Is the Aura more durable that non glow e ink screens?

domani7 · 05-02-2013, 09:31 AM

Kobo claims that Aura is more durable than other ereaders:

"rest assured that your eReader's screen is durable in the face of scratches and drops. In fact, in a 360º product test, Kobo Aura HD was proven to have the most durable E Ink eReader screen.*"

However! Is that in comparison to all e ink screens or only the ones with the light, since screens with a light are less durable than those without? Basically- is the Aura HD more or less durable than the Kobo Touch or the Nook Simple Touch?

taming · 05-02-2013, 10:50 AM

The only way to know if Kobo is telling the truth (and I suspect they are

) might be to see the actual test results. The Aura screen feels different than my other Kobo devices. Somehow, less plasticky. I don't know if they are using a hardened material, or what is actually going on.

FJames · 05-02-2013, 11:00 AM

It's not so much that the screens with the glow light layer are less durable, but that they show minor damage much more visibly when the light is on. The glow light layer is basically a light pipe. Any place the thickness of the layer varies, you will see a variation in the light brightness. Damage from external pressure in a point or line pattern is highly visible. The 1st-gen Nook Glow suffered from this problem. These screens really need a special hard layer on top to prevent damage, but every extra layer decreases the screen contrast, so it's a challenge.

I'm not about to test the durability of the Aura screen myself, but to my eye the contrast looks exactly the same as my Touch. However the surface seems a bit smoother than the Touch, and there is a little bit more glare from reflected light.

david8866 · 05-02-2013, 04:22 PM

Read this thread, a few people said the dead light hole already appeared. In the past, KOBO Glo suffer less than Nook Glowlight, but Aura HD is so new, we'll see.
Anybody have to return their Aura ?
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=211825

domani7 · 05-02-2013, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by david8866

Read this thread, a few people said the dead light hole already appeared. In the past, KOBO Glo suffer less than Nook Glowlight, but Aura HD is so new, we'll see.
Anybody have to return their Aura ?
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=211825

But it seems like those aren't due to damage, but are defects that were there all along.

Hoping for the best! I did wind up ordering a sleeve, which I haven't done for my nook touch. Now I'm just hoping that it's not too slippery in my hands.

ewphoenix123 · 05-02-2013, 05:14 PM

The Kobo Glo's lightlayer is not on top, there is another protective layer above it. My father managed to scratch his glo, and the scratch actually is not visible in the dark with activated light.

davidfor · 05-02-2013, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by domani7

But it seems like those aren't due to damage, but are defects that were there all along.

For the Glo, they were manufacturing defects and were there when the light was first turned on. I haven't heard of a bright spot appearing on after a period of use.

TechniSol · 05-02-2013, 10:22 PM

ewphoenix123,

Well, that sounds like good news for the rest of us with a Glo -sorry about your Dad getting a scratch though.

Hopefully something we'll never need to know, but good to know if it happens that the protective layer that Kobo touted(well SameerH referred to it once when people were asking how Kobo's implementation differed from others), and likely makes the Glo screen seem a bit rough, works!

I continue to think the Glo is a nice piece of hardware!

05-02-2013, 09:31 AM	#1
domani7 Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 89450 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: nook	Is the Aura more durable that non glow e ink screens? Kobo claims that Aura is more durable than other ereaders: "rest assured that your eReader's screen is durable in the face of scratches and drops. In fact, in a 360º product test, Kobo Aura HD was proven to have the most durable E Ink eReader screen.*" However! Is that in comparison to all e ink screens or only the ones with the light, since screens with a light are less durable than those without? Basically- is the Aura HD more or less durable than the Kobo Touch or the Nook Simple Touch?

05-02-2013, 11:00 AM	#3
FJames Addict Posts: 320 Karma: 320941 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Touch & Aura	It's not so much that the screens with the glow light layer are less durable, but that they show minor damage much more visibly when the light is on. The glow light layer is basically a light pipe. Any place the thickness of the layer varies, you will see a variation in the light brightness. Damage from external pressure in a point or line pattern is highly visible. The 1st-gen Nook Glow suffered from this problem. These screens really need a special hard layer on top to prevent damage, but every extra layer decreases the screen contrast, so it's a challenge. I'm not about to test the durability of the Aura screen myself, but to my eye the contrast looks exactly the same as my Touch. However the surface seems a bit smoother than the Touch, and there is a little bit more glare from reflected light. Last edited by FJames; 05-02-2013 at 10:28 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Are e-ink screens interchangeable?	edryan	Onyx Boox	6	08-26-2013 11:34 PM
Colored e-ink screens.	OverTwo	General Discussions	5	02-24-2011 01:11 PM
Color Comes to E Ink Screens	BWhite	News	145	12-26-2010 01:21 PM
E Ink displays are very durable	tech_au	News	26	08-06-2009 09:47 PM
No shortage of E-Ink screens?	wallcraft	News	11	03-17-2008 03:37 AM

05-02-2013, 10:50 AM	#2
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	The only way to know if Kobo is telling the truth (and I suspect they are ) might be to see the actual test results. The Aura screen feels different than my other Kobo devices. Somehow, less plasticky. I don't know if they are using a hardened material, or what is actually going on.

05-02-2013, 04:22 PM	#4
david8866 Zealot Posts: 147 Karma: 1015220 Join Date: May 2011 Device: kindle	Read this thread, a few people said the dead light hole already appeared. In the past, KOBO Glo suffer less than Nook Glowlight, but Aura HD is so new, we'll see. Anybody have to return their Aura ? https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=211825

05-02-2013, 05:14 PM	#6
ewphoenix123 Addict Posts: 201 Karma: 42238 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Kobo: Glo, Aura , Aura H2O, Aura ONE, Forma, Elipsa	The Kobo Glo's lightlayer is not on top, there is another protective layer above it. My father managed to scratch his glo, and the scratch actually is not visible in the dark with activated light.

05-02-2013, 10:22 PM	#8
TechniSol GranPohbah-Fezzes r cool! Posts: 1,056 Karma: 3151024 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Nook STRs, Kobo Touch, Kobo Glo	ewphoenix123, Well, that sounds like good news for the rest of us with a Glo -sorry about your Dad getting a scratch though. Hopefully something we'll never need to know, but good to know if it happens that the protective layer that Kobo touted(well SameerH referred to it once when people were asking how Kobo's implementation differed from others), and likely makes the Glo screen seem a bit rough, works! I continue to think the Glo is a nice piece of hardware!