Aura One worth the upgrade?

[Number9]

I tried to find some opinions on this, but didn't find any, so here I go: I have a Aura H2O that I'm very happy with, but the more I look at pictures and reviews on the Aura One, the hoarder in me awakens! So, the question is, is it worth the upgrade? Is it an upgrade with more of the same or? I think what I'm looking for is an answer that can justify the money.

[meeera]

I'm holding back because I'm very colour-sensitive and a fair few people are getting rainbow screens, like the first Paperwhites. But I like the idea of the adjustable-temperature lighting and the screen-size-to-weight ratio, so I'm watching developments with interest. I'd like to see an infrared touch Kobo with this lighting feature.

[Lyn2012]

I'm also thinking of changing my H2O for the KA1, but will need to see one in person before making my mind up. Hoping WHSmith will have them in locally next month, however from what I have read on MR, this doesn't seem too likely.

[booklover6]

Many opinions on the subject here in this thread.

[Katsunami]

6 inch reader -> H20 @ 6.8 inch = 28% increase in usable area
6.8 inch H20 -> ONE @ 7.8 inch = 32% increase in usable area
6 inch reader -> ONE @ 7.8 inch = 69% increase in usable area

When looking at the screen size, assuming you want to have a reader as big as possible (without it being so big that it becomes cumbersome), the upgrade from H2O to ONE is actually a bigger step up than the one from a 6 inch reader to the H2O. So yes, in that regard, it's worth it.

The step up from a 6 inch reader to the ONE is huge.

[machoman121]

I have both the 6 inch and 9.7 inch DX Kindle - and then i bought the Kobo H20. I believe the 9.7 Kindle DX still has the much superior read simply because it's got more real estate and displays text much closer to a book. Even the H20 is not large enough to comfortably read like a proper novel and i think the Aura one is just a small incremental for me (especially since i've got the DX). Now if the Aura one was 9.7 inch - wow - that'll be a game changer.

As nice as the Kindle DX is for a read - it's quite heavy and cumbersome and the keyboard is rarely used so it's wasted real estate there.

If i did not have the H20 i would definitely get the Aura One.

[johnnyb]

I think it is not at the moment, the pro’s do not outweigh the cons. Firmware is still too buggy (battery drain, imprecise keyboard) and the quality of the natural light is not consistent...
However, if the *only* thing you are looking for is to read recreationally on a larger screen, I'd say go for it.

[Akbar]

The only advantages I can find, after reading reviews, are the bigger screen and the comfort light feature. If these two are important for you, then it will be a worthy upgrade to Aura One. Apart from these, there is no improvement in page turn speed, still the same PDF engine, similar if not slightly worse contrast. It might also be better to wait and see if the next firmware update will make Aura One a better device than it is now.

[rogerinnyc]

I think Akbar nailed it. I have the H2O and also bought the Aura One. Personally, I prefer the larger screen and the flush bezel of the A1, but it is somewhat harder to hold without turning pages, both because of the narrower bezel and the non-IR interface.

I would not upgrade for screen resolution. I think the A1 has slightly worse contrast, although font weighting mostly compensates, and the "new" feature of natural light (without the blues), at least on my device, is pretty blotchy. Even without natural light on, unless I have brightness up high, there are cones of shadows at the bottom of screen.

Bottom line, I have asked Kobo CS for an exchange or, barring that an RMA, and am still waiting to hear back (since Friday). But even if I get the RMA, I might still hold on to the A1. For reading at home, I really do like the larger size and all the flaws cited above really only come out if you're comparing it side-by-side to another device (e.g, the Kindle Voyage, which I also have, and which is by far the best screen/contrast). It is also delightfully light, given its increased size.

[wakkaday]

i am going to take mine back, its almost as if you are holding an ipad mini
im not keen on the size and also i am having wifi connecting issues, so will be taking mine back

would probably invest in a voyage now

[JoOrwick]

Originally Posted by wakkaday

i am going to take mine back, its almost as if you are holding an ipad mini

The iPad Mini has a 7.85" display (Apple rounds it up to 7.9") which means it's about the same size as the Aura One's display.

