Kobo Aura One: The waterproof e-reader that's as big as an iPad
E-readers
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Instead of going small with this new top-of-the-line E-ink e-reader, Kobo's gone big.
The Aura One sports a 7.8" screen.
That's significantly larger then the 6" screens found on all of Amazon's Kindle e-readers.
However, at 230 grams or 8.1 ounces this is thinner and a touch lighter then Kobo's earlier Aura H2O Which has a smaller 6.8 inch screen.
So, you're basically getting more screen without adding any weight, I also liked how the back of the device has a rubberized texture finished which makes it a little easier to grip.
Like the H20, this one's also water proof and even more so, it's got a higher IPX 8 rating which means it can be submerged in up to two meters of water for up to 60 minutes.
No kindle is currently water proof although Barnes and Noble's latest nook is.
Other upgrades include an ultra-high resolution 1872 by 1404 300 pixel per inch display, eight gigabytes of on-board storage instead of four gigabytes, and an improved integrated lighting system that allows you to adjust not only brightness but color temperature, which is kinda cool.
Battery life is rated up to a month and there's wi-fi connectivity but no cellular option.
As you'd expect from a Cobol e reader you can shop for e-books using the Cobol e-book store but in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand you could also check out library e-books via Overdrive which Cobol now owns.
Other supported formats include EPUB, PDF, and Mobi, as well as various image file formats, HTML, and comic book file formats.
At $230, the Aura One is fairly pricey, but the value proposition here is that you're getting a so-called open e-reader that has a large, crisp E Ink display.
For those of those who like to read in the bathtub or any other body of water, it's also fully waterproof.
I'm David Carnac for CNet.com, and that's the Cobalt Oral One e-Reader, and thanks for watching.
