Kindle Paperwhite 5 vs Kobo Libra 2 Comparison Review
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- čas přidán 9. 07. 2024
- Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon: amzn.to/3mpAxSe (affiliate link)
Kobo Libra 2 at Amazon: amzn.to/3jCKLwH (affiliate link)
Here's a comparison review between the 6.8" Kindle Paperwhite 5 and the 7" Kobo Libra 2. I didn't get to cover everything so make sure to check the main reviews for more info. These two ereaders are very similar in a lot of ways, except the design. See here for thoughts about the screen differences: blog.the-ebook-reader.com/202...
See here for reviews of each: blog.the-ebook-reader.com/
*Please note I do not accept free review units because I think it's a disingenuous way to do reviews. Everything reviewed on this channel was paid for by me. - Zábava
My wife has this kindle (6.8") and I have the Kobo pound 2 (7"). I recommend the Kobo libra 2, for the main reason that the screen has more CONTRAST, that is, the letters make greater contrast with the background of the screen, which helps a lot to rest when reading. In addition, the Kobo has many more reading options: 1. The margins of the pages can be reduced to zero, on the Kindle there are always margins and sometimes they are very large. 2. There are many sizes of line spacing, Kindle only offers three. 3. There are many more font sizes and many more bold options. All these options make reading more comfortable, which ultimately is what is important. Ahh well and it supports the EPUB format. The Kindle only beats the Kobo in that it's smoother (faster clicking) which isn't relevant to reading.
Thank you
kobo vs kindle is like android vs ios. kobo has so many more options to customize and much more open software in general
kobo has the benefit of having no ads, being moddable, and basically being usable entirely offline, sideloading, as a pure book-reader without hassle. it's a much more "focused" experience for how much amazon is involved in everything you do with the kindle.
What do you mean modable? I was going to go with the kindle until I heard that
@@HL09 Did you buy it?
I wonder myself which one to choose. PW5 SE and Libra2 are same price now where I live.
At first I wanted to get Kobo but I saw how much better Kindle works when zooming in Manga
and now I think Ill go with Kindle... even tho Im not a fan of amazon itself ;]
I also like how Kobo can optionally show the number of pages remaining in the chapter in the header, and that it calculates the number of pages based on the font size and margins, etc., so it's truly the number of page turns left. I personally prefer this to Kindle's estimate of time remaining in the chapter.
Im sure kindle can also show the number of pages remaining. My 2015 paperwhite does. U could switch between time left or pages left between either the chapter or entire book
@@monke9765 with the new kindle we can not do that anymore. we can only see the time per chapter.
@@monke9765 nah it’s just got page number time left and some location shit
@@W3TFART nah y'all Boomers just don't know how to use it. Took me 15 seconds to a find a video explaining how to show page numbers on the Kindle Paperwhite: czcams.com/video/OD8x9UG1aaU/video.html
@@W3TFARTyou just got to scroll down in that part of the kindle and it changes from time remaining to page number or other options
The Libra 2 is also available in white or black. I have the white, and it conceals fingerprints very well.
Gonna buy Kobo since I don't want to pay any money to uncle Bezos
Underrated argument
Edgy
Why though?
I'm gonna pay. You do you 😎
It`s the same for "uncle Bezos". Just buy the one you consider the best.
The only missin in Libra 2 is a better CPU. its ok for ebooks, but for heavy PDF its to slow, a dual core or faster single core scould be nice, strange its not updated...
Hi, could you do a comparison between the Libra 2 and the Oasis?
I am a former Kimdle user. I still have an older Paperwhite and a Voyage, but this year I jumped ship because my Kindle’s kept failing to connect to my PC where I transferred other ebooks using CAlibre. I wanted to consolidate my purchases from Nook, Kobo and Apple. And I liked uploading my personal writing to the device. Amazon’s technical support could not help me and recommended that I email PDFs to my account for upload to the device. This was not acceptable for my personal writing.
