Sage Sage vs Forma: Comparison

[Quoth]

There are unfortunately different incompatible specs for USB charging. If the device doesn't make sense of it then it defaults to a slow charge.

My charger came with a USB-C device (the Lenovo tablet), but it's a USB-A outlet charger, so only sets resistors or voltages on the regular USB D+ and D- lines. I'd expect the Sage and many other 5V 1.5A USB C devices are really just updated USB 2.0 micro USB designs using regular USB-A charger signals. The advanced actual USB-C chargers use separate serial digital communication wires from the regular USB D- and D+ twisted data pair. The device tells the charger what voltage to use and what current it could take. The host charger tells the device if it can do those volts (up to 20) and what current it can do. That's charge negotiation.
Any charger with a USB-A socket does NO charge negotiation. It only does 5V ever, and puts static voltages or resistors (depending on spec) on the D- and D+ lines as data is not used. The device interprets that to decide on current to take. You could have a 5V 4A supply and without the valid setting the device expects on the D+ and D-, then the device only takes 500mA.
I have loads of 1.5A and 2A USB chargers. But the Sage only does the 45 minute charge (maybe between 1A and 1.5A) on one of them. The rest take more than twice as long, so obviously the D+ & D- isn't what the Sage is looking for so it only takes 500mA.

A USB-C 65W charger obviously isn't communicating via USB-C power serial connection with the Sage.

I have also Libra 2, Elipsa and the Lenovo, all USB-C. They all charge slow on my PC's USB-C port, which is certainly able to do 2A.

Fortunately for 5V USB gear, the default for PC USB-C port or a USB-C based charger is to give 5V, not 20V!

[Aleron Ives]

IIRC at least the Libra 2 is 5V 2A, so any charger over 10W will not decrease the charging time. Kobos don't support fast charging.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Fortunately for 5V USB gear, the default for PC USB-C port or a USB-C based charger is to give 5V, not 20V!

Sadly some manufacturers do not implement that. One friend of mine blew up his cheapie tablet when he plugged a phone charger that defaulted to 9V and the magic smoke escaped.

[Quoth]

Can't have been a compliant charger. Was there a CSA / FCC / CE etc mark, and if so was it real?

I'd not plug a charger with USB-C outlet into anything that takes less than 20V anyway, they are lightweight laptop chargers?

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Aleron Ives

IIRC at least the Libra 2 is 5V 2A, so any charger over 10W will not decrease the charging time. Kobos don't support fast charging.

Official "Fast" charging is faster than 1A or 1.5A. Likely the Libra 2 is about 1.5A max, likely less, and 2A is suggested rating of charger. The 1A to 1.5A is fast, as standard charging is 500 mA max (some devices only 100 mA).

The device decides the charge rate. The Sage has 2A printed on it, but likely is 1.5A max. I've not checked the Libra 2 I have.

[miral]

Thicker, heavier, shorter battery life. This is progress. I hope it helps Kobo make more money.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by miral

Thicker, heavier, shorter battery life. This is progress. I hope it helps Kobo make more money.

Better screen, more memory, audiobook playback. This is progress. I'm sure it is helping Kobo make more money.

[stumped]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

Better screen, more memory, audiobook playback. This is progress. I'm sure it is helping Kobo make more money.

but for someone who will not be using audiobook playback, there is no need for the "more memory" so all that's left is "better screen"

the case for a new sage vs a used/refurbished forma seems unconvincing
especially as sage is also heaver and with shorter battery life ?

[Grimaud]

Originally Posted by stumped

but for someone who will not be using audiobook playback, there is no need for the "more memory" so all that's left is "better screen"

With 32 GB, you can have a long mangas series on your device, to read it without having to download / side load books as you read them. With a 8 GB device, it's not possible: even after optimizing them, a long manga series will still require around 10 GB of storage, or more (said optimization requires to break DRM to be able to convert each JPG to an 16 gray PNG at the device native resolution).

[John F]

Originally Posted by miral

Thicker, heavier, shorter battery life. This is progress. I hope it helps Kobo make more money.

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

Better screen, more memory, audiobook playback. This is progress. I'm sure it is helping Kobo make more money.

Whenever I read "shorter battery life" in the past, I thought of reading. How is the battery life for audiobook playback?

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by John F

Whenever I read "shorter battery life" in the past, I thought of reading. How is the battery life for audiobook playback?

Sorry, the only audiobook I have on my Sage is a language learning course, so it doesn't get played for long enough at one time to give meaningful data on battery life

[stumped]

Originally Posted by Grimaud

With 32 GB, you can have a long mangas series on your device, to read it without having to download / side load books as you read them. With a 8 GB device, it's not possible: even after optimizing them, a long manga series will still require around 10 GB of storage, or more (said optimization requires to break DRM to be able to convert each JPG to an 16 gray PNG at the device native resolution).

Fair point but I dont use audio books or comics.

I'd outgrown reading comics by age 10 but I appreciate it takes longer for some people : 🙂

[John F]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

Sorry, the only audiobook I have on my Sage is a language learning course, so it doesn't get played for long enough at one time to give meaningful data on battery life

And I don't have a Sage or listen to audiobooks, so I don't know either.

[Burblebup]

I've never owned a Forma, but the battery life on the Sage has certainly improved over time, to the extent that I guess I have to charge it every two to three weeks (probably closer to two) now with daily use. Granted, not as good as my old Kindle keyboard version, but there is a lot more going on under the shell, so it's not a good comparison. And it takes less than an hour to charge it with USB-C, so unless you don't have access to a power socket, it's no biggie. The screen is great, it is very responsive on the whole (except when Kobo fudges the latest firmware), it doesn't seem particularly heavy or thick, even with the sleep cover on (If the Forma is slimmer and lighter, it must be like, what, a matter of millimeters and grams??? Is everyone's hands so weak and dainty that this is an issue???), and it has a ton of storage. What's not to like? A big thumbs up from me, Kobo!

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Burblebup

I've never owned a Forma, but the battery life on the Sage has certainly improved over time, to the extent that I guess I have to charge it every two to three weeks (probably closer to two) now with daily use. Granted, not as good as my old Kindle keyboard version, but there is a lot more going on under the shell, so it's not a good comparison. And it takes less than an hour to charge it with USB-C, so unless you don't have access to a power socket, it's no biggie. The screen is great, it is very responsive on the whole (except when Kobo fudges the latest firmware), it doesn't seem particularly heavy or thick, even with the sleep cover on (If the Forma is slimmer and lighter, it must be like, what, a matter of millimeters and grams??? Is everyone's hands so weak and dainty that this is an issue???), and it has a ton of storage. What's not to like? A big thumbs up from me, Kobo!

It certainly doesn't last 2 weeks for me. I wouldn't say it has improved at all since I bought it, which was 1,5 years ago.