I already own my new libra color but can i just say this is the only review i watched that addressed annotating thoroughly 🙌 Very realistic review as well.
I did pre order… and got the Kobo Libra COLOUR. I already had a Kobo Libra eReader that I loved… and I do love the buttons for page turning. It reduces dirty finger prints on my screen… but I was excited to be getting a bit of colour with this Kobo Libra COLOUR. I already knew that it would be pastel rather than vibrant. To me personally… the Kobo Libra Colour gets a big thumbs up. I bought a couple of different Kobo covers at the time of ordering. I didn’t fancy the clear cover. I like the protection to the screen with the book style cover. My Kobo gets dropped into my handbag so the protection to the screen is sensible. I’ve had the larger Kobo… but the Libra I find is an easier size to carry in my bag. I have to say I hate reading on my iPad or iPhone or a note pad… if you sit outside to enjoy the fresh air and try to read the light just is impossible to see the screen. It’s fine if you’re reading inside… but if you’re in the middle of a book that you’ve been reading and you’re traveling on a bus or train or sitting outside… for easy reading I’d much rather have an eReader. So for me it would be my new Kobo Libra COLOUR that would win.
The color e-ink looks like color photos in newspapers used to look. Color in newspapers has become more saturated since maybe the late 1990s, but they used to be very much like the Kobo Libra Color
A lot of people don’t seem to touch on the fact that the screen is super grainy compared to the original kobo readers. That’s one huge downside of compensating for the colours. I definitely prefer the natural look of the old kobo better.
This is the thing I’m having the hardest time with. I have a kobo Clara 2E and kindle paper white and just purchased the kobo libra color and I’m struggling with the screen quality.
I was deciding between the clara BW and clara colour, I chose the BW because of this exact reason lol. If there’s a book I love the colour/design and want to annotate it in person, I’ll just buy the physical copy :)
There is a price to everything. There is a BW version of the 6" model that has a new Encarta Screen. The Encarta 1300. The latest, and best, of BW e-ink. I am told it is pretty darn sharp.
Just got my Kobo Clara Colour, love having colour covers and being able to read graphic novels in colour (even if that is only a small part of my reading habit)
My Libra colour arrived yesterday, I forgot how much I loved graphic novels as a kid, I am so in love with it that I read till 6am. But like you it really doesn't reflect my reading habits but the colour is such a great thing to have!
I love the muted colors for highlighting. I don’t use an e-reader, but I do read a lot on my iPad. If I were to buy an e-reader, I would want one in color, for sure.
I got it last week and I am obsessed, i love it so much. My favorite thing are the buttons to be honest. Using the highlights all the time as well. Ordering the pen now, it was sold out when I bought mine.
Great review, you covered everything about the Kobo Libra Colour. I preordered mine from Kobo and received it 2 days after it became available. I love it, it's my very first color e-reader and I love that the book covers are in color. I also bought the stylus with it and I'm enjoying that I can write little notes, underline and highlight directly on the pages of the books, unlike the Kindle Scribe. I think Amazon is currently working on their own color e-reader so we might soon see what they come up with. I agree that it's an exciting time in the e-reading world now that color e-readers are becoming more common. It's something we've been waiting for some time now. I have a Kindle Paperwhite and will keep it because almost all my books are from Amazon's Kindle bookstore, but with my Kobo Libra Colour, I can borrow books from my library through the built-in Overdrive feature so I will take advantage of that more to save money instead of buying them.
Love your review. I’ve been considering switching over to Kobo and this new color one is a big reason why! I love the way annotating works on it better than the scribe and think the color highlighters will help make the process more seamless from annotating my physical books!
I bought the Kobo Libra 2 two years ago, love it, but when I hope to get some note-taking actions and here comes Libra Color, I’m so excited! Though I’m still struggling if the trade would be beneficial, your review on note taking part has given me a more concrete ideas on how to actually do it. Many reviewers will skip those tiny parts where they have written something wrong on the notes, and make the whole experience too flawless, whilst you have shown us down-to-earth how exactly the functions could go wrong (and right too). Though I must admit that my attention was caught at the beginning when you said you’ve read 1000 books a year and 90% on e-reader, which makes more sense whatsoever you said in the review. Thank you for the sharing, helps a lot!
I just got this today using my shoppers points and bonus redemptio added a sleep cover too and only paid 38 CAD after taxes and everything ❤🎉 It was sold out for a while and got restocked before the promotion ends😅
Thanks! I love e-ink technology and I love, love my Kindle. So, when I saw this Kobo with colour, I thought it was just a tablet, but your explanation was so helpful. I love physical books, but for economy and space now I only buy physical when is a book that I will use to work with, if it is a novel I read it on my e-reader
Love this review! Just a correction on wording, I would go use "borrowing" as opposed to "renting" books from the library. Just because the word renting implies paying to access the books!
I ❤ my Libra Colour. Still looking for the right 10” tablet, though. My Kindle Scribe has a great display, but the single-core chip and half-baked firmware are too limiting. I returned a Boox Note Air 3C because of the clumsy UI, ghosting, and dim, grainy colour. Kobo’s simple UI, intuitive lighting control and the decision to put the colour layer on top have won me over. The stylus and handwriting conversion is good, if not as sophisticated as Boox, reMarkable, etc. I'd love to see Kobo develop a more sophisticated version of the Elipsa 3 to replace the Scribe. Oh, and installing Bookerly (font) improved readability noticeably.
Fun to see a video from someone who reads as much as I do! And also owns both Kindle and Kobo. I'm mostly a Kobo gal, since 2013, but I do have a Kindle Oasis 2. I'm not sure about color yet, because I'm older, and near-sighted and my eyes are fussy. I own three 8" Kobos, the Aura One, the Forma, and the Sage (my most favorite reader yet). I love the larger size, and that's another reason I'm unsure about the Libra Colour, because a 7" screen feels so small now. I have the Kobo Stylus 1 for my Sage and use it to jot down thoughts, but I'm not much of a book annotator. Loved the idea of making notes on cookbooks when trying out a recipe! I hadn't thought of that, but it's a great idea! Anyway, enjoyed your video.