I received a Kobo Libra 2 for Christmas and I love it. I particularly love borrowing library ebooks with overdrive. At this point, I am retiring my Kindles to be used only as backup devices. This has caused me to also purchase ebooks from alternate sources from Amazon.
Thanks for sharing your Kobo experience. Was wondering if you can highlight text to notes and export them? I like to capture quotes and review books. Also, I have books in PDFs I'd like to do this with, but heard somewhere that it can't capture PDFs like Kindles... Is this correct?
@@dan_kennedy i haven't had any trouble with PDFs on either Kindle or Kobo. Regarding highlight text you can absolutely do it, but I'm not sure about exporting. Maybe look into the Kobo Sage which provides some cool note taking features.
Thanks so very much for your reply and advice. :-) Yes, I think taking a closer look at the Sage is a great idea. Thanks again, I really appreciate it.
Tell me, please, is Kobo Libra2 contrast better or worse compared to Kindle Voyage? How saturated is the black color of the text?
Hello! For multilingual people, does Kobo Libra 2 allows installation of non-english dictionaries? Then if i highlight a word and look up its meaning, will it show translations to other languages i installed? Ibooks from ipad mini does this
The libra is just so beautiful
If you convert epub to kepub (it goes automatically with Calibre when syncing - you only have to turn on the setting once), the Kobo Libra 2 is as fast as Kindle PW5
Great Review. I love the Overdrive with the Kobo and I can load all my owned books.
Can you not do it with kindle?
@@MrJunaidtayyab
No. If you already have a collection of ebooks (epubs) you can't download then to your kindle unless you change the or convert the ebook.
@@Leadloose That's absolutely not true Franky. You don't know what you're talking about. A simple Google search shows you plenty of articles and videos on how to load eBooks you already have onto your Kindle.
After googling up the difference between kindle paper white and Kobo Libra 2, I also ended up buying Libra 2 due to overdrive! I can borrow books from my library without physically heading down and borrow and returning. No regret getting Libra 2 for me. I wanted to buy kindle paper white but I was thinking, i already have the Kindle Basic so might as well try Kobo.
How are you liking your Kobo Libra 2 four months later? I am in the market and have seriously considered picking one up.
@@Filthymutt Yea it's been good and i am loving it. It's easy to hold, read and also to access library book easily. No regrets getting it.
@@hobbes3012 Thank you for the update! I'll have to snag one myself! :)
@@Filthymutt Your most welcome...I think with the added functionality of borrowing books from your local library is a thumbs up for it plus the size.
@@hobbes3012 what do you mean exactly with the borrowing from your library?
But how about the way you upload books. Can you download all the books and then convert them for kindle?
Been debating getting a Paperwhite 6.8 inch. Not liking my Kobo Forma much. It too 3 of them before I got one that worked right 6 months later. I've had it lock up now and then. Be glitchy. But the 3rd one does work better. I feel like 8 inches is too big. But I felt my Kobo Aura 1st gen, was a tad too small. So I'm thinking 105 CDN dollars for a paperwhite on sale is a really sweet deal and a compromise in size. Having wrist and nerve issues, and tennis elbow, and find the bigger Forma still too awkward. Forma has page buttons which are okay.I have over a million ebooks, so overdrive means nothing to me. I also own 2000+ physical books. But they're getting awkward with hand/nerve pains.
How long is the sleep timer on the Libra 2? I know the Paperwhite has only 10 minutes before going to sleep.
Oh I love the select words for translation. Good for reading Dune..
Does it actually?? I need to re read dune now. By translation do you mean it’ll show you the definitions from the back of the book when you click on the word?
Thanks for sharing your Kobo experience. Was wondering if you can highlight text to notes and export them? I like to capture quotes and review books. Also, I have books in PDFs I'd like to do this with, but heard somewhere that it can't capture PDFs like Kindles... Is this correct?
I don't know to both but I'd like to know too bc I've been wanting to buy the libra 2. Maybe for the pdf's use something like callibre, I actually heard that kinlde isn't good with pdf's but maybe those were older versions..
