Kobo Libra Colour overview: The apparent improve to the Kindle Oasis

I take advantage of e-readers each single day, and within the final 5 years, I relied on the Kindle Oasis. The aluminum design, web page flip buttons, and high-quality E Ink panel made it a standout alternative, however annoyingly, Amazon would not promote the product any longer, and there is not a viable various — the model is as an alternative specializing in note-taking gadgets just like the Scribe.

This was problematic because the battery lifetime of my Kindle Oasis is not anyplace near what it was; I nonetheless get a couple of days out of a cost, however I could not reliably apply it to the street. As I began heading again to occasions, I needed one other e-reader that was as much as the duty, and that is the place I got here throughout the Kobo Libra Colour.

Kobo’s newest e-reader nails the fundamentals; it has a 7-inch E Ink panel, adjustable heat mild, and bodily web page flip buttons — all of the options that made me just like the Kindle Oasis. As a bonus, the e-reader has USB-C connectivity, and Libby/Overdrive integration.

I switched to the Libra Colour initially of the 12 months, and after three months of intensive use involving journey to a few international locations and studying over a dozen books, I’m satisfied — that is the best improve to the Kindle Oasis.

Kobo Libra Colour: Pricing and availability

Kobo unveiled the Libra Colour in April 2024, and the e-reader is on the market globally. It prices $229 on Amazon and the Rakuten retailer, and you will get your arms on the e-reader within the U.Ok. for £209. It debuted in India again in October 2024, and is on the market within the nation for ₹19,999 ($231).

Kobo Libra Colour: Design

Kobo did a superb job with the design of the Libra Colour, and it feels nice to carry and use. Just just like the Kindle Oasis, the Libra Colour has bodily web page flip buttons, however they’re on the left. There’s a raised edge on the left that makes it simpler to carry the e-reader, and the again is flat.

Unlike the Oasis, the Libra Colour has a plastic again, and whereas it would not fairly have the identical premium really feel, there are not any points with the construct high quality. Coming in at 199g, the Libra Colour is 11g heavier than the Oasis, however the distinction is not noticeable in every day use. And whereas it has a plastic again, there may be an fascinating floral motif on the again that makes holding the gadget simply that little simpler.

The raised edge homes the USB-C port, and it is nice to have the ability to use an e-reader that makes use of the identical charging port as my telephone. This was a relentless supply of frustration with the Kindle Oasis, and Amazon actually ought to have launched a mannequin with USB-C connectivity. Thankfully, that is not a problem on the Libra Colour.

I acquired the white colour variant of the e-reader, and it appears a little bit extra distinctive than the usual black mannequin. The e-reader has built-in sensors that change the orientation of the display in response to no matter hand you are holding it in, and the situation of the web page flip buttons is good.

The buttons are simply accessible along with your thumb, and have good tactility. If something, the buttons proved to be a bit too stiff to start with, however they’re higher to make use of now. Having bodily buttons makes all of the distinction on an e-reader, and I can not return to utilizing one with out it. A cool characteristic is the flexibility to invert the buttons; by default, the underside button is used to go to the subsequent web page in a guide, however you possibly can simply swap it to the highest button.

The one challenge I’ve with the design is the ability button; it is situated on the again, and it is inconvenient to entry more often than not. Thankfully, urgent the web page flip buttons wakes the gadget, so that is what I’ve been doing. While it is not an issue as such, I do not like that the panel would not sit flush with the physique; that is one other space the place the Oasis wins out.

Outside of that although, I can not discover something to fault with the Libra Colour. It might not have fairly the identical in-hand really feel because the Oasis, however it’s simply as dependable in every day use, and it holds up extremely nicely throughout journey.

Kobo Libra Colour: Panel

The defining characteristic on the Libra Colour is the 7-inch panel, and in contrast to each different e-reader I used till now, it does an awesome job rendering colours. It’s made attainable by use of E Ink’s Kaleido 3 panel, and it has good colour saturation because of 4,096 colours. The decision of the panel is 1680 x 1264, with a pixel density of 300PPI — similar to the Kindle Oasis — with monochrome textual content and 140PPI with regards to content material in colour.

It’s pleasurable to make use of an e-reader with a colour panel, and it is a technical achievement in and of itself. Because of the way in which E Ink panels work, there isn’t any backlight powering the show, and it is as an alternative illuminated by LEDs on the facet. While this is not a problem with black and white textual content — it appears simply as clear as different e-readers — it’s noticeable when viewing issues like comics and guide covers.

There’s a noticeable grain to the colours, and due to the inherent nature of E Ink, you do not get the identical colour vibrancy as LCD or OLED panels — that is simply the way in which the tech works. So when you’re trying to get the Libra Colour to learn comics, know that it nonetheless does a good job on this space because it integrates the CBZ and CBR extensions, however colour high quality will not be anyplace nearly as good as an Android pill just like the Xiaomi Pad 7.

The E Ink panel by itself does a superb job curbing blue mild emissions, and I had no issues utilizing the Libra Colour all day. It makes use of Kobo’s ComfortLight Pro tech, so that you get adjustable heat mild along with the common white LED lighting, and it positively makes a distinction — significantly when studying at evening. On that notice, there’s darkish mode as nicely, and whereas I take advantage of the mode extensively on my monitor and telephones, I desire studying books with out it.

