Categories: Technology

Libra Color, Kobo adds color to reading

Rakuten Kobo recently introduced a digital reader model to the market Color Kobo Libra, characterized by a color screen. Its color palette retains the features of E Ink technology, and the optimized E Ink Kaleido 3 display delivers an immersive reading experience, allowing book lovers to carry an extensive digital library with them thanks to the ability to store thousands of books and a long-lasting battery. Equipped with Bluetooth wireless technology, they also give you access to Kobo audiobooks.

Equipment design

The Kobo Libra Color measures 144.6 x 161 x 8.3 mm and weighs 199 grams, making it easy to use. It is thin and light, allowing you to read in a vertical or horizontal format, which, combined with a body that acts as a flexible support, allows it to be used in a variety of situations.

It has a frame that is slightly thicker on the right side and curved for easier grip, and also includes two physical buttons for turning pages forward and back.

Key aspects

The innovation that the new model introduces is a completely different screen concept based on E Ink Kaleido 3 color technology, which allows you to read and view book covers in color. An additional advantage is that it provides visual comfort and high autonomy. Handwritten notes can also be written or highlighted in color.

The 7-inch screen is capable of displaying 16 levels of grayscale and 4096 colors. The 1264 x 1680 pixel resolution includes FastGLR technology, which avoids the lack of smooth images of previous models.

The 300 dpi resolution displayed in black and white mode drops to 150 dpi on color pages that display a wide range of pastel colors.

Recommended Features

It includes syncing with Google Drive and Dropbox to be able to access and even edit files online in the cloud. Provides compatibility with audiobooks by connecting to headphones or a Bluetooth speaker. When taking notes or doodling, compatibility with the Kobo Stylus and Kobo Stylus 2 has been added, both in the My Notepads section and in the e-readers themselves. Incorporating color allows you to use different tones to label and highlight passages from books, magazines, or comics.

Highlight use as a notepad as the new notebook can be made with 10 colors to choose from, different pencil and brush options, and other customization options. In advanced notepads, this format automatically recognizes and converts written words and converts them into text when you double-tap the screen.

Kobo Libra Color is made from recycled plastic recovered from the ocean and is fully waterproof and IPX8 rated. Waterproof up to 2 meters for 60 minutes.

The brand offers users Sleepcovers in three colors (butter yellow, twilight blue and black) made from recycled materials. It has an origami-style design that acts as a stand and automatically turns on the device when opened or goes into standby mode when closed, which is very useful for optimizing battery life.

Pen Features

The experience with the pencil is optimal as it responds well to movements. It has a USB-C port for charging and a function button that makes it easier to highlight text in different colors.

It encourages creating notepads for notes and more. The most interesting thing is that this is an ideal tool for creating notes in books with pencils of different sizes and colors, underlining, etc.

Connectivity and battery compatibility

It is compatible with ePub, PDF and other text and image formats, so managing your library and adding or removing books is a breeze. It combines Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, allowing you to connect your e-reader to wireless speakers or headphones to listen to the increasingly popular audiobooks.

As for the battery, which is charged via a USB-C cable, its 2050 mAh capacity allows you to enjoy up to 40 days of battery life without the need to recharge, with a reading time of about 30 minutes per day.

The 32GB capacity allows you to store up to 24,000 e-books or 150 audiobooks.

Safety

To avoid the harmful and unpleasant effects of blue light emitted by screens, the package includes ComfortLight Pro, a series of amber LEDs to control color temperature and produce warmer tones. This option is enabled by default, but can be disabled or customized as desired by the reader.

Grade

Libra Color from Kobo, a Rakuten brand, is a notable innovation in the sector as it allows for an optimal resolution color screen that offers a good range of colors, as well as a screen upgrade that reduces ink consumption. Please note that comics and graphic novels are shown with amazing clarity.

This is an excellent option for comfortable reading in any format.

Add cool features like access to documents in Google Drive or Dropbox, the ability to listen to audiobooks or take notes.

SleepCover fits like a glove and protects your device. It has a magnetic hole for the Stylus 2 pen, as well as a fold on the front panel that allows you to lay the e-reader on any surface in a landscape orientation.

The screen has multiple brightness levels (which can be raised and lowered by swiping your finger across the left side of the screen), from dimmest for reading in the dark to ones that allow reading in broad daylight.

It’s user-friendly, easy to use, and versatile, including the ability to annotate, write, or draw with the Stylus 2, and a very attractive feature that automatically transcribes what you’ve written into text.

Price

Kobo Libra Color is available in two colors (black and white) and costs €229.99. The Stylus 2 costs €69.99 and the SleepCover costs €39.99.

Brief description of benefits

The Kobo Libra Color features a new 7-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 color screen. This new model, along with the Kobo Stylus 2 (sold separately), allows you to handwrite, highlight and take notes in color, making it suitable for journalers , scribbling notes in the margins or decorating pages in BookTok’er style. It is compatible with Dropbox and Google Drive.

It has a curved design that adapts perfectly to the reader’s hand, has page turn buttons and the ability to read in landscape mode. It includes 32GB of internal storage and can store up to 24,000 e-books or 150 audiobooks, and the battery lasts for weeks.

There are a variety of options to protect your device, all made from recycled materials (sold separately): Notebook SleepCover for Kobo Stylus (€39.99), Notebook SleepCover Basic (€29.99) and Clear (€24.99).