@@marlena. I ended up choosing the Kobo Sage and have found it brilliant. Although it doesn't highlight PDFs, (other than for dictionary meanings of words), it will still mark them up with the stylus. The note highlighting works on every other format I've tried. So very happy.
The fast turn function seems to work on some books but not others (holding button down to skip through pages) any idea why this is? I noticed this on third party purchased books compared to books on the Kobo store. Can you shed any light please?
It only works on kepub format.
I used to stay with kindle because you could buy single newspaper issues. Amazon is phasing out the e-newspaper category in the kindle store, so I will switch to Kobo
I just wish Kobo should have an option where you can sideload books through email like Kindle so I wouldn't have to use PC
Hello, I just got the Kobo Libra 2, sometimes you can see some marks from the previous page. It's my first e-book, I don't know if it's normal or if the device is defective. Thank you very much.
Not normal
Great review and comparison, thank you. Question: Can you use immersive reading on the Kindle where the reader can listen to the audio while reading? (Assume BT) And as for the Kobo, same question but can you load your own books or do you need to use from Kobo store? TYI Joel
@Akeelzzz Thank you sir. Happy Holidays
With kindle its easier you just send your book to an email address and is automatically added to your kindle library.
@Akeelzzz Thank you sir for your reply. It was helpful. Have a good new year
@@jonathana.1802 However newer models of Kobo the ones that are released after Forma like the Libra 2 does use Dropbox integrated functionality for books to transfer. Probably a better method than email because if your kobo gets stolen you still have an all in one place for the kobo books
which one is better for pdf reading?
9:21 One detail: Turning pages by pressing the buttons on the Kobo is as fast as touching the screen on the Kindle, the delay is only screen-related. Weird.
Which is better for language learning? I want to buy a Kobo Libra 2, but I have read that the Kindle has a better translator and translates full sentences (unlike the Kobo), which would make it better for learning languages.
This is quite interesting….. and a point to kindle in that case… i don’t know which one to buy.
Which one has the better dark mode though?
Ppw5 vs voyage, please
Library book borrow integration via Libby to Kindle marks Kindle as an easy win in my book.
It would have been better, if the screens were aligned.
Thanks for the video.
Both good devices with neither being a clear winner IMHO.
I have a PW5, I use Amazon to buy books so the Kindle makes sense and sideloading content is no issue with Calibre.
One thing I don't hear talked about in these comparisons is the cases, I would guess most use one , there is always a load of 3rd party cases for all the kindle models as well 1st party Amazon ones. Not sure if its the same for the Kobo's.
Kindle will always have more third party cases support as it is more popular.
They are available for kobo as well even on Amazon .
Bought both of these last week. Both are great, but I prefer the new Kindle. But it's just a matter of preference. 1 feature I really like about the Kindle over the Kobo is that I have the option of always have the time displayed. Great for not losing track of time while reading.
Kobo can have that including a bttery percentage and date if you prefer that... but thru installation of the nanoclock. You can even set it using a font you want. Kobo is more flexible if you like to tinker a bit :)
@@elvinventucillo4501 Thanks for letting me know that. I was totally unaware of this. I'll definitely check it out.
Which screen do you find sharper and clearer with the better contrast?
@@vagabondsteve Honestly, I find them basically identical in terms of sharpness and contrast. Having used them more for a month, though I'd still recommend both, I still give the nod to the Kindle. The Kindle is definitely faster at loading pages. Also very much to my surprise, I don't care for the physical buttons on the side of the Kobo. Thought I'd love them, instead they make the device just too big to fit in my jacket pocket.
You can set the Kindle to show the time while you're reading too - that's what I've done on mine.
Hi.
Does the Kobo screen look more bluish and the Kindle screen look whiter, or is it a camera effect?
It's something you really only notice when they're right next to each other, and frontlights tend to vary from one to the next so it's not something that's going to be definitive either way. You can take two Kindles of the same model and sometimes the frontlights will be completely different.
The Kobo has a slight green tint for me!
which of the two screen has the better anti -glare?