Basically, this is among the greatest panels you will get right this moment, and it makes utilizing the Libra Colour that rather more partaking.

Kobo Libra Colour: Real-world utilization

The Libra Colour is a delight to make use of; it is snug to carry all through the day, and the 7-inch panel measurement is good to learn books. The E Ink panel itself is terrific, with good pixel density and readability. I did not see any points with ghosting — the place afterimages of earlier pages are retained while you refresh — and the interface is simply as fluid because the Kindle Oasis.

There are not any points with navigation, and web page turns are dealt with easily whereas studying a guide. Obviously, a giant draw is the bodily web page flip buttons, they usually make utilizing the Libra Colour that rather more pleasurable. While I did not use it to learn comics, it is enjoyable to have the ability to view guide covers in colour, and that novelty would not go away. What I additionally like is that the gadget permits you to put the quilt on the lock display when it is idling, and that is a pleasant addition.

The Libra Colour is on the market in a single configuration with 32GB of storage, and contemplating most ebooks are lower than 1MB in measurement, the storage is not an issue with sizable collections. It is not a problem even if you wish to learn comics on the gadget, and whereas the colour panel would not have one of the best decision, it’s a first rate alternative on this regard. Similarly, you possibly can take heed to audiobooks by connecting a Bluetooth gadget.

The e-reader has a 2050mAh battery, and in my utilization, it simply lasted two weeks between prices. That’s lower than what I acquired with the Kindle Oasis (again when it is battery did not degrade), however the colour E Ink panel wants extra energy, and the comfort of charging over USB-C greater than offsets any points round battery longevity. Charging the e-reader takes over an hour and a half as it’s restricted to 10W, and it did not exceed 7W when linked to a regular 100W USB PD charger.

What I like concerning the software program is the customizability. There’s integration with cloud storage suppliers, so you possibly can simply obtain books from Google Drive if that is what you like. You may also simply load customized fonts on the gadget, and the built-in choice in itself is intensive. I’ve gotten used to Amazon’s Bookerly font over the past decade, and it was a breeze to put in it on the e-reader.

You may also simply annotate and spotlight books, and that is significantly useful because of the colour E Ink panel. There’s additionally the flexibility to journal and take notes, however you may want to select up the Kobo Stylus to do this. I’ve a dozen styli in the home, however none of these — even those paired with Onyx and Remarkable readers — linked to the Libra Colour, so I wasn’t capable of take a look at this characteristic.

There’s IPX8 ingress safety, and you need to use the Libra Colour within the tub or on the pool with none points. Finally, when you use Libby, you will get the books onto the Libra Colour and skim with out an excessive amount of of a problem, and that is one other space the place the e-reader wins out in opposition to the Kindle Oasis.

In normal, the Libra Colour does a greater job with DRM-free e-books than any of Amazon’s e-readers, and it is refreshing to see. Kobo’s e book retailer is not anyplace as intensive because the Kindle Store, however you possibly can simply seize books from any storefront and skim on the Libra Colour because it has native EPUB, EPUB3, FlePub, PDF, and MOBI integration.

Kobo Libra Colour: The options

As good because the Kindle Oasis has been, it is clear that Amazon has no intention of delivering a successor to the product. Thankfully, there are different options round; I like what Onyx is doing with its e-readers, and the BOOX Go Color 7 is a good alternative.

It has the identical E Ink Kaleido 3 panel because the Libra Colour, adjustable heat mild, and better 64GB of storage. You get bodily web page flip buttons as nicely, and though I did not take a look at the product, I’m eager on seeing whether or not Onyx was capable of resolve the ghosting points that is prevalent on its different gadgets.

Kobo Libra Colour: Should you purchase it?

You can purchase this if:

• You need an e-reader with a colour panel
• You need bodily web page turning buttons
• You want a superb design that is constructed to final
• You need nice battery life
• You want customization-friendly software program

You should not purchase this if:

• You want an in depth built-in e book retailer
• You desire a metallic chassis

The Libra Colour delivers every part I would like in an e-reader in 2025. The design is not too heavy, and the white mannequin appears fairly elegant. Kobo did an awesome job with the load distribution, and I did not see any points even after utilizing the e-reader all day. The web page flip buttons take some time to get used to as they’re stiff out of the field, however as soon as you’ve got gotten acclimated to the e-reader, this is not a problem.

The E Ink panel is pleasant; textual content is obvious and detailed with no ghosting, and there is intensive customizability with regards to font choice. The icing on the cake is the colour panel, and it is enjoyable to view guide covers and illustrations as meant. The heat mild makes it simpler to make use of the e-reader at evening, and with Bluetooth, USB-C connectivity, and IPX8 ingress safety, Kobo nailed the fundamentals.

The software program is nice to make use of, and there isn’t any lag when navigating the interface or turning pages in a guide. Battery life is not fairly nearly as good because the Kindle Oasis, however you may nonetheless solely must cost the gadget biweekly on common. Ultimately, the Libra Colour is one of the best e-reader to improve to when you’re nonetheless on the Kindle Oasis.