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Icarus Illumina XL 8″ Android eReader Now Up for Pre-Order

Icarus-Illumina-XLIf you’re not happy with the 6″ screen on your ereader, then I have some good news for you. Icarus has recently and quietly updated its website with a new 8″ ereader.

The Illumina XL features an 8″ epaper screen and runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.  In many ways, the Illumina XL is a bigger version of the 6″ Icarus Illumina ereader. Like the smaller models it has a frontlight, touchscreen, audio, and 8GB of storage, but unfortunately it also has the same screen resolution.

According to Icarus, the Illumina XL has a screen resolution of 1024 x 768, the same as on the Cybook Ocean. That screen comes not from E-ink but from its competitor, and is much lower resolution screen than found on either the Pocketbook Inkpad or Onyx Boox i86 (1,200 x 1,600).

With a sharpness of 160 ppi, it’s not a terrible screen, but the sharper 250ppi screens on the  competing models also deserve your attention.

You can find more info on the Illumina XL is the spec sheet below, or on the Icarus website, where the Illumina XL is up for pre-order today for 199 euros.

It is expected to ship at the end of November.

Icarus Illumina XL Specs

  • 8″  epaper Display
  • Screen resolution: 1024 x 768 pixels
  • Adjustable frontlight
  • Wifi
  • Storage: 8GB, microSD card Slot (supported up to 32GB)
  • Battery 2.8Ah
  • Supported formats: TXT, PDF, EPUB, PDF, FB2, HTML, RTF, MOBI, DJVU, CHM, IRC, JPG, BMP, MP3
  • Audio support via 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Dimensions: 145 x 200 x 9mm
  • Weight: 275 grams

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Comments


tz October 22, 2015 um 2:53 pm

I doubt the XL will sell well at that price, given the low resolution screen, since the competitors with UXGA screens cost about the same.

Nate Hoffelder October 22, 2015 um 5:57 pm

It might sell okay – if it has a decent CPU (dual-core, perhaps) and good build quality. But I’m not sure that’s going to happen.


William Francis November 22, 2015 um 2:36 am

Good morning.
I live in Cameroon (central Africa).
I will like to have the ICARUS 8.
That will be ok for me just to read comfortably my pdf documents.
Please where can I have one.
Thanks.

Nate Hoffelder November 22, 2015 um 8:08 am

Icarus isn’t selling them yet, but once the Illumina XL 8 is released you will be able to order them from the Icarus website.


Sayre Browne November 22, 2015 um 8:30 pm

It’s kind of a bummer it doesn’t have the physical buttons like the 6 inch Illumina. I’m on the fence about it because I’d like a bigger ereader with a front-light, but I’m not sure if it’ll be as fast and have as subtle page refreshes as an Amazon device.


William Francis December 15, 2015 um 3:29 am

Hello!
I live in Cameroon (central Africa).
I will like to have the former ICARUS 8 ( the 8" screen which is not touch screen)
That will be ok for me just to read comfortably my pdf documents.
Please can somebody help me to have one.
Thanks very much.

Nate Hoffelder December 15, 2015 um 6:56 am

I do not know of a site where you can buy one, sorry.


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