Tolino Vision 7 & Shine 5: Unveiled with Color E-Ink Display!
Update: Things can move quickly— the new Tolino color e-readers have now been unveiled as described in the article below. Find all the details here.
Original report: A few weeks ago, two new Kobo models appeared at the U.S. telecommunications authority FCC. Previously nameless, these devices have since been identified through leaks in various online stores as the Kobo Libra Colour and Kobo Clara Colour.
What does this have to do with Tolino? Kobo is Tolino’s technology partner, and the previous e-reader generations were almost identical in terms of hardware.
This suggests that the upcoming generation of Tolino e-readers, likely the Tolino Vision 7 and Tolino Shine 5, will probably also receive a color E-Ink display in the not too distant future, just like the two Kobo sibling models.
What We Know
The Kobo Clara Colour is most likely the sister model to the Tolino Shine 5. Image credit: indigo.ca
Although this would be a first for Tolino, the technology is already familiar from several other manufacturers. In particular, PocketBook has established itself as an innovator among mainstream brands and is about to launch its sixth e-reader featuring a color E-Ink display with the upcoming Era Color.
PocketBook has adopted the current leading technology for its latest models: E-Ink Kaleido 3.
According to the leaks, this technology will also be used in the Kobo Libra Colour, and consequently in the Tolino Vision 7 as well. While specific details on the technology for the smaller Kobo Clara Colour are still unknown, it is highly likely that it will also utilize E-Ink Kaleido 3.
With E-Ink Kaleido 3, what’s known as a “Color Filter Array” is used to produce colors. This involves adding a layer with an RGB(W) subpixel matrix on top of the regular E-Ink screen. The additional RGB layer is passive, meaning color generation occurs by dimming individual pixels on the underlying E-Ink display.
PocketBook InkPad Color 3 with E-Ink Kaleido 3 screen technology
What does that mean in practice? This type of color generation results in colors that are more muted compared to what you might expect from an LCD screen, and the E-Ink display appears darker without the front lighting activated than a standard black-and-white model. However, it has the major advantage that you can still read the color E-Ink screen perfectly in direct sunlight, and the power consumption is not significantly higher than that of a black-and-white display.
Kaleido 3 has therefore established itself as a very practical display technology that brings some color into the previously colorless e-reading experience. It’s also the first color E-Ink technology that I consider worthwhile even for reading standard e-books (excluding comics & co), thanks to its high resolution and improved readability.
Further details can be found in the PocketBook InkPad Color 3 test.
What We Don’t Know
All these aspects are largely clear for the two named Kobo models. However, even though the odds are good, it is by no means certain that Tolino will move in the same direction. Personally, I strongly believe they will.
Still, there is the open question of a possible market launch. For Kobo, it is likely just around the corner, as the devices have already appeared in various stores before disappearing again.
The Tolino Vision 6 is likely to be replaced soon. Hopefully with a completely new, improved software.
However, things have become so quiet around Tolino e-readers in recent years that one could almost get the impression that the bookseller alliance, originally created to challenge Amazon in the German book market, may be approaching its end. Accordingly, it is difficult to predict when (and if!) new Tolino models might arrive.
A significant factor will undoubtedly be the software for the new models. With the platform change in Vision 6, there were several issues at the start that took time to resolve. Since then, software innovations have been lacking, and the new Tolino reading experience remains in beta even after several years.
Therefore, if Tolino follows Kobo’s example and equips the Vision and Shine models with color displays, I firmly expect this to be paired with either substantially developed or entirely new software. Some hints regarding this have been compiled by a user in our forum.
Development in the eReading Market
Regardless of what Tolino does next, I believe Kobo’s two new color models will spark renewed competition with Amazon. The retail giant released the Kindle Scribe, albeit with some delay compared to Kobo’s note-taking e-readers, which was certainly a response to Kobo’s entry into digital note-taking.
Honestly, I didn’t expect Amazon to introduce a color e-reader anytime soon. But with Kobo entering this segment, I now expect a color Kindle by 2025 at the latest, which could fill the gap left by the soon (presumably) unavailable Kindle Oasis.
It will be particularly interesting to observe whether Amazon— as it has done several times before— secures exclusive access to better E-Ink technology. The most recent example was the Kindle Scribe, which, for quite some time, was the only 10+ inch E-Ink device with a 300 ppi E-Ink Carta display. It is certainly conceivable that the e-commerce giant will negotiate a similar deal for color technology as well.
Thus, the e-reading market is likely to experience more movement in the next two to three years than it has in a long time. We can look forward to seeing when the starting signal will sound.
Image credit for article image: indigo.ca
