Kobo Forma Review
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- This is the review you have been waiting for; the Kobo Forma. This is the latest release from Kobo.
The Forma features an 8 inch EINK Mobius and CARTA HD screen, full 360 degree gyroscope, and a whole lot more, the Forma is a force to be reckoned with.
VERY happy with the Kobo Forma, as I was with my Aura One. I also still like my Kindle Oasis, but my go-to is now Forma. (As an owner of many ereaders, I can compare them from my own perspective, anyway.)
I'm an editor of books, so I tend to use them even in my day job. I'm also an early adopter in ereaders, and a reader-holic.
Forma may be an incremental improvement over my Aura One (which I still own) - but has all the right improvements, for me anyway: buttons, even larger screen (only a little, but you notice on PDFs) and -- most important -- horizontal rotate and lock. This last feature is priceless for anyone who reads PDFs but want to do it with e-ink. The way they implemented is perfect. The page turn button goes from top half (no shrinking) to bottom half, to top of the next page, to bottom again... it's a delight after trying to pinch zoom on other devices!!!!! Love, love, love this simple feature!
It's super lightweight, about the same as my Kindle Oasis, but lighter than the Aura One (noticeably). The case is also lighter -- and despite the price, I really like the case. It's really good quality and fit, and LIGHT (notice how I like light!)
I like the Comfort Light on the Forma, although for some reason I think the Aura One was slightly better for this (but not much better). This feature is the reason I like both my Aura One and Forma more than my Oasis. I still have to use my Kindle Oasis because I have hundreds of books in their eco system, but I really squint and groan at night. It's too blue (the light) on the Oasis when you read at night. (Kobo spoiled me there.)
I disagree on build quality from what I've seen in a couple reviews. It is plastic, and rightly so, even the e-ink screen. Plastic can be very durable, and much lighter. It's the lastest e-ink screen, which is plastic and flexible rather than glass, so that may lead someone to believe it's not as burly. To be frank, I'd rather drop my Forma than my Oasis (which likely would possibly dent if it landed on the aluminum). Inside, or outside the case, I think the Forma is more rugged than Kindle Oasis, probably even more so than the Aura (which is rugged but has crackable glass).
If the definition of quality is having a nice aluminum finish (a very Mac-oriented preference:-) then maybe I agree (slightly) on the prestige side, but for actual use day-to-day, I think the Forma will hold up better. Having said that, I've dropped my Oasis more than once and it's been fine.
Battery life is superior on The Forma versus Oasis, maybe slightly less than on the Aura One. (actually, the Oasis is pretty short run on a battery cycle, which is not great for an ereader. Turning off blue tooth helps, but it will never last as long as Forma, not even close.)
Comfort -- yes. Both Forma and Oasis are comfortable, the Aura One slightly less, but only because my finger has to rest on the screen (narrow bezel on sides). I like one-handed use with buttons, so I'd prefer either Forma or Oasis, but the Forma buttons are slightly nicer. Both are fine, though.
The screen is a big one, so I can't really say it's evenly lit -- and personally I like it fine. If it has a flaw, that would be it, at least for a tech purist (for an average reader, should be more than fine.) But, then neither is Oasis, really. For evenly lit, between the three, Aura One is best. There is a slight darker band down the grip side (near the buttons) which is noticeable primarily at night with Comfort Light. I believe, personally, that it's because the red leds (or yellow) are on the three other edges, but not on the right. I'm guessing because I can see blue light along that right side, but the yellow/orange comfort light seems to radiate down from the other three sides. But, really, you have to be really fussy and easily distracted to bother about that slight band down the right side. After all, its right up against the edge, and not in live-type area even with footers/headers and margins disabled. It's a visual nag, rather than a functional one, and I only noticed it because others commented on it. I definitely think it's more than fine.
I have owned six ereaders (including Kindle Paperwhite 2nd gen, original Oasis, and the new Oasis, Kobo Aura One). (For the record, I prefer the old Oasis over the new one, due to battery life. I still use it as my "throw in the pocket" ereader.)
Of all of these, for pure reading immersion, I'd pick the Kobo Forma.
