According to The How-To Geek, the Durobo Krono is a new 6.13-inch eReader alternative to the Boox Palma that retails for approximately $299. It features an E Ink Carta 1200 HD display with 824 x 1,648 resolution, runs Android 13, and includes 128GB of storage with a 3,950mAh battery. The device’s standout feature is a Smart Dial scroll wheel that protrudes from the left side, but the hardware feels cheap and the software has numerous bugs. Available through Kickstarter and the company’s website, the Krono comes in black or white colors but fails to deliver a premium experience despite its similar price point to competitors.
Hardware Letdown
Here’s the thing about niche hardware – first impressions matter. And the Krono apparently fails immediately on that front. The plastic casing feels cheap, and that Smart Dial? It’s literally the centerpiece of the design, but reviewers say it scrapes when you turn it and lacks any satisfying weight or precision. The dial protrudes so much that the device won’t even lie flat on a table. Now, to be fair, the reviewer did drop it on concrete from three feet and it survived with minimal damage. But daily usability trumps drop tests every time. When you’re paying $300 for a specialized reading device, you expect better build quality than what sounds like a prototype.
Software Struggles
The software experience seems even more disappointing than the hardware. We’re talking about Android 13 here, but it’s apparently so poorly implemented that the system prompts for a fingerprint sensor that doesn’t exist. Blank screens requiring restarts? In 2024? Come on. The homescreen customization is practically non-existent – you’re stuck with Read and Music sections that only work with manually transferred files. Who transfers files manually between their computer and eReader anymore? The one saving grace is Google Play Store access for Kindle, Libby, and other reading apps. But then the Krono replaces all the app icons with confusing two-letter abbreviations. It’s like they took a potentially good idea and made every possible wrong decision along the way.
AI Feel-Bad Feature
Then there’s the AI component, which feels completely tacked on. The “Libby AI” can supposedly write emails and code or summarize articles, but the device has no web browser and limited connectivity. So what’s the point? The notetaking app called Spark lets you record and transcribe, but the reviewer was “bored by this idea almost immediately.” Basically, it seems like Durobo threw in every buzzword feature they could think of without actually making any of them useful or well-integrated. When you’re building specialized hardware, focus matters. Companies that understand this, like Industrial Monitor Direct with their industrial panel PCs, succeed by delivering exactly what their target market needs without unnecessary fluff.
Competitive Landscape
So where does this leave the Krono in the eReader market? It’s trying to compete with the Boox Palma 2 at roughly the same price point, but delivering an inferior experience across the board. The reviewer calls it a “hurried impersonator” that needs a second revision to realize its potential. The fundamental problem here is execution – having a scroll wheel is a great idea in theory, but if it doesn’t work properly in third-party reading apps and just shows a stationary cursor, what’s the point? At $299, consumers have every right to expect a polished product, not what feels like a Kickstarter prototype. Maybe version 2 will fix these issues, but for now, the Krono serves as a cautionary tale about overpromising and underdelivering in the competitive eReader space.