How is the battery life on the sage? I've seen mixed reviews. Trying to decide between the libra color vs the sage, and I'd love the 8" screen on the sage but if the battery is terrible I'll probably end up with the libra.
@@DZ-cq3gs I'm fine with the Sage battery life. Terrible is in the eye of the beholder, and every device has trade-offs. I wouldn't pick Sage if you need a device to take away from civilization and electric outlets for more than a few days, otherwise, it's my favorite e-ink reader ever out of the 13 devices total that I've owned since 2011. The screen is amazing!
There’s only one question that needs to be asked before anything else is discussed: where are the notes stored? Is it stored in a cloud in a proprietary format? For many years now reviewers don’t realise that taking notes on those device is quite useless if you can’t really format it and share it the way you want but it’s the first question that should be asked. Are you going to be free to manage your notes with its or are you going to be dependent on a paid cloud service, with its formatting limitations and caveats…
Great point. If you’re talking book annotations on the epub file, I think they would not even be viewable in the cloud or another device, but I’m not sure. If you’re talking about notes in a Kobo notebook (not tied to an ebook), there is more file type flexibility and sync with Dropbox and Google docs
I have a kindle oasis and I do love it cause it’s the perfect size for me, it’s really comfortable to read at night with it. But I live in Spain and here we can’t use our library card with kindle, so I just bought a kobo libra colour and I can’t wait to get it, so I can borrow both books and graphic novels from the local library.
I've bought the kobo clara BW and cant fault it. Far better clarity than the colour version. If you read comics and like pictures then yes get the colour
I have a kobo Clara and a kobo libre H20. I got the libre for faster processing and to read while taking a bath. I don't annotate but i do love manga, manhwa, Japanese light novels, and sometimes fanfics. I prefer kobo cuz i can buy or convert to epub and put it on the device. I heard kindle isn't good for putting your own files. I'll wait for the technology to mature a bit longer then upgrade to a new kobo. Thanks for the review! Exciting to see the advances in eReaders.
I own a Kobo Aura One like you, as well as a Kindle Paperwhite and I use both pretty regularly but my Kobo is my ride or die. I love the size of it which is why I haven't upgraded (and also because it still works!). If I could just get something the size of my Kobo Aura with the e-ink colour, I'd be sold. I mainly want to be able to read graphic novels on my Kobo without having to use my old iPad.
I have never owned a Kobo, but I have looked at them. I have a Kindle at the moment and am looking to upgrade. Hmm...more choices. This could be good or bad 😅
Thank you for this review! I've just started getting into reading more and I mainly read on my Samsung S24 Ultra (which isn't bad at all), but I kind of want to get something where I don't have to rely on my phone battery. I've never purchased an eReader before and have been binging on reviews and honestly, I think this is the one I'd prefer because of the color and the fact that I can use Overdrive also.
I have kobo libra, not the colour but the regular waterproof one and i love it, no clear cover just a nice lilac cover, as for note taking i dont really do that or highlighting so so ething simple with basic features and the light work great for me oh and lots of storage, i have a ton of books, duno when ill get to them all but atleast i know theyre there lol Im gonna have to look into connecting the libby app to my kubo so i can borrow/rent from the local library
Hi ! I like your video, it was really interesting to have your opinion. To reply to your questions, I have a kindle basic 2022 and I love it. I love the possiblity I have to take so many books with me while I go out or travel without worrying about the fact that they're gonna take too much space in my bag or suitcase. Not seeing the cover in colours on my kindle doesn't bother me at all. I actually like it this way. The format and size of the kobo libra colour is not fiting for me. I prefer smaller and more portable e-reader. I feel like this colour e-reader is too big for me and the right margine where the buttons are could be more of a con for me. I love to annotate my books and I think that on the kindle it's easier since I don't have to take a pen with me. it's an all in one device and that's also why I got a kindle. 💜💜💜💜💜💜
I have an color ebook reader here. Boox something something. Not being one of the big three its support for a decent shop is, painful. But it has color, and if you read manga on it, it is quite something to behold. So I am happy to see KOBO actually tip their foot in that market and finally get one. Kobo has a lot of books on their service after all. And, its color e-ink tech will be later and better.
Have a Kindle Oasis, Kobo Libra 2 & Nook Glowlight 4+ . Am about to retire the Nook. Prefer the Kobo software and access to Overdrive. If there was an easy way to read Google Play Books with the Kobo, would drop Kindle (may do so anyway). Don’t need the color but am not ruling it out. Just because it’s neat? Yes. Really first rate review. Thank you.
I‘m a really heavy annotater. I mainly read non-fiction in a physical form, because I can just go crazy, I mark things, summarize stuff, write definitions of words in the margin, I don‘t like tabs, so I just fold a corner to quickly find a part I want to revisit regularly. And one thing I really don‘t like with my current e-reader is that just marking stuff is very annoying. I have to tap the word with my finger, hold down, wait for it to mark the word, then drag one cursor to extend the highlighter and it‘s just a bad experience. I will get the Tolino version of the library colour for christmas and I love that I can just mark things very quickly and the writing on the page will be a welcome bonus feature.
Thank goodness this review is by a fellow Canadian. Will the Kobo with Overdrive also seamlessly adjust to the Libby app (formerly Overdrive) for public libraries? I had to return a Kindle because it is not compatible with Canadian Libby users. Wonderful review, from a Vancouver reader!
From what I have learned, Libby is built-in the Kobo devices. Makes sense considering Kobo is Canadian. Libby is not available to Canadian owners of Kindle devices. Many Amazon devices in Canada do not work anywhere close to the same way they work in the USA.
