PocketBook Launches 6-Inch Verta E-Readers With Interchangeable Back Panels

PocketBook has introduced two 6-inch e-readers, the Verta and Verta Color, with interchangeable back panels. Each model comes in one base color: Obsidian Black for the Verta and Dark Brown for the Verta Color. Buyers can also choose from five separately available back panels in different shades.

Both devices have 1072 x 1448 touchscreens, a front light, 16GB of storage, 1GB of RAM and a 1,500mAh battery rated for up to two months on a charge. They carry an IPX4 splash-resistance rating and support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, text-to-speech and multiple book file formats. Their proprietary operating system supports borrowing ebooks through Libby. PocketBook also says users can buy books from a UK digital library with 4.5 million ebooks and 90,000 audiobooks.

The main difference is the display. The Verta uses a grayscale E Ink Carta 1300 screen, while the Verta Color has a color E Ink Kaleido 3 screen. When showing color content, the Verta Color’s resolution drops to 536 × 724.

The e-readers are expected to be available from November. PocketBook lists the Verta at £159 and the Verta Color at £169. The source compares the Verta’s price with the standard Amazon Kindle 2026 and describes the Verta Color as much cheaper than the latest Kindle Colorsoft. It notes that color e-reader screens tend to be darker than black-and-white screens.