Bad news for the Kobo battery.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by ExpatVietnam

In short, sigh. A reader shouldn't go to the landfill every couple of years b/c of new technology. AKA unless Kobo adds a battery option, when this one fails I'll be buying from their competitor.

A lithium battery has an average lifespan of around 5 years, but that is an average - some last longer, some (regrettably) last a shorter time. Sounds as though yours is at the low end of the bell curve. There's no reason to think that any other brand would be different: they are all using the same battery technology.

It's not particularly difficult to replace the battery, should you wish to do so.

[Markismus]

Originally Posted by ExpatVietnam

In short, sigh. A reader shouldn't go to the landfill every couple of years b/c of new technology. AKA unless Kobo adds a battery option, when this one fails I'll be buying from their competitor.

I quite agree. So open up your Kobo as illustrated in the Kobo Memory Mod threads and replace the battery. It is glued to the metallic frame with double-sided tape and connected to the PCB with a small connector.

It is a common enough 3.7V Li-ion battery. Buy it on eBay or AliExpress or GearBest or .. for 5$. Just look at the codes printed on the battery and google it.

The competitors don't do much better in the case of batteries. With all those gadgets you'll have to learn how to open them up and replace the battery. It's not rocket science, but it does mean you'll have to learn how to distinguish between different batteries offered on the internet.

[frostschutz]

Originally Posted by ExpatVietnam

I have a Kobo Glo that has a failing battery after 2.5 years. I read approximately 500 hours a year on it and don't charge until it drops below 25%.

I charge a lot more often... currently I'm considering writing a mod that force-poweroffs the reader once it drops below 50%. The Kobo itself doesn't offer a good poweroff setting, 60 minutes or never, 60 minutes is a bit annoying so people choose never, and then they don't read for a while and the Kobo dies in Standby with 0% battery and you only notice / charge weeks later... this is about the worst thing you can do for the battery, these things don't like to be discharged at all.

Replacing the battery is an option, it would be good if you had some minor prior experience though. The Glo is annoying to open (some bits of plastic break off and you have to give the power switch area some extra care), and the battery is annoying to replace (glued in and you might have to recycle your old battery's connector since it's harder to find a battery with the same one than just any battery with the same specs) but it can be done.

I would only do it if it really was unusable due to the battery though. If it still lives for the day and can be charged at night... never touch a running system?

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

I charge a lot more often... currently I'm considering writing a mod that force-poweroffs the reader once it drops below 50%. The Kobo itself doesn't offer a good poweroff setting, 60 minutes or never, 60 minutes is a bit annoying so people choose never, and then they don't read for a while and the Kobo dies in Standby with 0% battery and you only notice / charge weeks later... this is about the worst thing you can do for the battery, these things don't like to be discharged at all.

Replacing the battery is an option, it would be good if you had some minor prior experience though. The Glo is annoying to open (some bits of plastic break off and you have to give the power switch area some extra care), and the battery is annoying to replace (glued in and you might have to recycle your old battery's connector since it's harder to find a battery with the same one than just any battery with the same specs) but it can be done.

I would only do it if it really was unusable due to the battery though. If it still lives for the day and can be charged at night... never touch a running system?

Did you mean 60 minutes (which is an hour) or 60 seconds (1 minute) which would be very annoying?

[Markismus]

Agreed, keep the connector! Although if you are gonna cut up the old battery, you could just cut through the foil of the battery and glue the new one on the foil of the old one.

On a side note: on Aliexpress I bought two plastic open-up-your-mobile-set for 60 cents or something. They break just that bit earlier than your gadget. I got the hang of it early, so I didn't need more than 2 sets

[Markismus]

Could be a nice thread title though: How to mod you battery to have your Kobo stay on for 2+ months. I can just see images posted by Ken Maltby having cut out another hole in the back of his case with a battery to stay on for 2 years!

[smallhagrid]

After trying to enjoy the Kobo I found a better path for myself and handed the Kobo to someone who had no reader & could not afford one.