First of all, great video! You answered a lot of questions I had about the Libra. Personally I'm torn, I've had my Paperwhite since October 2023, and the idea of a colour e-reader appeals to me so much. Unfortunately the prices are very different here in Australia ($488 for the Libra colour and stylus), I'm not sure I can justify making the upgrade 🥺 The idea of annotating sounds great but I'm unsure if I'd use it at all. Personally do you think there's enough added features to the Libra Colour?
Hi, Caitlyn! Great review 😍 I also have the same plan: to have 2 ereaders (I already have the PW SE and am planning to get the Libra Color for my graphic novels) :) I am just really having a push-and-pull moment everytime I see a review and someone points out that on the LC the actual screen is kind of grainy (jean fabric look) as is with most colored ereaders :(
I have a paperwhite and am probably a couple years away from "upgrading" but am wondering if these other ereaders have the flush screen? My biggest reason for getting the paperwhite vs the "basic" kindle was for the flush screen that would not collect dirt in the crevice, I don't understand why this is not standard. I love my kindle though occasionally think it is a hair big. I do maybe 15% of my reading on it only because the majority of my reading right now is audio, but it definitely has replaced physical books for most of my visual reading. I love having as large a book collection as I want available wherever I go and consider it an EDC so I can read wherever, and especially for massive books like ACOTAR and Sanderson. I like the idea of taking notes on my smaller screen in theory but am not much of an anotater so dont know if the color & stylus would be "useful." I do love that the tech is coming out though becuase I think a 10" version would be perfect for anyone who reads and note takes non-fiction, leaving the smaller screens for standard reading. I can definately see an argument to be made to own both since it would be a great alternative to a standard tablet for students or researchers, assuming they are interested in a secondary device. The "difficulty" of all this advancing tech is I don't think eink will ever fully replace a standard back-lit computer screen (though I could be wrong) so some of us will eventually be carrying a ton of devices (laptop, tablet, phone, ereader, larger color eink tablet, multiple styluses), unless the color eink tablets become comparable to regular tablets in the refresh and color department.
My whole life until now, at 26 years old, I’ve thought I could never be an e reader person, I love books physical form but I’m not reading as much as I want because I never have enough space in my bags or I don’t want to drop my book in the hot tub or whatever it may be, I really started leaning towards them because of their compactness and because a few of my friends have them and they read soooo many books because of their e readers and I thought hmm maybe I’m missing out, maybe it’s harder for me to read the font of most books etc; so I’m really curious ! I just ordered this and can’t wait, that was the one thing stopping me for years, I didn’t want to have a bw one only
Thanks for your review and thoughts. I've been using ereaders ever since I won my first Sony PRS-something in a competition, where I sent Sony idea for my 'dream ereader' (it had a pull-out screen; the device itself was just a round bar). I also have the Kobo Aura H2O, and the Librea 2 (as well as a now discontinued Kobo mini, which works again after I installed a new battery myself). I own so many ereaders as they just won't die (which is great) but new features sometimes convince me to upgrade. But I also have an ipad mini, specifically bought for note taking, as that was not possible on ereaders at the time. I love writing on the ipad mini, I keep a journal on it and used it to annotate (with colours!) scientific papers and books while studying. But the writing experience with a stylus on the ipad is strange; the screen is so smooth, you glide across it, something you really have to get used to. And my ipad these days has an empty battery so fast, I've been wishing for a comparable ereader for years now. But is the Kobo Libra colour it? I think it still is not.. The writing experience appears (from reviews) to be like the ipad: not really a 'paper feel' like I heard you can have on the Boox Air 3C. Also, the screen is not big enough to annotate A4 size papers without zooming in, and the zoom function is still klunky, from what I can see. So maybe the Boox is better for me? But I wonder if the screen size is big enough.. and then there is the battery life.. In any case, I am not yet convinced there is a colour ereader like the one I want. Maybe I have to be patient just a couple of years longer.
I have an kobo auro from 2017. Already having it for 7 years now. I’m thinking about switching to this new one with colour.. or maybe i should wait for the next generation.. there is always room for improvement. So don’t know yet… 😊 It looks very beautifull!!
I'm glad you said this! I have the Aura and Paperwhite like Caitlin has and I see the comments that the reading is grainy on this one. I'm going to try and stay strong and hold out for the next generation and see if they fix that.
I have the Kobo Aura 2E, Sage and Kindle Paperwhite. If I knew they would have come out with the colour one I would have not bothered with the Sage. How is the battery life with the new colour one? The battery on the Sage was a disappointment for me.
I read on a Kindle Oasis and even though it's discontinued I still think it's the best reader ever made. I'm not at all interested in color or note taking. Only reading.
idk why when I click on notebooks, I dont have all the options of different formats. I am using a dupe though, from Amazon lol Because Im waiting on the all white one to come out in late november, so Im not sure if that has something to do with it. Also PLEASE WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR PEARL RING! I love it!
I have similar reading habits as you. My biggest question is: can you export the notes you make on the device? I would like to eventually print my notes /highlights and stick them in a physical copy of the same book. I read physical and will switch to my ereader at night or when I’m on the go. Being able to print out notes and pages with doodles in them would be awesome for consolidating my notes across my reading.
The kindle colorsoft just came out but I still i want this ❤i already have a kindle, kindle 11 and i still love it. I know I don’t need another ereader😂 but this is beautiful
I enjoy reading books too! Although I am not satisfied with the translated editions, I am not proficient enough to read English-edition books on my own. With the help of the web extension Immersive Translate, I can grasp the basic meaning of the passages. I hope I can get closer to these intriguing books.
@@TheNostalgicKitchenGood to know. I read on my Samsung S21 Ultra & love the option of being able to update my progress from Kindle to Goodreads, so while not having direct access to it isn't convenient, it's not a deal breaker.
