When it comes to e-readers, Kobo and Amazon are real page turners
Just weeks after Kobo unveiled its new Clara 2E, Amazon has released its latest Kindle. So how do they compare?
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Just weeks after Kobo released the new Clara 2E, Amazon has begun selling its all-new Kindle, an almost identical model made from recycled plastics.
In recent years both Amazon and Kobo have begun to compete with tablet makers, introducing Bluetooth for audio book functions as well as stylus and writing capabilities, but neither the new Kindle nor Clara 2E do this.
The new kindle isn’t super technical nor does it have a lot of features, but Amazon has ramped up its storage to 16GB available. The same amount of storage is available on the Clara 2E.
The new device also includes a 15cm, glare-free, 300 PPI high-resolution display, which Amazon promises provides laser-sharp clarity.
From afar it would be hard to tell the two devices apart if not for the branding. Both devices fit comfortably in a pants pocket and are almost identical in size, although the Kindle is a couple of millimetres and grams lighter than the Clara 2E.
The new Kindle is also just 12mm longer than the iPhone 14 and about 40mm wider.
In line with green pastures, both products are made with recycled plastics: Kobo’s cover is comprised of 85 per cent recycled materials and Kindle’s is 90 per cent.
As for the price, the Kindle retails at $179, while the Clara 2E is priced $229.95. The $50 difference buys Kobo readers Bluetooth capability for audiobook use.
When it comes to surfing the internet, neither device is very useful, but that’s hardly a sore point.
Kindle has outdone the Clara 2E with a far more responsive touch screen. The device navigates throughout its different collections slightly faster than the Clara 2E.
However, with a shopping cart icon and search bar permanently on the homepage, Kindle’s layout largely represents that of an online store, whereas the Kobo highlights the user’s already-owned books.
The introduction of night mode on both products is a godsend for those who prefer to surf the web after dark.
For the news junkies, Kobo’s partnership with Get Pocket, formerly known as Read it Later, continues to impress, allowing the user to save websites and news articles via its app or an internet extension, all of which can be read online, in its app or on the e-reader.
Kindle has a similarly impressive partnership with Goodreads, allowing readers to publish reviews straight from their e-reader to its site, as well as update their friends on their reading progress.
For those wanting to expand their vocabulary, both e-readers offer a function which saves the words a reader has searched for while reading.
As to which you should buy, that will largely depend on whether you enjoy listening to audiobooks as much as you do reading.
Originally published as When it comes to e-readers, Kobo and Amazon are real page turners
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