entry-level device and great option for first-time digital readers.”

Tech Guide has been using the Kobo Nia for a couple of weeks and it’s just the right size to take anywhere.

In fact, it’s about the size of a small paperback but a lot thinner so it can easily fit in a bag or a jacket pocket so you can keep reading anywhere.

It’s also light at just 172g grams and small enough to hold in one hand. It’s just 11.24cm wide and 15.93cm long.

There’s 8GB of storage onboard which is plenty of room to fit numerous books and favourite titles you can enjoy again and again.

In fact, that’s enough memory for up to 6,000 books.

And not only is the Kobo Nia your e-reader – it’s also your bookshop and library.

Through the device’s wi-fi connection you can browse and purchase the latest titles through the Kobo eBook Store.

But it’s also possible to borrow books with the built-in one-touch OverDrive access.

Set up is easy and free with a library card from most public libraries.

It’s also possible to extend your reading experience to your smartphone or tablet through the free Kobo app where you will be able to access your library and the current book you’re reading.

And the Kobo Nia runs off the smell of an oily rag thanks to the 1000mAh battery which will run for weeks on a single charge.

“With each new device we design, the goal is simple: to make people’s reading lives better,” said Tamblyn.

“As pioneers in the digital reading space for over a decade, we have been pushing what’s possible in an e-reader every step of the way.

“With Kobo Nia, we reimagined what our entry-level e-reading experience could be and I could not be more proud of the outcome.

“In recent months, eBooks have really come into their own, with an astounding influx of new users and a global surge in time spent reading – and this new e-reader is ideal both for people trying digital books for the first time or upgrading an e-reader they have had for years.”

The Kobo Nia will be priced at $149.95 and is available to pre-order now before officially going on sale from July 21. There is also a cover available in three colours – black, aqua and lemon.

www.kobo.com/au/en