Thanks for review. I'm using kobo libra h2o for 4 years. Do you think it is worth to upgrade for Libra colour? I guess screen resolution and cpu is same:(
I am a button fan, call me lazy but I rest my thumb in the middle and I can roll it on to either button. I don have to move my hand and I can just keep reading. minimal movement that's my thing hahaha
Color is good for manga, maybe? Some of the chapter title pages are in full color, while the rest of the book is in black and white. I dunno. And also, I just wish the Kodo library had more options in Japanese (I think most of their manga is in English). I just mean, like, for language learning. I'm learning Japanese and I'm interested in getting some kind of an e-reader for reading Japanese books, preferably cool and awesome manga! I've never had an e-reader before, so I'm just kind of exploring for now. Thanks for the video.
the screen is darker than the black and white version then the battery is only 2000mha... my kobo libra 2 has 1500mha and with 3-4 hours of daily reading, i have to recharge it once a week ( leaving it in stand by)
I bought my Kobo Libra 2 less than a year ago and although I love it, I wish I didn't buy it then because I would definitely buy the Libra Color now because I read a lot of graphic novels (and enjoy the color covers of regular books). I wouldn't get the stylus because highlighting is all the note taking I usually do in books so I'm curious... is the "notebook" tab completely useless without the stylus? Or can you still draw/write things with your finger? Is a pop-up digital keyboard an option (like how I can add notes to my highlights on my current Kobo)?
I have a Kobo Libra first edition and the backlight is not very good, as it is coming only from one side one part of the screen is more brighter the the other. Do you know if this problem is also affecting this new Kobo? Thanks
can someone tell me if it is possible to read korean manhwa with long panels on it? not regular manga with normal pages, but ones with long pases? I cannot find any information about it and this is the reason I want to buy this e-reader for
Thank you Caitlin for this review. When you say you “rent” from the Toronto Public Library for your kobo - do you actually mean rent or borrow? As in there is a charge to get library books on your e-reader from the library?
It’s free!! Kobo have built in app called overdrive which you make an account and add your library card details :) can then borrow and download onto your kobo
I bought the Kobo Libra 2 two years ago, love it, but when I hope to get some note-taking actions and here comes Libra Color, I’m so excited! Though I’m still struggling if the trade would be beneficial, your review on note taking part has given me a more concrete ideas on how to actually do it. Many reviewers will skip those tiny parts where they have written something wrong on the notes, and make the whole experience too flawless, whilst you have shown us down-to-earth how exactly the functions could go wrong (and right too). Though I must admit that my attention was caught at the beginning when you said you’ve read 1000 books a year and 90% on e-reader, which makes more sense whatsoever you said in the review. Thank you for the sharing, helps a lot!
Does anyone with hand pain know if the kobo is comfortable to hold? The main reason i use my kindle more than physical books is because i have chronic pain and holding books can cause pain in my hands and wrists, so the size is a big thing i need to take into consideration when my kindle dies. Any help?
I’ve seen a ton of people using pop sockets on theirs and they say it feels like nothing and having the pop sockets helps them not have to hold the book in a way that cranks their hand
The Kobo libra color is very lightweight (200g = 7oz), and the physical buttons, prominent (one) side bezel and grippy back make it nice to hold in my humble opinion. But ideally you should find a shop or a friend that lets you test it to see how it works for *you*.
I already own my new libra color but can i just say this is the only review i watched that addressed annotating thoroughly 🙌 Very realistic review as well.
I did pre order… and got the Kobo Libra COLOUR. I already had a Kobo Libra eReader that I loved… and I do love the buttons for page turning. It reduces dirty finger prints on my screen… but I was excited to be getting a bit of colour with this Kobo Libra COLOUR. I already knew that it would be pastel rather than vibrant. To me personally… the Kobo Libra Colour gets a big thumbs up. I bought a couple of different Kobo covers at the time of ordering. I didn’t fancy the clear cover. I like the protection to the screen with the book style cover. My Kobo gets dropped into my handbag so the protection to the screen is sensible. I’ve had the larger Kobo… but the Libra I find is an easier size to carry in my bag.
I have to say I hate reading on my iPad or iPhone or a note pad… if you sit outside to enjoy the fresh air and try to read the light just is impossible to see the screen. It’s fine if you’re reading inside… but if you’re in the middle of a book that you’ve been reading and you’re traveling on a bus or train or sitting outside… for easy reading I’d much rather have an eReader. So for me it would be my new Kobo Libra COLOUR that would win.
The color e-ink looks like color photos in newspapers used to look. Color in newspapers has become more saturated since maybe the late 1990s, but they used to be very much like the Kobo Libra Color
You can transfer your kindle ebooks to kobo. It doesn’t take long once you’re setup and it’s quite easy too!
How??
@@Tyrathetyrant144k would take too long to explain in a comment but there is plenty tutorials online.
@@wiktoriapolitowicz5369it can be explained in 2 words "Get Calibre"
A lot of people don’t seem to touch on the fact that the screen is super grainy compared to the original kobo readers. That’s one huge downside of compensating for the colours. I definitely prefer the natural look of the old kobo better.
I just got mine and I noticed this, too. It has a screen door look to it.
This is the thing I’m having the hardest time with. I have a kobo Clara 2E and kindle paper white and just purchased the kobo libra color and I’m struggling with the screen quality.
I have the Clara HD and now I have the new libra color and I am in love with the color! Love the new screen! 🥰
I was deciding between the clara BW and clara colour, I chose the BW because of this exact reason lol. If there’s a book I love the colour/design and want to annotate it in person, I’ll just buy the physical copy :)
There is a price to everything. There is a BW version of the 6" model that has a new Encarta Screen. The Encarta 1300. The latest, and best, of BW e-ink. I am told it is pretty darn sharp.
Just got my Kobo Clara Colour, love having colour covers and being able to read graphic novels in colour (even if that is only a small part of my reading habit)
I ordered Clara too. The portability is everything to me.
