[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Ansileran

I don't care for reading statistics as I do my own, nor for social network integration. And I don't need a link to a bookstore (actually, I hate it: previews keep appearing on my Kobo when I update it).

Sorry, but the only way you can get a preview onto a Kobo device is to ask for it. You have to go into the Kobo store and choose to save the preview. The next time you sync to Kobo, the preview will be downloaded.

But, you might be meaning "Recommendations". Yes, these are updated whenever you sync. But, unless you are buying books from Kobo, why are you syncing? Dismiss the tile and turn the automatic syncing off. And don't do a manual sync. And turn the WiFi off unless you also use the browser or Pocket. If you are buying books from Kobo and syncing them, then get my Kobo Utilities plugin for calibre and dismiss the tiles you don't want.

Having said that, the device you describe doesn't exist. I think the Kobo Aura H2O comes the closest. As you already have an Aura HD, you probably won't see much difference. You can change the dictionaries if you can find suitable alternatives. Or you could install KOReader and see if that suits you more than the Kobo software.

Two comments on your requirements:

Excellent dictionary integration: both for uncommon words (definitions in the language) and translations (preferably to French but English OK too)

I've always thought the Kobo ereaders have "Excellent dictionary integration", both for single language and translation. I suspect what you mean is actually "excellent dictionary". i.e. A big dictionary with definitions you like.

Excellent reference / notes access (pop-up format preferred)

I'm not sure what you mean here. At first I though pop-p footnotes, which the Kobo will do for kepubs, but rereading it made me wonder if you meant for annotations.