Kobo battles for market share with tablet and e-reader launch
KOBO is launching a new tablet device and a more compact e-reader as it seeks to expand its market share and battle with Apple and Amazon.com in the ultra-competitive mobile device marketplace.
Toronto-based Kobo, owned by Rakuten, Japan’s top e-commerce operator, will launch the new devices in the next two months, as Amazon – the world’s largest Internet retailer – also yesterday unveiled a new tablet, along with an update of its popular Kindle e-reader, the Kindle Paperwhite.
Kobo, which has e-reading applications for the iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry and other devices, will name its tablet device Kobo Arc. It will come in an eight gigabyte version priced at $200 and a 16 gigabyte version priced at $250, chief executive Mike Serbinis said.
The company is also launching a new e-reader dubbed the Kobo Mini, a pocket-sized 5-inch device, and an improved version of its flagship e-reader that will be called the Kobo Glo.