By the way, for durability, I've found all of the ereaders durable. The batteries less so, but they last and last. Kobo Forma should be the same on this.
Who do I recommend this for? First of all, avid readers. Then, anyone wanting a lightweight solution to PDF reading (as opposed to the dedicated larger screen readers like Sony.) Also, of course, someone who prioritizes writing enough to be willing to part with 300 bucks. Probably its for someone not too heavily invested in Kindle, but you could easily do as I do and keep both devices, or convert some of them with Calibre.
Until something better comes along, the Forma is now my main go to, especially as I'm an avid reader and I need to read PDFs. Also, comfort light has spoiled me, so I can't go back to other ecosystems unless they adopt this tech.
Thank you for your in-depth and straight-forward impressions on the Forma! I have been scouring the internet for some candid thoughts on the Forma and how it compares to other e-readers (especially the Oasis). Your experience and thoughts on the whole slew of e-readers was immensely helpful. I was really leaning towards the Oasis but I think you sold me on the Forma. Also, thank you for not spending 800 words on the screen banding issue that I am pretty sure I will never notice. Very informative and very well written!
Josephine Nolan Great comments. Thank you Josephine 😊
Great reply - thanks.
Wow, do you have your own channel? If price wasn’t a concern, would you buy the forma or the Onyx Note 3?
Thank you! 😊
i have purchased the kobo forma and its origanal sleepcover and i love it! it is the best ereader that they ever made!!
What a beautiful and already perfect machine. As an early and absolute ereader fan the Kobo Forma is almost a perfect ereader. The 8 inch screen matches the right size for a book. The plastic screen is soft to touch and as for the yellowish cream flavor you get the feelings of a paper book. I do think the Forma is as good as the Kindle Oasis and for sure complementary. I enjoy them both but kudos to the Kobo Forma far superior in terms of led light and smoothness. And I enjoy the beautiful fonts from the Kobo menu too.
Great review! Been loving my Forma for several weeks and didn't know some of the features you pointed out. Thanks!
Hey @Goodereader! A lot of this review is of the functionality in the software, which is exactly the same as other kobos. How about pointing out which parts in the software differ from the standard kobo experience, like resolution, how much of the interface fits on the screen etc. and then focus on what makes this particular model stand out hardware-wise? I'd rather see the kobo software reviewed in a separate video, and have it updated with important software updates every now and then.
Also, how does it fit in one's hand? I am intrigued with the angled "lip" on it.
The kindle Oasis has the 7 inch vs 8 inch screen. Both have buttons, unique form factor. Handling comparison, feel, button pressure... impressions? Does size matter? Benefits of... should one and whom should upgrade... just a few thing I’m curious about...
you guys should do a video on what e-readers you use personally
You missed perpaps the biggest news of all. It uses mobius. That's a huge deal since most e-readers that get broke does it because of a broken glass substrate. It makes it lighter as well.
It's been a while since I got exited over an e-reader, this looks good
WOW as a Kindle user this thing is sick. I have a Kindle Voyage and love it but man I really wish amazon would come out with another new kindle. Kobo has been killing it with the past few ereaders. The size is perfect! i read a lot of manga and this would be great. The other thing i love about this one is the comfort light i really like how you can adjust the white balance on it. I don't like my light to be too white or too yellow. Ugh i read that the 32 GB is only coming out in Japan. Hope they change that i know the Aura came out in a 32gb too. You know Amazon for a company who started of selling books online and made some of the first successful e readers. Seems like they are really starting to fall behind the new Oasis is nice, but the fact we haven't had another size option and they never changed the backlight like how the Kobo is idk. Makes me want to switch. But then again the Forma is no joke on price too so that plays a big part as well. Guess i'll keep my Voyage for now. Also one really little point i love and had no idea Kobo had are the trophy/award system it's like have Achievements on Xbox or the Trophies on Playstation. It's so great and a really awesome incentive to read more i have no idea why amazon hasn't picked up on this. Man even tho the price of this is as close to the oasis i might buy one if i don't hear anything coming from amazon soon.
I have bad news for you, fellow Voyage user: Amazon killed the Voyage line...
