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ZDNET's key takeaways
- The DuRobo Krono is a smartphone-sized ePaper tablet, available for $280.
- The Android-based Krono is meant to be a distraction-free device for reading, note-taking, and productivity.
- Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, the Krono is now available for preorder, with shipping scheduled for the end of January.
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As an avid book lover, I'm a sucker for a great e-reader. But the problem is that many of these devices are way too limited to become a companion device. This is why I loved the TCL Nxtpaper tablet so much. There's another device, however: the new DuRobo Krono is here to address that tablet's downfall: it's a pocket e-reader and productivity device that is finally available for purchase.
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Admittedly, I am biased. I've been using a prototype of the DuRobo Krono for a couple of months, and it's done what no e-reader has before: it's the only one that has replaced my Kindle while traveling. As an adult, I've never traveled without my Kindle because I like being able to read on the plane and before bed. I could read on my phone with the Kindle app, but the eye-friendly ePaper display hits the spot like no other device.
DuRobo markets the Krono as a "focus hub," offering more functionalities than a Kindle, but less digital clutter than a smartphone. The DuRobo Krono is small and lightweight enough to make a compelling Kindle replacement, and its added features bring it over the top.
Describing the DuRobo Krono as a simple e-reader is a major injustice. It's an e-paper Android tablet that works as a smartphone-sized productivity device. Its long battery life and Android-based OS make it more reliable than your average e-reader, without being as cumbersome or heavy as even a Kindle.
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I've sung praises for the TCL Nxtpaper 11 tablet for quite some time, and the only drawback I've found with that is that it's simply too large and heavy to read comfortably in bed when I hold it up. The Kindle is much smaller, but the more compact DuRobo Krono is lighter than all of them, weighing 6.13 ounces -- about the same as my husband's iPhone 13.
"Krono was created for thinkers and creators who crave mental clarity," a DuRoBo spokesperson recently said about the device. "By combining thoughtful design, open software, and intelligent assistance, we're giving people a new kind of digital space—one that helps them focus, reflect, and create without distractions."
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The Krono features a built-in AI assistant that enables easy note recording by simply pressing a button, which then transcribes and summarizes the notes for you -- a feature that has turned out to be quite convenient for me as a writer.
I use the Spark feature to dictate to the Krono and share thoughts and story ideas. The device then transcribes the information, which I can access as needed or use the built-in AI to generate a summary. The DuRobo Krono also features a built-in AI assistant called Libby AI, which can be accessed from the home screen by double-pressing the Smart Dial.
Libby AI can respond to prompts similar to those of other popular AI assistants, including ChatGPT. It can also generate summaries, provide news updates, and help you create outlines.
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A 6.1-inch Carta 1200 HD display supports 300 ppi and color temperature adjustments, and is flanked by a rotating dial on the left and a wake button on the right. You can rotate the Smart Dial to adjust the display's brightness or long-press it to quickly record a voice note.
The battery life is outstanding, especially when the Krono is used mostly for reading. It has a 3,950mAh battery, which is about midrange among smartphones. Yet the Krono is so efficient that I can go weeks without charging it. During my week at CES, I used the DuRobo Krono nightly to read and take notes with the AI assistant, and after six days of use, the battery only consumed about a third of its capacity.
ZDNET's buying advice
In my experience, the Durobo Krono is ideal for professionals, readers, or individuals seeking a mostly distraction-free device that is lightweight and slim enough to fit in a pocket. It's a good fit for users who prefer reading books, articles, or even PDFs without phone glare or pesky notifications.
The DuRobo Krono features 128GB of storage, allowing it to handle a wide range of documents, apps, voice recordings, and books. It's now commercially available, with a preorder price of $280, and orders are shipping in late January 2026.
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