Kobo has announced its new Glo HD eBook reader with a 300dpi screen that puts it on an equal footing - at least in terms of resolution - with Amazon's most expensive eReader, the Kindle Voyage. The device will have a screen resolution of 1,448x1,072 pixels, which just edges ahead of the Voyage's 1,430x1,080 panel.
In addition to a higher resolution screen - up from the 1,024x768 resolution screen on the base Glo model - there's also more storage, 4GB instead of 2 GB, which is a significant increase for those who buy huge author complete collections and reference books. However, it doesn't have a micro SD card slot, which is something the Glo did have. There aren't any buttons on the device aside from the power switch: all page turns are controlled using the touchscreen.
Despite significantly boosted specifications over the base Kobo Glo model, the Glo HD is only around £20 more expensive with an RRP of £110 in the UK. This makes it £59 cheaper than the Kindle Voyage and £1 more than the Kindle Paperwhite. It's also £30 cheaper than the bath-proof Kobo Aura H2O, which is larger at 6.8 inches and can survive 30 minutes of being submersed in water.
It's a little thicker than Amazon's Voyage, though: its 9.2mm thickness will feel a little chunkier than the 7.6mm Kindle Voyage, but around the same as the 9.1mm Kindle Paperwhite. At a featherweight 180g, it weighs 26g less than the Paperwhite and 6g more than the Voyage. Battery life is claimed to be as long as two months, although this only allows for 30 minutes of reading per day with the screen light switched off. The "ComfortLight" screen light is adjustable, although it doesn't appear to automatically adjust based on lighting conditions and must be switched manually.
From the press images supplied, the Kobo Glo HD is hardly the prettiest eBook reader available on the market, with fairly chunky looking bezels on all corners. However, if a print-like screen resolution and lightness are your top priorities but you don't want to spent £169 on the Kindle Voyage, this could be an attractive alternative. It's available from June 1st in the UK.