Almost two years ago, I reviewed the Kobo Clara E2, an e-book reader device from Rakuten, and I said that it was a compact and excellent e-book reader as it supported many e-book file formats available at the time.
Now, Kobo has sent another of their latest e-book readers, the Kobo Libra Color, which comes with the use of an e-ink screen with the ability to process colors.
Design And Specifications
Kobo Libra Color comes with a minimalist design, with a white plastic frame and a 7.0-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 screen that can display 4096 colors. On the side of this display are two buttons that can be used to change the page of the book being read, while the power button is located on the back of this device.
In terms of specifications, this Kobo Libra Color shows several improvements in terms of component offerings. First is the use of a processing chip with 2GHz processing power together with a 2050 mAH battery to support the use of this new E Ink Kaleido 3 display.
As for storage, just like the Kobo Libra before, it comes with 32GB of internal storage which in my opinion is big enough to store hundreds, if not thousands of reading materials in this device. On the side of the Kobo Libra Color is a USB Type-C charging plug that is required to charge the device.
Accessory
Kobo Libra Color also comes with two accessories that can be purchased separately. First up is the Notebook Sleep Cover for Kobo Libra Color, which is a magnetic cover frame that can be used to close the Libra Color display quickly and easily without having to press the power button. The way to use it is the same as the Smart Cover for the Apple iPad tablet device.
The second accessory is the Kobo Stylus 2, a special stylus pen for the Kobo Libra Color that allows users to take notes or make notes on books (complete with different ink colors) being read.
The uniqueness of the Kobo Stylus 2 compared to the previous stylus pen is that it comes with a built-in magnet that allows it to be mounted on the Kobo Libra Color, and the use of a USB Type-C plug to charge it, and no longer requires AAA batteries to power it.
User Experience
If the Kobo Clara 2E previously introduced me to a world of digital reading material that resembled the experience of reading a physical book, the Kobo Libra Color is a direct upgrade to that experience.
As said before, unlike the Kobo model that I reviewed before, this Kobo Libra Color display is the use of the latest E-Ink Kaleido 3 display that allows users to read colored content such as comics, manga and so on without using the screen of a regular smart device.
The quality of reading and analyzing the content of digital books is very good, where the text is seen quite sharp even with the brightness value set at a lower rate. One reason why you might want to set the screen brightness to a higher level is to read color comics, because at low brightness values the colors will look a bit washed out.
One aspect I really like about the Kobo Libra Color is the ability to more easily upload digital books to it using Google Drive. You just need to follow the on-screen instructions, and once your Google account is linked on this device, you just need to upload the digital book file to the designated Google Drive folder on any device, and make sure that your Kobo device is also connected to the internet network so that the Google Drive folder on your device is synchronized.
For me this is easier compared to the need to manually upload the book files to the device, and speeds up the process of enjoying my favorite books.
The touch screen function on the Kobo Libra Color is also very good. I use it to resize text on the screen and to turn pages if I'm too lazy to press the buttons on the side of this Kobo Libra reader.
Battery
In terms of battery life, I can use this Kobo Libra Color for weeks before I need to charge it, with a reading rate of around two hours a day, every day. Charging the device is also a fairly quick process, and can be charged using a USB Type-C cable.
Perhaps in terms of shortcomings, what I can say is that although this digital book reader is seen as helpful in terms of storage of reading material and easier access, it will not replace the feeling of reading a physical book in terms of the taste, smell and feeling of turning each page of a book .
Perhaps in terms of shortcomings, what I can say is that although this digital book reader is seen as helpful in terms of storing reading material and easier access, it will not replace the feeling of reading a physical book in terms of the taste, smell and feeling of turning each page of a book .
Even so, the user's ability to carry a "bookshelf" of your reading material anywhere is pretty priceless to me. Recently, I had the opportunity to fly to several locations abroad for a work assignment, and this Kobo Libra Color became my companion on the flight.
Bored with one book? I can easily switch reading materials without having to take out my bag to read another book with one touch on this Kobo Libra Color digital book reader.
Closing
If you are an avid reader, and enjoy reading various types of reading mediums such as novels, bibliographies, comics and so on, it is very easy for me to recommend you buy this Kobo Libra Color.
At a selling price of RM1079, I wouldn't say that this digital book reader is cheap or affordable. Only, if you like to read but don't have a lot of physical space to store reading materials, what I can say is that devices like this Kobo Libra Color are like buying a bookshelf full of reading materials that you can take anywhere.
With a large internal storage offering for digital book files, as well as the use of the E Ink Kaleido 3 color screen display, this device can easily replace your physical book collection, especially if you don't have a lot of space for it.
Pros:
Compact size, large internal storage
Color E Ink display
Google Drive support makes it easy to upload content
Large storage size
Good working touch display
Cons:
Expensive price tag
No accessories included
Color processing fades at low brightness