My Libra colour arrived yesterday, I forgot how much I loved graphic novels as a kid, I am so in love with it that I read till 6am. But like you it really doesn't reflect my reading habits but the colour is such a great thing to have!
Did you guys not feel like there is a screen door look to the screen?
@@larissadanek6646I’ve definitely noticed that affect,reading on the b/w one is a lot more comfortable.
I love the muted colors for highlighting. I don’t use an e-reader, but I do read a lot on my iPad. If I were to buy an e-reader, I would want one in color, for sure.
I got it last week and I am obsessed, i love it so much. My favorite thing are the buttons to be honest. Using the highlights all the time as well. Ordering the pen now, it was sold out when I bought mine.
I do like the colour for the e-books and the highlighting seems much easier BUT I love the larger screen on my kobo aura!
I’m a big annotate but I’ve only ever used Kindle, so I’ll wait until Amazon comes out with their take on color e-ink
Great review, you covered everything about the Kobo Libra Colour. I preordered mine from Kobo and received it 2 days after it became available. I love it, it's my very first color e-reader and I love that the book covers are in color. I also bought the stylus with it and I'm enjoying that I can write little notes, underline and highlight directly on the pages of the books, unlike the Kindle Scribe. I think Amazon is currently working on their own color e-reader so we might soon see what they come up with. I agree that it's an exciting time in the e-reading world now that color e-readers are becoming more common. It's something we've been waiting for some time now. I have a Kindle Paperwhite and will keep it because almost all my books are from Amazon's Kindle bookstore, but with my Kobo Libra Colour, I can borrow books from my library through the built-in Overdrive feature so I will take advantage of that more to save money instead of buying them.
Love your review. I’ve been considering switching over to Kobo and this new color one is a big reason why! I love the way annotating works on it better than the scribe and think the color highlighters will help make the process more seamless from annotating my physical books!
14:40 no, it‘s absolutely the best and most honest answer. ❤ how are you supposed to know if it‘s worth it in my situation?
I bought the Kobo Libra 2 two years ago, love it, but when I hope to get some note-taking actions and here comes Libra Color, I’m so excited! Though I’m still struggling if the trade would be beneficial, your review on note taking part has given me a more concrete ideas on how to actually do it. Many reviewers will skip those tiny parts where they have written something wrong on the notes, and make the whole experience too flawless, whilst you have shown us down-to-earth how exactly the functions could go wrong (and right too).
Though I must admit that my attention was caught at the beginning when you said you’ve read 1000 books a year and 90% on e-reader, which makes more sense whatsoever you said in the review.
Thank you for the sharing, helps a lot!
Is there any way to export your annotations? It would be great to have a PDF file of all the notes in a book when analyzing later
I just got this today using my shoppers points and bonus redemptio added a sleep cover too and only paid 38 CAD after taxes and everything ❤🎉 It was sold out for a while and got restocked before the promotion ends😅
Thanks! I love e-ink technology and I love, love my Kindle. So, when I saw this Kobo with colour, I thought it was just a tablet, but your explanation was so helpful. I love physical books, but for economy and space now I only buy physical when is a book that I will use to work with, if it is a novel I read it on my e-reader
Love this review! Just a correction on wording, I would go use "borrowing" as opposed to "renting" books from the library. Just because the word renting implies paying to access the books!
I was thinking the same thing. It threw me at first, because I thought she was indicating she had to pay to access the library books.
Indeed. How does one 'rent' books one already owns???
apparently europeans (at least in some countries) DO have to pay to get books from libraries. which seems against the whole point
The swipe down from the top “hack” to switch between book and notes was super helpful. Thank you!
I ❤ my Libra Colour. Still looking for the right 10” tablet, though. My Kindle Scribe has a great display, but the single-core chip and half-baked firmware are too limiting. I returned a Boox Note Air 3C because of the clumsy UI, ghosting, and dim, grainy colour. Kobo’s simple UI, intuitive lighting control and the decision to put the colour layer on top have won me over. The stylus and handwriting conversion is good, if not as sophisticated as Boox, reMarkable, etc. I'd love to see Kobo develop a more sophisticated version of the Elipsa 3 to replace the Scribe. Oh, and installing Bookerly (font) improved readability noticeably.
Fun to see a video from someone who reads as much as I do! And also owns both Kindle and Kobo. I'm mostly a Kobo gal, since 2013, but I do have a Kindle Oasis 2.
I'm not sure about color yet, because I'm older, and near-sighted and my eyes are fussy. I own three 8" Kobos, the Aura One, the Forma, and the Sage (my most favorite reader yet). I love the larger size, and that's another reason I'm unsure about the Libra Colour, because a 7" screen feels so small now.
I have the Kobo Stylus 1 for my Sage and use it to jot down thoughts, but I'm not much of a book annotator. Loved the idea of making notes on cookbooks when trying out a recipe! I hadn't thought of that, but it's a great idea!
Anyway, enjoyed your video.
How is the battery life on the sage? I've seen mixed reviews. Trying to decide between the libra color vs the sage, and I'd love the 8" screen on the sage but if the battery is terrible I'll probably end up with the libra.
@@DZ-cq3gs I'm fine with the Sage battery life. Terrible is in the eye of the beholder, and every device has trade-offs. I wouldn't pick Sage if you need a device to take away from civilization and electric outlets for more than a few days, otherwise, it's my favorite e-ink reader ever out of the 13 devices total that I've owned since 2011. The screen is amazing!
There’s only one question that needs to be asked before anything else is discussed: where are the notes stored? Is it stored in a cloud in a proprietary format? For many years now reviewers don’t realise that taking notes on those device is quite useless if you can’t really format it and share it the way you want but it’s the first question that should be asked. Are you going to be free to manage your notes with its or are you going to be dependent on a paid cloud service, with its formatting limitations and caveats…
Great point. If you’re talking book annotations on the epub file, I think they would not even be viewable in the cloud or another device, but I’m not sure. If you’re talking about notes in a Kobo notebook (not tied to an ebook), there is more file type flexibility and sync with Dropbox and Google docs
Thanks for the review. Your comment about it not sufficing as a general note taking tool helped me make my choice!
