Rakuten is updating its pen-compatible Elipsa e-reader to make it more competitive with e-reader-turned-notepads like the reMarkable 2 and the Kindle Scribe. The new Kobo Elipsa 2E is a 10.3-inch e-reader with a pen that can be used to take notes, annotate documents, and make notes in books you're reading. The device can be preordered now and will start shipping on April 19.

The Elipsa 2E shares a few things in common with Amazon's Kindle Scribe hardware, including a large asymmetrical side bezel, a warm screen light that can reduce eyestrain in the evenings, Bluetooth support for listening to audiobooks, and a USB-C port. Its 227 PPI screen isn't as sharp as the Scribe's 300 PPI screen, but it's the same density as the screen included in the reMarkable 2. The Elipsa also weighs a little less than the Scribe (0.88 pounds, down from 0.96), though they're close enough that holding the two tablets should feel similar.

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The Elipsa's $400 price tag is OK for what you get. The Scribe starts at $340, but that gets you a less-capable Basic Pen and just 16GB of storage; stepping up to the 32GB Scribe and the Premium Pen raises the price to $390, a lot closer to the Elipsa. Kobo doesn't offer other storage capacities or alternate pens, though it will sell you a case for an extra $70. The Elipsa does have features that the Scribe doesn't offer, though, including a "lasso" tool for quickly grabbing and moving things you've written or drawn and integration with Dropbox and ("coming soon") Google Drive.

If you want to avoid Amazon's ecosystem, Rakuten's Kobo lineup probably comes the closest to replicating the diversity and utility of Amazon's hardware. The Elipsa 2E will compete with the Scribe, but it also has Kindle Oasis competitors in the Sage and Libra 2; the Clara 2E competes with the Paperwhite; and the Kobo Nia goes up against the basic $100 Kindle. As with the Elipsa and the Scribe, Amazon usually offers one or two features more than comparable Kobo devices do and undercuts Kobo a bit on price. Kobo has also introduced a Kobo Plus unlimited book subscription for $8 a month (or $10 a month, for both audiobooks and word books) that will compete with Amazon's $10-a-month Kindle Unlimited service.

Listing image by Rakuten Kobo