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Kobo alternatives
Browse and shop over 2.5 million eBooks including new releases, NYT® bestsellers, and 1 million free titles. Automatically syncs your library across all your devices including iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac, PC, BlackBerry PlayBook and smartphones, and all Kobo eReaders. Choose from multiple font sizes and styles, plus read in day or night mode.
The best Kobo alternatives are: Kindle, Nook
Here are the latest news about Kobo:
2023. Kobo app for iPad App now allows to add handwritten notes to eBooks
Kobo's iPad app now supports the addition of handwritten notes to ebooks. By using an Apple Pencil, you can write directly on Kobo ebooks. If an Apple Pencil is not available, the app also allows you to write with your finger. The app includes standard Apple writing tools such as pens, pencils, highlighters, a lasso tool, an eraser, a ruler and the ability to switch between different colors. It's worth noting that handwritten notes and highlights made in the iPad app are visible in the annotations list of the Kobo Elipsa 2E (including the first generation Elipsa) and the Kobo Sage. However, they do not appear on the actual pages of the ebooks; they are only visible in the annotations list. Furthermore, these handwritten notes and highlights are not displayed on Kobo ereaders that do not support handwriting.
2023. Kobo launched e-book and audiobook subscription service Kobo Plus
In a move that could be described as either bold or delightfully inevitable, Kobo Plus has materialized in the US and UK, offering a subscription service that is suspiciously akin to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited, but with its own twist of intergalactic flair. For a modest monthly fee—$9.99 in the US or €12.99 GBP in the UK—readers can beam into a library boasting over 1.3 million e-books and 100,000 audiobooks, a collection growing faster than the improbability of hitching a ride on a passing spaceship. The ingenious twist? Subscribers can pick either e-books, audiobooks, or both, starting at $7.99 per month for a single medium ($9.99 for the combo). Meanwhile, Kindle Unlimited floats along with a flat $9.99 per month, sticking with the unified approach like a Vogon poetry recital. For those navigating the literary cosmos, Kobo Plus might just be the towel you didn’t know you needed.
2023. Kobo launches Web Reader
Kobo has launched Kobo Web Reader. Unlike Kindle Cloud Reader, which has a specific site where everything functions smoothly, Kobo is taking a different approach. You need to sign in to the Kobo.com website, using the same username and password as for your e-reader or tablet. Click My Account at the top of the page and then click on My Books. Any title with a Read Now option below it will allow you to read it in the web reader. It is compatible with Safari, Chrome and Firefox. It also works on mobile and Kobo has created a dedicated help and tutorial page to get you started and guide you through the features.
2022. Kobo software update adds Sideloaded mode
Kobo's new firmware version 4.31 is a relatively minor update that enhances language support, fixes some bugs and is expected to improve battery life on the Kobo Sage. One feature not mentioned in the release notes is a new Sideloaded Mode that allows users to use a Kobo e-reader without signing in. Thanks to Davidfor at MobileRead for highlighting this and explaining how it functions. Kobo updates are typically rolled out in phases, so you might need to wait several weeks for the new firmware to automatically download and install during a sync.
2020. Kobo e-readers now include a Notes icon for quick access
Kobo has released a new firmware update 4.25.15875, which is being rolled out to all e-readers, excluding the Kobo Mini. They have introduced a new Chinese dictionary and users can now remove annotations or click the edit button to modify them. If you have a Kobo Sleep Cover for the Forma or Libra, the device will now enter sleep mode properly when the cover is closed. Additionally, within the ebook, an icon appears in the margin for all annotations. Clicking the icon shows the notes for the annotation in a popup. You can remove the annotations or click the edit button to modify them. The icon is only shown if the margins are sufficiently wide to accommodate it.
2020. Kobo introduces ebook discovery
Kobo has released a new firmware update for most of its readers (excluding the Kobo Mini) which introduces several features such as improved ebook discovery and a new clock. You can now access and explore more books or return to the Home screen with one fewer tap. Tap More to view additional options like reading activity, settings and help articles. You can also scroll up and down through your list of books. The clock appears in the upper left corner when you are on the home screen, library and the store (the tab for which is labeled Discover). It also shows up in your currently open book.
