The Kobo Sage may have quietly reached the end of the road. More than four years after its debut, the 8-inch eReader is now out of stock in most regions, and there’s still no sign of a true follow-up—fueling growing belief that Rakuten has discontinued the device.
Launched in 2021, the Kobo Sage was positioned as a more premium Kobo option for readers who wanted a bigger screen without jumping to oversized note-taking tablets. It stood out with physical page-turn buttons, stylus support, and a waterproof build designed for worry-free reading by the pool, in the bath, or out in the rain. For many fans of the Kobo ecosystem, it hit a sweet spot: larger than typical 6-inch and 7-inch readers, but still compact enough to hold comfortably.
The problem is availability—or the lack of it. Reports indicate the Kobo Sage has been out of stock across most markets since around mid-2025, with New Zealand seen as a notable exception. With no clear restock timeline and no credible rumblings of a next-generation Sage, it’s increasingly being treated as a product that’s been phased out rather than temporarily sold out.
That uncertainty is especially noticeable because the Kobo lineup hasn’t seen a wave of brand-new models recently. Aside from a color model receiving a new color option, there hasn’t been much official movement—at least publicly—leaving readers wondering what Rakuten’s plans are for 2026 and whether an 8-inch black-and-white Kobo will ever return.
If the Kobo Sage is truly discontinued, shoppers looking for something similar may need to compromise a bit. The closest option within Kobo’s current range is the 7-inch Kobo Libra Colour, which keeps several Sage-like features people care about: physical page-turn buttons, an IPX8 water-resistance rating, and stylus support. It also works with the Kobo Remote introduced in late 2025, which could appeal to anyone who likes hands-free page turns while reading at a desk or in bed.
For readers who don’t want a color eReader and are open to a different ecosystem, the Boox Go 7 is another alternative. It includes page-turn buttons and stylus support, but it runs Android—something that can be a benefit for flexibility and apps, or a drawback for those who prefer Kobo’s simpler, book-first approach. Its hardware highlights include 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage with expansion support, and built-in speaker and microphone.
For now, the biggest question is whether Rakuten is preparing a replacement behind the scenes—or whether the Kobo Sage will remain a well-liked 8-inch eReader that quietly disappeared from shelves without a direct successor.
