The Pocketbook e-reader range is getting bigger every day, or at least that's the impression I get from regularly visiting their website. The announcement of a new reader, the Pocketbook InkPad Eo, comes as no surprise, and we'll see what this machine has in store for us.
The Pocketbook InkPad Eo is a 10.3” color e-ink reader with a Kaleido 3 screen.
The latest-generation color screen technology is called Kaleido 3 (read more about it here), the same used in the Kobo Clara Colour and Kobo Libra Colour. We can therefore expect a very decent rendering, enough to keep comic book fans happy.
But I don't think this Pocketbook Inkpad Eo is really intended for reading. Its large screen and the presence of a stylus make it more suited to work and the use of business documents.
We also note the presence of the Android 11 operating system, which will enable the addition of further functionalities and the use of software provided by digital giants such as Google or Microsoft.
The InkPad Eo will fit right in with the corporate world.
Pocketbook's marketing strategy is in line with this, since the reader is designed for professional use, where the use of the stylus is predominant.
That said, it will still be possible to use this machine as a reading device, and its large screen will be useful for visually impaired people who need to display very large characters.
Here are the technical specifications of this Pocketbook InkPad Eo:
- 10.3-inch Kaleido 3 screen (electronic ink)
- Resolution of 1860 x 2480 pixels in black and white and 930 x 1240 in color
- SMARTlight screen: Adjust not only brightness but also color temperature of the screen, choosing a warm or cool tone for the backlight.
- Android 11 operating system: users can easily download third-party applications for reading, note-taking or text editing.
- OctaCore processor (2.3 GHz): significantly increases the efficiency of electronic notes and improves handwriting speed.
- Built-in stereo speaker: the e-reader supports MP3 and WAV formats and features a built-in stereo speaker to make audio books or music enjoyable.
- Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi (dual band - 2.4/5 GHz) and USB Type-C connector.
- 64 GB internal memory and microSD card slot.
- Initial support for 17 book and comic formats (the number can be increased with third-party applications): AZW, AZW3, DOC, DOCX, EPUB, FB2, FB2.ZIP, HTM, HTML, MOBI, PDF, PRC, RTF, TXT, PNG, BMP, JPEG.
Price and availability?
As always with Pocketbook, this new machine has been announced well in advance of its release - the date of which has yet to be announced.
The Pocketbook InkPad Eo is therefore not yet available, and it may be months before it goes on sale - nothing is certain with Pocketbook!
As for price, you can expect to pay around $500 to $700, depending on accessories. If the stylus and protective case are included, the price may rise a little.
But we may be in for a pleasant surprise. After all, we've seen that Kobo is now able to make a worldwide release of new e-readers with Kaleido 3 screens. This means that these color e-ink screens are easier to manufacture (and more affordable).
Perhaps Pocketbook will be able to quickly bring out this machine, the InkPad Eo, to make it a productivity tool competing with the Kobo Elipsa 2E and the Kindle Scribe, which operate in the same market segment.
Pocketbook: a range of e-readers and a strategy too complicated?
Reading Pocketbook's strategy has become quite complicated.
The company has been announcing many machines since last year, but its strategy is hard to decipher.
It seems that the company is trying to release many models to flood the market with different screen configurations (color or not), formats and uses (reading or productivity-oriented notebooks).
Announcements follow one another in quick succession.
The Pocketbook Viva, announced in 2023, has never been released, and probably never will be, since it seems to have been replaced by a color version of the Pocketbook Era - which I'll talk about one day.
So maybe the InkPad Eo will also be replaced in a few weeks with a InkPad Eo 2 (like the Pocketbook InkPad Color 2 with the Color 3 !).
See the Pocketbook catalog: https://pocketbook.ch/en-ch/catalog
