1 / 5Kindle Colorsoft vs Kobo Libra ColourKindle Colorsoft vs Kobo Libra Color: 100% brightness on each monitors, 0 % heat gentle on each monitors
In the end, how a lot heat or cool gentle you like whilst studying is as much as private style. My personal tastes would lead me to regulate the heat at the Kindle to be a bit of upper than 0, mimicking that of the Kobo. In an unscientific ballot of the Engadget personnel, each in particular person and with software footage, everyone most well-liked the display at the Kobo. I feel the slight added heat in Kobo’s display makes colours seem a bit of extra saturated and extra inviting total. It additionally will get on the subject of mimicking the glance of exact bodily pages (up to this type of units may, no less than), and that’s the revel in I’m going for once I learn just about anything else. However I may perceive why some hardcore comedian enthusiasts would need to get started off with probably the most color-accurate baseline as imaginable, after which alter from there to suit their personal tastes.Along with adjusting the nice and cozy gentle, the Kindle Colorsoft has bright mode, which “complements colour in much less saturated pictures.” For the sake of efficacy, maximum of my time used to be spent in usual mode when trying out the Colorsoft. However in testing bright mode, I spotted that its enhanced saturation used to be maximum noticeable in warm-toned pictures: reds seemed ever-so-slightly extra putting, whilst oranges and yellows had a extra bronze impact and the like. However I needed to flip bright mode off and on a couple of occasions to clock the impact as it’s relatively refined.Then there’s the query of in reality studying phrases at the Colorsoft. Even the Kindle crew consultant I spoke with stated that, because of the additional bodily layer within the display that allows colour, one may realize a bit of much less sharpness and distinction in black-and-white textual content at the Colorsoft’s display. That’s now not distinctive to this actual Kindle — each and every colour ereader may have this factor to some extent.When evaluating the text-only revel in of the Kindle Colorsoft to that of the Kobo Libra Color, I discovered each to be relatively just right and related to each other. The place there’s a larger chance for discrepancies is in a comparability of the Colorsoft to, say, the brand new Kindle Paperwhite. I didn’t have the latter software to check to, however I did have my private, previous-generation Paperwhite, and the adaptation used to be ever so slight, with the usual Paperwhite having the (small) higher hand within the distinction and sharpness departments.Studying revel in
Photograph by means of Valentina Palladino / EngadgetThe colour display is probably the most consequential factor in regards to the Kindle Colorsoft, and chances are high that when you’ve had a Kindle prior to now, the studying revel in in this new software will really feel relatively acquainted. The Kindle UI hasn’t modified a lot, nonetheless dividing the primary display into House and Library choices. The previous is mainly an area for Amazon to serve you customized e-book suggestions and advertise new Kindle releases, whilst the latter presentations all your virtual library together with books, paperwork, Audible audiobooks and library loans. The Library web page is putting in colour and there’s something undeniably pleasing about seeing your entire name covers in full-color glory.Whilst studying a e-book, you’ll be able to nonetheless customise and save other subject matters with fonts, font sizes and web page layouts that very best fit your personal tastes. You continue to have the opportunity to temporarily navigate inside a name by means of web page, location, bankruptcy or even fashionable highlights. Web page turns are fast and might be an development for somebody coming from an older Kindle or different ereader.Annotations and your individual highlights are amassed in the similar position for simple reference, and with the latter, you’ll be able to filter out by means of spotlight colour as neatly. You’ve gotten 4 colours to choose between at the Colorsoft — orange, yellow, blue and crimson — so when you use the yellow highlighter to mark favourite quotes, you’ll be able to then filter out by means of simply that colour. Be aware that each one highlighting and note-taking will have to be finished along with your arms as a result of, in contrast to the Kindle Scribe, the Colorsoft has no stylus make stronger.The pinch-to-zoom characteristic at the Colorsoft is just right for many who learn a large number of graphic novels and comics. Amazon evolved a customized set of rules to make this movement as clean as imaginable, and it’s a beautiful just right revel in, albeit now not a novel one. You’ll be able to additionally