On E-Book Reader Competition

Kobo has just announced a new e-book reader (the Aura HD) to compete with a growing array of readers on the market. The addition of the ubiquitous "HD" moniker signifies a greater pixel density than any other reader on sale at the moment (it has a 1440 x 1080 giving it 265 PPI). The product page is awash with technical specifications and features aimed at besting both Amazon's Kindle and Barnes and Noble's Nook. They include a 6.8 inch display (bigger that either the Fire or Nook), Micro SD card slot, and an impressive 2 month battery life (30 minutes a day, ComfortLight on, WiFi off). The full press release is available at TechCrunch.

The interesting bit about this new product is not the reader (although it looks to be a good option for anyone in the market for a new one), but that Kobo is still competing with Amazon and Barnes and Noble on the features rather than content. While technical specifications are important and can break a product, specs can no longer make a successful product by themselves. Content is now the primary driver of products. Brief mention is made of the Kobo e-book store and the reading experience on the device.

The problem of marketing these devices on the basis of their technical specifications and capabilities is that most manufacturers of e-book readers source their components from the same companies. The displays, for the most part, come from E-Ink. In other words, the majority of these devices are the same, and the only real differentiation is in the content. The Aura HD is the only reader using this specific display, but rest assured that Amazon and Barnes and Noble are not far behind.

Kobo attempts to targeted a specific market ("passionate book-lovers" according to the press release), but that is not the the most effective way to promote their e-book readers. Who else buys any e-book reader besides the "passionate book-lover"? Kobo should be trying to communicate why their readers are the best way to access the content that consumers want. Kobo has seen adoption outside of the United States based on their use of the ePub standard and the lack of competition from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. In order to break in to the American market, Kobo needs to learn what consumers are looking for in an e-book reader and communicate how Kobo readers do that better than any others.