Embedded System Woes: New Kobo Aura One E-Reader with Corrupted Display, OS/Firmware

Kobo Aura ONE with corrupted display and unresponsive firmware

Around four months ago, I had bought a new Kobo Aura One [1] e-reader after my Kobo Aura HD, which had faithfully served me for over two years, went missing. I had done so after much researching of potential replacements, including detailed reviews [2] of the Aura One which was supposed to be Kobo's flagship. Satisfied that things seemed to be in order and that the purchase was worth it, I found a good deal and bought one, brand new and sealed.

I began using it a couple of weeks later, and things seemed to be going well. Until one Sunday morning, when the screen suddenly went blank while I was reading a book while in the foyer of a hotel. Thinking that it might be because of battery depletion, I charged it for a few hours after getting back home, and attempted a power-up. The device turned on, but the display seemed strange - criss-crossed with lines at the top and sides. Thinking a reboot might help, I tried that as well. The problem became successively worse, obliterating the top quarter and right side of the screen with overlaying images. In addition, there was an amorphous area of display on the right side resembling a damaged LCD display with leaking ink, except that it too contained a corrupted display image that changed with successive system re-starts. It was reminiscent of a frozen screen and multiple overlaying windows during a system crash in Microsoft Windows. 

Any attempt to get the device recognized over USB when connected to Ubuntu failed. Whereas it used to previously identify a computer connection and ask if it should mount in device storage mode, now nothing happened. While some level of menu functionality remained, I managed to note down the device's system and firmware details as follows:

• Serial Number: N7096900168
• MAC Address 58:B0:D4:28:FB:
• Software Version: 4.1.7729 (8bedc76ce7, 10/10/16
• Model N709
• FCC ID: NOIKBN709
• IC: 8857A-KBN709
• IFTEL: RCPKON716-1062

Part of what made attempts at troubleshooting frustrating is that the embedded firmware on the device is essentially closed to access or service by the user. There is no way to get into the device, by USB or other means. There is no software or firmware image that can be downloaded in order to diagnose issues or re-program the device's onboard system. Malfunction of this kind essentially reduces the e-reader to a useless $249.99 CAD paperweight.

Kobo Aura One Serial #N7096900168, powered off with corrupted display

I eventually called up Kobo Customer Service and registered a device malfunction issue, and made sure I sent them a photo I had taken of the corrupted screen. As can be seen the photo above, the device is clearly powered on, and the display does indicate that there is some semblance of a recognizable image. It is actually the residual image after attempting to display the front cover of the ESV Bible over and over, each image superimposed on the other until the end result looks like a badly discoloured and partial photocopy.

Customer Service passed on the report to the internal Device Replacement Team for assessment, and I was happy to learn that they would ship me a replacement, which arrived a couple of weeks later. My malfunctioning Aura One will be sent back in a free shipping envelope that they had enclosed. Once that is powered up, I will post an update of how it seems to be operating.

In retrospect, the evidence seems to point to an issue with corrupted firmware or OS. How that happened in the middle of normal operation is surprising. In addition, the fact that the system could not be wiped clean while attempting to reset to factory settings is also a cause for concern. Perhaps this is an aberration, a rare instance of a defective device. Or perhaps it is an instance of product roll-out with incomplete or buggy firmware without proper testing and verification being completed.

On another note, it also shows the level of complexity and difficulty involved in bringing a new product to market. It is relatively easier to build and test physical hardware that  to specifications of reliability, quality and functionality. But the matter of building robust, resilient and reliable software particularly for rollout on a new consumer device is still not as easy as we would imagine or like it to be, as this case demonstrates. Embedded systems being deployed on e-readers such as Kobo's, making use of e-ink and cutting edge displays have come along way in terms of sophistication and functionality, but there remains definite room for improvement in terms of reliability, ease of recovery from failures, repair and maintenance from the user experience.

See you on the next engineering excursion!

Regards,

The Sage (湯馬士 凱文)

Multidisciplinary, award-winning and intrepid Systems Engineer with business & sales acumen. Creative systems thinker and skilled problem solver. Achieves win-win solutions and value for all stakeholders. Interested in applying my skill set to deliver value at the intersection of technology and business.

REFERENCES:

[1] Kobo Aura One

[2] Techradar: Kobo Aura One Review