2020. All Kobo e-readers can now access cloud storage
The Kobo Forma is the only e-reader with official Dropbox support, but it is their most expensive model and many users have other devices that work perfectly well. An independent app developer has just released the Kobo Cloud software, which can link your e-reader to Dropbox, Google Drive, NextCloud and pCloud. All you need to do is visit the Kobo Cloud GitHub page and follow the straightforward instructions. There are essentially two steps: first, plug your Kobo e-reader into your PC and copy the files into the root folder of your Kobo; then, restart your device and edit the configuration file to add your preferred cloud storage service provider, with most people choosing Dropbox or Google Drive.
2019. Kobo Plus introduced audiobooks
Unlimited ebook subscription service Kobo Plus has now included audiobooks and introduced several new tiers. Kobo has consistently used Plus as a testing ground for a potential expansion into other countries (currently, it is only available in the Netherlands). You can subscribe to the unlimited ebook component of Plus for €9.99 per month or just the audiobook portion for €8.99 per month. If you wish to access both reading and listening options, the cost will be €12.99 per month. Kobo Plus features an audiobook collection of approximately 20,000 titles. Some are in English, while others are in Dutch.
2019. Kobo WIFI E-Reader is losing access to the Kobo Bookstore
For years, Kobo has gallantly ensured its elderly e-readers were spruced up with shiny, modern firmware updates, much like putting new tires on an old spaceship. But as of February 28, the venerable Kobo Wifi, the second brave little gadget Kobo ever produced, has been gently retired from active duty by Rakuten Kobo. No more updates, no more jaunts to the Kobo eBookstore for new digital tomes—though, of course, users can still potter about their libraries and manually load books like the literary equivalent of making tea on a wood-burning stove. With its first light flickering on in 2010, the Kobo Wifi has had a good innings, receiving updates aplenty over the years. But alas, hardly anyone uses it anymore, and Kobo, quite sensibly, has decided not to keep patching up its security like a roof on a barn no one lives in.
2018. Walmart and Kobo launched online e-book and audiobook store
Walmart has teamed up with Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten to offer audiobooks, e-books and e-readers alongside its selection of physical books. The new site, named Walmart eBooks, features a collection of over 6 million titles, including NYT best-sellers, indie books and children’s literature. Similar to Amazon’s Audible, Walmart will also provide a monthly audiobook subscription service. However, Walmart is undercutting Amazon on pricing. While Audible subscriptions start at $14.95 per month for one audiobook, Walmart’s subscription is priced at just $9.99 per month for the same service. Walmart will also offer Rakuten-owned Kobo e-readers both online and in stores.
2018. Kobo app gets new comic viewer
The Kobo app for iOS has just received a major update for those who enjoy digital comics. It now features a new comic viewer that lets you read horizontally or vertically, navigate by page or in a grid view and access your comics before they’re fully downloaded. There is also a new animated page-turn engine that allows you to glimpse what’s on the next page. Kobo’s comic selection isn’t extensive; most of their content comes from their Writing Life self-publishing platform. They lack comics from major publishers like DC, Image, or Marvel, so it's surprising that Kobo is expanding comic book support given the limited scope of their catalog.
2017. Kobo launched Audio Bookstore
Kobo has introduced an audiobook store that offers audiobooks both individually and through a subscription model. Their entire audiobook collection is supported by Overdrive, marking their first involvement in an audiobook subscription service. Kobo has updated their app for Android and iOS, incorporating a fully functional audiobook player. On Android, you can purchase and listen to content, while on iOS, you can only listen to titles you have already purchased or used a credit for. The Kobo audiobook service is available now in the US, UK, Canada and Australia for $9.99 per month.
