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Kobo Libra Color is the new coloured e-reader that lets you read books, listen to audiobooks and even take notes but is it better than Kindle?
Can this Kindle rival become your go-to choice in India?
Amazon Kindle offers a quick recall for anyone trying to look for e-books but you have other brands out there and one of them is Kobo with the Libra series. E-readers are a not-so-complex device with a prime function of letting you read books and even research papers. The Kobo Libra Color is a new breed in the e-reader universe with its colour supported e-ink display that brightens up your reading experience and catalogue as well.
The Kobo Libra Color priced at Rs 19,999 is an exciting addition to a saturated market and with the Kindles going out of shelves for a while, can the Libra series catch your interest and become the ideal Kindle alternative? We will give you the answer.
The Different E-Reader
Kindles have a defined way of an e-reader, how it looks and how it functions. Kobo has made some unique tweaks to its design which becomes evident when you hold the device in hand. The screen size is 7-inch and you get a 3 e-ink panel which is similar to the other e-readers in the market.
The Libra Color weighs around 198 grams which is ideal for a comfortable grip, however, the wide profile of the device could be inconvenient for people with small hands.
The e-reader has two physical buttons that let you scroll up and down the pages, in case you are not comfortable tapping the screen to do that. You get it with IPX8 rating which means the Libra Color can handle water splashes.
The power button for some reason is at the back of the device which isn’t very intuitive and might get mixed feedback on its position. We got the white colour model of the Libra Color which looks good but can easily show dust and fingerprints because of the materials used to make it. There is nothing special about the Libra Color and for an e-reader we can live that aspect.
The Colour Effect
E-readers have predominantly been black and white for decades and we are finally happy to see them go colour. Both Kobo and Amazon have coloured e-readers in the market and our first tryst with this panel has come via the Libra Color. The screen also supports a stylus that is available as a separate accessory from Kobo.
The e-ink display does not have the vibrancy that a coloured panel generally offers but for reading this is not a big drawback for us and should not be for most people. Having a coloured e-ink display attracts those who love reading graphics novels and these panels look to fully justify the upgrade for most readers. The screen goes into sleep mode with the cover of the ebook that you were reading previously.
The Open EBook World
Kobo shows the limitations of using a Kindle but also tells us why the Kindles have become a renowned force in the ebook arena. Kobo’s library is more vibrant because it doesn’t limit you to a particular file format and the ability to link with your Google Drive account means all the personal ebook collection is readily available on the 7-inch coloured e-reader.
You need this flexibility because the Kobo e-book store lacks the finesse of a traditional store where people are supposed to search for their titles and pay for them as well. You also get 32GB onboard storage from Kobo that makes local storing easier.
However, as we have seen with other ebook platforms, this ecosystem lets you buy the content and even then your access is limited to these devices with one account.
Kobo has its Plus subscription which costs a monthly fee and gives you access to its ebooks, audiobooks and more. Kobo’s e-store needs some polishing to make it easy as well as seamless to use if the brand wants people to spend money on its ecosystem.
The Long Road Horse
The Libra Color packs a 2,050mAh battery which is claimed to run for weeks and Kobo says you can get it running for up to 40 days with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned off. But we kept both the features enabled and tested the e-reader at different brightness levels to get the device to last for a couple of weeks and still have around 25 percent juice in the tank.
It has a USB C port for charging which charges quick enough to have you back in shape for your next reading journey. So, yes, this e-reader with a coloured display is not going to fall short of your endurance needs even with a new format available out of the box.
Kobo Libra Color is versatile, flexible with the ability to let you read local files and even link your Google account for a wider access. It even supports stylus input, has a coloured display which does not affect the battery life. However, the ebook store feels constrained and the pricing feels slightly on the higher side. All said, the Kobo Libra Color is here and will give a tough fight to the Kindles on multiple fronts.
- Location :
Delhi, India, India