I have a kindle oasis and I do love it cause it’s the perfect size for me, it’s really comfortable to read at night with it. But I live in Spain and here we can’t use our library card with kindle, so I just bought a kobo libra colour and I can’t wait to get it, so I can borrow both books and graphic novels from the local library.
I love e readers. I own several Kindles and a Kobo Libra 2 which I prefer over any of the Kindles.
I've bought the kobo clara BW and cant fault it. Far better clarity than the colour version. If you read comics and like pictures then yes get the colour
I have a kobo Clara and a kobo libre H20. I got the libre for faster processing and to read while taking a bath. I don't annotate but i do love manga, manhwa, Japanese light novels, and sometimes fanfics.
I prefer kobo cuz i can buy or convert to epub and put it on the device. I heard kindle isn't good for putting your own files. I'll wait for the technology to mature a bit longer then upgrade to a new kobo. Thanks for the review! Exciting to see the advances in eReaders.
I own a Kobo Aura One like you, as well as a Kindle Paperwhite and I use both pretty regularly but my Kobo is my ride or die. I love the size of it which is why I haven't upgraded (and also because it still works!). If I could just get something the size of my Kobo Aura with the e-ink colour, I'd be sold. I mainly want to be able to read graphic novels on my Kobo without having to use my old iPad.
I have never owned a Kobo, but I have looked at them. I have a Kindle at the moment and am looking to upgrade. Hmm...more choices. This could be good or bad 😅
Thank you for this review! I've just started getting into reading more and I mainly read on my Samsung S24 Ultra (which isn't bad at all), but I kind of want to get something where I don't have to rely on my phone battery. I've never purchased an eReader before and have been binging on reviews and honestly, I think this is the one I'd prefer because of the color and the fact that I can use Overdrive also.
I have kobo libra, not the colour but the regular waterproof one and i love it, no clear cover just a nice lilac cover, as for note taking i dont really do that or highlighting so so ething simple with basic features and the light work great for me oh and lots of storage, i have a ton of books, duno when ill get to them all but atleast i know theyre there lol
Im gonna have to look into connecting the libby app to my kubo so i can borrow/rent from the local library
thanks so much , i just have to find out now if i can also put pdfs in it , and write on those as well, the prof. distributes pdf in class
Hi ! I like your video, it was really interesting to have your opinion. To reply to your questions, I have a kindle basic 2022 and I love it. I love the possiblity I have to take so many books with me while I go out or travel without worrying about the fact that they're gonna take too much space in my bag or suitcase. Not seeing the cover in colours on my kindle doesn't bother me at all. I actually like it this way. The format and size of the kobo libra colour is not fiting for me. I prefer smaller and more portable e-reader. I feel like this colour e-reader is too big for me and the right margine where the buttons are could be more of a con for me. I love to annotate my books and I think that on the kindle it's easier since I don't have to take a pen with me. it's an all in one device and that's also why I got a kindle. 💜💜💜💜💜💜
If you want to read outside on an iPad then just go to Control Panel ( pull down from the top) and drag the brightness slider up
I have an color ebook reader here. Boox something something. Not being one of the big three its support for a decent shop is, painful.
But it has color, and if you read manga on it, it is quite something to behold.
So I am happy to see KOBO actually tip their foot in that market and finally get one. Kobo has a lot of books on their service after all. And, its color e-ink tech will be later and better.
How is your experience with boox?
I bought this specifically for the upgraded annotating abilities!
Have a Kindle Oasis, Kobo Libra 2 & Nook Glowlight 4+ . Am about to retire the Nook. Prefer the Kobo software and access to Overdrive. If there was an easy way to read Google Play Books with the Kobo, would drop Kindle (may do so anyway). Don’t need the color but am not ruling it out. Just because it’s neat? Yes. Really first rate review. Thank you.
I‘m a really heavy annotater. I mainly read non-fiction in a physical form, because I can just go crazy, I mark things, summarize stuff, write definitions of words in the margin, I don‘t like tabs, so I just fold a corner to quickly find a part I want to revisit regularly.
And one thing I really don‘t like with my current e-reader is that just marking stuff is very annoying. I have to tap the word with my finger, hold down, wait for it to mark the word, then drag one cursor to extend the highlighter and it‘s just a bad experience. I will get the Tolino version of the library colour for christmas and I love that I can just mark things very quickly and the writing on the page will be a welcome bonus feature.
Just got mine today. Waiting for the stylus .. amazon being slow lol can’t wait for may 20th, im so excited :)
Mine is coming in on May 11 or 14 and agh I can’t wait either, I just keep watching reviews to get me through
I haven’t been able to order the stylus. It’s sold out everywhere I’ve looked. Is there a good alternative?
Thank goodness this review is by a fellow Canadian. Will the Kobo with Overdrive also seamlessly adjust to the Libby app (formerly Overdrive) for public libraries? I had to return a Kindle because it is not compatible with Canadian Libby users. Wonderful review, from a Vancouver reader!
From what I have learned, Libby is built-in the Kobo devices. Makes sense considering Kobo is Canadian. Libby is not available to Canadian owners of Kindle devices. Many Amazon devices in Canada do not work anywhere close to the same way they work in the USA.
How is reading during the day with the backlight turned off? I've seen comparisons and Libra 2 is much more readable.
First of all, great video! You answered a lot of questions I had about the Libra.
Personally I'm torn, I've had my Paperwhite since October 2023, and the idea of a colour e-reader appeals to me so much.