2017. Kobo will discontinue PDF Files support
By November 1st, 2017, Kobo, in its infinite wisdom (and perhaps a touch of intergalactic bureaucracy), has decided to phase out the clunky, awkwardly shaped PDFs from its digital shelves. Fear not, gentle self-publishers and keepers of legacy content, for in most cases, these obstinate PDFs shall be whisked into a magical transformation chamber and emerge as sleek, user-friendly EPUBs or KEPUBs. Should a particularly stubborn PDF refuse to play along—perhaps due to an existential crisis about formatting—Kobo will kindly dispatch an email detailing its tragic failure, along with a comprehensive list of the unruly titles.
2017. Kobo Plus - unlimited e-Book subscription program
Kobo has launched a new unlimited subscription service for e-books, called Kobo Plus. It will initially be available in the Netherlands and Belgium. Subscribers can pay €9.99 per month for access to 40,000 titles, including 16,000 in Dutch. This new e-book subscription service is a result of the collaboration between Bol and Kobo. Bol.com introduced digital reading in the Netherlands and Belgium five years ago and has since seen impressive growth. Alongside the 1.2 million eReaders sold in the Netherlands, customers can also read their eBooks on tablets and smartphones. The eBook selection has expanded significantly over the past few years, with one in seven non-fiction books sold in the Netherlands now being digital.
2016. Kobo Cloud Reader is discontinued
Kobo Instant Reader, Kobo's browser-based reading platform, has been officially retired and the link to access it now redirects to the company's general app page. The Nook Cloud Reader has also been phased out with the launch of the new Barnes and Noble website that was introduced last summer. Both web-based reading applications were created in 2012 to circumvent the new Apple policy requiring all in-app purchases to go through their own payment system, rather than allowing app developers to handle it themselves. They never gained much traction because the companies managing them did not actively promote them. They remained in obscurity for several years before being quietly discontinued. The Kindle Cloud Reader remains the sole online reading app still maintained and available for public use.
2016. Kobo released reading app for kids
Kobo has just introduced a standalone app for Android called Kobo Kids. It is an e-reading app as well as an online shopping platform offering a variety of e-books and graphic novels. In 2013, Kobo created a children’s portal to highlight their comics, graphic novels and e-books. This system was only accessible via the web version of their store, making this the first time the company has developed a dedicated app to promote it. The Kobo Kids app features a vibrant and engaging interface with a range of icons representing genres such as space, dinosaurs, animals, classics, superheroes and more. When you select a specific genre, it shows several titles and offers previews. Children cannot purchase content independently; instead, a parent must make the purchases, but it is much easier once a sample is downloaded.
2015. Kobo launched free ebook platform for Southwest Airlines passengers
In a bold attempt to ensure that passengers on Southwest Airlines don’t suffer the existential horror of having nothing to read at 30,000 feet, Kobo unveiled its rather ingenious e-reading platform. Featuring a veritable smorgasbord of approximately 140 free ebooks (a number destined to increase with a predictably bookish fervor), about 85% of these are full-text editions, while the rest tantalizingly dangle as mere samples, designed to lure readers into literary commitment once they touch down. It’s all part of Kobo’s grand scheme to align the right book with the right reader at precisely the right moment, which sounds suspiciously like destiny but is actually a cunning marketing ploy. Meanwhile, Kobo’s parent company, Rakuten, continues to wave its digital book banner high, ever-expanding its empire of words—an ambition solidified when it snapped up library distributor OverDrive earlier this year in what one imagines was a very civilized literary coup.
2014. Kobo offers ebook catalog on third-party e-Ink readers
Kobo has announced a program to give E Ink’s hardware partners the choice to offer their customers access to Kobo’s library of over four million eBooks. By integrating Kobo’s reading app, hardware partners can now include a digital book solution in their offerings or enhance their current collections, providing titles from various popular genres on their devices. Besides Kobo’s range of E Ink eReaders, the Kobo bookstore is now accessible on select Sony Reader devices, as well as on many leading smartphones and tablets via Kobo’s free eReading apps. As a result of this program, E Ink’s hardware partners can offer their customers a vast array of eBooks without needing to invest in developing an online library. E Ink’s hardware partners will be able to arrange contracts and revenue-sharing agreements directly with Kobo.