The latest Oasis has the same screen size I believe.... I really really really love my Oasis.
I wouldn't complain if they made a new Kindle DX though.
Well amazon is about to anounce a new ereader.
Too expensive
I haven't gotten a kobo yet because they don't have a very good alternative to X-ray. But their hardware is top notch
Looks like a great product, I have a Clara HD and love it. New users should not discount the comfort light: I read three or four books a week, and setting the light all the way to orange has noticeably reduced eye-strain for me.
Same. Love my Clara for on-the-go, but may be in the market for an at-home, luxury e-reader. Looking really hard at ya Forma.
I am looking to find out if it can or how to get it?
1. Getting a nested folder for books.
2. Black screen, white text (reverse color).
3. Abilty to remove extra info when I am reading (book name, chapter, page number, etc.).
ordered mine. should be here soon. thank you for he good review
Thank you for the great review! No Swedish/Norwegian/Danish dictionaries, though? :( And honestly, with the time and effort they put in to finally make a new Kobo e-reader, you'd think they would have made it available for audio books, too, this time around! I wouldn't buy an Amazon e-reader for a million bucks, so I'm just waiting for a Kobo e-reader that supports audio. T___T x
Too much software, not enough hardware? For me that is true. Buying guide? Pros, cons, performance comparison...
What would you like to see ? =)
More detailed review that focuses on the hardware and its pros and cons. Also, how the hardware compares to the Kindle Oasis. Thanks.
How it fits in your hand etc.
Thanks for the wonderful review, but what about the pdf files?
PDFs are garbage on it and all other Kobos (I love my Kobo Aura One and have seen reviews of the PDFs on this...so no bias ; )
Thanks for being the first to get a review out for this device. Do you think the Forma is worth it for someone in the US who has been using Kindles? Does the overdrive function work in the US? It occasionally sounds like your saying the overdrive works in Canada, but I don’t know if your saying that its a Canada exclusive integration that Kobo provides. I’m also confused about the comment that the Kobo Forma is cheaper than the Kindle Oasis 2. The Oasis costs $250 and the Forma costs $280. Am I missing something?
Yes, Overdrive-function works in the US (and Canada, Australia and some other large english speaking countries).
In my country the Forma will be about 15% cheaper than the Oasis 2, but that varies depending where you live.
Responsiveness/slowness still seems to be an issue. What have they been doing at Kobo for the last two years? I'm surprised the CEO hasn't released a video yet on the R&D behind this new Kobo and a little bit about the daily work at Kobo.
I can't wait to see the comparison between Kindle Oasis 2 and Kobo Forma!
I'd switch from Oasis 2 without doubt. But I just can't justify buy another expensive e-reader
I'd be interested in seeing how it performs with PDF files, such as Text and Computer books?
Me too...... but I think that to read Computer books you need a good tablet. I do not like to read on tablets, but for now there is noting to do about it...
Excellent in-depth review!
Is there a way to install Linux apps or just browse the web on this?
I have aura but garnering for this because it can technically integrate with over drive. Now i still need to go ipad for my library books. Now it ll be perfect all in one
Cool device. They should add the ability to disable all screen re-orientation.
How is the multilanguage and translator support? I jump back and forth between English and Spanish and the Kindle has been very good to me in that regard.
I like it a lot. I don't mind ads that Kindle has, but this is superior to usual Kindle.
Is this Ereader more responsive than the Kobo Aura One?
I get really annoyed at how unresponsive the Kobo Aura One can get. It's tempting me to get the Kindle Oasis 2.
i was this close to buying the kindle oasis 2 but seeing tons and tons reviews about how horrible the battery life is and considering you pay a premium for that device....I chose not to buy it, i hope this one is reasonably priced with better battery
I own both devices (Aura One and Oasis 2) and have read lots of books on both. These days, I definately prefer the Oasis 2. Mostly for its speed and responsiveness, which is the best of any e-reader i've owned. Other reasons might be better light distribution (which has always been a problem on Kobo devices), a more 'premium' feel with the aluminium, and of course, the very convenient "handle" (one-hand reading) and physical page buttons. For me, the battery life is not really an issue. Just put it in flight mode if you're not using wifi or bluetooth, and it's still reasonable. This new Kobo Forma still appears to be rather slow to respond. This might be due to the larger screen, but I think the Oasis 2 has the faster processor (unconfirmed yet though). I'm a bit of an e-reader fanatic, so I might be buying the Forma anyway. ;)
Is there a way to reset the text settings? I'd like to make it go back to the original settings.
