Kobo Libra Color: Two-minute overview
In April 2023, I wrote an article about how I needed a small-screen ereader with a colour show and writing options. It looks as if Japanese-Canadian ereader maker Kobo heard me, releasing what I needed – nicely, nearly – within the Kobo Libra Color. I might have liked an 8-inch system, however then I’ve been a fan of Kobo’s Libra line of 7-inch ereaders for the reason that first one was launched in 2019. They’ve been TechRadar’s decide of the very best ereaders since then, together with the Kobo Libra 2 from 2021.
The development continues with the Kobo Libra Color, which is a double-whammy improve over its predecessor.
The Libra Color appears to be like similar to the Libra 2, which I feel is nice – why repair one thing that isn’t damaged? The page-turn buttons and the marginally curved thicker bezel make the ereader actually snug to carry and use in a single hand. What’s new, although, is its show.
Because the title signifies, the Kobo Libra Color will get the E Ink Kaleido 3 display screen that helps 4,096 hues, and is presently the very best colour e-paper show getting used on shopper gadgets.
I in contrast the Libra Color with what I might contemplate its greatest rival, the Onyx Boox Tab Mini C, and because of the smaller dimension of the display screen (7 inches vs 7.8 inches), textual content and pictures on the Libra Color are sharper and the colours barely extra saturated despite the fact that they each use the identical display screen expertise. Whereas I admit I desire the marginally bigger display screen for note-taking, the 7-inch Libra Color is the candy spot on the subject of portability. It is also so much lighter than its competitors.
Whereas the colour show alone would make it a worthy replace, Kobo didn’t appear to be happy with only one new function – the corporate additionally gave the Libra Color writing capabilities. It inherits all of the pocket book options from the Kobo Sage and Kobo Elipsa 2E, however now helps you to add some colour to your notes. You’ll be able to select the ink and spotlight colours, plus the kind of pen, the thickness of the nib and extra. And the handwriting recognition is one thing I’ve not been in a position to fault for a very long time, however that, in fact, relies on how badly you are inclined to scribble.
Writing on the Libra Color is totally different to the way it looks like on the Kobo Sage or the Elipsa 2E – it’s so much smoother, by no means like writing on precise paper. It’s not fairly pretty much as good as writing on the Amazon Kindle Scribe both – it feels such as you’re gliding over excessively clean plastic and is my solely criticism with this system.
Studying and writing in colour takes a bit of additional energy, so Kobo has up to date the processor too, now utilizing a 2GHz CPU in comparison with the 1GHz we noticed within the Libra 2. And, in fact, the identical options can drain the battery, so the capability right here is bigger as nicely, going from a 1,500mAh pack to 2,050mAh.
You continue to get 32GB of (non-expandable) storage, Bluetooth help so you’ll be able to take heed to audiobooks, and USB-C charging that debuted with the Libra 2 in 2021.
And also you get all this for not much more than what the Libra 2 retails for on the time of writing, which is one thing I’ve to provide Kobo credit score for. That is arguably one of many extra inexpensive colour note-taking tablets in the marketplace now and presents wonderful worth, similar to its predecessor.
Kobo Libra Color overview: Worth and availability
- Launch value of $219.99 / £219.99 / AU$359.95
- Obtainable to buy off cabinets from April 30, 2024
- Kobo Stylus 2 and sleepcover offered individually
Obtainable in two colours – black and white – the Kobo Libra Color is sort of competitively priced at $219.99 / £219.99 / AU$359.95. That, as I’ve simply talked about, makes it much more inexpensive than a few of its competitors. Nevertheless, it doesn’t ship with a stylus, so if you wish to take full benefit of the Libra Color’s new options, you’ll want to speculate an extra $69.99 / £69.95 / AU$119.95 for the Kobo Stylus 2. The advantage of this pen is that it prices through USB-C, so there’s no ongoing battery prices to fret about.