2014. Kobo adds Marvel Comics to its library
In a move that would undoubtedly cause a slight ripple of approval across the multiverse, over 250 of Marvel's digital comics have heroically landed on the Kobo platform. Packed with fan-favorite franchises like The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, this valiant endeavor likely won’t topple the universe of fixed-layout and illustrated ebooks from its current trajectory. Yet, Super Hero enthusiasts of every cape and cowl variety can now indulge in their illustrated adventures on Kobo devices—especially the boldly colorful Kobo Arc 10HD Android tablet—or through the cunningly ubiquitous free reading apps for most tablets and smartphones. It’s not quite a cosmic shift, but it’s a notable thumbs-up to the format from Kobo, while also a sly maneuver into a realm still largely ruled by ComiXology, Amazon’s latest acquisition in their quest to dominate all things ebookish.
2014. Kobo adds books for kids from Reading Eggs
In a move that would make even the most erudite intergalactic hitchhiker pause to marvel, Kobo, in its infinite wisdom, has teamed up with Reading Eggs to unleash over 120 of their cherished children’s eBooks upon an unsuspecting universe of Kobo Readers. For the very first time, the delightfully eggy brilliance of Reading Eggs eBooks is hatching in digital splendor, outside the cozy confines of the Reading Eggs program, and—hold onto your towel—exclusively on Kobo. Crafted by a brainy alliance of educational teachers, writers, and developers who probably know where their towels are, the Reading Eggs program is a dazzling concoction of phonics, word memorization, and other clever things that make kids better at this strange Earth pastime called "reading." It’s like a Babel fish for young minds, syncing perfectly with school lessons and sneakily helping kids ace their classes.
2014. Sony gives its e-reader business to Kobo
Sony is eliminating its unprofitable ventures. The Japanese firm is divesting its VAIO laptop division, TV division and is also exiting the e-book platform market. This move isn’t entirely surprising: Sony has always held a relatively minor share of the market compared to Amazon, Google, Apple, B&N and Kobo. The Sony Reader store will be closed next month. Owners of Sony Readers needn’t worry about their purchases, as Sony is transferring accounts and existing libraries fully to Kobo, which is compatible with iOS and Android devices as well as Android hardware. The Kobo app for Android will now also be pre-installed on Xperia devices as part of the arrangement. As for Reader hardware, it seems to have been on the decline since at least October of last year for the U.S. market, when the company removed the Reader section from its website and marked existing models as discontinued.
2013. Kobo updates its digital publishing service Aquafadas
Kobo has announced enhancements to its digital publishing platform for iPad and Android tablets, Aquafadas. It now includes support for iOS 7, the capability to incorporate premium enrichments such as real-world physics into digital content and overall upgrades for Android interactive book creation. Publishers can now add physical properties to any design element, create animations using the tablet’s accelerometer (so the content responds to gravity and moves with the tablet), enabling them to build interactive books without writing any code. A new feature allows control of HTML animations within the page and overcomes some iOS limitations, enabling multiple animations to play simultaneously.
2013. Kobo stops showing Goodreads ratings and reviews
As you recall, Amazon acquired the book-review social network Goodreads in March, so it's understandable that Kobo has ceased using the Goodreads API on its website and in its apps. This means no more Goodreads ratings and reviews on Kobo book pages. It appears this decision was made by Kobo rather than Goodreads or Amazon: The company’s chief content officer Michael Tamblyn mentioned to Good E-reader that Kobo may potentially reintegrate the Goodreads API in the future. However, this situation highlights the risks of depending on what is now a rival retailer’s API. Goodreads faced a similar issue in early 2012 when it stopped using Amazon’s API for book data and switched to data from book wholesaler Ingram. Currently, Goodreads states that it utilizes metadata from a combination of sources — Ingram, WorldCat and ONIX feeds.
2013. Kobo launches ereading app for BlackBerry 10
Kobo introduced its first e-reading app for BlackBerry back in March 2010. Today, Kobo announced that its free e-reading application is now available for BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 smartphone users. The app will allow readers on the move to access, browse and purchase from the over 3.5 million books available on Kobo’s eBookstore, as well as automatically synchronize their library across any device they own. Kobo’s e-reading app lets users easily manage their library and create personalized bookshelves, search within a book, highlight text, take notes within the eBook experience and rate and review books, as well as see what other readers have to say.
