E-reader maker Kobo is following Barnes & Noble's and Amazon's footsteps to introduce its own low-priced Android handset.
E-reader maker Kobo is following Barnes & Noble’s and Amazon’s footsteps to introduce its own low-priced Android handset.
The Kobo Vox tablet has been introduced by the Canadian firm on Wednesday with the suggested price of $199.99 while Barnes & Noble’s Nook Color handset sells for $249.
Kobo started taking pre-orders for the Vox on Wednesday, which have the same features to what Nook Color or Kindle Fire users might find in their handsets.
The Vox is equipped with a 7-inch screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 that is covered in an anti-glare coating that will make the handset better suited for outdoor reading. In addition, it also features 8 gigabytes of built-in storage memory and a microSD card slot that can handle up to 32-gigabyte cards, a long with an 800-megahertz processor and 512 megabytes of RAM.
Similar to the Kindle Fire and Nook Color, the Vox is Wi-Fi only. The multi-touch display on the front is offset by a colored plastic band around the side of the Vox, and Kobo’s quilted plastic back design style remains in place. The Vox is available in colors of lime green”, “hot pink,” “,” “ice blue” and “jet black.”
Different from the Nook Color and the Kindle Fire, the Kobo Vox is running a less-modified version of Google’s Android operating system. Kobo is utilizing “full open access Android 2.3,” also known as Gingerbread, an operating system widely utilized on handsets but also an OS that was designed by Google with phones in mind.
Kobo’s Reading Life application is included on the Vox which enables consumers to track their reading by way of stats with digital awards offered up based on that progress and integration with Facebook and Twitter for easy sharing. The Vox will begin releasing on Oct. 28, a couple of weeks ahead of the Kindle Fire.
Kobo’s Vox is competing with Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with all three companies now supplying touch-screen eInk eReaders and 7-inch touch-screen Android handsets.
It will match its competitors and won’t be left behind as it rivals to be the third-place eReader with sights set on growing in stature and sales.