I might get the 32 GB model that will be released later.
Is it good at PDFs? I would like to read a full PDF page without having to zoom a lot. I just want it to read PDF documents and as a kindle user I find e-ink amazing to read anywhere (beach), no eyestrain and long battery life.
Is it possible to invert colours (dark background, white fonts) as you do in Paperwhite 4?
could you please show how the highlighting and annotation experience is like? How accurate is the highlighting? what about if you want to edit a highlight and change the area?
I really like this new model. The biggest flaw of the Kobo Aura one was that the text selection feature was bad. On most Kobo devices, you can't really drag and expand the text selection as you want. Did you see an improvement on this device?
Actually text selection works best for kepubs, not so for epubs. But it is something they should address
Hello guys!
I currently use a first generation Paperwhite and want to change a bit and get a Kobo. Should I get the Aura One or the Forma? Thank you
How are the buttons? On my Forma the tend to knirck a bit. nothing bad but it makes it feel less premium.
Is that landscape/portrait mode feature going to get rolled out to other Kobo ereaders? Obviously no Gyroscope but just the manual one.
Hi Goodreader, can you tell me whether is the kobo still using the oxford dictionary or the merriam-webster dictionary and whether can it translate from chinese to english and vice versa? Thanks
Does the Kobo Forma follow page jumps in PDF's?
Lots of people are talking about a lighting issue on the Kobo forma. Is it so bad? What is your experience? Are all devices faulty?
Is it possible to read books on the kobo forma from scribd ?
Thanks
Thank you for the review. Did you take it apart? Does it have an SD card like the Clara HD?
Probably not. This is a waterproof device. The Clara isnt.
One can only hope. Aura H2O had an internal SD card.
Well, the 32 GB model will release at a later date..
Thanks Peter
What about page crops for PDF? Does Kobo remove the white spaces?
No.
But it is very easy to install Koreader which is great for pdfs.
estoy en el dilema de forma y likebook p78, uno ya tiene el diccionario incluido y tiene agarre de una mano y muy completo pero sistema muy cerrado, en cambio el otro tiene playstore y se puede complementar con la adquisición de libros de otras plataformas pero el diccionario es deficiente de muy poco vocabulario y difícil de encontrar
I was intending to buy an Auro One 7.8 but this Forma made me confused. Which model would you suggest me to buy if expectations are:
- 8" screen (A must for me)
- Long battery life (preferred strongly)
- Colored screen (not necessary)
SD card support (not necessarily but preferred)
mp3 playing feature (not necessarily)
Yeah it's not clear what this model offers over the 7.8" other than .2" of screen and the physical page turn buttons. Plus the Aura One has 32gb while the Forma has 8gb. I'm considering buying one of these two as well
Would u say it’s worth buy Kobo Forma 8gb $279 over the kobo aura one limited edition 32gd $279 ??
Man, I would get this Kobo Forma if someone can answer me these mportant questions:
- is the front lighting uneven as bad as it sounds
- is there really a stiff and distracting click for the page turn buttons
- I know you can adjust font type, size and line spacing but is there a way to set the Forma to match the paperback novels original line spacing so I was thinking 8" to allow to match larfer paper novels so that page numbers line up on ebook and paperback counterpart because it would be nice to have ebook version match intended authors original spacing for paper novel version so preserving this would be nice (even better would be an option to click to adjust to paperback versions line spacing, font size and as close as possible the font type used)
- an I hide progress like page numbers because it's like watching a movie you hide progress bar to not get a clue as to Midway point of movie to get hint as to how story will end so I don't want this
*If everything above is to my liking, I would run out to BestBuy in Edmonton, AB here and get this Kobo Forma right away bc I like to read at night w blue light filter which sadly the Kindle Oasis 2 lacks...I want the large screen and I like the design of the Forma which is like the Oasis 2
A little late here but I hope this helps you.