2023. Kobo app for iPad App now allows to add handwritten notes to eBooks
Kobo's iPad app now supports the addition of handwritten notes to ebooks. By using an Apple Pencil, you can write directly on Kobo ebooks. If an Apple Pencil is not available, the app also allows you to write with your finger. The app includes standard Apple writing tools such as pens, pencils, highlighters, a lasso tool, an eraser, a ruler and the ability to switch between different colors. It's worth noting that handwritten notes and highlights made in the iPad app are visible in the annotations list of the Kobo Elipsa 2E (including the first generation Elipsa) and the Kobo Sage. However, they do not appear on the actual pages of the ebooks; they are only visible in the annotations list. Furthermore, these handwritten notes and highlights are not displayed on Kobo ereaders that do not support handwriting.
2023. Kobo launched e-book and audiobook subscription service Kobo Plus
In a move that could be described as either bold or delightfully inevitable, Kobo Plus has materialized in the US and UK, offering a subscription service that is suspiciously akin to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited, but with its own twist of intergalactic flair. For a modest monthly fee—$9.99 in the US or €12.99 GBP in the UK—readers can beam into a library boasting over 1.3 million e-books and 100,000 audiobooks, a collection growing faster than the improbability of hitching a ride on a passing spaceship. The ingenious twist? Subscribers can pick either e-books, audiobooks, or both, starting at $7.99 per month for a single medium ($9.99 for the combo). Meanwhile, Kindle Unlimited floats along with a flat $9.99 per month, sticking with the unified approach like a Vogon poetry recital. For those navigating the literary cosmos, Kobo Plus might just be the towel you didn’t know you needed.
2023. Kobo launches Web Reader
Kobo has launched Kobo Web Reader. Unlike Kindle Cloud Reader, which has a specific site where everything functions smoothly, Kobo is taking a different approach. You need to sign in to the Kobo.com website, using the same username and password as for your e-reader or tablet. Click My Account at the top of the page and then click on My Books. Any title with a Read Now option below it will allow you to read it in the web reader. It is compatible with Safari, Chrome and Firefox. It also works on mobile and Kobo has created a dedicated help and tutorial page to get you started and guide you through the features.
2022. Kobo software update adds Sideloaded mode
Kobo's new firmware version 4.31 is a relatively minor update that enhances language support, fixes some bugs and is expected to improve battery life on the Kobo Sage. One feature not mentioned in the release notes is a new Sideloaded Mode that allows users to use a Kobo e-reader without signing in. Thanks to Davidfor at MobileRead for highlighting this and explaining how it functions. Kobo updates are typically rolled out in phases, so you might need to wait several weeks for the new firmware to automatically download and install during a sync.
2020. Kobo e-readers now include a Notes icon for quick access
Kobo has released a new firmware update 4.25.15875, which is being rolled out to all e-readers, excluding the Kobo Mini. They have introduced a new Chinese dictionary and users can now remove annotations or click the edit button to modify them. If you have a Kobo Sleep Cover for the Forma or Libra, the device will now enter sleep mode properly when the cover is closed. Additionally, within the ebook, an icon appears in the margin for all annotations. Clicking the icon shows the notes for the annotation in a popup. You can remove the annotations or click the edit button to modify them. The icon is only shown if the margins are sufficiently wide to accommodate it.
2020. Kobo introduces ebook discovery
Kobo has released a new firmware update for most of its readers (excluding the Kobo Mini) which introduces several features such as improved ebook discovery and a new clock. You can now access and explore more books or return to the Home screen with one fewer tap. Tap More to view additional options like reading activity, settings and help articles. You can also scroll up and down through your list of books. The clock appears in the upper left corner when you are on the home screen, library and the store (the tab for which is labeled Discover). It also shows up in your currently open book.
