Kobo Glo vs Kobo Nia

Last updated: July 10, 2023
Kobo Glo and Kobo Nia are both eReader devices from Kobo, offering different features and reading experiences that cater to different needs.

One key difference between Kobo Glo and Kobo Nia lies in their display technology. Kobo Glo features an E Ink display with built-in front lighting. This ComfortLight feature allows users to adjust the screen brightness for reading in various lighting conditions, making it ideal for both day and night reading. On the other hand, Kobo Nia also features an E Ink display, but it lacks the built-in front lighting. This means that Kobo Nia relies solely on ambient light and may be less suitable for reading in low-light environments. Users who prioritize reading in different lighting conditions may find the front lighting feature of Kobo Glo advantageous.

Another significant difference lies in their storage capacity. Kobo Glo typically offers more storage space compared to Kobo Nia. Kobo Glo devices often have 8 GB or 16 GB of onboard storage, allowing users to store a larger number of eBooks on the device itself. Kobo Nia, on the other hand, generally comes with 8 GB of storage, which is still sufficient for holding a considerable library of eBooks. However, users who have a substantial eBook collection or prefer to carry multiple books with them at once may find the extra storage capacity of Kobo Glo more appealing.

Additionally, there may be a difference in the design and physical aspects of the devices. Kobo Glo typically features a larger and wider design, offering a larger display area for reading. This larger form factor may be preferable for readers who desire a larger screen for enhanced readability. Kobo Nia, on the other hand, offers a more compact and lightweight design, making it easier to hold and carry around. The choice between the two devices may depend on individual preferences for screen size and portability.
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Kobo Glo
Kobo Glo's revolutionary ComfortLight illuminates the screen with a soft, adjustable glow so you can read any eBook any time of day under the perfect light — no lamp required. Because Kobo Glo’s advanced high-res XGA Pearl E Ink screen doesn’t use a glass overlay for its front light technology, there’s never any glare, even in the brightest sunlight.
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Kobo Nia
Kobo Nia is a 6-inch reader with a 1024x758 pixel, 212 ppi resolution touchscreen. It's equipped with Kobo's ComfortLight tech, which lets you adjust the display's brightness as you see fit. The Nia is pretty sleek at 172 grams, with 9.2mm of thickness around the edges. Inside, there's a 1,000mAh battery, which offers "weeks" of reading on a single charge + 8GB of storage.
Kobo Glo vs Kobo Nia in our news:

2020. Kobo introduces $99 e-reader Nia to replace Aura



Rakuten has introduced a new, entry-level e-book reader that stands up favorably to the most affordable Amazon Kindle in various significant aspects. The Kobo Nia features a 6-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024x758 pixels and 212 ppi. It incorporates Kobo's ComfortLight technology, allowing users to adjust the display's brightness according to their preference. With a sleek design weighing in at 172 grams and measuring 9.2mm in thickness, the Nia offers a visually appealing form factor. Inside, it is powered by a 1,000mAh battery, providing "weeks" of reading on a single charge, and offers 8GB of storage capacity. In comparison, Amazon's cheapest Kindle, which inevitably draws comparisons to the Nia, starts at $89.99 but includes Amazon's "Special Offers" ads. Without the ads, the price increases to $109.99. The Kindle also features a 6-inch display but with a lower resolution of 165 ppi and only half the storage capacity of the Nia. These factors make the Nia an enticing choice for budget-conscious e-reader shoppers who prefer not to be locked into Amazon's ecosystem.


2019. Kobo boosts performance of PDF files



Kobo has recently rolled out a firmware update for their complete lineup of e-readers. This update enhances the performance of PDF files, leading to quicker loading times. Moreover, users now have the option to customize the header and footer of their reading interface. They can opt to showcase page numbers, percentage read, time remaining, or even deactivate the header, footer, or progress bar entirely.


2019. Kobo brings many of the Libra H2O features to older Kobo e-readers



Kobo has released a new firmware update for the Kobo Touch, Kobo Glo, and Kobo Aura, incorporating several features found in the latest Kobo Libra H2O model to enhance eBook navigation. The headers and footers now provide information on both chapter and book progress, ensuring you can easily track your reading position. Additionally, a progress bar offers a visual representation of your progress within the book. For further customization, you can adjust your page layout through the Reading settings. The book scrubber has been improved, now displaying the entire book instead of just individual chapters, allowing for smoother navigation. Lastly, the addition of page previews enables quick referencing and facilitates navigation to different sections of the book.


2017. Kobo makes managing ebooks simpler



Kobo has recently released a firmware update for its e-readers, introducing several noteworthy features. One of the key additions is the "Manage Books" feature, accessible under the "My Books" section. This new feature allows users to select multiple books simultaneously, enabling actions such as marking them as finished or unread, removing them, or adding them to collections. The "My Books" section itself has undergone a visual enhancement, offering a cleaner layout of information, along with the inclusion of convenient Filter and Sort menus. The reading experience has also been enhanced with this update. Now, by tapping the middle of the page, users can easily access reading menus, navigate to the Table of Contents, or adjust Reading Settings. Additionally, the screen will now refresh after each chapter, as opposed to every six pages, providing a smoother reading experience.


2015. Kobo unveiled new e-Reader Glo HD to take on Kindle Voyage



Kobo is set to release its latest e-reader, the Glo HD, which claims to offer the highest resolution at an affordable price point. Priced at $129.99 and launching on May 1, this new device from Rakuten-owned Kobo features a 6-inch display with an impressive 300 ppi pixel density. This resolution matches that of the $199.99 Kindle Voyage, ensuring extremely sharp and pixel-free text rendering. Both the Kobo Glo HD and the Kindle Voyage utilize e-ink's Carta screen technology, delivering text quality comparable to high-resolution e-ink screens found in modern smartphones, albeit with the low-power e-paper technology that provides black and white display, ideal for dedicated text reading devices.