Are they really phasing out BW e-Readers?

ryuji35 · 09-28-2025, 10:26 AM

I came across this article when I was checking for potential announcement of new e-reader models from Kobo.

https://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...les-and-kobos/

Is it really the end of the e-Ink Carta screens? Because if so, I feel like the need to panic buy existing BW models as there is no way I can accept any Kaleido 3 models as of the moment. I am so pissed that manufacturers are forcing us to get color when a lot of customers don't need one. If they continue in this path and the color screens don't improve, I might as well just go back to tablet reading. I will abandon the e-reader devices altogether.

Sirtel · 09-28-2025, 10:37 AM

No one knows. It's all just speculation.

rcentros · 09-28-2025, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

No one knows. It's all just speculation.

It may be speculation but it also seems to be the trend.

Quoth · 09-28-2025, 12:10 PM

No B&W eink would lead ultimately to the demise of eink. Kaleido is worse than matt screen LCD/OLED because it needs a bright frontlight and there are phones & tablets with matt screens and now good enough run time. Also the resolution/sharpness and contrast of Kaleido color is worse than any 300 dpi Carta eink and decent matt screen LCD/OLED.

Gallery is not as dark and better colour but abysmally slow. The regular eink is already slow and Gallery is x10 slower.

The Kaleido screens can't really improve as it's coloured dots on a Carta1300. There is no sign of Carta getting more than 300 dpi mono (11 years ago, 2014). Even if it was higher resolution, Kaleido is inherently dark.

Kaleido is 6 years old and could have been done in 2005 (First Sony eink) as it's simply a 2 x 2 array of dots that don't completely cover the Carta mono eink screens, which still only have 14 levels with black and white since 2013, same as 2010 Pearl.

The variations of Carta since 300 dpi and variations of Kaleido have been minor tweaks.

The Gallery system is a different principle of panel with inherent Cyan, Yellow and Magenta added to the white. The Advanced Color ePaper (ACeP) or Gallery is from 2016, a 9 year old system with subsequent tweaks. It's for shop displays and poor competition for video panels. About 65K colours/shades.

I've seen Kaleido 3 first hand and it's like 2006-2007 eink, though with more shades (4096 inc white, black and greys). Abysmal. Unusable indoors without a front light. The 300 dpi mono mode is inferior to mono panels and has artefacts. It's only artefact free at 150 dpi (the colour resolution), which was only on the 9.7" Viziplex (DX) and Pearl (DXG) panels.

Colour eink adverts are almost all misleading.

EDIT:
Really Kindle Voyage in 2014, 11 years ago was "peak" eink based ereader. There have only been incremental eink panel improvements – increased size, printed colour overlays for colour and stylus/digitisers – since. Only the larger sizes are actual eink advances (ACeP isn't the same system and wasn't intended for ereaders).

And the majority of ebooks are now read on phones and tablets, which were not anything like as good in 2005 or even 2014 for battery life or screen quality.

Scoob · 09-28-2025, 03:56 PM

I'd hope not but I can see B&W readers only being the cheap entry level ones and the color ones being the ones that get actual attention from their respective companies. Nets them more money per device to sell color. Kinda like what Kobo did with this last batch of new readers. The B&W one is their entry level Clara and the Libre is only available in color now when the B&W version seems to have been the most popular device they ever sold.

Also is there a definitive answer as to why the Kindle basic doesn't get to have a warm light when practically everyone elses entry level ereaders do? I think only pocketbook verse lite or whatever it's called doesn't have a warm light either or any light really. I could be wrong about that if I am I'll edit accordingly.

DJUNGELSKOG · Today, 01:24 PM

Looks like Cultura is no longer selling the B&W Verse Pro/Light HD : https://www.cultura.com/ebook/liseus...-light-hd.html

B&W Inkpad 3/4 are listed as out of stock and it looks like only Inkpad Color 3s are available.

Standaard Boekhandel is no longer advertising the B&W Verse Pro either:

https://www.standaardboekhandel.be/v...elijkendetabel

rcentros · Today, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJUNGELSKOG

Looks like Cultura is no longer selling the B&W Verse Pro/Light HD : https://www.cultura.com/ebook/liseus...-light-hd.html

B&W Inkpad 3/4 are listed as out of stock and it looks like only Inkpad Color 3s are available.

Standaard Boekhandel is no longer advertising the B&W Verse Pro either:

https://www.standaardboekhandel.be/v...elijkendetabel

In the U.S. (at Amazon) it looks like the whole line is available directly from PocketBook (although some models show "limited number").