Even with the value of the stylus piled on, it’s nonetheless cheaper than the likes of the Onyx Boox Tab Mini C, which is presently my decide for the very best colour ereader and retails for $450 / £450 / AU$765. That mentioned, it’s onerous evaluating the 2 because the Onyx ships with a capacitive stylus, has an even bigger 7.8-inch display screen, has 64GB of storage (in comparison with 32GB within the Libra Color) and a 5,000mAh battery that’s double of what Kobo presents in its greatest ereader.
One other level of comparability could be the 7.8-inch PocketBook InkPad Shade 3 that can set you again $329 / £345 / AU$595 and never give you any writing options.
Lengthy story brief, the Kobo Libra Color, similar to its predecessor, is fairly good worth. So as to add a bit of extra comparability, the Kobo Libra 2 presently retails for $189.99 / £169.99 / AU$319.95 at full value, so it actually is not an enormous leap in value.
Kobo Libra Color overview: Specs
| Show sort: | E Ink Kaleido 3 |
| Display dimension: | 7 inches |
| Decision: | 300ppi for B&W; 150ppi for colour |
| Processor: | 2GHz |
| Frontlight: | ComfortLight Professional (heat and chilly) |
| Storage: | 32GB (non-expandable) |
| Battery: | 2,050mAh |
| Water safety: | IPX8 |
| Software program: | Linux primarily based |
| Connectivity: | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C |
| File help: | 10 doc, 5 picture, 1 audio |
| Dimensions: | 144.6 x 161 x 8.3 mm |
| Weight: | 199.5g |
Kobo Libra Color overview: Design and show
- Similar physique to the Kobo Libra 2
- 7-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 touchscreen
- Magnetic edge to carry the (non-obligatory) stylus
For somebody who’s used the earlier two Kobo Libra ereaders, I’ll admit to initially being a bit of disillusioned that the design hasn’t modified over the Libra 2. That’s solely as a result of I’ve been seeing it since 2019, however I’ll even be the primary to confess that it’s probably the most ergonomic designs I’ve utilized in an ereader.
Constructed for single-hand use, the sting of the thicker bezel remains to be barely curved upward, with the 2 page-turn buttons completely positioned to offer a snug grip. The again panel is textured, which provides to the safe grip, and the ability change on the rear remains to be the identical spherical, concave. Additionally inherited from the Libra 2 is the spherical, white indicator gentle that glows while you pop a USB-C cable into the charging port. Your entire factor remains to be encased in plastic, which is comprised of 80% recycled supplies, together with ocean-bound plastics.
It’s fairly spectacular that Kobo has managed to maintain the burden of the system down regardless of utilizing a bigger capability battery within the Libra Color. It weighs simply 199.5g with out a case, which is lighter than the Libra 2 that suggestions the scales at 215g.
For anybody who’s planning on utilizing the brand new Libra Color for note-taking and scribbling, Kobo has ensured the stylus stays magnetically safe on the sting of the slim bezel. I’ve complained beforehand that this magnetic edge on some ereaders isn’t at all times very safe, however it appears fairly robust right here.
Talking of the pen: it’s really helpful that you just use the Kobo Stylus 2 with the Libra Color, which is the one certainly one of Kobo’s pens that can keep on with the aspect of the system. That mentioned, the older Kobo Stylus can even work on the Libra Color, however can’t be secured magnetically and requires a single AAAA battery. The Stylus 2, however, prices through USB-C and is, thus, lighter.
What stands out from a design perspective is the display screen – it will probably show colours! It nonetheless retains the 7-inch display screen dimension of the opposite Libra gadgets, however makes use of the E Ink Kaleido 3 show that I’ve seen in different colour ereaders just like the Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C and the Onyx Boox Tab Mini C. Whereas this display screen tech can show 4,096 colours, they don’t seem as saturated as they give the impression of being on a telephone, laptop computer or pill – they’re a bit of muted compared, however that’s the limitation of the e-paper display screen expertise.
