Will $99 Kobo Auras mean cheaper Paperwhites?

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by rcentros

At the Walmart display in the one (maybe the only one in the country?) Walmart store that I've found (or heard of) that actually has a Kobo display. Now I'm beginning to wonder how tired I was when I took the pictures and whether my phone/camera was as wonked out as I was. $99 even for the Aura. You can see the price in one of the pictures I posted in a thread here ... somewhere.

I am thinking either plans changed or the cards you are seeing are fake (or purposely misleading). And yes, I have seen your pictures.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

I am thinking either plans changed or the cards you are seeing are fake (or purposely misleading). And yes, I have seen your pictures.

Walmart.com/Ebooks is up. The price of the Aura is $99.99 there (instead of $99.00 as marked at Walmart).

https://www.walmart.com/product/621781419/sellers

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by rcentros

And ... not sure why you (Zod) say the Aura is closer to the Basic than the Paperwhite (212 Carta resolution instead of 300? — the Basic is 167 Pearl).

I say that because it is. The Aura Ed 2 is a subpar reader that was dinged in all reviews for being behind the times when compared to the similarly priced offerings from Kindle and Nook. Here's the titles from the first three reviews that had more in their title than 'Aura Edition 2 Review':

It’s better than Amazon’s baseline Kindle, but it’s a lot more expensive

Kobo Aura Edition 2 is Going to Be a Total Flop

Kobo Aura Edition 2 Review 2017 • A Few Steps Back?

At $99, the Aura Edition 2 feels like it is priced correctly. At $120-ish, why should I buy that when I can get the nicer Paperwhite or Glowlight 3?

Apparently, Kobo agrees, hence the release of the Clara, which is a nice reader that can better compete with the current Paperwhite and Glowlight.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I say that because it is. The Aura Ed 2 is a subpar reader that was dinged in all reviews for being behind the times when compared to the similarly priced offerings from Kindle and Nook. Here's the titles from the first three reviews that had more in their title than 'Aura Edition 2 Review':

It’s better than Amazon’s baseline Kindle, but it’s a lot more expensive

Kobo Aura Edition 2 is Going to Be a Total Flop

Kobo Aura Edition 2 Review 2017 • A Few Steps Back?

At $99, the Aura Edition 2 feels like it is priced correctly. At $120-ish, why should I buy that when I can get the nicer Paperwhite or Glowlight 3?

Apparently, Kobo agrees, hence the release of the Clara, which is a nice reader that can better compete with the current Paperwhite and Glowlight.

Well, the second review (the "total flop" one) seems to be mostly contradicted by the same reviewer once he had the device in hand a couple months later.

https://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...o-walkthrough/

It looks like the main complaints with the Aura was that it was a "step back" from the original Aura. I haven't – personally – held one or used one so I can only go by the specs.

Comparing the Aura 2 specs to the Kindle Basic ... 212 ppi vs 167 ppi, Carta screen vs Pearl screen, front lighting, (now) direct borrowing from Overdrive and smaller (slightly) then the Basic. Advantage for the Kindle Basic, Bluetooth and Audible capabilities.

Comparing the Aura 2 specs to the Paperwhite ... 212 ppi vs 300 ppi, Aura 2 is lighter and smaller, the Aura 2 now has direct borrowing from Overdrive, the Aura 2 does not come with ads.

But beyond this ... other considerations. Amazon enjoys its near monopoly control of the eBook market in the United States. This Walmart move has the potential to threaten that (or least cut into their sales). The Paperwhite is due for a refresh anyhow (I'm guessing Bluetooth and a night light feature, plus a smaller size) and that will leave them with a perfectly serviceable Paperwhite 3 (older technology) – so they could drop it's price to $99 (like they did with the Kindle touch when the original Paperwhite came out).

It's all speculation, but I expect to see $99 Paperwhites (it's still $119 if you want get rid of the ads).

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Well, the second review (the "total flop" one) seems to be mostly contradicted by the same reviewer once he had the device in hand a couple months later.

https://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...o-walkthrough/

It looks like the main complaints with the Aura was that it was a "step back" from the original Aura. I haven't – personally – held one or used one so I can only go by the specs.

Comparing the Aura 2 specs to the Kindle Basic ... 212 ppi vs 167 ppi, Carta screen vs Pearl screen, front lighting, (now) direct borrowing from Overdrive and smaller (slightly) then the Basic. Advantage for the Kindle Basic, Bluetooth and Audible capabilities.

Comparing the Aura 2 specs to the Paperwhite ... 212 ppi vs 300 ppi, Aura 2 is lighter and smaller, the Aura 2 now has direct borrowing from Overdrive, the Aura 2 does not come with ads.

