The ultimate winter e-reader accessory is coming to Kobo e-readers. No, it’s not a fuzzy case or branded knit blanket — it’s a remote. Rakuten, the company behind Kobo e-readers, just announced that on Nov. 4, it’ll be launching a remote that’s compatible with the brand’s e-readers. A remote is one of our favorite accessories for an e-reader, and Kobos are the first e-readers to get a native remote.
Rakuten Kobo CEO Michael Tamblyn says, “The Kobo Remote is the perfect accessory for peak immersive reading; it’s an invitation to lounge deeper, multitask smarter, and simply enjoy reading without limits, no matter whether your environment is beach or blankets.”
Page-turning remotes are not a new innovation in the e-reader landscape. The BookTok girlies have been all over it for years, touting cozy setups with gooseneck stands and remotes to keep their hands tucked under the blankets while still being able to turn to the next page on their e-readers.
Kobo’s remote will come in two shades, white and black, just like most of its e-readers. The Kobo remote measures 3.92 inches long and about 1.18 inches wide. It has a curved design for an ergonomic feel, and is powered by Bluetooth and a AAA battery. E-reader remotes have never been sold by e-reader brands, making Kobo the first to do so.
Mashable Light Speed
The Kobo remote is compatible with the following Kobo e-readers: Kobo Clara 2E, Kobo Clara BW, Kobo Clara Colour, Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Libra Colour, Kobo Sage, Kobo Elipsa, and Kobo Elipsa 2E.
Most other page turners come in two parts: one piece that clips onto the side of the e-reader to tap the screen, and then the actual remote, which controls that clip-on piece. The Kobo Remote will just be one piece, as it’s native to the Kobo operating system and communicates with the device over Bluetooth rather than needing a clip-on piece to tap the screen.
This page-turner is much needed in the Kobo system, as I’ve found that generic page-turner remotes don’t always work with the Kobo e-readers. Because the screens on Kobo e-readers aren’t flush to their borders, the lip prevents the page turners from pressing the screen unless positioned just right. With the Kobo Remote, that won’t be a problem.
The only current downside I see is the price. At $29.99, it’s $10 more than most remotes you can find on Amazon, which typically retail for $19.99. That being said, the extra cost will be worth it for the cozy reading experience.
Now that Kobo has released a remote for its e-readers, it’s just a matter of time before Amazon designs a remote for Kindles.