Of course it feels similar to holding an iPad. They both have the same screen size.
Did you not know this information before you bought it?

[Number9]

Thanks for your help, guys. I've decided that I will wait for the bugs to be sorted out.

Skickat från min Nexus 5X via Tapatalk

[simond]

I had an H2O and haven't regretted upgrading to an Aura One. To me it just feels more solid than the H2O and I love the flush screen. The extra space is nice but wasn't I massive issue for me in the first place.

[alizarin]

As someone who bought a KA1 despite owning a bunch of other ereaders (including an Oasis, multiple generation PWs, even a 2nd gen Kindle that still works) as well as a bunch of tablets I read from (ranging from a 7" android to a 10.1 inch Dell Venue 10 7040, but no iDevices) IMO the most appealing feature of the KA1 is the size:weight ratio. I love the increase in screen real estate compared to the oasis, and it is a joy to hold for extended reading sessions compared to tablets.

The ability to change font size on a slider rather than in stepped increments is a significant advantage when compared to Kindle devices, although your Aura H20 can do that too (this is my first kobo device so I oohed-and-aahed over the feature for quite a while). Another surprising pro of the KA1 is the integration with Pocket reader which is actually well done.

I have some issues with my KA1 too. The natural lighting is uneven and there's a big green blotchy area in one corner of the screen when the rest is orange, which is very visible at low lighting levels and distracts me (I haven't got used to it yet!). IMO Kobo firmware is significantly more buggy compared to Kindle - I have noticed 3 "bugs" which will hopefully be fixed some time in the future: [1] the battery intermittently discharges in an unacceptable way, despite my applying a bunch of workarounds that the folks in this forum kindly suggested, [2] sometimes the auto lighting feature acts like it is demonically possessed - even if I turn it off it incrementally changes light levels when I am reading, which can be irritating, [3] I love how sometimes when I pick up the sleeping KA1 it automatically switches from "sleep" to "on" mode (is there an accelerometer inside?) but the effect is inconsistent and only happens some of the time.

There are also 2 things I have noticed with the hardware - [1] the LED lighting isn't completely even, but that is to be expected, and [2] the KA1s fit and finish isn't on par with the Oasis (the tolerances for screen positioning aren't as tight as I would like them to be, for example, and at night there's a small amount of light leak from the USB port) but these are minor and cosmetic and in no way detract from the user experience.

I have also seen on this forum how the light levels of different units can be *very* different when comparing tone and brightness at equivalent slider levels, which is telling about Kobo QC.

But all that being said, over the last few weeks since I got my KA1 I have ended up using it more than my Oasis, which is equally telling. IMO the key advantage of the KA1 is its screen size, which makes reading so much more enjoyable. You may not need to upgrade from your Aura H2O for any other reason but this.

I just got an email from Kobo customer service that they will be shipping me a replacement in the next week or two - knowing kobo, to be more accurate make that "a variable amount of time seeded by a random number generator". If the replacement has better orange tone when natural lighting is on (think Trump, not Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle) then IMO the KA1 is a keeper despite all the issues I have detailed above, and my kids decide who wants my Oasis. But if the replacement hardware is just as QC-challenged as my original KA1, I think I am going to return them both and wait for Kobo to fix their LEDs before buying another one.

Hope this helps, even though its a long-winded response from someone who owns no Kobo other than the KA1...

[Ksquared]

Originally Posted by alizarin

[3] I love how sometimes when I pick up the sleeping KA1 it automatically switches from "sleep" to "on" mode (is there an accelerometer inside?) but the effect is inconsistent and only happens some of the time.

First, nice review.

Under settings, select Sleep and Power and uncheck the Automatic Sleep and Wake-up. This is for a sleep cover, and others have reported that it can cause wake-ups when no sleep cover is used on other models. It seems this is on by default, assuming you will spend money on a sleep cover. Sorry that is is not an accelerator feature... That would be cool!