Unfortunately the prices are very different here in Australia ($488 for the Libra colour and stylus), I'm not sure I can justify making the upgrade 🥺
The idea of annotating sounds great but I'm unsure if I'd use it at all.
Personally do you think there's enough added features to the Libra Colour?
I have the KOBO Libra 2, love it
Hi, Caitlyn! Great review 😍
I also have the same plan: to have 2 ereaders (I already have the PW SE and am planning to get the Libra Color for my graphic novels) :)
I am just really having a push-and-pull moment everytime I see a review and someone points out that on the LC the actual screen is kind of grainy (jean fabric look) as is with most colored ereaders :(
I receive my Kobo Libra color set today!
Great pros and cons of the either. Giving your perspective for a decision. Great 🎉🎉
I have a paperwhite and am probably a couple years away from "upgrading" but am wondering if these other ereaders have the flush screen? My biggest reason for getting the paperwhite vs the "basic" kindle was for the flush screen that would not collect dirt in the crevice, I don't understand why this is not standard.
I love my kindle though occasionally think it is a hair big. I do maybe 15% of my reading on it only because the majority of my reading right now is audio, but it definitely has replaced physical books for most of my visual reading. I love having as large a book collection as I want available wherever I go and consider it an EDC so I can read wherever, and especially for massive books like ACOTAR and Sanderson.
I like the idea of taking notes on my smaller screen in theory but am not much of an anotater so dont know if the color & stylus would be "useful." I do love that the tech is coming out though becuase I think a 10" version would be perfect for anyone who reads and note takes non-fiction, leaving the smaller screens for standard reading. I can definately see an argument to be made to own both since it would be a great alternative to a standard tablet for students or researchers, assuming they are interested in a secondary device.
The "difficulty" of all this advancing tech is I don't think eink will ever fully replace a standard back-lit computer screen (though I could be wrong) so some of us will eventually be carrying a ton of devices (laptop, tablet, phone, ereader, larger color eink tablet, multiple styluses), unless the color eink tablets become comparable to regular tablets in the refresh and color department.
My whole life until now, at 26 years old, I’ve thought I could never be an e reader person, I love books physical form but I’m not reading as much as I want because I never have enough space in my bags or I don’t want to drop my book in the hot tub or whatever it may be, I really started leaning towards them because of their compactness and because a few of my friends have them and they read soooo many books because of their e readers and I thought hmm maybe I’m missing out, maybe it’s harder for me to read the font of most books etc; so I’m really curious ! I just ordered this and can’t wait, that was the one thing stopping me for years, I didn’t want to have a bw one only
I love mine :) I had also Glo HD (bought in 2015) and its great. That color eink has more grey background but its ok for me :) really good reader
Thanks for your review and thoughts. I've been using ereaders ever since I won my first Sony PRS-something in a competition, where I sent Sony idea for my 'dream ereader' (it had a pull-out screen; the device itself was just a round bar). I also have the Kobo Aura H2O, and the Librea 2 (as well as a now discontinued Kobo mini, which works again after I installed a new battery myself). I own so many ereaders as they just won't die (which is great) but new features sometimes convince me to upgrade. But I also have an ipad mini, specifically bought for note taking, as that was not possible on ereaders at the time. I love writing on the ipad mini, I keep a journal on it and used it to annotate (with colours!) scientific papers and books while studying. But the writing experience with a stylus on the ipad is strange; the screen is so smooth, you glide across it, something you really have to get used to. And my ipad these days has an empty battery so fast, I've been wishing for a comparable ereader for years now. But is the Kobo Libra colour it? I think it still is not.. The writing experience appears (from reviews) to be like the ipad: not really a 'paper feel' like I heard you can have on the Boox Air 3C. Also, the screen is not big enough to annotate A4 size papers without zooming in, and the zoom function is still klunky, from what I can see. So maybe the Boox is better for me? But I wonder if the screen size is big enough.. and then there is the battery life.. In any case, I am not yet convinced there is a colour ereader like the one I want. Maybe I have to be patient just a couple of years longer.
I have an kobo auro from 2017. Already having it for 7 years now. I’m thinking about switching to this new one with colour.. or maybe i should wait for the next generation.. there is always room for improvement. So don’t know yet… 😊 It looks very beautifull!!
I'm glad you said this! I have the Aura and Paperwhite like Caitlin has and I see the comments that the reading is grainy on this one. I'm going to try and stay strong and hold out for the next generation and see if they fix that.
I was on the fence about it buy once I watched your video I pulled the trigger 😂 thanks
Great video, just what I was looking for. I guess I'll order a Kobo now :)
I have the Kobo Aura 2E, Sage and Kindle Paperwhite. If I knew they would have come out with the colour one I would have not bothered with the Sage. How is the battery life with the new colour one? The battery on the Sage was a disappointment for me.
I read on a Kindle Oasis and even though it's discontinued I still think it's the best reader ever made. I'm not at all interested in color or note taking. Only reading.
idk why when I click on notebooks, I dont have all the options of different formats. I am using a dupe though, from Amazon lol Because Im waiting on the all white one to come out in late november, so Im not sure if that has something to do with it. Also PLEASE WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR PEARL RING! I love it!
Thank you for your honest review. Does this have dark mode? And what do you feel about the lighting?
You can import your Kindle library over to your kobo
OMGGGG You got thr Libra Colour I'm jealous LOL I don't really read comic books but the notetaking feature... I want it so bad lol
Oh my! This is the first I’ve heard of this device and i love it! ❤i see this in my near future!
Same.
If it was larger like the previous kobo I would definitely buy
such a thorough review, thanks so much!!
I have similar reading habits as you. My biggest question is: can you export the notes you make on the device? I would like to eventually print my notes /highlights and stick them in a physical copy of the same book. I read physical and will switch to my ereader at night or when I’m on the go. Being able to print out notes and pages with doodles in them would be awesome for consolidating my notes across my reading.
