Aren't Kobo eReader designs a little boring?

[Cootey]

I was looking at the latest Onyx releases yesterday. I couldn't help noticing how similar they looked to all other Kindle competitors out there. Kobo devices are just as unremarkable. When the eReader scene was new, every device looked distinct. Now, except for the Kindle Oasis, they don't. This was due to the mechanical nature of the early eReaders. Now that everything is touch sensitive, even iPads have a sameness about them.

It's true that my KA1 LE feels very different to hold when compared to my Paperwhite, and the Kindle Voyage, Oasis, and new Nook have page turn buttons, but visually they're mostly all black rectangles, even the Oasis. Most visual differentiation between brands is in the back of the device.

What would you like to see in future Kobo designs to help them stand out from the crowd? Are features the only things that matter? Is there something else they can add to the design aside from color?

[ilovejedd]

The Apple iPhone X has a very distinctive (but imho ugly) notch. If that's the type of visual differentiation we'll see, I'd rather stick to boring.

I don't think I'd like to see them go completely bezel-less either. Given e-readers tend to be wider and heavier than phones, the bezels serve as palm rest when holding.

[pickyaxe]

I personally think Kobo's designs were unique and very attractive. The backs of the devices especially are really something... up until the Aura One when they unified everything under their new "blue button" style. I find that design rather generic and tacky.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Cootey

...

What would you like to see in future Kobo designs to help them stand out from the crowd? Are features the only things that matter? Is there something else they can add to the design aside from color?

I don't really care how it looks. . I do find it interesting that every reader seems to come out with a different rear material/ texture/feel, I would think that they would standardize this.

For me, I would like to see a reliable reading experience; one annoying thing now is that I don't get a reliable page turn.

And I would like Bluetooth remote page turning.

[darryl]

I don't particularly care. I want to read on my devices, not look at them. Whatever gives a good reading experience is fine by me.

[John F]

Originally Posted by darryl

I don't particularly care. I want to read on my devices, not look at them. Whatever gives a good reading experience is fine by me.

I agree. But I do draw the line at pink.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by John F

I agree. But I do draw the line at pink.

But I want a pink ereader, like Sony PRS-350. Imagine, a pink lighted 5" Kobo

[Abtacha]

It's a screen in a plastic box, making it "interesting" will most likely just make it worse.
I care about the books I read, not my reader as a fashion accessory.

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by Abtacha

It's a screen in a plastic box, making it "interesting" will most likely just make it worse.
I care about the books I read, not my reader as a fashion accessory.

Well said.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

But I want a pink ereader, like Sony PRS-350. Imagine, a pink lighted 5" Kobo

Yes, please! I want one!

[LucyOne]

I have three Pocketbook devices. They all look very different, in colour, size, design.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

The Apple iPhone X has a very distinctive (but imho ugly) notch. If that's the type of visual differentiation we'll see, I'd rather stick to boring.

I don't think I'd like to see them go completely bezel-less either. Given e-readers tend to be wider and heavier than phones, the bezels serve as palm rest when holding.

That iPhone X notch is a case of function over form. For now, all those cameras that do facial recognition require the landscape.

I'm not thinking bezel-less. You're right. The bezels give us a place to hold. But do they all have to be boring?

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by Abtacha

It's a screen in a plastic box, making it "interesting" will most likely just make it worse.
I care about the books I read, not my reader as a fashion accessory.

I disagree. Creative designs help in marketing the device. If they all look the same as they do now, then how do they stand out? What sets Kobo apart to the Walmart consumer who doesn't understand or care about comparative specs? What quickens the pulse and catches the eye when Kindles and Kobos are identical from a distance?

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by LucyOne

I have three Pocketbook devices. They all look very different, in colour, size, design.

Thanks for pointing that out. The Touch HD 2 and the Touch Lux 3 have distinctive case designs. Design-wise, they rock the page turning buttons. Imagine if the Kobo Clara HD was red with a charcoal gray logo. It would look distinctive.

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

But I want a pink ereader, like Sony PRS-350. Imagine, a pink lighted 5" Kobo

A pink Mini 2 would have been a big hit with my girls years ago. We got a white Mini with a rose back, but then we put it in a case, and bye-bye rose back! Still, the mini format was more welcoming to them than my Kindle. Several daughters got use out of it. My youngest fell in love with it. We only replaced it when it couldn't borrow books from the library like my KA1. Features do matter. My girl absolutely LOVES borrowing from the library whenever she pleases.