The 7-inch display screen on the Libra Color, nevertheless, makes the colours look a contact more true as in comparison with what you’d see on a 7.8-inch or bigger e-apaper display screen, even when the larger gadgets share the identical display screen tech and backbone. It is because on the smaller display screen the pixels are packed extra tightly collectively, offering extra distinction. You get 150ppi decision when studying in colour (as with all different colour ereaders utilizing this display screen), however it’s 300ppi while you’re viewing one thing in black and white, which is normal for monochrome e-book readers.
Whereas Onyx makes use of a glass sheet as the highest layer of its show, Kobo appears to have adopted plastic – one solution to preserve prices low. This prime layer may be very clean, which you’ll really feel when writing on the system and the expertise of scribbling on the Libra Color is probably going going to take some getting used to. It feels such as you’re writing over a sheet of very clean plastic, with no friction in any respect and I am unable to say I am a fan.
As with all of the extra premium Kobo ereaders, the Libra Color display screen can be lit up with ComfortLight Professional which, when set to, robotically adjustments the sunshine hue from cool to hotter tones because the day progresses. This reduces the quantity of blue gentle hitting your eye nearer to bedtime.
One challenge I’ve had beforehand with some ereaders, notably with a black chassis, are oily fingerprint smudges. I used to be despatched the white colorway of the Libra Color for this overview which, just like the Libra 2, exhibits no such factor. I haven’t seen the black model of this system so can’t inform for positive whether or not this shall be a difficulty or not, however I didn’t have this downside with the Libra H2O, so I’m going to hope not.
Kobo Libra Color overview: Consumer interface
- Simple-to-use, streamlined interface
- Full suite of Kobo’s writing options
- Notes simply exported to Google Drive and Dropbox
I’ve at all times been a fan of Kobo’s person interface – it’s streamlined, very simple to navigate and wrap your head round. It solely takes minutes to determine your manner round in case you’ve by no means used a Kobo system earlier than. That hasn’t modified however, for the Libra line, there may be one main distinction to the interface.
There’s now the My Notebooks tab smack bang within the heart of the underside navigation bar. This offers you the total suite of Kobo’s writing options, together with the Superior Notebooks that I mentioned made the Kobo Elipsa 2E a greater note-taker than the Amazon Kindle Scribe. I’ll admit that writing on a 7-inch display screen, notably if there’s so much to jot down, can really feel a bit of constricted, however then I’ve been utilizing the 10-inch Kobo Elipsa 2E as my on a regular basis ereader and note-taker for the previous few months, so dropping all the way down to a smaller pocket book dimension is my bias and should not hassle different customers.
The opposite change to the interface is the addition of colour… and I don’t imply the ebook covers displayed on the house display screen. Each time you choose a tab from the underside navigation bar, it adjustments colour from black to brown. Actually, in case you’re downloading books – whether or not from Dropbox, Google Drive or the Kobo Retailer – the standing bar can be the identical colour. That’s a pleasant contact that I haven’t seen in different colour ereaders I’ve examined.
Every part else concerning the Libra Color is quintessential Kobo – good file format help, together with EPUBs that Amazon requires you to leap via hoops to learn on a Kindle. There are a complete of 10 doc file sorts that Kobo helps by default, and this consists of textual content and comedian codecs. There are additionally 4 picture recordsdata supported. The one audio file help, although, is for Kobo’s personal audiobooks that you would be able to obtain from the Kobo Retailer or through a subscription to Kobo Plus. Observe that Kobo Plus isn’t obtainable in all markets that Kobo operates in, however it’s within the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and choose European international locations.
As I’ve talked about earlier on this overview, you’ll be able to signal into both Dropbox or Google Drive to assist switch books. The partnership with Google is comparatively new, so Kobo has a single-page instruction sheet (in PDF) already within the system’s library. It’s very seamless to make use of both cloud service, and that additionally holds true for transferring any notes or notebooks. The latter can be accessed through the Kobo app in your telephone in case you want any of them in a pinch.
