Kobo eReader Devices Foray Into Indian Market

Kobo Arc 7 HD

With the launch of Kobo’s digital reading platform in India, passionate readers in the country now have access to an award-winning line-up of Kobo eReader devices, one of the largest content catalogues in the world, along with Kobo’s top-ranked apps for iOS, Android, Microsoft, and BlackBerry platforms.

The device line-up, featuring a range of best-in-class E Ink and tablet devices, includes the Kobo Touch™, Kobo Glo, Kobo Aura HD and the 7-inch Android tablet Kobo Arc.

Readers have access to Kobo’s eBookstore, one of the largest in the world, featuring nearly 4-million titles across 68 languages including ninety-five percent of India’s bestselling content featuring work from top-selling Indian authors including Jhumpa Lahiri, Ramachandra Guha and Sachin Garg to international bestselling authors like Dan Brown, John Grisham and Lee Child.

Kobo will be available in retail locations across India through its partnerships with the leading Indian booksellers Crossword, WHSmith and electronics retailer Croma.

“As e-commerce continues to expand and demand for digital content continues to grow, we are thrilled to be launching in India and look forward to introducing passionate Readers to our world-class digital reading platform,” said Wayne White, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Kobo in a release.

“India is in the early stages of what we believe is a 25-year transformation from print to digital reading. In partnership with some of the leading booksellers and retailers in the country, Kobo is poised to lead this transformation, by delivering a fully localized experience designed to meet the increased demand for digital content in India,” added White.

In a survey* commissioned by Kobo and conducted by Ipsos India, 93 percent of self-identified Readers, said they are familiar with eReading devices or apps that allow for reading across a variety of devices and 56 percent said they would prefer to read digital content on a dedicated eReading device.

Furthermore, 54 percent of respondents said they would read more if they had an eReader that provided them with access to their own digital library anytime, anywhere, anyplace.

Kobo is the global leader in providing passionate Readers with a selection of high quality content. The title list continues to grow and expand to include content from thousands of local and international publishers and authors including self-published authors through Kobo Writing Life.

Kobo Aura HD

“Traditionally known as the land of storytelling, it was important to us that we enter the market with an offering that met the expectations of a discerning Indian audience who are passionate about the books they read,” said Michael Tamblyn, Chief Content Officer, Kobo. “We are delivering an experience that delivers the very best from around the world and titles from the most beloved local authors. In partnership with some of the best retailers, we’ll set the standard for digital reading in India.”

Kobo Arc, Kobo’s Android tablet competes with the likes of the Kindle Fire HD. “As with the Kindle Fire tablet, Kobo’s Arc tablet is deeply integrated with Kobo’s ‘eBooks’ ecosystem, which is also one of the USPs of the tablets. However, it also features the Google Play Store and Google’s natives app, that are missing from Amazon’s Kindle offering,” reviews NDTV.

“The two tablets (Kobo outing its Arc 10HD and Arc 7HD slates) come running what Kobo describes as an “uncompromised” edition of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean which, we suspect, is a not-very-subtle dig at Amazon’s skinned-up Kindle Fire tablets,” writes Techradar.com.

Kobo is a global company that creates localized experiences with a dedicated team focused on building new partnerships in the local market with the objective of delivering an industry leading digital reading experience to meet increased local demand.

“With e-commerce in the midst of a rebirth and a steady increase in demand for more digital content, the time is right for Kobo in India,” said Haja Sheriff, Country Director – India, Kobo. “Literature and the love of storytelling are ingrained in our culture and the Kobo platform will make it easier than ever before for Indians to access to the stories they love – anytime, anyplace and on any device.”

KOBO TOUCH
The award-winning Kobo Touch eReader is equipped with an anti-glare 6” Pearl E Ink touchscreen that offers the closest experience to reading print on paper and is easy on the eyes – even in bright sunlight. The thin and lightweight Kobo Touch is highly portable and offers many ways to personalize the reading experience.

KOBO GLO
The front-lit Kobo Glo eReader offers the most even and adjustable ComfortLight technology to enable people to read anytime – day or night. Its durable screen and customizable fonts and page-turning features make it the perfect eReader for the most passionate booklovers. The Kobo Glo uses E Ink technology, and its no-glare XGA high-resolution 6” E Ink screen provides an experience that is just like reading print on paper.

KOBO ARC
For Readers who want a full multimedia experience, the Kobo Arc is the perfect Google-certified, 7” Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean) multimedia tablet offering great ways to discover content – books, movies, TV shows, music, web pages and more. Tapestries – Kobo’s exclusive interface on the Kobo Arc – uses a cross-media engine to recommend related content based on what users ‘pin’ to their Tapestries. The high-definition display delivers crisp, sharp text and its 16 million color capability brings photos and videos to life.

KOBO AURA HD
Kobo Aura HD offers the highest-resolution screen available in an eReader today. At 265 dpi, the spacious 6.8” Pearl E Ink touchscreen offers 30 percent more reading surface and the closest experience to print-on-paper – showcasing text and high-resolution images beautifully. The device’s 1GHz processor makes page turns fly and is the fastest eReader on the market – 25 percent faster.

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