Posted Sep 16, 2022 6:01 AM
If the market for smartphones and digital tablets is in constant effervescence, with almost monthly releases, that of e-readers wants to be more confidential. New products are unveiled there on an annual basis, like the Kobo Sage, born of the collaboration between the Fnac group and the Canadian manufacturer Kobo. Particularly well thought out and waterproof reader, its handling is ultra-simple.
Very light – barely 250 grams -, it can contain a real library: thanks to its 32 GB, it accommodates 24,000 e-books, or 70 audio books. Great novelty of this version: it allows the “listened” reading of classic books or recent novels pre-recorded by professional actors or narrators. And this, thanks to Bluetooth technology, which allows you to pair either a headset or a speaker. Please note: no “jack” or audio socket for conventional headphones.
Another innovation, the stylus, allowing the reader to annotate as he pleases: highlighting important words, writing notes in the margin. It’s simple, effective and it brings a real plus. Practical, a magnetic strip allows the stylus to attach to the reader, to remain attached to the bottom of a bag or briefcase.
An effort on luminosity
On a daily basis, the use is very pleasant, in particular thanks to the effort made on the luminosity, which is parameterized according to the environment. The 8-inch (20.3 cm) touch screen is all the more readable as it supports E-Ink Carta 1200 technology, very pleasant and less tiring than digital tablets, with a feeling quite similar to traditional reading . We choose as often the style and size of font easily. The integrated accelerometer allows reading by left-handed and right-handed people, with a passage of the pages either with the button, or by touching the corners, like a real book. At times a little slow, this is the case for the vast majority of e-readers, it is nevertheless not prohibitive. A real plus to devour, in this month of September, the flagship novels of the literary season.
Launch price: 289.99 euros (stylus optional at 40 euros).
AND ALSO
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition
Kobo’s major competitor on this market, Amazon signs with this Paperwhite a successful e-reader, also waterproof and equipped with 32 GB. The 6.8-inch backlit screen is beautifully made and the home page offers recommendations books to “prime” subscribers: the reading offer is also included in the classic subscription. Dictionary included, annotations allowed, the features are numerous here, in addition to good reading autonomy.
Price: €189.90
Realme Pad Mini
Strictly speaking, this tablet is not a classic e-reader: no E-Ink screen but a classic LCD. However, its positioning in terms of size (8.7 inches), price (less than 200 euros), storage (64 GB) and functionality will perhaps find favor with those who are not looking for multimedia performance, but a speed for reading that e-readers do not provide. Neat finish, good autonomy, color adjustment via the color chart. Why not ?
Price: 179 euro
Huawei MatePad Paper
The Chinese manufacturer is entering this sector for the first time, with a reader that has just been released. With technology similar to Kobo Sage, it is piloted, unlike its competitors, thanks to its classic ecosystem called Harmony OS. This allows the presence of other applications and file sharing with other brand products. Another plus: its beefy storage (64 GB), its record autonomy and its successful design around its 10.3-inch screen.
Price: 499 euros