The front lighting is actually surprisingly even, but many models have a bright/dark light strip on the side where the buttons are. It’s a little distracting tbh. I bought and exchanged 3 different Formas and ended up getting a refund because all 3 had it. Bad quality control IMHO. Look up “Kobo Forma light strip”.
The page turn and power button have no click at all, and felt very mushy. Again, this is consistent through all my exchanged models. Not a deal breaker but it felt cheap.
I don’t think there’s a way to completely match the physical version of the book. You’ll have to fiddle around to find the setting that best mimics the book.
Yes, the latest software allows you to hide the header and footer.
One very important thing you should consider is that the Kobo forma uses PWM for brightness adjustments. This means that the screen would rapidly turn on and off (flicker) to emulate different brightness levels. The flicker is at a rate that’s imperceptible to most people, but some have complained of eye fatigue from using screens like that. I never noticed it in the brief time I spent with a Kobo Forma, but you should definitely give this a thought. Look up “kobo Forma pwm flicker”.
On a side note, I bought a Kobo Aura H2O in the end, even though it comes with its own flaws. The H2O has a bright spot in the backlight on the bottom right, and I’ve exchanged twice to find the exact same problem. I decided to keep it because it’s something I could live with. Definitely go to Bestbuy to look at the ones they have on display.
In the current state, the kobo devices simply aren’t very well made compared to kindles. My friend has a kindle paperwhite 4 which I borrowed for a month, the backlight is so even that it almost looked like an LCD screen. It’s a pity that the kindles have no overdrive support in Canada (important!), and no warm light setting. These are the reasons I’ve gone with a kobo despite the inferior hardware quality.
Kobo Forma vs Kindle Oasis please..
Already filmed.
We just need to do finalize =)
Nice review! Amazing device.
How well does it interact with organization set up in calibre? Not being able to upload my organization onto a newer reader has kept me with my Sony PRS-350.
wow, youre still rocking the 350? thats awesome.
thats when sony was making good sh**
It's 90% dead but I have never replaced it because I have all my books organized in Calibre and I have yet to find anything else that will upload all that organization instead of forcing me to redo all of it one book at a time on an e-ink touchscreen.
I'm also interested in this, if you get any new info please let me know
From the Look of the interface it's extremely similar to the older Kobo eBook readers, If so there is some organization that is possible using Kobo plugin for calibre, You can set things to be automatically included placed into a specific 'collection' For example, i have mine set up to automatically place books in groups based on series, and will sort them based on their place in the series. But i don't' think the Kobo firmware supports organization deeper then a single level if that is what you want to know about.
What CPU is it? Same old i.MX 6 SoloLite and 512 MB RAM?
Can we still transfer our own epub files fron our computer?
Just a quick question. Can you make text bolder or darker on the book screen?
Yes, use the advanced font setting as shown in the video.
I got a Kobo Aura One, please make a Kobo Aura One VS. Kobo Forma video, I'm not sure I should upgrade it or not.
I purchased an aura one 10 days back. The aspect ratio on this is not good. It's almost a square. That .2 Inch or . 5 cm increase in screen size for 50 dollars is not worth it imo.
The size does not matter that much to me, I really like the page-turn buttons and portrait/landscape mode. I bought Kobo Aura One two years, although it works so well so far, I have decided to upgrade it. Thanks.
is this device support pdf I mean can I download free books please answer me thank you
La Kobo Forma est une machine magnifique. On peut choisir la tonalité de couleur et obtenir un crème chaud. Avec son écran 8 pouces et la douceur de l’écran on atteint désormais le meilleur des deux mondes, papier et électronique. 🙂
Is your hand really big ?
This is the best e-reader you can buy. Thanks for the review!
Kobo forma v kobo aura one please ?
Nice video. But the video (8 min 40 sec) shows an uneven Forma screen (lighter and more yellow below). Is this also the case in real or is this just in the video?
When will other kobos get this version of software? Or is this specific to this kobo?