Having & using an EZReader has been a great experience for me;
It does all that I need, has been a joy to use AND has a replaceable battery.

BUT:
Astak quit the ereader biz...so after all these years, what if I need a new one ??

Fortunately some Asian folks have taken that design, placed in into a slightly different enclosure, and I was able to get a nearly identical spare for around $30.
It is so nearly alike that I have no worries now if something happened to my very gently handled EZReader.

I think there are too many folks who will never discover the joys of a REAL ebook reader because of the proliferation of tablets occuring now; also, the big companies which blasted the market with (what I consider to be...) under featured readers that sold via mainstream sites like Amazon.

The perceived 'necessities' of colour screens, wifi, a browser and a big brand name have also done the ebook reader realm no favours.

This all gives me pause to be very grateful that I was able to get such a good reader at just the right time - before things got all twisted up.

[koboy]

Originally Posted by Markismus

I quite agree. So open up your Kobo as illustrated in the Kobo Memory Mod threads and replace the battery. It is glued to the metallic frame with double-sided tape and connected to the PCB with a small connector.

It is a common enough 3.7V Li-ion battery. Buy it on eBay or AliExpress or GearBest or .. for 5$. Just look at the codes printed on the battery and google it.

The competitors don't do much better in the case of batteries. With all those gadgets you'll have to learn how to open them up and replace the battery. It's not rocket science, but it does mean you'll have to learn how to distinguish between different batteries offered on the internet.

interesting, the only electronic device i own which i can't easily change the battery without ripping it apart is my ereader, even the mobile phone as a battery cover which pops off nice and easy, how good is that.



best wishes koboy

[nietorigineel]

I have a kobo touch on hand with seemingly a dead battery.

I'm looking to replace the battery, as i think the remainder of the machine is still in perfect condition, so it feels wasteful to throw it away.

Problem i have is finding a replacement battery. People here that have found it? I don't mind buying abroad, however am located in Europe so most US suppliers would become pretty expensive.

Best option i have found sofar is here: but that amounts to 35 GBP, including delivery. That's 40 EUR/45 USD and a bit too much to my taste.

I've looked to some of the links in this thread, but some of them are dead, and others point to what seems a different battery than my touch (2 wires vs 3 wires from the battery).

Anyone here managed to replace the battery on a kobo touch and care to share where they found it?

[Markismus]

Originally Posted by nietorigineel

Anyone here managed to replace the battery on a kobo touch and care to share where they found it?

Could you post a picture of it---preferably with the printed text on it readable? I wonder whether the batteries are identical to the glo or aura or HD. I think I might even have some spares for those.

[nietorigineel]

Originally Posted by Markismus

Could you post a picture of it---preferably with the printed text on it readable? I wonder whether the batteries are identical to the glo or aura or HD. I think I might even have some spares for those.

Model no is LP404252ARU, I don't have a picture but can make one if needed

[Ken Maltby]

A search shows listings for LP404252ARU with three wires, suggesting that there may be a version of this battery that is other than three wires. DuckDuckGo returns a lot of British sites, (Brexit could be an issue, for you)

Luck;
Ken

[tshering]

Originally Posted by nietorigineel

Model no is LP404252ARU, I don't have a picture but can make one if needed

There is a report of someone who replaced the battery of a Kobo Touch, it contains a link to this battery (aliexpress).

[nietorigineel]

Originally Posted by tshering

There is a report of someone who replaced the battery of a Kobo Touch, it contains a link to this battery (aliexpress).

That battery has two wires coming from it, the battery from my touch has 3.

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

A search shows listings for LP404252ARU with three wires, suggesting that there may be a version of this battery that is other than three wires. DuckDuckGo returns a lot of British sites, (Brexit could be an issue, for you)

Luck;
Ken

I found a British site, but the price was just too high at about 40 EUR including shipping. For that amount of money I can buy a complete second hand touch as well. Refurbished glo's go for 70 EUR. It just isn't in proportion.