09-28-2025, 10:26 AM	#1
ryuji35 Zealot Posts: 148 Karma: 1571384 Join Date: Apr 2012 Device: Kobo Sage, Kobo Libra 2, Boox Palma 1, Samsung A9, Boox Poke 5	Are they really phasing out BW e-Readers? I came across this article when I was checking for potential announcement of new e-reader models from Kobo. https://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...les-and-kobos/ Is it really the end of the e-Ink Carta screens? Because if so, I feel like the need to panic buy existing BW models as there is no way I can accept any Kaleido 3 models as of the moment. I am so pissed that manufacturers are forcing us to get color when a lot of customers don't need one. If they continue in this path and the color screens don't improve, I might as well just go back to tablet reading. I will abandon the e-reader devices altogether.

09-28-2025, 12:10 PM	#4
Quoth Still reading Posts: 14,730 Karma: 109269703 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	No B&W eink would lead ultimately to the demise of eink. Kaleido is worse than matt screen LCD/OLED because it needs a bright frontlight and there are phones & tablets with matt screens and now good enough run time. Also the resolution/sharpness and contrast of Kaleido color is worse than any 300 dpi Carta eink and decent matt screen LCD/OLED. Gallery is not as dark and better colour but abysmally slow. The regular eink is already slow and Gallery is x10 slower. The Kaleido screens can't really improve as it's coloured dots on a Carta1300. There is no sign of Carta getting more than 300 dpi mono (11 years ago, 2014). Even if it was higher resolution, Kaleido is inherently dark. Kaleido is 6 years old and could have been done in 2005 (First Sony eink) as it's simply a 2 x 2 array of dots that don't completely cover the Carta mono eink screens, which still only have 14 levels with black and white since 2013, same as 2010 Pearl. The variations of Carta since 300 dpi and variations of Kaleido have been minor tweaks. The Gallery system is a different principle of panel with inherent Cyan, Yellow and Magenta added to the white. The Advanced Color ePaper (ACeP) or Gallery is from 2016, a 9 year old system with subsequent tweaks. It's for shop displays and poor competition for video panels. About 65K colours/shades. I've seen Kaleido 3 first hand and it's like 2006-2007 eink, though with more shades (4096 inc white, black and greys). Abysmal. Unusable indoors without a front light. The 300 dpi mono mode is inferior to mono panels and has artefacts. It's only artefact free at 150 dpi (the colour resolution), which was only on the 9.7" Viziplex (DX) and Pearl (DXG) panels. Colour eink adverts are almost all misleading. EDIT: Really Kindle Voyage in 2014, 11 years ago was "peak" eink based ereader. There have only been incremental eink panel improvements – increased size, printed colour overlays for colour and stylus/digitisers – since. Only the larger sizes are actual eink advances (ACeP isn't the same system and wasn't intended for ereaders). And the majority of ebooks are now read on phones and tablets, which were not anything like as good in 2005 or even 2014 for battery life or screen quality. Last edited by Quoth; 09-28-2025 at 12:18 PM.

Today, 01:24 PM	#6
DJUNGELSKOG Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 443128 Join Date: Nov 2023 Location: Belgium / Vlaanderen Device: Kobo Libra 2 + Vivlio Light HD + (ancient) iPad Pro	Looks like Cultura is no longer selling the B&W Verse Pro/Light HD : https://www.cultura.com/ebook/liseus...-light-hd.html B&W Inkpad 3/4 are listed as out of stock and it looks like only Inkpad Color 3s are available. Standaard Boekhandel is no longer advertising the B&W Verse Pro either: https://www.standaardboekhandel.be/v...elijkendetabel Last edited by DJUNGELSKOG; Today at 01:29 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Rakuten / Kobo phasing out Overdrive	Derf	Kobo Reader	10	07-09-2018 06:05 AM
Endgadget - BN Phasing Out 3G	abookreader	News	21	01-26-2011 06:40 PM
Classic Barnes & Noble phasing out the Nook 3G	MadRider	Barnes & Noble NOOK	1	01-25-2011 12:04 AM
Toronto Star: City libraries phasing out reference books	SensualPoet	News	13	07-28-2010 07:26 PM

09-28-2025, 10:37 AM	#2
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,829 Karma: 243276973 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	No one knows. It's all just speculation.

09-28-2025, 03:56 PM	#5
Scoob Groupie Posts: 168 Karma: 100 Join Date: Sep 2024 Location: USA Device: Voyage, K3, NST, Glow+ 2019, Glow 4, Sony Ereaders	I'd hope not but I can see B&W readers only being the cheap entry level ones and the color ones being the ones that get actual attention from their respective companies. Nets them more money per device to sell color. Kinda like what Kobo did with this last batch of new readers. The B&W one is their entry level Clara and the Libre is only available in color now when the B&W version seems to have been the most popular device they ever sold. Also is there a definitive answer as to why the Kindle basic doesn't get to have a warm light when practically everyone elses entry level ereaders do? I think only pocketbook verse lite or whatever it's called doesn't have a warm light either or any light really. I could be wrong about that if I am I'll edit accordingly.