Rakuten Kobo Forma announced, a stylish, feature-packed e-reader for $280

The Rakuten Kobo Forma is a new feature packed e-Reader that aims to compete with the Amazon Kindle Oasis, which was upgraded last year. Its marketed as the "largest and lightest 8-inch display eReader".

The Kobo Forma features a "cutting-edge" 8-inch HD E Ink display which feels "lighter than air" with Mobius technology, and manages to weigh just 197 grams (3 grams more than the Kindle Oasis). It has an ergonomic smoothly curved design, which makes it comfortable for holding it for hours, and offers page-turn buttons as a tactile backup if you don't want to use the touchscreen. The company claims the device lasts "weeks" between charges.

Just like Amazon's Kindle Oasis, the Kobo Forma is waterproof, with IPX8 rating allowing it to spend up to 60 minutes in 2 meters of water without suffering any type of damage. The device is also able to withstand hard drops from "more than 2 meters". The e-reader can store as much as 6000 e-books with 8GB of internal storage.

Just like Amazon, Rakuten Kobo is highlighting an adjustable front light as a key selling point here. This comes with proprietary ComfortLight PRO features ensuring a comfortable digital reading experience throughout the day, including right before bed.

The Kobo Forma is clearly packed with features for its $280 asking price, but we are curious if customers will be willing to spend so much on such a niche category.

You will be able to pre-order the Korbo Forma if you are interested starting October 16, and you will be able to purchase the device online or in stores a week later. The device will be available across Canada, the US, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Japan, and Spain.

source - Rakuten Kobo