2020. All Kobo e-readers can now access cloud storage
The Kobo Forma is the only e-reader with official Dropbox support, but it is their most expensive model and many users have other devices that work perfectly well. An independent app developer has just released the Kobo Cloud software, which can link your e-reader to Dropbox, Google Drive, NextCloud and pCloud. All you need to do is visit the Kobo Cloud GitHub page and follow the straightforward instructions. There are essentially two steps: first, plug your Kobo e-reader into your PC and copy the files into the root folder of your Kobo; then, restart your device and edit the configuration file to add your preferred cloud storage service provider, with most people choosing Dropbox or Google Drive.
2019. Kobo Plus introduced audiobooks
Unlimited ebook subscription service Kobo Plus has now included audiobooks and introduced several new tiers. Kobo has consistently used Plus as a testing ground for a potential expansion into other countries (currently, it is only available in the Netherlands). You can subscribe to the unlimited ebook component of Plus for €9.99 per month or just the audiobook portion for €8.99 per month. If you wish to access both reading and listening options, the cost will be €12.99 per month. Kobo Plus features an audiobook collection of approximately 20,000 titles. Some are in English, while others are in Dutch.
2019. Kobo WIFI E-Reader is losing access to the Kobo Bookstore
For years, Kobo has gallantly ensured its elderly e-readers were spruced up with shiny, modern firmware updates, much like putting new tires on an old spaceship. But as of February 28, the venerable Kobo Wifi, the second brave little gadget Kobo ever produced, has been gently retired from active duty by Rakuten Kobo. No more updates, no more jaunts to the Kobo eBookstore for new digital tomes—though, of course, users can still potter about their libraries and manually load books like the literary equivalent of making tea on a wood-burning stove. With its first light flickering on in 2010, the Kobo Wifi has had a good innings, receiving updates aplenty over the years. But alas, hardly anyone uses it anymore, and Kobo, quite sensibly, has decided not to keep patching up its security like a roof on a barn no one lives in.
2018. Walmart and Kobo launched online e-book and audiobook store
Walmart has teamed up with Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten to offer audiobooks, e-books and e-readers alongside its selection of physical books. The new site, named Walmart eBooks, features a collection of over 6 million titles, including NYT best-sellers, indie books and children’s literature. Similar to Amazon’s Audible, Walmart will also provide a monthly audiobook subscription service. However, Walmart is undercutting Amazon on pricing. While Audible subscriptions start at $14.95 per month for one audiobook, Walmart’s subscription is priced at just $9.99 per month for the same service. Walmart will also offer Rakuten-owned Kobo e-readers both online and in stores.
2018. Kobo app gets new comic viewer
The Kobo app for iOS has just received a major update for those who enjoy digital comics. It now features a new comic viewer that lets you read horizontally or vertically, navigate by page or in a grid view and access your comics before they’re fully downloaded. There is also a new animated page-turn engine that allows you to glimpse what’s on the next page. Kobo’s comic selection isn’t extensive; most of their content comes from their Writing Life self-publishing platform. They lack comics from major publishers like DC, Image, or Marvel, so it's surprising that Kobo is expanding comic book support given the limited scope of their catalog.
2017. Kobo launched Audio Bookstore
Kobo has introduced an audiobook store that offers audiobooks both individually and through a subscription model. Their entire audiobook collection is supported by Overdrive, marking their first involvement in an audiobook subscription service. Kobo has updated their app for Android and iOS, incorporating a fully functional audiobook player. On Android, you can purchase and listen to content, while on iOS, you can only listen to titles you have already purchased or used a credit for. The Kobo audiobook service is available now in the US, UK, Canada and Australia for $9.99 per month.
2017. Kobo will discontinue PDF Files support
By November 1st, 2017, Kobo, in its infinite wisdom (and perhaps a touch of intergalactic bureaucracy), has decided to phase out the clunky, awkwardly shaped PDFs from its digital shelves. Fear not, gentle self-publishers and keepers of legacy content, for in most cases, these obstinate PDFs shall be whisked into a magical transformation chamber and emerge as sleek, user-friendly EPUBs or KEPUBs. Should a particularly stubborn PDF refuse to play along—perhaps due to an existential crisis about formatting—Kobo will kindly dispatch an email detailing its tragic failure, along with a comprehensive list of the unruly titles.
