Tokyo, October 30, 2014 – Rakuten Kobo Inc., a subsidiary of Rakuten, Inc., today announced that it will carry out an initial sales campaign in Japan for the new Kobo Aura H2O, the world’s first premium waterproof eReader, offering 300 units to Japanese readers in advance of the general sale, which is set to begin in spring 2015. The price of the Kobo Aura H2O is 19,980 yen (tax included).
Over-the-counter sales and online sales of the Kobo Aura H2O began in North America and Europe on October 1. The Kobo Aura H2O was developed for passionate readers who want to enjoy their books anywhere they like, even in the bath or at the beach. The device has already received positive reviews not only for its waterproof and dustproof functions, but also its spacious 6.8” touchscreen that employs upgraded Carta E Ink technology and has a high resolution of 1,430×1,080 pixels (265 dpi) to display each letter with crisp, clear perfection, as well as its front light for reading with ease.
To give Japanese readers the opportunity to be among the first to experience the Kobo Aura H2O ahead of the general sale in Japan scheduled next spring, Kobo has decided to carry out an initial sales campaign limited to 300 units with a 5,000 yen coupon that readers can use to purchase Kobo eBooks. For the initial sale, orders will start being accepted via the Kobo store in Japan from 10:00 JST on October 31, 2014. The devices are scheduled to be shipped around the middle of December*.
Kobo will continue to provide readers with the opportunity to enjoy reading in a variety of different scenes.
*The initial sales campaign is only open to residents of Japan.