Kobo Aura One Long-Term Review

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by MariusMasalar

This time it's the Aura One that I've been spending time with (a month of exclusive use at this point). I think a lot of people will be considering a purchase between this and the Kindle Oasis/Voyage, so where appropriate I've highlighted the various pros and cons of each in the review.

For me the Aura One's size makes it a non-starter -- I don't want to read eBooks on a "tablet." I'm also not enamored with Kobo's software. For me, all those choices just meant I was fidgeting with my Kobo Glo all the time and never quite getting it "right." But the real killer for me was the sluggish touch screen response on the Glo, and -- unless that has been fixed on Aura One -- I would have interest zero in the device (or any Kobo). I sold my Glo, now my (relatively) small Kobo library is managed on my Sony T2.

[DuckieTigger]

I liked the review. Nice to see a closeup of the rendering down to the individual pixel on the screen. At an angle too with such a limited depth of focus - great news since some words, or rather parts of them, are actually in focus. I have to wonder though why they still look fuzzy. Is that a compression artifact? Would be nice if you could get closer for a real closeup at 1:1 comparing a Voyage/Oasis screen with the KA1. (assuming your lens/camera allows a macro shot).

[MariusMasalar]

Hey folks,

Sorry for the late reply here, the forum stopped emailing me about responses for some reason—let me catch up:

One area I wish you had gone into more detail is the font rendering.

Sure, let's dig in.

From your comment I get the sense that your Kobo (and maybe Kindle?) experience is from the pre-300dpi screens, so the first thing I'll say is that individual letterform rendering improved tremendously with that leap. Whether it's a Paperwhite 3 or the Aura One, we're at the point where type is rendered with enough precision and evenness that any concerns on that front are a thing of the past.

I agree with you that Bookerly is a far more handsome font than most of Kobo's defaults, and frankly I even love Caecilia, despite the widespread dislike of slab serifs that I've noticed. Regardless of type taste though, what remains true is that I didn't encounter any examples of uneven type rendering on the Aura One, either with default fonts or ones I'd added. Hopefully the close-up in the screen section does a decent job of illustrating how good text looks on the Aura One.

Are you getting the Kobo cover then? It sounds like it would make the review more like-for-like.

No, but even if I did, the Kobo cover is a standard book-style cover, like the Oasis one, which doesn't match the Voyage Origami cover's unique flip-up advantages. The Aura One cover allows it to be propped up, but only in certain orientations. What I love about the Voyage's cover is specifically how flexible it is in how you can prop it up, regardless of whether you're reading lying down, sitting, etc.

But the real killer for me was the sluggish touch screen response on the Glo, and -- unless that has been fixed on Aura One -- I would have interest zero in the device (or any Kobo).

Touchscreen response on the Aura One is the best I've seen for Kobo devices. A noticeable step up from pre-H2O devices. That being said, it's still not as quick as modern Kindles, which is unfortunate. It doesn't actually bother me in use, but as soon as I switch from one to the other I do notice it.

Nice to see a closeup of the rendering down to the individual pixel on the screen. At an angle too with such a limited depth of focus - great news since some words, or rather parts of them, are actually in focus. I have to wonder though why they still look fuzzy. Is that a compression artifact? Would be nice if you could get closer for a real closeup at 1:1 comparing a Voyage/Oasis screen with the KA1. (assuming your lens/camera allows a macro shot).

Sure, I'll break out the macro lens and do a 1:1 shot of the Aura One, H2O, Voyage, and Oasis for you later today.

[MariusMasalar]

Okay, here's a quick three-way comparison between the Kobo Aura One as well as Kindle Voyage and Oasis:

http://imgur.com/a/04V1N

I tried to keep brightness normalized, and since I didn't have much time to set up the focal plane isn't always 100% dead on, hence the slight deviations in focus between lines. Sorry about that. I also should mention that because of the different controls, it wasn't possible for me to match type sizes 100% between the Aura One and Kindles, so the Aura One text is set ever so slightly larger. Everything is in Bookerly though.

I'll give you my interpretation, but I will preface it by saying that these nuances are absolutely 100% impossible to discern unless your nose is glued to the screen and that either of these screens render text in a very pleasing, eminently readable manner.

That being said, my impression is that the Aura One renders bowls and counters with less visible aliasing than the Oasis, but it's also marginally less accurate to the typeface than the Kindles. You can see it especially in the terminals, which appear thicker, with less defined angles. This could be the result of the way anti-aliasing is handled. The result looks sharper up close, so it seems like a smart compromise.

Of the three, I think the Voyage actually has the crispest rendering, but it might just be a matter of individual unit variances. Both Kindles err on the side of sharpness, which results in super crisp looking text from normal viewing distances but very visible aliasing along curves when you look at it at 1:1 like this. The Voyage also appears to have ever so slightly more contrast.

Anyway, pixel peep away folks!

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by MariusMasalar

Okay, here's a quick three-way comparison between the Kobo Aura One as well as Kindle Voyage and Oasis:

http://imgur.com/a/04V1N

I tried to keep brightness normalized, and since I didn't have much time to set up the focal plane isn't always 100% dead on, hence the slight deviations in focus between lines. Sorry about that. I also should mention that because of the different controls, it wasn't possible for me to match type sizes 100% between the Aura One and Kindles, so the Aura One text is set ever so slightly larger. Everything is in Bookerly though.

I'll give you my interpretation, but I will preface it by saying that these nuances are absolutely 100% impossible to discern unless your nose is glued to the screen and that either of these screens render text in a very pleasing, eminently readable manner.