pinch to zoom at the Kobo Libra Color, which most commonly is helping get in nearer to comedian panels to learn small textual content or higher see minute main points.On each units, there are full-screen refreshes whilst you pinch to zoom on colour pictures and the velocity final touch is kind of the similar. I additionally discovered symbol high quality to be relatively equivalent as neatly, and it’s price noting that artwork taste can skew your impact of a picture’s high quality. A comic book that employs blank, distinct traces in comparison to one who’s extra grungy and watercolor-like will at all times come off extra crisp.The Colorsoft, just like the common Kindle Paperwhite Signature Version, additionally has an auto-adjusting entrance gentle that guarantees to light up the show excellent relying on when you’re studying outdoor on a sunny day, at the hours of darkness cabin of an aircraft or anyplace else. It’s a pleasing {hardware} perk to have and, with the characteristic grew to become on, eliminates a lot of handbook fiddling that some may in finding stressful to do once they take their Kindle into other environments.The contest
Photograph by means of Valentina Palladino / EngadgetWhile we already went during the display comparisons for the $280 Kindle Colorsoft and the $220 Kobo Libra Color, there are many different variations between the 2 that you simply will have to believe when selecting your subsequent ereader. I’ve added a spec checklist underneath to wreck down the fundamentals, and probably the most consequential to me are the truth that the Kobo has page-turn buttons and stylus make stronger.The previous is in point of fact a question of choice — you both love bodily buttons otherwise you in finding no need for them — however the latter is natural added worth although you do have to buy the $70 Kobo stylus one after the other. It necessarily lets you flip the Libra Color right into a makeshift Kobo Sage or Kindle Scribe, which might be helpful for somebody in academia (scholars and educators alike) or somebody who simply loves the sensation of placing pen to “paper.” In the meantime, the Kindle has the higher hand in its wi-fi charging functions and its barely cleaner flush-front design.With regards to precise content material to be had on Kindle and Kobo units, the libraries you’ll be able to acquire from on each are huge: each have ebooks and audiobooks to be had, and each the Colorsoft and Libra Color make stronger Bluetooth, so you’ll be able to concentrate to audiobooks immediately from the software along with your wi-fi headphones. On the time of scripting this evaluate, all the best 5 New York Instances bestseller titles have been to be had on each platforms on the identical costs, with the one discrepancies being one who used to be on sale as a Kindle book and one who used to be to be had to learn at no cost for Kindle Limitless and Kobo Plus subscribers. Either one of the ones per thirty days subscriptions come up with limitless studying get admission to to 1000’s of titles, however I’d give the benefit to Amazon in this one since Kindle Limitless has been round for for much longer. Amazon additionally has High Studying and Youngsters+ subscriptions that paintings with Kindle units and supply much more content material to paying subscribers.So far as borrowing ebooks out of your native library is going, it could be a draw. Kobo integrates elegantly with Overdrive, making it just about seamless to get borrowed books for your ereader. Merely attach your Overdrive account and library card within the settings menu and you’ll be able to then both browse your library’s choices immediately on software, or use the Libby cell app to borrow titles and the ones will seem mechanically for your Kobo. My solely gripe with the program is that it really works very best if in case you have only one library card, since you’ll be able to solely attach separately. I’m a novel case the place I’ve no less than 3 library playing cards and I transfer amongst them in Libby relying on which has the name I’m in search of.The ones like me may want the “ship to Kindle” possibility in Libby, which simply takes a pair extra clicks to get any e-book from any library community for your Kindle software. The most important drawback here’s that my Colorsoft evaluate unit didn’t display all of my library e-book covers in full-color glory at the lock display. After troubleshooting with a consultant from Amazon, it used to be made up our minds to be a title-specific factor. In line with Amazon: “For library books, the lock display is taken from the designated advertising quilt for the e-book utilized by the library, which will not be the similar as the true e-book quilt.” So simply know that when you get maximum of your studying subject matter out of your native library, there