In contrast to the newer monochrome Kobo gadgets just like the Sage and Elipsa 2E, there is no such thing as a darkish mode on the Libra Color as a result of the E Ink display screen used doesn’t help it and, if you wish to see colours, you aren’t going to want it. Nevertheless, there are amber LEDs that will let you change the white gentle hue to hotter tones if you wish to lower down on blue gentle. And you may simply modify this by tapping on prime of the display screen to carry up the fast controls. Just like the earlier Libra 2 and the newer fashions, you’ll be able to set the sunshine temperature to vary robotically at a selected time within the night or evening. You may as well slide up and down the left fringe of the display screen to vary brightness.
OverDrive, as with all Kobo ereaders, remains to be baked in and regardless of it being changed by Libby on cell, it’s nonetheless supported on the e-ink tablets. This implies, in case your native public library additionally has OverDrive help, you’ll be able to borrow digital books and magazines immediately out of your system with out having to go away dwelling – you simply want a library card.
Pocket help can be built-in into the Libra Color. It is a browser plugin that means that you can save on-line articles to learn later – you simply signal into your Pocket account on the Kobo and also you’ll have entry to something you’ve beforehand saved.
Auto-rotation can be obtainable, so you’ll be able to learn in both portrait or panorama mode. This may get a bit of annoying, although, as a small change in angle when holding the system can change the orientation of the web page you’re on. So you’ll be able to lock the orientation to at least one or the opposite to stop this from occurring.
Admittedly Onyx Boox gadgets provide you with lots extra choices on the subject of customization and performance throughout the person interface, however I feel they’re overkill and it takes a steep studying curve to get the grasp of all of it.
Kobo Libra Color overview: Efficiency
- Sharp show, with good colours on account of display screen dimension
- Glorious handwriting recognition
- Very responsive, however a few features have a big lag
Including options to a tech product means it’s going to want some additional energy to ensure issues run easily and Kobo has carried out that by upgrading the processor for the Libra Color. As an alternative of the earlier 1GHz CPU, it’s now 2GHz and that appears to do the trick. After two weeks with the Libra Color, I’ve had nothing to complain about, though there are two very particular features that endure from a big lag.
Opening an e-book from both the house display screen or the My Books web page retains you ready about 7-10 seconds earlier than one thing occurs. Equally, the Again To Dwelling button on the highest left nook of a web page additionally takes a couple of seconds to provoke. I’m placing this all the way down to teething issues for now and it’s a software program challenge, so I feel it’s probably fixable through a firmware replace.
Every part else, although, runs easily. There’s no lag when writing and drawing, neither are there any when triggering a web page flip both through the buttons or tapping on the display screen. Utilizing the onscreen keyboard can be fairly good.
I’ve examined colour ereaders earlier than within the 7.8-inch dimension class in addition to 10-inch, and I’ve come to anticipate a scarcity of saturation when viewing in colour. The Libra Color exceeded my expectations, not as a result of Kobo is doing something in a different way, however as a result of the smaller display screen packs the pixels extra tightly, including extra distinction which, in flip, offers some photos depth and higher saturation. 7 inches isn’t perfect for studying comics and graphic novels, however simply to see higher colour saturation I might advocate it. Even spotlight colours obtainable when studying a title – that are the identical throughout all color-screen ereaders – look a contact extra saturated compared to larger-screen gadgets.
One factor that Kobo has at all times carried out nicely is handwriting recognition and that’s been introduced over to the Libra Color. This function solely works within the Superior Notebooks while you need to digitize your scribbles, however it will probably even acknowledge sub- and superscripts. I had two different colleagues do that function and Kobo nearly aced it every time – it misspelt just one phrase that no human was in a position to decipher anyway.
Throughout my restricted time with the Libra Color, I skilled no ghosting – one thing that bothers me no finish with Onyx ereaders. Two weeks with the system, nevertheless, might not be sufficient to say for positive that ghosting received’t be an issue, and I might anticipate some alongside the way in which. Nonetheless, I’m impressed.
Extra performance with a greater CPU must be matched with sufficient battery life to maintain an ereader going for weeks versus days. So Kobo has upped the battery capability within the Libra Color to 2,050mAh in comparison with 1,500mAh within the Libra 2. This received me about 14 hours of use in whole.