But beyond this ... other considerations. Amazon enjoys its near monopoly control of the eBook market in the United States. This Walmart move has the potential to threaten that (or least cut into their sales). The Paperwhite is due for a refresh anyhow (I'm guessing Bluetooth and a night light feature, plus a smaller size) and that will leave them with a perfectly serviceable Paperwhite 3 (older technology) – so they could drop it's price to $99 (like they did with the Kindle touch when the original Paperwhite came out).

It's all speculation, but I expect to see $99 Paperwhites (it's still $119 if you want get rid of the ads).

I don't see Amazon price-matching the Paperwhite to the Aura Ed 2, aside from maybe a sale. If they do, that can only be good for the consumer.

That second review you mentioned, where he steps contradicted his earlier review? We must have read different reviews.

It’s basically a downgraded version of the Kobo Glo HD, which Kobo is inexplicably discontinuing in favor of it.

The thing that set the original apart was the fact that it had a premium design and a flush glass screen. The new model has neither of those qualities. In fact it’s a downgrade in more ways than one...

Now Kobo has two low-end 6-inch models with no mid to higher-end version to compete with the Kindle and all the other 300 ppi 6-inch ereaders, which have become the new norm.

You can’t help but be disappointed with the Aura Edition 2 when it’s replacing a better model.

Wow. With that glowing review, I wonder if Kobo paid him

To me, it's obvious that the Aura Ed 2 is a step down from the Paperwhite and has more in common with the basic. If you don't see it that way, that's okay.

[John F]

To me, the Aura 2nd Ed looks more like the Paperwhite than a Basic.

The Aura looks like several steps up from the Basic: newer Gen screen, higher ppi, and front lighting. And one step down from the Paperwhite: lower ppi.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by John F

To me, the Aura 2nd Ed looks more like the Paperwhite than a Basic.

The Aura looks like several steps up from the Basic: newer Gen screen, higher ppi, and front lighting. And one step down from the Paperwhite: lower ppi.

What would the Clara be, then?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

To me, it's obvious that the Aura Ed 2 is a step down from the Paperwhite and has more in common with the basic. If you don't see it that way, that's okay.

I don't, but (as you say) it's okay. I think the fact the Aura 2 has a Carta screen puts it into a different class than than the Kindle Basic and its Pearl screen.

Whether Amazon drops the price of the Paperwhite to $99 (or not) ... I guess we'll see. It was pure speculation on my part, but I think my reasoning is valid.

[John F]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

What would the Clara be, then?

A step up from the Paperwhite: Comfort Light Pro.

What do you consider Clara HD to be?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

What would the Clara be, then?

Somewhere between the Paperwhite and Voyage.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by John F

A step up from the Paperwhite: Comfort Light Pro.

What do you consider Clara HD to be?

I consider the Clara to be a course correction from Kobo. The Paperwhite, Glowlight 3 and Clara HD are roughly equivalent $120 readers. The Aura Edition 2 is a step below them.

When the Aura was trying to compete with the Paperwhite and Glowlight 3 at that price, it was too much for a reader that was less nice than its predecessor and less nice than the Glo HD that was retired when the Aura 2 went on sale.

[John F]

... and the Kobo Aura is $119 on the Kobo website.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by John F

... and the Kobo Aura is $119 on the Kobo website.

And I'm sure they're flying off the shelves. Get yours before they're gone!

Hey, if Kobo can sell that reader for $119, more power to them. But if you can get the Aura for $119 and you can get the Clara for $129, why would you buy the Aura?

[issybird]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

And I'm sure they're flying off the shelves. Get yours before they're gone!

Hey, if Kobo can sell that reader for $119, more power to them. But if you can get the Aura for $119 and you can get the Clara for $129, why would you buy the Aura?

That's essentially the same calculus I did when they introduced the Aura Ed 2; the writing was on the wall for the Glo HD so I jumped. I think this time the writing's on the wall for the Aura. Either Kobo is quite cynically using Walmart to offload a boatload of inventory or the Aura will be repositioned as a competitor to the basic Kindle, with a price to match. Even at $99, when you can regularly get a PW at that price, it's overpriced.

[TheDreamer]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I don't see Amazon price-matching the Paperwhite to the Aura Ed 2, aside from maybe a sale. If they do, that can only be good for the consumer.

Actually, Amazon could do better in a sale.... in an Amazon Lightning sale, I had gotten a 2nd Gen Paperwhite for $20 (wish they'd do a deal like that again, since I lost that e-reader...)

The Dreamer