A new e-reader is always good news for those who love to read. But one of the most recent to hit the market is making a huge splash – but nobody’s electronics are getting drenched in the process. Just in time for beach and swimming pool season – or heading off to go kayaking in the mountains or canoeing on a lake somewhere in between – Kobo has upgraded its waterproof e-reader. Their timing for the release is perfect. Now is when everyone is downloading their beach-books and those novels that pair so well with poolside umbrella drinks. Or they are trying to figure out how to carry an e-reader with them on a waterfall hike in the wilderness, without putting it at risk.
The New Kobo Aura H20
Sensitive gadgets and water just do not play well together, but back in 2014 Kobo changed all that by introducing the Kobo Aura H20, the world’s first water-resistant e-reader. Now the Canadian company with a global market has announced that a more advanced version is available. In early May, 2017, Kobo issued a press release that described the new Aura H20 as available in sleek black with a suggested retail price of less than $200.
Cool Features for Hot Weather Recreation
Highlights of the new model include exceptional ease of reading, even in direct sunlight, thanks to anti-glare technology – plus a ComfortLight PRO feature endorsed by some sleep laboratory researchers. ComfortLight PRO reduces light in the blue spectrum, so that reading at night before bed will have a reduced adverse impact on your sleep. That’s not only easy on your eyes, but can boost your overall health and well-being and help you sleep better and wake up more refreshed.
Hitting Retail Shelves Near You Now
You can shop for the new Aura H20 at Kobo (www.kobo.com) and at select retailers starting May 22nd. Preorders will start processing even earlier, around May 15th. The e-reader will sell to customers around the world, including those in Canada, the U.S.A., the UK, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Japan, and Turkey. By June it will show up on shelves in Sweden, and by July it will be available in Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. Later this year it should be in markets across Brazil and Mexico, as well.
How Waterproof is “Waterproof?”
The manufacturer says that the device is waterproofed for no-worry reading near water. In fact, a special coating technology applied to the device’s interior allows it to be fully submerged without the need for port covers. But readers always wonder what exactly marketers mean when they say “water resistant” or “waterproof.” That’s a good question to ask, and Kobo answers it loud and clear, by saying that this new e-reader meets the technical requirements of a IPX8 rating. What that means in user-friendly language is that the device has been tested and found to be waterproof for up to one whole hour, while submerged in as much as two metres of water – which is about six feet under.
Protection from Spills or Deep-Water Drops
Of course, most readers won’t dive underwater to read a novel for an hour, although you could certainly conduct that kind of experiment if you have the right training and SCUBA gear. But that stellar IPX8 rating does reassure anyone who is afraid they might drop their e-reader in the water or splash water on it by accident. If you have ever dropped expensive but delicate computer gadgets and mobile devices in water, you know what an excruciating experience that can be. With the new Aura H20 you basically have a technological solution that acts like an insurance policy to protect you from that kind of catastrophe.
It’s Not a One-Trick Pony
Sure, you can purchase water-resistant protective covers for virtually any e-reader device, without splashing out for a whole new gadget. But the Kobo Aura H20 is not a one-hit wonder with just one trick or selling point in its repertoire. Other notable features include 8GB of storage, which is enough to hold about 6,000 e-books…plus extended battery life and a fast computer processer for fast, easy page turns. Choose from 50 font sizes and 11 font types, and also customize the margins, highlight passages, scribble notes, or search for word definitions in a built-in dictionary. All of these cool features are touchscreen activated, too, for added convenience and an overall elegant reader experience.