2017. Kobo Plus - unlimited e-Book subscription program
Kobo has launched a new unlimited subscription service for e-books, called Kobo Plus. It will initially be available in the Netherlands and Belgium. Subscribers can pay €9.99 per month for access to 40,000 titles, including 16,000 in Dutch. This new e-book subscription service is a result of the collaboration between Bol and Kobo. Bol.com introduced digital reading in the Netherlands and Belgium five years ago and has since seen impressive growth. Alongside the 1.2 million eReaders sold in the Netherlands, customers can also read their eBooks on tablets and smartphones. The eBook selection has expanded significantly over the past few years, with one in seven non-fiction books sold in the Netherlands now being digital.
2016. Kobo Cloud Reader is discontinued
Kobo Instant Reader, Kobo's browser-based reading platform, has been officially retired and the link to access it now redirects to the company's general app page. The Nook Cloud Reader has also been phased out with the launch of the new Barnes and Noble website that was introduced last summer. Both web-based reading applications were created in 2012 to circumvent the new Apple policy requiring all in-app purchases to go through their own payment system, rather than allowing app developers to handle it themselves. They never gained much traction because the companies managing them did not actively promote them. They remained in obscurity for several years before being quietly discontinued. The Kindle Cloud Reader remains the sole online reading app still maintained and available for public use.
2016. Kobo released reading app for kids
Kobo has just introduced a standalone app for Android called Kobo Kids. It is an e-reading app as well as an online shopping platform offering a variety of e-books and graphic novels. In 2013, Kobo created a children’s portal to highlight their comics, graphic novels and e-books. This system was only accessible via the web version of their store, making this the first time the company has developed a dedicated app to promote it. The Kobo Kids app features a vibrant and engaging interface with a range of icons representing genres such as space, dinosaurs, animals, classics, superheroes and more. When you select a specific genre, it shows several titles and offers previews. Children cannot purchase content independently; instead, a parent must make the purchases, but it is much easier once a sample is downloaded.
2015. Kobo launched free ebook platform for Southwest Airlines passengers
In a bold attempt to ensure that passengers on Southwest Airlines don’t suffer the existential horror of having nothing to read at 30,000 feet, Kobo unveiled its rather ingenious e-reading platform. Featuring a veritable smorgasbord of approximately 140 free ebooks (a number destined to increase with a predictably bookish fervor), about 85% of these are full-text editions, while the rest tantalizingly dangle as mere samples, designed to lure readers into literary commitment once they touch down. It’s all part of Kobo’s grand scheme to align the right book with the right reader at precisely the right moment, which sounds suspiciously like destiny but is actually a cunning marketing ploy. Meanwhile, Kobo’s parent company, Rakuten, continues to wave its digital book banner high, ever-expanding its empire of words—an ambition solidified when it snapped up library distributor OverDrive earlier this year in what one imagines was a very civilized literary coup.
2014. Kobo offers ebook catalog on third-party e-Ink readers
Kobo has announced a program to give E Ink’s hardware partners the choice to offer their customers access to Kobo’s library of over four million eBooks. By integrating Kobo’s reading app, hardware partners can now include a digital book solution in their offerings or enhance their current collections, providing titles from various popular genres on their devices. Besides Kobo’s range of E Ink eReaders, the Kobo bookstore is now accessible on select Sony Reader devices, as well as on many leading smartphones and tablets via Kobo’s free eReading apps. As a result of this program, E Ink’s hardware partners can offer their customers a vast array of eBooks without needing to invest in developing an online library. E Ink’s hardware partners will be able to arrange contracts and revenue-sharing agreements directly with Kobo.
