Rakuten Kobo is switching from Mozilla Pocket to Instapaper in its reading services.
Kobo, a leading e-reader manufacturer, and Instapaper, the popular 'read-it-later' service, have announced a partnership to integrate Instapaper into Kobo's e-readers. The integration is set to launch by the end of summer 2025.
This move comes as many former Pocket customers have already successfully transitioned to Instapaper. For those migrating from Pocket, Kobo offers a special incentive - a free 3-month trial of Instapaper Premium when importing their Pocket articles.
Instapaper, initially developed by Marco Arment, has changed hands several times, including being acquired by Pinterest in 2016. It was later transferred to Instant Paper, Inc., a new company formed by the original Instapaper team in 2018.
The integration of Instapaper into Kobo e-readers will see the Instapaper API implemented, allowing users to read articles in an e-book-friendly format. This will also enable users to adjust the size of the font, font type, and most other adjustments that can be made while reading a typical e-book on Instapaper.
Brian Donohue, CEO of Instapaper, emphasized the company's priority in helping people transition from Pocket to Instapaper to continue enjoying the 'read-it-later' experience. Meanwhile, Michael Tamblyn, CEO of Rakuten Kobo, expressed excitement about the partnership, stating that both companies share values around great reading experiences.
As for the subscription plans available, Kobo users can choose between Instapaper's free service or the $5.99 per month Premium tier. The Premium plan offers additional features beyond the free service. It is not specified whether Instapaper will be free for Kobo users or if there will be an option to subscribe for more features.
Instapaper is praised by users for its clean interface and robust organizational tools. With this partnership, Kobo users can look forward to a more seamless and enjoyable reading experience.
[1] Source: Kobo press release, [link to source] [5] Source: Instapaper blog post, [link to source]
As part of the ongoing technological advancements in reading experiences, Kobo's integration of Instapaper into their e-readers will enable users to seamlessly read articles in an e-book-friendly format, alongside adjusting font size, type, and other reading preferences, much like standard e-books on Instapaper. In response to the partnership, Instapaper CEO, Brian Donohue, reaffirmed their commitment to supporting former Pocket users transitioning to Instapaper.
