Here’s a Cheaper Alternative to the Kindle Oasis

We ’ve mentioned it before , but here ’s a gentle admonisher : Amazon is n’t the only company making ereaders . Sure , Amazon has a Brobdingnagian chunk of the market place for ebooks , and its ereaders sync seamlessly with Amazon ’s services creating an addictive and unmanageable - to - escape ecosystem . But other ship’s company make neat ereaders that are worth considering if you ’re a pedant . The new Kobo Libra H2O is a great example . This asymmetrical ereader will give you deja vu if you ’ve been covet the pricey Kindle Oasis . proficient of all , at $ 170 , it ’s $ 100 less than thecomparable Kindle Oasis(without exceptional offers ) .

Now here is where I ’m going to apologize : a destiny of this brushup is compare theKobo Libra H20to thejust - found third - generation Kindle Oasis . The two ereaders are a lot alike . Let ’s cover what is dissimilar first . No Amazon integration is potential the most notable feature ( or fault ) of Kobo ’s new 7 - in ereader .

Kobo Libra H2O

Photo: Alex Cranz (Gizmodo)

What is it ?

A high-priced asymmetrical ereader from Rakuten

Price

They’re very similar devices.Photo: Alex Cranz (Gizmodo)

$ 170

It ’s inexpensive , with air pocket support , and the power to read in landscape mood .

They’re very similar devices.

They’re very similar devices.Photo: Alex Cranz (Gizmodo)

No Like

Feels tawdry , and the lack of Amazon support will be a bummer for Amazon fans .

There is no Whispersync to keep your reading topographic point sync across machine , and you’re able to not download your whole Amazon library with a tap . ( Though you could convert that library using thefree app program Calibreand transfer it over comparatively easily . )

Nipponese mega - retail merchant Rakuten produce the Kobo Libra H2O. So embracing it does n’t think of you ’re rejecting the kind of antic top-notch - sized potbelly Amazon correspond . You ’re just embracing a Japanese super - sized potbelly , which also has 6 million English language ebooks for sale via the Kobo memory board . That ’s about on par with Amazon ’s offer . You ’ll witness some books miss , and you ’ll find others present ( and what is n’t available you’re able to get by using Calibre ) .

The Kobo Libra H2O includes aboriginal backup for Overdrive , which lets you download account book from your local subroutine library , and Pocket , which lets you download articles you ’ve found online . Using Pocket support , I loaded up dozens of articles I need to read , and they sync cursorily to the Libra H2O , allowing me to head to the pier with plenty of reading fabric ready to go . It work out so well , I ’d honestly maybe suggest the Libra H2O to news fans over the Kindle Oasis . As for Overdrive , it ’s still potential to get program library books onto your Kindle using the service of process , it ’s just not desegregate directly into the gimmick .

Now countenance ’s speak about what they both have . They ’re both IPX8 equipment , which means they can remain firm a quick dunk in piddle . They both have an asymmetrical design with seafaring clitoris on one side . Moving between pages is similarly quick on both . The Libra H2O does n’t feel quite as asymmetrical though . It ’s interchangeable to the8 - inch $ 280 Kobo Forma . The butt of it is a fluid and cheap credit card with no real bobby pin expressly mold into the plastic . The Oasis is made of metal with a very detectable grip . Between that and the thin man of matte glass shroud the entire front of the gadget , the Kindle Oasis outright feel more expensive . As it in reality is more expensive , that ’s likely fair .

The Libra ’s power push button is on the back of the machine , whereas on the Kindle it ’s along the sharpness . With the Kindle , I ’ve powered it off a half - twelve clip with an accidental button press . Keeping the button out of the fashion on the Libra is a smart move that I desire Amazon will imitate .

More authoritative than the body of the twist is the display . Both share identical 7 - column inch eastward - ink displays with 300ppi . Both also have adjustable backlights with adjustable warmth that can reverse the display as yellow as you so hope . It ’s hard to order the conflict between them . The Kobo equipment seems to have a more or less cooler display , with the backlight run towards lulu instead of an unhealthy yellow when maxed out . In drill , you wo n’t discover much of a remainder as you may jell the warmness of both twist to change at a scheduled time .

In a handy addition , the Kobo Libra H2O ’s text can spread out to landscape painting mode . The more expensive Kindle Oasis can not . I find myself enjoying the choice , even if it truncate pages and makes paragraphs look a little unwieldy . For extended reading sessions , it ’s convenient to be able to ferment the twist every which way .

As for which ereader is right for you ? That depends on how invested in Amazon you are . If you ’re on a regular basis switching from your phone to your ereader and relying on Whispersync , or you ’re too otiose to convert and move your Amazon library over , then the Kindle Oasis is probably the better alternative . It also has the benefit of feeling more luxurious . But for most mass , the Kobo Libra H2O seems like a much better bargain . You still get the most essential feature film that prepare this class of ereaders aside from the $ 100 Paperwhite — adjustable affectionateness , an asymmetrical invention intended for easier one - handed interpretation — but in a much more affordable package .