They're pretty much the same. Maybe the Kobo has a slight edge without the flush layer but there's really not much difference.
Definitely seems like when you buy a Kobo, its yours to do whatever you want with as well. You can load any files and homebrew apps onto it easily, while the Kindle pressures you into using their own book store.
Interesting review. Another comparison review says libra 2 has better screen contrast. I'd like to know with light off, which one has better screen contrast? Thanks.
With the frontlights off the Kindle looks a little better because the background is lighter and with good ambient lighting the text looks clear, but I've noticed in lower lighting the text stands out better on the Libra 2 because my theory is not as much light can penetrate the Kindle's flush front layer, so it has a subtle fuzzy appearance by comparison.
@@TheeBookReader Got it. Many thanks!
It's the same screen. Goodereader published a piece on it. They both have the new E-ink Carta 1200. So it depends if you want flushed screen or not. I think the Kindle looks better. But that's my personal opinion.
PW gets glare on the flush screen it’s bloody annoying kobo doesn’t have this issue
in my points of view, the screen of Kobo Libra 2 is better than Kindle。。。。
what also attracts me is the Oevedrive which enables me to borrow books from Public library....
I am also thinking should I get paperwhite 2021 version or the libra 2, i am leaning towards libra 2 as I can borrow from the public library book.
@@hobbes3012 seems no much Chinese books available for Kobo libra to borrow from HK public library
@@ccy3792 Mine is from Singapore National Library, I think is a good investment as also can borrow books for my daughter to read.
Why I prefer the Kobo : slighlty bigger screen, buttons, sunken screen (so better contrast), and the ability to read with 0 margins
What do you mean by zero margins?
@@terenterenteren8301 on the kobo, you can adjust how big/small your margins when reading. no wasted space on the sides.
I always assumed a flush screen is better …. Am I mistaken?
@@AcidicDelusion with the flush screen, there’s a layer of glass on top of the actual screen making the texts not as crisp compared to a sunken screen (libra 2).
@@AcidicDelusion yes you’re mistaken
The Kobo has a greenish tint
I've got a kindle 10th gen, and while it's perfectly fine, one thing that really annoys me is that it doesn't have a screen timeout. I often tend to get distracted for a few minutes while reading, and it seems that every single time I get back my book, and get near the end of the page, the bloody thing turns off!
It's unbelievably annoying, and I think I'm going to go with a Kobo the next time I upgrade. It's beyond my why Amazon won't add a screen timeout to the Kindle..
Well, I think that is definitely a screen timeout. A non configurable one of course.
@@joseadiaz07 Yea, exactly! It was just lazy writing on my part..
Looking for my first ereader thx for in depth comparison, one thing I noticed is they both flicker to black a lot when switching menus 3:29 is this something that happens in all ereaders? Can it be turned off?
Why is that I wonder
That's just how e-ink works. That constant refreshing you see prevents "ghosting." In other words, if hypothetically you got rid of that refresh... the previous page would bleed through to the next one. But really, once you get used to the refreshing you'll hardly even notice it anymore.
@HappyPutt ^^ all eink must refresh there screen eventually to prevent ghosting. some models can be adjusted when u want to refresh (every page - every 10 page)
The big one is Libby on kobo in Canada.
One thing you forgot to mention is that Libra 2 has the new generation Carta 1200 eink screen. It has much better contract and greyscale color depth which makes it better for manga. Also Libra 2 has a sunken screen vs flush screen of kindle, which also makes it better especially in dark mode.
I believe both readers use the Carta 1200. But yeah, the sunken screen should be a bit more contrasty. But then he has both in front of him and it doesn't seem more obvious to him.
Both e reader use carta 1200..
@@kadupse The one he thought was better?
New Kindle Paperwhite doesn't have Carta 1200 . It has Carta hd.
just look at 12m55s for dark mode comparison. You can see clearly Kobo has deeper, correct blacks. czcams.com/video/nX_dXOaO_Ec/video.htmlm55s
Kobo is a slouch with zooming images, pdfs and comics
The libra2 physical buttons seem way too far at the edge. Is it comfortable to hold in that position?
