#KOBO SAGE REVIEW PRO#

These do as their name suggests and power the units on and off when you open and close them. The Sage is similarly impressive, with the same features, but it boosts the touchscreen to 8″ and combines Dropbox support so you can add your own e-books and documents.īoth units have smartly designed and great-looking SleepCovers available to help protect them. You can grab the Libra 2 for $279 at JB Hi-Fi, where you can also nab its higher-end brother the Kobo Sage for $439. I hope to test that one day, but I’m still some way off yet. There’s also 2GB of storage, which should hold up to 24,000 books.

The battery life in both units is very impressive, offering weeks at a time – to the point that I was confused the first time the Libra 2 didn’t turn on as I had been using it for so long without having to juice up. This is also good if you read late into the night and there’s someone else in bed that wants to sleep. The display is fast for quick page turns, and there’s “dark mode” so you can have a black background with white text if that works better for your eyes. There’s also blue light reduction to limit eyestrain and not be detrimental to your sleep. It’s glare-free and easily adjustable, with excellent contrast.

#KOBO SAGE REVIEW PRO#

The 7″ HD E Ink Carta 1200 touchscreen is another highpoint, with ComfortLight PRO with temperature and brightness control. Besides, I applaud anyone that decides to start Crime And Punishment at the bottom of the shallow end of their local swim spot. I admit I didn’t test the waterproof capabilities, but both units boast IPX rating capable of 60 minutes in 2m, so you should be right reading in the bath or by the pool, even if you’re clumsy.

Or maybe I just need to calm down on the devices. Sure, part of the appeal of e-books is swiping or tapping the touchscreen to advance or go back, but it’s surprisingly easier to have old-school buttons to engage with, using one hand.īesides, I often find the constant swiping of a phone or e-book during a morning and afternoon commute, coupled with the same for hours at night, leaves my thumb feeling dodgy, but these buttons alleviate that. All up, it feels sturdy and safe.Īlso making for better UI are the buttons for page turning on the right-side of both units. It actually gives the device a more book-like balance, especially measuring in at 144.6mm x 161.6mm x 9mm, which isn’t much different to an average paperback. The Libra 2 is a little heavier than you’d expect for its size, but at 215g it’s not anything to worry about. The rounded-up ergonomic right-edge on both devices feels instantly engaging, making them comfortable to hold, welcoming your thumb at any point along it, while either sitting or lying down.

Pairing it to my Marshall earbuds and listening while cooking was as easy as pie, literally. The addition of Bluetooth, allowing you to play audio books wirelessly, is cool icing on an already impressive cake. Having used both the new Sage and next-gen Libra 2 e-readers from Kobo for a couple of months now, including some heavy sessions during lockdown, I’m going to have trouble going back to my Kindle, even though I’m still halfway through a book on it…Īdmittedly my basic entry model Kindle is getting on in years, but these two slick new releases have a much nicer feel to them – both in the hand, and on an operational level. Not too long, but it is noticeable if you’re, say, on the train and want to escape into the written word quickly Takes a while to power up after pressing the on button. Not top-of-the-line, just something that’s there if you can’t be bothered leaving the room/bed to grab your speaker/headphones

Kobo sage review