That being said, my impression is that the Aura One renders bowls and counters with less visible aliasing than the Oasis, but it's also marginally less accurate to the typeface than the Kindles. You can see it especially in the terminals, which appear thicker, with less defined angles. This could be the result of the way anti-aliasing is handled. The result looks sharper up close, so it seems like a smart compromise.

Of the three, I think the Voyage actually has the crispest rendering, but it might just be a matter of individual unit variances. Both Kindles err on the side of sharpness, which results in super crisp looking text from normal viewing distances but very visible aliasing along curves when you look at it at 1:1 like this. The Voyage also appears to have ever so slightly more contrast.

Anyway, pixel peep away folks!

Thank you for putting that up so fast. I believe what you are seeing as more visible aliasing along curves on the Kindles might just be a slightly less aggressive anti-alias method. The Kobo appears to be smeared out more over a 2 pixel outline instead of a 1 pixel outline. Hard telling, I am no professional pixel peeper. Besides for regular photography pixel peeping is about the most useless way to waste your time. Other than the contrast advantage of your Voyage you might as well consider all three of them equal when it comes to quality of rendering at reading distance.

Having been spoiled by the Voyage for quite a while now, I doubt that I would freewilly downgrade screen quality for a bigger screen. Ever since upgrading from our PW1s, the Voyage had the first time a screen nice enough to not long for a better screen anytime soon. What I am seeing here in your pictures is that there won't be any issue to consider the Aura One as size upgrade over the Voyage. Would be an easy decision for me if it didn't also involve firmware and ecosystem switch. And I am not sure how well Kindles and Kobos sync together (my guess is poor).

[Barty]

They all look pretty close. If I had to, I would rank 1a. voyage. 1b. A1 3. Oasis. Somehow the oasis looks a little blurry.

[Wearever]

Thank You Marius ! For showing the difference between the Aura One, Voyage, Oasis in these pics.

I also think the Voyage looks the sharpest , then the Aura One, and then the Oasis. It's nice to see them close up and compare.

[MariusMasalar]

No problem, guys!

I agree that the Voyage comes out on top there, but I also feel a bit bad...the Oasis is harder to photograph on axis because of its asymmetry so I'm afraid I may have presented it at a slight disadvantage.

Still, like DuckieTigger said, all three look fantastic at normal reading distances so it's a bit of a non-issue.

[filmo]

I like your and other peoples screen shots showing color variation and contrast of Kobo readers. Looking at these screen shots on my HP laptop I see more or less color saturation and contrast depending on viewing angle as I tilt it's screen forward or back.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by MariusMasalar

No problem, guys!

I agree that the Voyage comes out on top there, but I also feel a bit bad...the Oasis is harder to photograph on axis because of its asymmetry so I'm afraid I may have presented it at a slight disadvantage.

Still, like DuckieTigger said, all three look fantastic at normal reading distances so it's a bit of a non-issue.

I disagree a little with the non-issue. There is a lot of people here on MR that have a very hard time seeing a big (or any) improvement from old Paperwhite with 212 dpi to Voyage at 300. For me there is huge difference even at reading distance. It is not so much about resolution, but how sharp the edges look.

[MariusMasalar]

Right, but I wasn't comparing the old Paperwhite—I meant it's a non-issue with respect to the difference between these particular three devices, all of which have 300dpi screens. The leap from the previous screen resolution to this one is definitely meaningful.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by MariusMasalar

Right, but I wasn't comparing the old Paperwhite—I meant it's a non-issue with respect to the difference between these particular three devices, all of which have 300dpi screens. The leap from the previous screen resolution to this one is definitely meaningful.

Let me rephrase. When you say they all three look fantastic (to you) at reading distance, it is not as meaningful as what the closeups reveal. All closeups being near identical is what makes them all the same magnitude of fantastic at reading distance (objectively). Anybody that claims different either has a lemon with a bad screen or a subjective bias for or against one model.

[Maoo]

Thanks for your review! I read it and found it interesting, well written and exhaustive.

[LeoB]

Great review! Thanks!

I appreciate the way you compared different devices in terms of overall reading experience, not just the specs, and would like to ask you a quick out of topic question.

How would you compare the ergonomics of Voyage and Oasis? Which one is better from reading comfort point of view?

[MariusMasalar]

Hi Leo,

Reading comfort is a difficult criteria because it depends a lot on how you read: sitting, one-handed, lying down, two-handed, etc.

That being said, I think it's safe to say both of those Kindles are very comfortable in most circumstances. One-handed reading is easier on the Oasis (without the cover) because of its light build and weight distribution, but its asymmetry requires flipping to switch hands. No such requirement on the Voyage.

They both have some sort of physical button for page turns for those who love that, but I actually find the Voyage's preferable because it's harder to press them accidentally. Sometimes, reading on the Oasis, if you rest your thumb on the button and use it to counter-balance the weight of the other side, you end up pressing the button inadvertently. If you support the weight with your other fingers from behind then this isn't an issue, more just something to get used to.

The Voyage with case is the best e-reader for lying down, I find—flip that origami case around and it props up perfectly on either side without any precarious tent-like arrangements using normal book-type covers.

The front light on both is bright and sufficiently customizable. The Voyage's will auto-adjust if you want it to, but I prefer to handle that manually. On my units, the Voyage has more even light distribution than the Oasis, but that can easily vary from unit to unit.

Hopefully that answers your question but feel free to follow up with more specifics pertaining to your reading habits.