I have it and I find it very confortable to hold :)
@@dreamingmoon737 I am thinking on getting the Libra too because I love the buttons on the side (I still use my 10 year old Bq avant because of that). Is the PDF experience as bad as they say? I may want to read some pdf books or papers too.
reading aot i see
Paperwhite 5 is in a whole different league performance wise, flush screen on the other hand is always a little less pleasing than non-flush, Kobo gets it.
It is a matter of taste. not all people like the flushed screen tradeoff of decrease contrast.
@@elvinventucillo4501 Yep, from my experience "not all" is probably the majority here.
@@bhargavbhatt6531 the sage and libra screen are being compared as well., sice they use the same e-carta 1200 screen that should have the same contrast but reviews show the sage has decreased contrast which no one knows why but since the difference between the two is the flushed screen on the sage, it is assumed the xtra layer of glass led to the decreased contrast.
@@bhargavbhatt6531 I'm very tempted to move onto the Libra 2 from the PW3, performance is a let down, but I do prefer the Kobo screen and open approach to formats and libraries, but leaving the Amazon ecosystem is a daunting proposition.
@@arianakhan6665 if you heavily depend on the kindlestore ecosystem, i suggest you stick with the kindle. I mostly sideload books so kobo is the choice for me and i love how kobo's system can be customized and personalized by patches and installing other apps.
I can't get my ebooks on my librba 2. Someone please help! The message on my Libra says "Your eReader is not authorized to open this book". I have tried everything - uninstalling ADE; unauthorizing my computer + the Libra 2 - nothing seems to work. Any advice?
Calibre program
Im heavily considering selling my paperwhite 11th gen, since I find gripping the bottom bezel awkward, when gripping in portrait mode, the square corners making it no easier. What I've just found out, I can't hold the kindle in landscape, rotated anti clockwise; with the bezel in my right hand, as it only rotates clockwise.
So why can they just give me one more landscape holding orientation, so I can have a pseudo Oasis? 😂
Thanks for sharing this! I am totally torn between this two wonderful devices!
Warm light on Kobo is WAY more deeper orange than the pale Kindle shit. You can't review a device and not mention this huge difference.
Thanks for sharing this! Would you mind confirming if you're referring to the Kobo Libra 2 vs the PPW 5?
i am having freezing on kobo libra 2
kindle has better device but I simply hate their ecosystem
I think there should be an option to deactivate the screen adjustment on the Kobo to save on battery life.
Tiene la funcion paso de pagina por control remoto (raton, u otro)? cada vez que llevas el dedo a pulsar la pantalla para paso pagina, TE DESCONECTAS DE LA LECTURA, y se te olvida siempre algo de la pagina que pasaste, sin embargo con control remoto la LECTURA ES INMERSIVA no te desconectas 2000 veces del libro,400, 2000, 5000 etc veces que tienes que llevar el dedo a la pantalla para leer un libro, eso no es conveniente y no siver ningun ereadar que no tenga control remoto, obviamente es MUY INCOMODO leer en ellos, czcams.com/video/trhdWDTAbKA/video.html
Kindle for me. I bought a paperwhite 11th 8gb, with ADS, for less than 110€. 32 GB are usless, also for Audiobooks (we can use a tablet or a smartphone or a srmart speaker for listen it). Lybra is a good devices but too expansive.
kindle if you have prime and are in the amazon ecosystem already. Leaving the amazon ecosystem is impossible with kindle so I can't get free books from my library or shop anywhere else for books which makes kobo the better choice for me.
Kobo recycling the same processor from 2011 with no bump in RAM, while adding bluetooth and 32GB seems less a feature choice and more a means to squeeze more money from users.
main reason kindle still sells is because its been the default for a long time. kobo i think is better, idk if hardware is better but overall its just better. good reads is horrible, amazon is amazon, and with kindle audio books and bluetooth isnt even compatible outside specific countries, THATS INSANE LOL. bought a paperwhite, returned it next day and got libra 2.
