Stefan Mileschin

Remember that new e-reader from Kobo we told you about, not all that many minutes ago? Say hello to the Aura. The successor to the Glo owes more than just its name to the recently introduced Aura HD -- the device has also brought over the high-end specs and a bit of the device language from that Cadillac of e-readers. When the company handed off the device, the first thing we noticed was that best in class front lighting. Kobo mastered that back with the Glo and has naturally trotted it out on subsequent devices.

Also immediately apparent is the size of the thing. The Aura appears smaller than other six inch readers. Hold it up against the Paperwhite and its clear that there's considerably less bezel. Also, the bezel lays flush with the display -- Kobo's dumped the old infrared touch for a capacitive display, so there's no need for a gap. The device is also impressively thin and light compared to past Kobo readers -- and the rest of the market, for that matter. This really is an impressive piece of hardware, though even with that in mind, the $150 price tag may be tough for all but the most hardcore readers to swallow. Around the back, you'll notice that Kobo brought a bit of the crooked design, though it's a lot more subtle than on the HD. As an homage to past Kobo readers, the criss cross diamond design is back, though it's for more subtle this time out.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/27/k...&ncid=rss_semi