The kindle colorsoft just came out but I still i want this ❤i already have a kindle, kindle 11 and i still love it. I know I don’t need another ereader😂 but this is beautiful
I already have a Libra 2 and a Clara, and a Kindle Paperwhite. I would love the Libra 2 Colour! Trying to save money at the moment.
I enjoy reading books too! Although I am not satisfied with the translated editions, I am not proficient enough to read English-edition books on my own. With the help of the web extension Immersive Translate, I can grasp the basic meaning of the passages. I hope I can get closer to these intriguing books.
I’ve never owned a ereader before and will be buying one this month. Will I be able to download the goodreads app onto the libra color device?
No you can’t
@@TheNostalgicKitchenGood to know. I read on my Samsung S21 Ultra & love the option of being able to update my progress from Kindle to Goodreads, so while not having direct access to it isn't convenient, it's not a deal breaker.
Thanks for review. I'm using kobo libra h2o for 4 years. Do you think it is worth to upgrade for Libra colour? I guess screen resolution and cpu is same:(
With this ebook, can you only rent and not purchase books 📚?
Does it have expandable memory?
I am a button fan, call me lazy but I rest my thumb in the middle and I can roll it on to either button. I don have to move my hand and I can just keep reading. minimal movement that's my thing hahaha
Can I download reading apps on kobo clara colour?
I like to download wattpad, webnovel, and other local novel apps 🤔
I doubt it.
Such a great thorough review thank you. P.S love your nails 💛
Loved this video! I also have both Kobo and Kindle!
What is the battery life like on the new colour Kobo? I've heard mixed reviews.
Color is good for manga, maybe? Some of the chapter title pages are in full color, while the rest of the book is in black and white. I dunno. And also, I just wish the Kodo library had more options in Japanese (I think most of their manga is in English). I just mean, like, for language learning. I'm learning Japanese and I'm interested in getting some kind of an e-reader for reading Japanese books, preferably cool and awesome manga! I've never had an e-reader before, so I'm just kind of exploring for now. Thanks for the video.
Can you transfer and read PDF and EPUB files hassle free?
Yes epubs are very much their native format, they use kepub.
PDF also works but not as well you'd have to zoom in due to page size
Hello
Is this device able to install different apps on it ? 😮
Can wait to get one
Can you use KU on the kobo e-reader?
the screen is darker than the black and white version then the battery is only 2000mha... my kobo libra 2 has 1500mha and with 3-4 hours of daily reading, i have to recharge it once a week ( leaving it in stand by)
Curious if you will love the buttons
Any limitation on number of Pages per Notebook?
Have you tried the Onyx Boox Note Air 3? Thanks for this nice review!
I have the Boox Note Air 3C. Love it! The writing feel is great.
very useful review - thank you!
Does this substitute the kindle scribe? I am interested in writing a lot
can you read textbooks?
I bought my Kobo Libra 2 less than a year ago and although I love it, I wish I didn't buy it then because I would definitely buy the Libra Color now because I read a lot of graphic novels (and enjoy the color covers of regular books). I wouldn't get the stylus because highlighting is all the note taking I usually do in books so I'm curious... is the "notebook" tab completely useless without the stylus? Or can you still draw/write things with your finger? Is a pop-up digital keyboard an option (like how I can add notes to my highlights on my current Kobo)?
Can i read kindle books on the kobo ereader?
I LOVE The 12 Week Year!!!
I have a Kobo Libra first edition and the backlight is not very good, as it is coming only from one side one part of the screen is more brighter the the other. Do you know if this problem is also affecting this new Kobo? Thanks
can someone tell me if it is possible to read korean manhwa with long panels on it? not regular manga with normal pages, but ones with long pases? I cannot find any information about it and this is the reason I want to buy this e-reader for
I think you'd have to zoom but should be possible
I also want to know about this, I mostly read manhwas
Thank you Caitlin for this review. When you say you “rent” from the Toronto Public Library for your kobo - do you actually mean rent or borrow? As in there is a charge to get library books on your e-reader from the library?
It’s free!! Kobo have built in app called overdrive which you make an account and add your library card details :) can then borrow and download onto your kobo
@@lakenrowley2029 thank you! :-)
This is so good, fascinating video ☺☺
Are there any e ink popup book readers?
Thanks for doing this review. I trust your opinion.
Thanks for the review. Sorry you have so many rude comments. People are terrible.
How do you manage multiple libraries through Overdrive on Kobo? I have two libraries on OD but can only access one at a time via Overdrive on Kobo.
I haven’t been able to get it to work
Same here, it's frustrating!
I bought the Kobo Libra 2 two years ago, love it, but when I hope to get some note-taking actions and here comes Libra Color, I’m so excited! Though I’m still struggling if the trade would be beneficial, your review on note taking part has given me a more concrete ideas on how to actually do it. Many reviewers will skip those tiny parts where they have written something wrong on the notes, and make the whole experience too flawless, whilst you have shown us down-to-earth how exactly the functions could go wrong (and right too).
Though I must admit that my attention was caught at the beginning when you said you’ve read 1000 books a year and 90% on e-reader, which makes more sense whatsoever you said in the review.
Thank you for the sharing, helps a lot!
Does anyone with hand pain know if the kobo is comfortable to hold? The main reason i use my kindle more than physical books is because i have chronic pain and holding books can cause pain in my hands and wrists, so the size is a big thing i need to take into consideration when my kindle dies. Any help?
I’ve seen a ton of people using pop sockets on theirs and they say it feels like nothing and having the pop sockets helps them not have to hold the book in a way that cranks their hand
@@englishbeauty88 oh that's a great idea, thank you!
The Kobo libra color is very lightweight (200g = 7oz), and the physical buttons, prominent (one) side bezel and grippy back make it nice to hold in my humble opinion. But ideally you should find a shop or a friend that lets you test it to see how it works for *you*.