Kobo Libra 2 Review

In an industry primarily dominated by Amazon’s Kindle, Kobo has been quietly challenging the status quo and making waves with its line of e-readers. The Kobo Libra 2, priced at £187.99, is an offering that holds true to Kobo’s promise of delivering a user-centric, superior reading experience. It is packed with an assortment of desirable features that provide a comfortable, intuitive, and customizable reading environment. This review will examine the Kobo Libra 2 in detail, exploring its capabilities, pros, and cons.

Design and Build

The Kobo Libra 2 offers a balanced mix of functionality and style. Available in Black and Red colours, it presents a pleasing aesthetic diversity that will appeal to a broad range of users. Its dimensions are 161.6mm by 144.6mm with a thickness of 9mm, and it weighs in at 215g. This makes the device compact, portable, and perfect for on-the-go reading. The device feels solid, with an emphasis on durability without sacrificing its sleek and modern appearance.

The inclusion of physical page-turn buttons is a thoughtful addition, providing users with an option for a tactile, book-like reading experience. This design feature also enhances one-handed use, particularly useful when you’re multitasking or on the move.

Screen and Readability

The Kobo Libra 2 comes equipped with a 7” screen, slightly larger than the typical 6″ size prevalent in many e-readers. This extra real estate improves readability, allowing for more text on the screen and subsequently less page turning. However, for a smaller, lighter Kobo, check out the Clara 2E or Nia.

With a resolution of 300ppi, the Kobo Libra 2 provides crisp, sharp text, matching the standard set by high-end e-readers. The reading experience mirrors that of a physical book, minimizing eye fatigue and optimizing comfort during long reading sessions.

The device boasts a frontlight feature that facilitates reading under various lighting conditions, along with a warm light feature that creates a more comfortable reading environment in low-light settings. However, it lacks auto-brightness, meaning the lighting level needs to be adjusted manually based on the surroundings.

One noteworthy feature is the auto-rotation function. This allows the screen to adjust to your reading position, whether it be landscape or portrait, further enhancing the reading experience.

Operating System and File Compatibility

The Kobo Libra 2 operates on Kobo Firmware, which provides a smooth and responsive user interface. While there’s no Play Store, the device supports a wide array of file formats including EPUB, PDF, MOBI, CBR, CBZ, HTML, RTF, TXT, and image formats such as JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, and TIFF. This expansive file compatibility allows users to enjoy a diverse range of content, beyond just conventional e-books.

Storage and Connectivity

The Kobo Libra 2 features a substantial 32GB storage capacity, providing ample space for storing a sizeable e-book library. This eliminates the need for frequent content management or deletion of files to make room for new ones. Although it lacks a Micro-SD slot for storage expansion, the provided built-in storage should suffice for most users.

Bluetooth connectivity is provided but with the absence of built-in speakers or text-to-speech functionality, its utility could be restricted to connecting to certain peripherals. Also, there is no mobile connectivity (like on the high-end Kindle Oasis)so any content downloads or updates require a Wi-Fi connection.

Additional Features

The Kobo Libra 2 guarantees an uninterrupted reading experience, thanks to the absence of ads. This ensures your focus remains solely on your reading, with no distractions.

The device is also waterproof, a feature that will be appreciated by those who enjoy reading by the pool, in the bath, or in other water-risk environments. The peace of mind of knowing that your e-reader can withstand accidental water exposure is certainly a bonus.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Kobo Libra 2 is an excellent contender in the mid to high-range e-reader market. Despite its lack of certain features such as auto-brightness, text-to-speech, and wireless charging, the device more than compensates with its large, high-resolution screen, intuitive user interface, extensive file format support, and generous storage capacity.

Its sturdy build, combined with waterproofing and physical page-turn buttons, brings a level of practicality and comfort that enhances its overall value proposition. The Kobo Libra 2 successfully pairs a quality e-reading experience with a user-friendly design.

In conclusion, the Kobo Libra 2 is a worthy consideration for anyone looking for a Kindle alternative. It delivers on all the core requirements of an e-reader while providing some welcome features that elevate the overall user experience. It is clear that Kobo has put a lot of thought into designing a device that provides a superior, hassle-free reading experience, making the Kobo Libra 2 a commendable player in the e-reader market.

Check out our fully searchable e-reader comparison table here.

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