Sage Light gradient / uneven

[dinosm]

Hi everyone, I just got a new Kobo Sage a couple of days ago and after spending some time setting it up and learning 'the Kobo way' (setting up Calibre for automatic KEPUB conversion, etc), I have started reading today.

I almost immediately noticed the light has a very noticeable gradient going from left (button side) where it's brighter and cooler to right where it's darker and warmer.
This is mostly noticeable if the warm light is enabled to almost any degree. With the warm light completely switched off, the gradient is not as bad but it's still noticeable that the right side is brighter than the middle and left.

Looking up posts here and on Reddit, it appears some Kobos have similar issues but not a lot and I can't seem to find much if anything specifically for the Sage.

Am I very very unlucky in receiving a defective unit, or is this a frequent issue that people just get used to?

I should mention I am coming from a 10-year-old Kindle (no warm light, light used to be even throughout but has now started to show variations) and a Pocketbook Color 3 (light 100% even throughout, warm or not).

[Sirtel]

My Sage has pretty uneven frontlight. I haven't bothered to exchange it. I have had many ereaders over the years (over 10, mostly Kindles and Kobos); some have had gradients, others not. It seems to be a 50/50 chance which one you get, no matter the brand.

[Alfirin]

I've got something similar with my Sage as well.
It seems however less pronounced than it is for you.
Along the side with button, it's less warm et more bright and there's a little gradient before becoming even.
I wouldn't send it back for a trade though.

[1ily]

You can try to get an exchange! I exchanged mine, but you need to return your eReader, they process it, and then they send out the new unit. It takes 2-3 weeks, which is a long time without an eReader.

TBH I was really worried about getting a worse device during the replacement, but it was perfect and looked new. No dead pixels, uneven warm/cool lighting etc. etc.

[dinosm]

Do you mean get a return and replacement from Kobo themselves? I didn't think of that. I'm in the UK where returns are very easy so I took it back to the shop I got it from and got a refund, as I was weary of getting a replacement that would end up the same, without looking at it first (the shop didn't have them in stock for me to see it).

[1ily]

Originally Posted by dinosm

Do you mean get a return and replacement from Kobo themselves? I didn't think of that. I'm in the UK where returns are very easy so I took it back to the shop I got it from and got a refund, as I was weary of getting a replacement that would end up the same, without looking at it first (the shop didn't have them in stock for me to see it).

Yup! Kobo will make you do the exchange at the store you bought it from so you saved yourself some time