@@user-qv4np3ur5w I'm in Canada, so the reason I returned the Kindle is simply because I wanted an eReader that could seamlessly connect to Bluetooth ear buds for audio books, and give me ebooks. Kindle doesn't do that, atleast outside of US and UK it doesn't do that. The audible store on the Kindle wasn't even accessible bc I'm in Canada, I couldn't connect bluetooth ear buds bc I'm in Canada, these two things alone are insane. Kobo has its own audio book service that also gives a credit once of a month for 9.99 I think. I haven't tried the library feature, but I heard it's pretty good, if you want very popular books it will be a bit of a wait as your essentially renting or borrowing the book. Idk for Canadians I think Kobo is no brainer, if your in US Kindle seems like the better option, but idk if kobos features work the same way in the US as they do in Canada, if they do maybe kobo is better. For me I'm just using it for free audiovooks once a month, and the physical books i have if I want to read them on the kobo in bed it's more comfortable so I'll just download a ripped version and transfer that file onto the kobo and switch between physical and kobo depending on where I'm reading. Actually reading on it thought is great, I really like the lighting options, I usually have my brightness down to about 15-20 but turn up the warm light about half way.
@@user-qv4np3ur5w actual books selections idk, I have only really been wisvlisting fairly popular fantasy books, although I just bought girl with a dragon tattoo for 4 bucks the other day. But I haven't had any trouble finding the book I want, mainly fantasy and sci fi, fairly popular titles. I did actually find a local new author on there which was a nice surprise.
Kindle has more accessibility in more countries than a kobo, also more people buy their books on Amazon so they’re more likely to get a kindle also a kindle is much cheaper. This is why more people buy a kindle than kobo.
@@user-qv4np3ur5w Well its easier to sideload which means getting books from outside sources on a Kobo so even if the Kobo library is limited you could still technically load a lot of books to kobo by connecting the device through your computer. Later Kobo models starting from Forma you could use the dropbox integration and just randomly put books there. Kindle has send to email option for books and you always have to convert to Amazon format which means using Callibre at the very least.
@@sophiagonzales8974 I think you mean kindle blocks features in more countries then kobo .
Not everyone lives in Uncle Sam land .
Shinzou wo sasageyo.
5:20 That’s all I needed to know, Kindle is FASTER !
Must’ve missed the start up times then
Why? Are you planning to play games on this?
I would be interested in the kobo but my 4 year old smart phone is more responsive than either of these and these e readers are doing way less than my phone. They really need to put in better hardware under the hood to make the units more responsive. I get that its just for books but zooming in and out and using menu functions should not cause screen tearing or noticeable delay. It just looks outdated even though these products are new to market.
The delay and flashing of black navigating the menus is due to the type of screen. E-readers use e-ink, to my knowledge it's not able to be as fast or responsive as an LCD screen. I'd recommend getting a tablet or using your phone to read if you're wanting to read something with images. Personally, I don't notice the delay when I'm reading novels.
@Natterforme You really have no idea do you ?
Kindle is a clear winner for me.
you Libra 2 users are tripping the new paperwhite destroys the LIBRA 2
In terms of what?
Kindle looks noticeably sharper with the front light turned off. It's using the new HD Carta screen while I believe the Libra uses the old one
Kindle isn’t sharper stop trying to justify your purchase .
@@W3TFART lol I don't own either device...i read on an Onyx. Calling it like how I see it. The display on the kindle in this video simply looks better.
@@azayn2434 in real life it doesn’t because I have both
You speak so fast... tiring to follow you. But good review otherwise :)
I don’t understand Kobo’s fascination with the wedge design, I can’t stand them. I have the Oasis and had a Forma but never liked the design. I could understand keeping it the same style with the Libra 2 but with the more premium Sage they should have gone a completely different style. Two of the same designs is lazy. There’s no innovation.
What could they have done differently with the Sage though? It’s an 8 inch screen, so it’s needs some kind of handle to hold it comfortably.
I like Paperwhite's symmetrical design more.