The inkBook brand offers an InkBook Calypso Plus e-reader, so you can enjoy the ebooks on all plateforms on a 6" e-reader. Let's take a look at what this new e-reader has to offer.
InkBook is an Asian e-reader brand with a 6-inch e-ink screen that uses Android version 8 - which is therefore quite old.
The InkBook Calypso Plus uses a screen with a resolution of 1024 x 758 pixels (212 DPI) - which isn't high-definition (like the recent Pocketbook Verse) - with a touch-sensitive layer and lighting with adjustable color temperature management (and therefore blue light filtering).
We note that the e-reader uses an operating system based on Android 8 and called InkBook OS. It seems like it will be possible to add applications to the e-reader (like Kindle, Kobo or Pocketbook android apps). I imagine it will be possible to do so by loading APK files directly onto the machine.
Compatibility with file formats is limited, with support for EPUB, PDF, ADE (i.e. EPUB protected by Adobe DRM), Mobi, Txt, HTML, RTF and Doc.
I think it will still be possible to load EPUB and PDF files directly, either by copying and pasting the file after connecting the e-reader to the PC, or by using the Calibre ebook management software.
Where there seems to be a problem is with battery life. The manufacturer's data sheet gives an autonomy of 7 days, which is 4 times less than the competition.
If this measurement is accurate, it's probably due to the system used (based on Android), which is necessarily more power-hungry than an optimized system found on other e-reader brands such as Kobo, Kindle or Pocketbook.
Here are the technical specifications of the inkBOOK Calypso Plus e-reader:
- 6-inch Carta screen, 1024 x 758 pixels (212 DPI)
- Touch screen
- Blue light filter illumination
- Quad-core ARM Cortex-A35 processor
- 16 GB storage capacity
- Dimensions: 159 x 114 x 9 mm
- Li-ION polymer battery, 1900 mAh
- Supported formats: EPUB, PDF (reflow), ADE, MOBI, TXT, HTML, RTF, DOC.
- USB-C (recharges in 5 hours)
- Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n)
- Android Os 8 (under the name inkBook OS)
With a price tag of $129, this e-reader's main appeal lies in its compatibility with Android Apps, which will make it attractive if you already have a large collection of digital books purchased on several service like Kindle and Kobo Books.
