Kobo Libra H2O eReader Clears the FCC

23.08.2019 Nate Hoffelder 4 Comments

Kobo’s newest ereader showed up on the FCC website on Friday, and it is very likely going to be called the Libra H2O.

This morning I got an email from a helpful little bot which told me that Netronix, Kobo’s Taiwan-based hardware partner, had filed new FCC paperwork. Almost all of the interesting details have been embargoed, but I can tell you that the device carries a Kobo model number and that Kobo is mentioned in the paperwork in numerous places, including in a screenshot from the device.

I can also tell you that the new device is probably going to be called the Libra H2O.

After I got the FCC notice, I immediately started searching online for additional info. Putting the Kobo model number (N873) into Google turned up several web pages that mentioned a name for the device, Libra H2O.

What probably happened was that a database leaked somewhere, and these sites created pages automatically based on the data they could retrieve (this is actually a standard practice).

This could turn out to be a placeholder name, but there’s a better than even chance it is the name of the new Kobo ereader that will launch in the next few weeks.

Stay tuned.

FCC

Comments

Steve H. August 23, 2019 um 10:14 pm

Cool name for a reader. Hopefully with something new.

Tarwin September 4, 2019 um 1:50 pm

It’s live as coming soon on their Canadian page.

One more important detail, if true, is the screen’s substrate.

Supposedly it will be plastic like the forma.

I was talking to kobo customer support over s small payment issue and while I was doing that I saw the listing for the Libra on their web site. So when the issue was resolved I asked if he could tell me whether it would have a plastic substrate like the Forma or a glass one like their other readers. He said plastic.

If course, take this with a grain of salt since customer service reps don’t always have the pertinent information and sometimes they misunderstand (for all I know he thought I meant the top of the screen), but I do have the chat transcript (I clicked the e-mail me the transcript option) and it is promising.