One
to watch.
Almost
four years ago when The Test Pit got going, one of the first things
we ever reviewed was the Kobo Touch e-reader. Since then we've kept a
sharp eye on the brand, having reviewed a few other of the company's
readers since. But today we think we've found the ultimate e-reader,
and it seems like Kobo have to thank readers of ebooks for it. We
test the Kobo Aura One.
Like
the Kobo Aura H2O before it, this e-reader is fully waterproof. So
yes, you can now read in the bath, by the pool, in the garden while
the sprinkler is on, or at a bus stop in the rain. Take that, books!
Also, the device itself has been designed by committee, and although
that usually produces a camel as opposed to a horse (so the saying
goes... or something) the resulting gadget is awesome.
First
up, the screen is a huge 7.8 inches across the diagonal – the
biggest we've ever tested. It also boasts the highest resolution,
with 300dpi across 1872x1404 pixels. This means it looks incredible,
and coupled with the clear white background and forward light,
reading text is a real pleasure. All that size hasn't weighed it down
too much either, as at just 230 grams it is actually lighter than the
smaller Aura H2O.
Asking
a group of Kobo readers want they want in a new device means that
several other boxes have been firmly ticked. If you read at night
you'll know that traditional e-readers can blast out blue light and
make your eyes tired, never mind messing up your sleep patterns.
Although e-readers are nowhere near as bad as tablets and smartphones
for this, it is still an issue to overcome. Kobo have therefore
loaded the Aura One with ComfortLight Pro, an automatic setting that
changes the brightness and light of the screen depending on what time
of day it is. This means that the brightness will always be low
automatically when you reach for the reader at night in bed, although
you can further adjust this yourself to get it even more spot on.
In
the hand, the Kobo Aura One feels nice and tactile and very easy to
grip for long periods, despite not being as textured as previous Kobo
readers. The sleep/wake button is large and bright blue, sitting
conspicuously on the rear. This seems like an odd choice, and it kind
of spoils the sleek good looks, but we can only assume the design
committee demanded an easy-to-find and operate button, so there you
are.
Obviously
Kobo's biggest competition is Amazon's Kindle, but we truly believe
that Kobo has the upper hand. Not only do they have a library of
ebooks that rivals Amazon's, there is no dodgy 'do we actually own
the books we buy?' issues as with Amazon. Also, there is no bloody
advertising on the device, something Amazon are awful for with their
Kindles and Fire tablets. For an uncomplicated read, go Kobo, says
we.
A
great new reader, with a brilliant screen and an initiative light
sensor, we really do love this thing.
£179
Available from www.amazon.co.uk