One of the strenghts with Kobo is that they continue to update and support firmware for older e-readers. That means that all e-readers get the same software.
With a couple of caveats.
One is that the really old mini has not been updated for long. This is probably due to its low resolution.
The other is that any new e-reader comes with a firmware for that one. After about a month or so, an updated firmware usually rolls out to all readers.
There is one feature that is limited, the Overdrive support, that used to be for only the Aura ONE. Now it's available for all newer readers.
So there is chance I will get landscape mode for Aura ONE? (or is it already there? Lately I was reading pdfs only, and last time I checked I did not find landscape. And margins/centering doesn't work right as centering is reset to 0,0 on each page flip... And some pdf crash whole reader... I love my kobo, but damn their pdf issues...)
Don't know. As they kept Overdrive for the flagship product (Aura ONE) for quite some time, they may keep landscape for Forma, or there is some issues with resolution.
My guess would be that it depends on how much people actually ask for it. So please let Kobo know that you want landscape on your very nice Aura ONE.
If you really want to read pdfs on your Kobo, you probably should take a look at installing Koreader. It is so much better than stock software.
the Kobo Forma is like $100 more then the kindle oasis 2017 in Australia
Wow that's crazy. !
It's 100$ cheaper than the oasis 2 in Canada lol
No other e-reader does landscape? Even the cheapest kindle does that without any third party app.
Landscape rotation.
Not software-selectable landscape. Every ereader does landscape but none utilize gyroscopes to do so
Every reader? No my Kobo Aura H20 first generation can only read in portrait mode. Notice I've also asked if the manual change of orientation is coming to other Kobo ereaders seeing as that isn't an option on mine. I'm referring to another comment I've made.
so you would prefer this on oasis?
Does it support Arabic fonts?
No hardware overview?
0:21 - 0:35
:)
Peter? Is that you?
This one vs kobo aura one
Amazon where you at?
Yes it's really a suprise that Amazon wasn't first with mobius in a mainstream reader (there are some larger e-ink devices that use it).
Amazon makes good software and has an excellent store and ecosystem but they lag in hardware. They lagged on waterproof, they lag on making a larger eReader (No, not the DX) they still dont have comfort light and they are painfully slow and inconsistent with their Kindle release dates. They also still have the same Paperwhite design since 2012. In many ways Amazon has abandoned its customers.
How does it handle PDFs?
PDF is fine as long as you don't do any panning or zooming, which has always been horrible with Kobo software. No improvement there (watched it in another review).
YKT This is the link: czcams.com/video/2cgCryETRlQ/video.html starting at 4:45 you can see the PDF stuff.
i.mx6? or rockchip?
IMX6 Solo Lite 1 GHZ processor
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Does this ereader have the ability to play audiobooks like the kindle paper white?
It will fail because it has a text logo on the front.
What do you mean?
Does it support Arabic?
yes it does.
Could have did without the page turn buttons. It makes the device larger than it needs to be.
Probably not since the battery has to be somewhere... (the actual screen part is just 4,2 mm thick!)
The area for the page turn buttons has another function: you can hold the device in one hand, even while lying down. This is very convenient and one of the main reasons I previously bought the Oasis 2. About the size of the device: it's already too big to store it in an inside pocket of your jacket, even without the buttons (can't do that with an Aura One either).
way too big
no pdf review - thumbs down!
How about one minute of this ~11 minute caress of this product being devoted to highlighting and notetaking functions, the practical Achilles' heel of most Kobos? You briefly show it highlighting the word "table" and shifting to dictionary mode. Not an adequate review.
we cant please everyone. People like you ask for a shorter vid, when we do that, people complain that its not long enough. This is a very adequate review. Sorry you did not like it. Please do not torture yourself :)
There's no need for exaggeration. You apparently misunderstand me: I simply pointed out that in an eleven minute review, you didn't adequately and plainly (it would have taken a minute, I say) test the highlighting and annotating functions. Can you please answer that query in a text comment here? I really want to know; previous Kobos have not performed these functions well and this is a crucial feature for me.
we will try to cover this in the Aura One vs Forma Comparison
thanks !