Swiss e-reader maker PocketBook has launched a new device called the InkPad Color that's reckoned to be the first e-reader to sport the latest 7.8-inch color screen technology from E Ink.
The InkPad Color is not the first PocketBook e-reader to use E Ink's Kaleido color screen technology, which is made up of a TFT backplane, E Ink layer, color filter layer and a protective sheet. That honor falls to last year's appropriately named Color model. But where that device came with a 6-inch display, the new InkPad Color rocks the latest 7.8-inch E Ink Kaleido screen.
The touchscreen e-reader boasts a resolution of 1,404 x 1,872 (grayscale) or 468 x 624 (color), 16 levels of grayscale, and 4,096 colors. This means that users can choose standard dark text on light background reading, but can also display color comics, children's books, magazines, art books, research papers and more.
One of the benefits of E Ink technology is its low power draw, and the InkPad Color's 2,900-mAh Li-Po battery is claimed good for up to a month of regular use and is recharged via USB-C. What's displayed on screen is also readable in direct sunlight, but the latest PocketBook device also features an "eye-friendly" front light, allowing for reading at any time of the day – with the company noting that this addition will help to make color pages pop too, even at the lowest brightness level.
The device supports 19 book formats and four graphic formats (including PDF, ePUB, MOBI, DOCX and basic HTML), and can play audio too, with support for six popular audio formats, including MP3 and OGG. And there's a text-to-speech engine cooked in for converting text into spoken word in one of 16 supported languages. The inclusion of Bluetooth allows for connection to wireless headphones or in-car audio systems, too.
Elsewhere, the e-reader runs a Linux operating system, rocks a dual-core processor with support from 1 GB of RAM, there's 16 GB of internal storage, plus a microSD card slot, and Wi-Fi for tapping into the company's online services, such as the book store and PocketBook Cloud. It comes with a few games loaded in as well.
The PocketBook InkPad Color measures 195 x 136.5 x 8 mm (7.6 x 5.3 x 0.3 in) and tips the scales at 225 g (8 oz). It's available in silver for US$329.
Product page: InkPad Color
