Kobo goes back to basics with its latest Nia eReader to cater to anyone who wants to read without needing all the extras. This device isn’t about offering something entirely new, but rather something tried and tested. As some eReaders push the boundaries of what they can do, the Nia is more about the content itself, which becomes obvious as you use it.

There is a new subscription service called Kobo Plus that coincided with the Nia’s launch, and some familiar features remain. You won’t have anything else to get excited about except for the stuff you want to read.

What the Kobo Nia feels like

Kobo went bigger with the Forma and Libra H2O, where 8-inch and 7-inch displays made for larger models. It’s not fair to compare the Nia to those larger models, but doing so with the Clara HD is appropriate. The Nia has a 6-inch display with reasonably-sized bezels to make it the most diminutive eReader available.

That small size comes with some sacrifices. There’s no water-resistance, so you will need to keep it clear of a pool or tub. It doesn’t have the ComfortLight blue light filter, so you won’t get that yellowish tint that makes reading in the dark easier on the eyes. Its 212ppi pixel density also doesn’t make it as ideal for viewing content with images, like comic books.

All that puts more of an onus on actual text. Not to mention the portability relative to the other choices. Kobo designed this in an understated, yet effective way. The plastic body doesn’t feel cheap, and the back has a decent grip to it. If you want to protect the screen, you can always get a SleepCover case in one of three colours.

It is a little unfortunate Kobo stuck to a microUSB port for charging, given that USB-C is now the industry standard. With 8GB of storage, there’s plenty of room for eBooks and other content you can load onto the device. That integration looms large here because it’s the one thing that narrows the gap with Kobo’s other models.

Finding content to read

Kobo’s eBookstore now has 4 million eBooks available, and you can access them while connected to Wi-Fi. About a quarter of those are free to download, which is a good place to look for a gem or two. Otherwise, Kobo’s service partners are also available.

OverDrive remains one of the best features for Kobo because it taps into the plethora of titles held by public libraries. Borrow a digital version of a book from your participating local library, so long as you have an active library card and OverDrive account.

Then there’s Pocket, which is great for taking articles from the web to read later on the Nia. Save the links to your Pocket account while browsing on a computer, tablet or phone, and you can then see them on the eReader.

If you have your own documents or files, Kobo’s format support is broad and extensive. You can load and up and read PDF, EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, MOBI, TXT, HTML or RTF, and getting them onto the Nia isn’t hard. You can see JPEG, TIFF, GIF, PNG and BMP images, as well as CBZ and CBR comic books, but the smaller display isn’t as conducive to that.

Introducing Kobo Plus

In addition to launching the Nia, Kobo also opened its Plus subscription service in Canada. This is an all-you-can-read platform you pay $9.99/month for access to hundreds of thousands of eBooks. There is a 30-day trial to give it a shot first before committing to anything, though you can glean a little insight about what’s available by browsing on the eReader.

Mind you, the Nia isn’t the only Kobo device getting the service. It’s available on every Kobo eReader (except the older Kobo Mini and Kobo Wi-Fi), plus the mobile app and desktop web browsers. The eBooks available won’t necessarily include some of the best-sellers and top authors. It’s a mixed offering, and you can see it for yourself when you browse through.

If you do try Plus out, note that Kobo limits you to 15 eBooks for offline reading over a 30-day period. It will reset when you reconnect to Wi-Fi after you’ve either opened 15 eBooks or reached the end of the 30-day period of offline reading.

Reading on the Kobo Nia

By now, any eReader with a 6-inch display is going to feel small. The Nia feels smaller because of the thinner bezels and lighter weight. While commuting isn’t quite what it used to be for most people under current conditions, this is the kind of device you can slip into most pockets.

From a feature perspective, nothing has really changed as to what you can do while reading. The scrubber to navigate across a book (introduced in the Libra H2O) is the same, as are the ways you annotate or look things up.

Unlike the Libra H2O and Forma, however, you can’t read in landscape when tilting it sideways. For a screen this small, it’s probably not worth including anyway, but still something you should know. However, I have to admit I did miss the ComfortLight Pro. When you’ve used the amber light regularly, it’s hard to get used to the blue light in the dark.

I will say, also, that documents don’t always translate as well to the smaller display. PDFs definitely look better on the larger models, where there’s less of a need to scale down. To me, the Nia is at its best when reading eBooks, no matter where you get them from. It’s less work to manage the text onscreen, and it’s the easiest thing to do on it anyway. I wasn’t crazy about how images looked on it, largely because of the screen’s size, but also because they look sharper on the other models.

