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The Kobo Nia is arriving at a good time for the ebook industry. Despite the movement towards a more environmentally friendly future, digital books haven't found the popularity we all expected when they first emerged on the scene a decade ago. However, that's all changing.
Kobo has seen up to 100% year-on-year growth of ebook sales since the coronavirus pandemic began. Stuck at home and distanced from buying new physical products, should we be surprised the world has responded in this way?
Into this environment, Kobo has launched the Kobo Nia. It's a new, entry-level ereader for the Kobo range that replaces the old Kobo Aura and sits just below the Kobo Clara HD. It's small, lightweight, affordable and provides a comfortable, streamlined way for readers to enter the vast Kobo ebook marketplace. However, it lacks the little extra kick in power that could have seen it truly find its place.
In this regard, it does feel like the Kobo Nia should have been a bit cheaper to better distance itself from the other models.
That said, it's a fully functioning, well-integrated entry point for consumers who want to get into the ebook space with a minimum of fuss and expenditure. While Kobo as a store doesn't have quite the depth of choice as Amazon, it's not far off, and the Kobo Nia ereader plugs into that massive library with a user-friendly interface.
Kobo also has the benefit of now being partnered with Booktopia, Australia's biggest online bookstore, which should improve access to local authors on the Nia. That's certainly something you can't help but be happy about.
If you're on a tight budget but have a reading habit that needs easy, simple, portable access, the Kobo Nia achieves that goal without ever over-reaching.