2014. Kobo adds Marvel Comics to its library
In a move that would undoubtedly cause a slight ripple of approval across the multiverse, over 250 of Marvel's digital comics have heroically landed on the Kobo platform. Packed with fan-favorite franchises like The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, this valiant endeavor likely won’t topple the universe of fixed-layout and illustrated ebooks from its current trajectory. Yet, Super Hero enthusiasts of every cape and cowl variety can now indulge in their illustrated adventures on Kobo devices—especially the boldly colorful Kobo Arc 10HD Android tablet—or through the cunningly ubiquitous free reading apps for most tablets and smartphones. It’s not quite a cosmic shift, but it’s a notable thumbs-up to the format from Kobo, while also a sly maneuver into a realm still largely ruled by ComiXology, Amazon’s latest acquisition in their quest to dominate all things ebookish.
2014. Kobo adds books for kids from Reading Eggs
In a move that would make even the most erudite intergalactic hitchhiker pause to marvel, Kobo, in its infinite wisdom, has teamed up with Reading Eggs to unleash over 120 of their cherished children’s eBooks upon an unsuspecting universe of Kobo Readers. For the very first time, the delightfully eggy brilliance of Reading Eggs eBooks is hatching in digital splendor, outside the cozy confines of the Reading Eggs program, and—hold onto your towel—exclusively on Kobo. Crafted by a brainy alliance of educational teachers, writers, and developers who probably know where their towels are, the Reading Eggs program is a dazzling concoction of phonics, word memorization, and other clever things that make kids better at this strange Earth pastime called "reading." It’s like a Babel fish for young minds, syncing perfectly with school lessons and sneakily helping kids ace their classes.
2014. Sony gives its e-reader business to Kobo
Sony is eliminating its unprofitable ventures. The Japanese firm is divesting its VAIO laptop division, TV division and is also exiting the e-book platform market. This move isn’t entirely surprising: Sony has always held a relatively minor share of the market compared to Amazon, Google, Apple, B&N and Kobo. The Sony Reader store will be closed next month. Owners of Sony Readers needn’t worry about their purchases, as Sony is transferring accounts and existing libraries fully to Kobo, which is compatible with iOS and Android devices as well as Android hardware. The Kobo app for Android will now also be pre-installed on Xperia devices as part of the arrangement. As for Reader hardware, it seems to have been on the decline since at least October of last year for the U.S. market, when the company removed the Reader section from its website and marked existing models as discontinued.
2013. Kobo updates its digital publishing service Aquafadas
Kobo has announced enhancements to its digital publishing platform for iPad and Android tablets, Aquafadas. It now includes support for iOS 7, the capability to incorporate premium enrichments such as real-world physics into digital content and overall upgrades for Android interactive book creation. Publishers can now add physical properties to any design element, create animations using the tablet’s accelerometer (so the content responds to gravity and moves with the tablet), enabling them to build interactive books without writing any code. A new feature allows control of HTML animations within the page and overcomes some iOS limitations, enabling multiple animations to play simultaneously.
2013. Kobo stops showing Goodreads ratings and reviews
As you recall, Amazon acquired the book-review social network Goodreads in March, so it's understandable that Kobo has ceased using the Goodreads API on its website and in its apps. This means no more Goodreads ratings and reviews on Kobo book pages. It appears this decision was made by Kobo rather than Goodreads or Amazon: The company’s chief content officer Michael Tamblyn mentioned to Good E-reader that Kobo may potentially reintegrate the Goodreads API in the future. However, this situation highlights the risks of depending on what is now a rival retailer’s API. Goodreads faced a similar issue in early 2012 when it stopped using Amazon’s API for book data and switched to data from book wholesaler Ingram. Currently, Goodreads states that it utilizes metadata from a combination of sources — Ingram, WorldCat and ONIX feeds.
2013. Kobo launches ereading app for BlackBerry 10
Kobo introduced its first e-reading app for BlackBerry back in March 2010. Today, Kobo announced that its free e-reading application is now available for BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 smartphone users. The app will allow readers on the move to access, browse and purchase from the over 3.5 million books available on Kobo’s eBookstore, as well as automatically synchronize their library across any device they own. Kobo’s e-reading app lets users easily manage their library and create personalized bookshelves, search within a book, highlight text, take notes within the eBook experience and rate and review books, as well as see what other readers have to say.
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