My testing was a bit of sporadic, averaging about 45 minutes of use over every day over two weeks (generally a bit of extra, generally much less). I began utilizing the system straight out of the field at 82% battery life and didn’t prime up until it hit 19% after two weeks. I’d say that’s fairly good, contemplating I used to be writing, studying and listening to audiobooks through Bluetooth. I had Wi-Fi on on a regular basis, the display screen was set at 20% brightness, and a refresh set to each 5 pages. It’s additionally vital to notice {that a} web page refresh happens extra regularly when writing, and each erase triggers one other refresh too. So the larger battery capability is unquestionably working in Kobo’s favor right here.
Topping up through the USB-C port is fast, however just like the earlier Kobos, trickle charging kicks in at about 96%. It took the Libra Color about 55 minutes to go from 19% to 96%, then one other 45 minutes to prime up utterly. Whereas it might sound annoying to have to attend that lengthy for only a tiny bit extra cost, trickle charging can protect the battery, including to its general lifespan.
Ought to I purchase the Kobo Libra Color?
| Attribute | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Worth | It’s competitively priced and probably probably the most inexpensive colour ereaders in the marketplace. | 5/5 |
| Design & show | A successful design stays, with a show that works rather well in 7 inches. Writing on it, nevertheless, feels awkward. | 4.5/5 |
| Consumer interface | Kobo’s UX has at all times been streamlined and the successful streak continues. | 5/5 |
| Efficiency | Responsive and sharp, with nice battery life, there’s little to fault right here. | 5/5 |
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Additionally contemplate
I feel the Kobo Libra Color is the Japanese-Canadian model’s finest system but, however in case you’re not satisfied and want options, check out the 2 choices beneath, together with a specs comparability with this ereader.
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Kobo Libra Color | Onyx Boox Tab Mini C | Kobo Clara Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worth | $219.99 / £219.99 / AU$359.95 | $450 / £450 / AU$765 | $149.99 / £139.99 / AU$259.95 |
| Display | 7-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 | 7.8-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 | 6-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 |
| Decision | 300ppi B&W / 150ppi colour | 300ppi B&W / 150ppi colour | 300ppi B&W / 150ppi colour |
| Working system | Linux primarily based | Android 11 | Linux primarily based |
| Storage | 32GB | 64GB | 16GB |
| CPU | 2GHz | 2GHz | 2GHz |
| Battery | 2,050mAh | 5,000mAh | 1,500mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C |
| Waterproofing | IPX8 | None | IPX8 |
| File help (together with photos & audio) | 16 | 24 | 16 |
| Audio system | None | Constructed-in; twin | None |
| Dimensions | 144.6 x 161 x 8.3 mm | 194 x 136.5 x 8.3 mm | 112 x 160 x 9.2 mm |
| Weight | 199.5g | 310g | 174g |
How I examined the Kobo Libra Color
- Used as fundamental studying and writing system for 2 weeks
- Listened to audiobooks through a Kobo Plus subscription
- Used Google Drive to switch recordsdata, together with notes written on the system
My common e-ink system is the Kobo Elipsa 2E, however switching to the Libra Color was only a matter of signing into my Kobo account to sync all my ebooks, notes and in addition entry my Kobo Plus subscription.
I even have an present library of ebooks within the EPUB format saved in Google Drive, so signing into that through the Libra Color’s Extra tab gave me immediate entry to these, from the place I saved a handful of titles to learn on the system.
Whereas I can’t draw to save lots of my life, I did some random scribbling on the system – each whereas studying a ebook in addition to in notebooks. I even received some colleagues to attempt the handwriting recognition function.
I’ve an present Kobo Plus subscription which gave me entry to audiobooks on the Libra Color, and I spent about 20 minutes listening to at least one title throughout my testing of the system.
All new notes and annotations that I made on the Libra Color robotically up to date to my Kobo Elipsa 2E as quickly because it related to Wi-Fi, giving me entry throughout a number of gadgets.
Learn extra about how we check
[First reviewed April 2024]
