Kobo is the worst....

[Sonist]

I have had four Kobo Aura HDs, three of which have failed.

Kobo has refused to replace a single one of them, claiming a that a couple of "diagonal lines" among the vertical/horizontal grid of streaks indicate pressure, so they refuse to honor the warranty.

From my standpoint, one of the devices, which was a present to a friend, was in luggage, so it may have had pressure. The others did not (one was left in the sun for about two hours).

At least in my experience, the Kobo Aura HD screens have issues and Kobo refuses to either acknowledge them, or stand by the product, even while in warranty.

Compared to something like the Kindle DX, with a much larger surface, the Kobo is of unacceptable quality. And Kobo as a company is worse than any other ereader seller I have ever dealt with.

Buyer beware.....

[Abtacha]

I'll have to disagree there.
All e-ink screens are quite fragile and Kobo is no different in that than Amazon.
Amazon seems to be more lenient when it comes to replacing broken Kindles so you might have better luck with them if you keep on breaking your readers

[mr_nihilism]

I've owned many Kobo/Kindle devices over the years and have never had a screen "fail" on me before, ever.

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by Abtacha

I'll have to disagree there.
All e-ink screens are quite fragile and Kobo is no different in that than Amazon.
Amazon seems to be more lenient when it comes to replacing broken Kindles so you might have better luck with them if you keep on breaking your readers

If I actually broke them, I wouldn't be so unhappy. But I didn't.

I didn't bother arguing with Kobo when they failed to honor the warranty on the first one, since it just wasn't worth the time and I chalked it to bad luck. I just ordered a new device and forgot about it.

But this time the Aura HD was simply left in the sun for a while and when my wife came back, the screen was covered with lines. Nobody had been around it. I rebooted a couple of times and the lines from the bottom of the screen disappeared, but the device locked completely.

Kobo's first line of defense was that it was a software issue and that I hadn't reset the device correctly. The device is completely unresponsive now, even to reset with the light/power switch.

Then when I escalated it, they pointed out to two diagonal lines among the vertical and horizontal ones and told me that great pressure must have been applied to the screen. Not true.

I have had a number of devices from different manufacturers, including Sony, Iliad and Amazon. I still have two Kindle DXs, one of which has spots on the screen, but the other is perfect.

I know how to use readers and have never had such issues before. As I said, I change readers every year or two, so it's not the money.

It's the fact that Kobo has a faulty product, at least in my experience, and that their customer service is simply shifty.

[HarryT]

Diagonal lines on the screen indicate that you've fractured the glass substrate that's under the outer plastic screen. This is caused by applying a bending force to the screen (or dropping it); it doesn't happen on its own. If you'd like to post a photograph of your screen, a fractured substrate has a very distinctive appearance, which people here can confirm for you.

[Dr. Drib]

I can empathize with your frustration, especially since the screens keep breaking under your ownership.

But why do you keep buying them?

I know that if I had such bad luck, I would buy another brand.

[Dr. Drib]

Thread now moved to the Kobo Forum.

The General Discussion Forum is for "General discussions about e-book reading not specific to a device, software or format."



Don
(Moderator)

[Sonist]

Here is a picture of the screen.

As I said, initially the whole screen was covered with lines, after two reboots the lower half of the screen went blank and the device is locked now, not responding to reset.

It has not been dropped or abused other than normal use. It was left in the sun for a while, I was kind of wondering if there was some sort of uneven expansion which may have caused this.

For what it's worth, this same device was acting up for a while, turning its backlighting on on its own accord and draining the battery within a day or two. It fixed itself after two or three weeks, so I never bothered contacting Kobo.

As to why I bought four, I bought one as a present and initially two for personal use.

The present failed. When the first personal Aura HD failed, I was unhappy with the way Kobo handled it, but decided that bad things just happen sometimes and it was just bad luck, so I ordered another one.

Now that the second personal Kobo failed too, I am not going back to Kobo. Bitter lesson learned.

As I said, I have really never had a reader fail in such way. I still have two old Kindle DXs and one has developed spots on the screen, but the thing is ancient, so I still think its bult like a tank. The other DX (actually DXG) is still perfect.

