Kobo Launching New Magazine and Newspaper eReader Service

Posted by Brad Hilderbrand on November 1st, 2010

If you prefer the shiny screen of an iPhone or iPad to the rough texture of a newspaper or glossy pages of a magazine then you're in luck, as Kobo has announced it is expanding its eReader service to include dozens of US and Canadian periodicals. Those who download the free app are granted a two-week subscription to try out the service. If you like what you see, then you can choose to buy a monthly subscription for your chosen newspapers or magazines.

“Kobo continues to build on our commitment of making sure that consumers have the best reading experience on any device with the largest selection of content worldwide, ” said Michael Serbinis, CEO of Kobo. “We’ve had tremendous success with eBooks and we’re very excited to expand the Kobo offering to include newspapers and magazines with a two-week free trial, allowing consumers to try first without any obligation. We continue to bring on top publishers to ensure that Kobo’s newspaper and magazine offering meets our customers’ highest expectations.”

The company has a solid lineup of periodicals available, though the selection is far from exhaustive. Newspapers include the New York Post and New York Times, and the National Review and Harvard Business Review can be found in the magazine section. For the full list head on over to Kobo's website and see if anything tickles your fancy. Subscription rates vary, but usually range from around $2 a month for magazines to $15 a month for a daily paper.

While this is definitely a viable option for folks wanting to use their iOS device as an eReader, it's also important to shop around and compare prices. The New York Times and Post already offer iPad subscriptions directly, so it's really a matter of deciding which service is best for you. Still, now you have yet another choice and Kobo will group all your subscriptions into one convenient location, so it's definitely something to consider.