is a probability one of the vital covers won’t show correctly at the Colorsoft.I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the $250 Boox Pass Colour 7, which earned a place in our very best ereaders information after my colleague Amy Skorheim examined it. First, it’s crucial to understand that Boox units require a bit of extra tech-savvy than a Kindle or a Kobo, in addition to a willingness to experiment. They’re full-blown Android drugs finally, and that could be precisely what you’re in search of when you get your studying subject matter from many various assets, because it gives get admission to to the Google Play Retailer and all of its apps. As for specifications, the Pass Colour 7 has a seven-inch Kaleido 3 show with 300 ppi in black and white and 150 ppi in colour (very similar to the Colorsoft), at the side of a heat gentle, page-turn buttons, a splash-resistant design and 64GB of garage (and a microSD card slot for more room!). It’s much more very similar to the Kobo Libra Color in characteristic set and worth, so it’s another choice for somebody prepared to suppose a bit of outdoor the usual ereader field.The verdict between Kindle, Kobo and Boox is infinitely extra difficult than opting for between the Colorsoft or the usual Kindle Paperwhite — and that’s exactly on account of the stark worth distinction. The Colorsoft is $120 greater than the common Kindle Paperwhite ($100 extra when you pay to take away the lock display advertisements from the Paperwhite, and $80 greater than the Signature Version) and except the colour panel, it solely provides wi-fi charging, the auto-adjusting entrance gentle sensor and doubles the garage. Take away colour from the equation, and arguably probably the most helpful of all of the ones is the additional garage however, make no mistake, 16GB of area at the Kindle Paperwhite is not anything to scoff at and will likely be simply superb for the general public. Except you’re 100-percent sure that colour will make an enormous distinction to your day by day studying revel in, the usual Paperwhite is the simpler worth.Wrap-up
Photograph by means of Valentina Palladino / EngadgetWhile it’s very past due to the colour E Ink celebration, the Kindle Colorsoft is a cast top class ereader that gives a very good revel in each in colour and black and white. I targeted so much on comparisons on this evaluate as a result of the general public is not going to be able to have the Colorsoft and any of its contemporaries aspect by means of aspect (until you’re my dad, who buys nearly each and every ereader and small pill underneath the solar). However to be transparent, the Colorsoft is a great Kindle, and in some ways, Amazon did pull an Apple right here. If you happen to’re already closely entrenched within the Kindle ecosystem and feature been preserving out for a colour ereader, that is the software to get — simply be ready to pay a top class for it.Additionally, like Apple and its quite a lot of running methods, there’s one thing to be stated in regards to the comfort and ubiquity of the Kindle ecosystem. The library is apparently unending (with reductions galore), supplemented by means of High Studying and Kindle Limitless, so it’s simple to get sucked in whilst you’re already buying groceries on Amazon for family items and vacation items. However on the subject of worth to your cash (and a natural spec breakdown), you’ll be able to get extra from Kobo and Boox units. Kindle isn’t the one identify on the town anymore for ereaders, and it hasn’t been for a very long time, and that appears to be a extra pronounced reality now with the creation of the Colorsoft. If not anything else, Amazon has after all crammed a obvious hollow in its ereader lineup with this software.Amazon Kindle Colorsoft vs. the competitionAmazon Kindle ColorsoftKobo Libra ColourBoox Pass Colour 7Price$280$220$250Display size7-inch colour E Ink Kalaido 3 (with customized show stack)7-inch colour E Ink Kalaido 37-inch colour E Ink Kalaido 3Pixel density300 ppi (black-and-white), 150 ppi (colour content material)300 ppi (black-and-white), 150 ppi (colour content material)300 ppi (black-and-white), 150 ppi (colour content material)Storage32GB32GB64GBBattery lifeUp to eight weeksUp to six weeks2,300 mAh capability; “long-lasting” battery lifePage-turn buttonsNoYesYesAdjustable heat lightYesYesYesAuto brightness adjustmentsYesNoNoAuto heat gentle adjustmentsNoYesNoWaterproof ratingIPX8IPX8Not providedPinch-to-zoom supportYesYesNot providedStylus supportNoYesNoAudiobook supportYes, Audible audiobooksYes, Kobo audiobooksYes, by means of Android appsLibrary supportYes, by means of Overdrive’s “Ship to Kindle” optionYes, by means of integrated Overdrive integrationYes, by means of Android appsWireless chargingYesNoNoUSB-C chargingYesYesYesWi-FiYesYesYesBluetoothYesYesYes