Both of the DXs have seen a lot of travel to out of the way places, so the abuse they've been subjected to has been considerably worse than the Kobo ,which generally sits on a night table.

Even my old Iliad lasted more than two years before I gave it away....

[HarryT]

I'm afraid that's a classic picture of a fractured screen substrate. It's absolutely certain that this is what's happened, although obviously I don't know how it happened. Unfortunately a fractured substrate is not covered by warranty - it's physical damage.

I don't think Kobo devices are any more (or less) likely to suffer from screen fractures than any other brand, but it's one reason that I always keep my readers in a sturdy case.

[robko]

I'll second everything Harry just said. That's for sure a broken substrate. My best guess it that you probably stressed or micro-fractured the screen due to twisting or bending of the device at some previous point and the expansion in the sun caused it to full fracture. Amazon seems to be more lenient in replacing devices but they are replacing them strictly for customer relations even though the damage was customer caused.

[hleo12]

I, unfortunately, experienced this. The only time when I removed my Glo from it's cover and this happened. Kobo also said that it was physical damage and not covered by warranty.

[Sonist]

I have no reason to doubt that Harry and robko are both correct and that the substrata is broken. It kind of makes sense that the expansion from the sun may have been the needle that broke it.

But the fact remains that either I am peculiarly unlucky with my Kobo Auras, or the Kobos have an inherent problem which is not found in competing products.

I actually just did a little experiment with my last remaining working Kobo Aura HD, by applying minimal twisting pressure to the frame. Did the same with the Kindle DXG, which has both larger screen and is thinner than the Kobo.

The Kobo Aura exhibits noticeably more flexibility than the Kindle DXG. The Kobo actually squeaks under slight pressure.

Comparing the Kindle and the Kobo, the Kindle is considerably better made, with better fit and finish and less give, despite its thinness and larger surface.

Which would explain why three out of four Kobo Aura HDs have broken within their warranty period, while none of my other readers ever did.

Maybe the screens themselves are no more likely to suffer fractures than competing screens, but when placed in a substandard case and with substandard fit and finish, the likelihood of failures would be likely higher.

Kobo should make a better product and should stand by it better.

As is, based on my experience, I would still advise anyone against purchasing a Kobo Aura.

[Ripplinger]

You might also consider getting accidental coverage for whatever ereader you get. You can get 3 years coverage for about $35.00 from SquareTrade, they often have 30% off. And as already said, keep your reader in a sturdy cover.

I've never broken any e-ink reader, but they're all made with the same delicate substrate layer that will crack if the reader is flexed at all.

Edit:

Originally Posted by Sonist

I actually just did a little experiment with my last remaining working Kobo Aura HD, by applying minimal twisting pressure to the frame. Did the same with the Kindle DXG, which has both larger screen and is thinner than the Kobo.

You do realize that you possibly just cracked the substrate on both readers, and it's very possible it won't show up immediately. And when it finally does, you'll swear you did nothing to cause it (and at that moment you didn't).

[Ken Maltby]

I know that it's not fair - but posting about how your device was gently handled, while using Clint Eastwood's orangutan as your avatar, is a little much. (LOL, for you Canadians)

"Clyde - scrap the caddy." "NO! Clyde - Not the Kobo!"

Luck;
Ken

[hleo12]

Originally Posted by Sonist

As is, based on my experience, I would still advise anyone against purchasing a Kobo Aura.

I'd just consider my self really unlucky when it comes to Kobo devices if I were you. There's really no use in "warning" other people to not buy a product based on what you experienced. Since what you experiences seems to be in a really small minority of Aura owners. And considering that you've "broken" many Auras, that's also a statement on how you handle your device.

Not to instigate an argument or something, but if you've broken that many devices already, then just move on to the other brand. You've said it yourself, it doesn't happen on your Kindles. There must something in your habit that doesn't go well with Kobo's devices.

I know you're disappointed, and maybe beyond pissed, at Kobo but it's not fair to say that a product is "the worst" when all you have is your experience to base it on.