None of that may matter much if you’re just looking for a basic eReader to go through some books. In that regard, there’s not much holding the Nia back. It retains most of the important features Kobo is known for, and doesn’t skimp out in spite of the price.

Final thoughts

As I mentioned earlier, this isn’t a successor device. Kobo hasn’t gone this basic with an eReader in years, but it couldn’t come at a better time. The company says it saw a 93% increase in readership between March-July 2020 over the year before due to lockdowns. If you’re among that statistic, then the Nia is a good choice on a budget, or if you just want something basic and portable. If this is too small or basic, then you have other options in Kobo’s lineup.

You won’t have to worry about battery life here, either. Even with regular reading, it will last for weeks, so you won’t have to charge it often. But if you want to keep it safe and protected to last longer, I recommend getting one of the SleepCover cases.

The Kobo Nia is available now at Best Buy.

Ted Kritsonis
Ted Kritsonis
Editor Cellular/Mobile Technology
I’m a fortunate man in being able to do the fun job of following and reporting on one of the most exciting industries in the world today. In my time covering consumer tech, I’ve written for a number of publications, including the Globe and Mail, Yahoo! Canada, CBC.ca, Canoe, Digital Trends, MobileSyrup, G4 Tech, PC World, Faze and AppStorm. I’ve also appeared on TV as a tech expert for Global, CTV and the Shopping Channel.
Twitter

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

392 COMMENTS

  6. i like the Kobo Libra H2O 7″ Digital eReader with Touchscreen and I would like to read The Lying Life of Adults

  7. I’d love to try the new Kobo Nia ereader. It sounds like it would be great for travelling…. light, compact and the battery has a very long life. I’d download American Dirt first, then may lend it to my kids for their university textbooks they can purchase and download. So practical!

  8. Great review, thanks.
    I love my Kobo Touch but my favourite us the Libra H2O. I’d load Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy so I could have a good laugh.

  10. I would love Kobo Nia because it’s small enough to port around easily in my purse and to pull out even when I only have a few minutes. If I had a new e-reader the first book I would add would be Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

  11. The Nia looks like it would be nice to try rather than reading on my phone. I would upload any new JD Robb book!

  12. I would like to try the new Nia because right now I use the Kobo app on my phone but I’d prefer the ereader format

  18. Kobo Clara HD 6″ Digital eReader with Touchscreen is my fav and I would add ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ by Dale:Carnegie

  19. Id love to try any Kobos, but the Nia seesms super handy
    I want to read Billionaires Murders
    Thanks for the chance

  24. I would love to have the new Kobo Nia…lightweight…compact…perfect for reading any mystery drama! It would be my first ereader!

  26. The Kobo Libra H2O 7″ Digital eReader would be my favourite. My first read would “A Very Punchable Face” by Colin Jost.

  27. Kobo Libra probably but would love to try the Nia. I’d upload How to be an Antiracist to understand the issues better.

  28. The Nia is a great budget eReader but I like the Kobo Libra H2O! The first book I would add would be The Body: A Guide for Humans.

  31. Simple, basic and a small compact reader where I can relax and read a good book is what I need. Kobo Nia sounds like a fit for me and one I’d prefer. The Four Agreements would be the first book I’d download as it’s a favorite and I reread it often.

  32. My favourite Kobo is the Kobo Libra H2O 7″ Digital eReader.

    I would add Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir.

  33. The Kobo Libra H2O is my favourite Kobo ereader. First ebook I’d want to read is The Winds of Winter, assuming it ever comes out.

  38. I like the Kobo Forma 8” for the large screen. The book I would add to the Kobo is Dune to get ready for the upcoming movie remakes.

  40. I like the waterproof aspect for camping and beach days so I’d go with the Kobo Libra H2O.
    Niel Gammons Neverwhere is a book I’d load and re-read.

  43. I really like the look and the screen clarity of the Kobo Libra H2O 7″ Digital eReader with Touchscreen. I am presently reading Philip Pullman and would download The Subtle Knife.

  46. I love the Kobo Clara HD and the book I would add first if I won a new ereader would be Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor! 😛

  47. I like the Kobo Libra H2O. Freakonomics by Steven Levitt would probably be the first book to add to my collection.

  48. The review I must say was honest and straight to the point. The Nia although doesn’t have all the bells and whistles sounds simple enough to do exactly what I want. Read a book. I download books from Kobo and from Overdrive then pdfs etc from various sources. And I just need a simple device to read it on. Sounds like the Nia will do that! Thanks Ted for the review!

« Older Comments Newer Comments »

Comments are closed.