This handheld e-reader has effectively replaced my Kindle, and the price is hard to beat

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The DuRobo Krono is simply a smartphone-sized ePaper tablet, disposable for $280.
• The Android-based Krono is meant to beryllium a distraction-free instrumentality for reading, note-taking, and productivity.
• Following a palmy Kickstarter campaign, the Krono is present shipping to customers.

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As an avid publication lover, I'm a sucker for a large e-reader. But the occupation is that galore of these devices are mode excessively constricted to go a companion device. This is wherefore I loved the TCL Nxtpaper tablet truthful much. 

There's different device, however: the caller DuRobo Krono is present to code that tablet's downfall: it's a pouch e-reader and productivity instrumentality that is yet disposable for purchase.

Also: I stopped utilizing a dedicated e-reader erstwhile I recovered retired my tablet could bash this instead

Admittedly, I americium biased. I've been utilizing a prototype of the DuRobo Krono for a mates of months, and it's done what nary e-reader has before: it's the lone 1 that has replaced my Kindle portion traveling. 

As an adult, I've ne'er traveled without my Kindle due to the fact that I similar being capable to work connected the level and earlier bed. I could work connected my telephone with the Kindle app, but the eye-friendly ePaper show hits the spot amended than immoderate different device.

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

DuRobo markets the Krono arsenic a "focus hub," offering much functionalities than a Kindle, but little integer clutter than a smartphone.  The DuRobo Krono is tiny and lightweight capable to marque a compelling Kindle replacement, and its added features bring it implicit the top. 

Describing the DuRobo Krono arsenic a elemental e-reader is simply a large injustice. It's an e-paper Android tablet that works arsenic a smartphone-sized productivity device. Its agelong artillery beingness and Android-based OS marque it much reliable than your mean e-reader, without being arsenic cumbersome oregon dense arsenic adjacent a Kindle. 

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I've sung the praises of the TCL Nxtpaper 11 tablet for rather immoderate time, and the lone drawback I've recovered is that it's simply excessively ample and dense to work comfortably successful furniture erstwhile I clasp it up. The Kindle is overmuch smaller, but the much compact DuRobo Krono is lighter than each of them, weighing 6.13 ounces -- astir the aforesaid arsenic my husband's iPhone 13. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

"Krono was created for thinkers and creators who crave intelligence clarity," a DuRoBo spokesperson precocious said astir the device. "By combining thoughtful design, unfastened software, and intelligent assistance, we're giving radical a caller benignant of integer space—one that helps them focus, reflect, and make without distractions."

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The Krono features a built-in AI adjunct that enables casual enactment signaling by simply pressing a button, which past transcribes and summarizes the notes for you -- a diagnostic that has turned retired to beryllium rather convenient for maine arsenic a writer. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

I usage the Spark diagnostic to dictate to the Krono and stock thoughts and communicative ideas. The instrumentality past transcribes the information, which I tin entree arsenic needed oregon usage the built-in AI to make a summary. The DuRobo Krono besides features a built-in AI adjunct called Libby AI, which tin beryllium accessed from the location surface by double-pressing the Smart Dial. 

Libby AI tin respond to prompts akin to those of different fashionable AI assistants, including ChatGPT. It tin besides make summaries, supply quality updates, and assistance you make outlines.

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A 6.1-inch Carta 1200 HD show supports 300 ppi and colour somesthesia adjustments, and is flanked by a rotating dial connected the near and a aftermath fastener connected the right. You tin rotate the Smart Dial to set the display's brightness oregon long-press it to rapidly grounds a dependable note. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

The artillery beingness is outstanding, particularly erstwhile the Krono is utilized mostly for reading. It has a 3,950mAh battery, which is astir midrange among smartphones. Yet the Krono is truthful businesslike that I tin spell weeks without charging it. During my week astatine CES, I utilized the DuRobo Krono nightly to work and instrumentality notes with the AI assistant, and aft six days of use, the artillery lone consumed astir a 3rd of its capacity. 

ZDNET's buying advice

In my experience, the Durobo Krono is perfect for professionals, readers, oregon individuals seeking a mostly distraction-free instrumentality that is lightweight and slim capable to acceptable successful a pocket. It's a bully acceptable for users who similar speechmaking books, articles, oregon adjacent PDFs without telephone glare oregon pesky notifications.  

The DuRobo Krono features 128GB of storage, allowing it to grip a wide scope of documents, apps, dependable recordings, and books. It's present commercially available, with a preorder terms of $280, and orders are shipping now.