If you've ever wanted to read your eBooks in the bath, then Kobo has the eReader for you. The company has just announced the Aura H20, the world's first waterproof eReader. It's IP67 certified, which means you can submerge it in 1m of water for up to 30 minutes without damaging the device when the port cover is closed - the same level of protection currently afforded by the Samsung Galaxy S5 .
“When we asked our customers what held them back from reading more eBooks, many told us they love to read in the bath, by the pool, or on the beach, but believed that devices and water didn’t mix,” said Michael Tamblyn, Kobo's President and Chief Content Officer.
“As we dug deeper, we found that more than 60% of customers surveyed said they would love to be able read near water without worry. We designed the Kobo Aura H2O, our latest premium eReader, so that eBooks could be just as common at the beach or in the bath as they are on the bus or in bed.”
The Aura H20 will have a 6.8in and a Carta E-Ink touchscreen. Kobo didn't mention the display's resolution in its announcement, but said it will have "an upgraded high definition display" and a DPI of 265, which we calculated would mean a resolution of 1,440 x 1,080 - the same resolution as the Aura HD .
It will also have a 1GHz processor, 4GB of internal storage, which can be expanded to 32GB by microSD card, and a battery life of up to two months. It will be dust-proof and have an anti-glare screen and will be thinner and lighter than the Aura HD as well.
Ten fonts will be available, along with 24 different font sizes, and you'll be able to adjust the sharpness of the font and the weight setting, giving you plenty of control over your reading experience. Kobo's Reading Life feature also lets readers take notes, highlight text, make bookmarks and track stats to learn more about their reading habits, as well as share favourite quotes, passages and books to friends on Facebook.
The Aura H20 will be available in black and will cost £139.99 when it launches on 1st October 2014. If you can't wait that long, you can pre-order the device direct from Kobo from 1st September.
