Libra 2 Serious buyer's remorse with Libra 2

[shamanNS]

It is. I have both devices (and have been comparing everything about them for past 2 months, still trying to convince myself to resell the Kindle (because previous 2 PW5 ended up in a bootloop) and keep the Kobo) so no point in trying to convince me. Especially when a know Kobo fanboy is trying to do that.
The only good thing about Libra 2 is its screen.

Facts are facts, no matter what is "the truth" in @JSWolf's fantasy world.

1) Fact #1: Over 12 month period I've charged my PW5 6 times, and for that period of time I've read ~7200 screens. Add ~35% to that number to get total page count of typical paperback book.
You can do the math to get how many pages / screen that is for a single charge.

2) Fact #2: Kobo Libra 2 battery is empty by the time I've read about 500 screens 10 days is the average time I get between 2 charges.

3) Fact #3: I even tested and made notes on how Kindle PW5 discharges the battery while not used. Each night at 23:00 I would wake it up, use it for couple of minutes (to give it chance to flip the percentage value is it was close to doing that) and the made a note of battery level percentage:

- 13.01.2024. at 01:20 - device booted - 51% 
- 13.01.2024. at 23:09 - 50%
- 14.01.2024. at 23:00 - 50%
- 15.01.2024. at 15:00 - 49%
- 15.01.2024. at 23:00 - 49%
- 16.01.2024. at 23:00 - 49%
- 17.01.2024. at 23:00 - 49%
- 18.01.2024. at 23:00 - 49%
- 19.01.2024. at 23:00 - 49% > device restarted > still 49% > used for a minute > 48%
- 20.01.2024. at 23:00 - 48%
- 21.01.2024. at 23:00 - 48%
- 22.01.2024. at 23:00 - 47%
- 23.01.2024. at 23:00 - 47%
- 24.01.2024. at 23:00 - 47%
- 25.01.2024. at 23:00 - 46%

Basically Libra 2's battery lasts less than even my 11 year old Kindle PW1 (that has similar battery capacity and has in last couple of years finally started to last noticeably less than it did originally) and instead of expected 25-30% less (= 70% of) battery life of PW5 (expected since PW5 has 1700 mAh battery capacity and Libra 2 has 1420 mAh) Libra 2 in reality has more like 30% of PW5's battery life. Which is appalling and pathetic for a eInk device.

[Sirtel]

It's fully possible the PW5 has better battery life. So? Perhaps battery life is the most important aspect of an ereader to you; it is not so for others. And as I said, all the Oasis models lasted less on one charge than the Libra 2 does. Good battery life is not something all Kindle models have invariably had.

[shamanNS]

@Sirtel To me it is one of the most significant elements (second after the screen + built lights quality)... definitely more important that say OverDrive support (since that is not a thing that exist in my region), Pocket integration.

Kobo & Rakuten developers must be bunch of wizards since they somehow managed to make Libra 2 with smaller (7") screen and bigger battery have significantly worse battery life than Aura One with bigger 7.8" screen and smaller battery.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by shamanNS

@Sirtel To me it is one of the most significant elements (second after the screen + built lights quality)... definitely more important that say OverDrive support (since that is not a thing that exist in my region), Pocket integration.

Kobo & Rakuten developers must be bunch of wizards since they somehow managed to make Libra 2 with smaller (7") screen and bigger battery have significantly worse battery life than Aura One with bigger 7.8" screen and smaller battery.

I have never used an Aura One, so can't comment on that.

I don't care about Overdrive, Pocket, Goodreads et al either. My priorities are screen, ergonomics (including physical buttons) and the software (I much prefer Kobo to Kindle in that regard, and I don't particularly like KOReader, so don't use it). The Libra 2 has middling battery life IMO; there are models considerably worse (Sage, all three Oases) and considerably better (some Paperwhites).

By the way, do you use KOReader? I've heard the battery life is worse with that than the native software on recent Kobo models. I've not used KOReader since I tried it in 2019, so again can't make personal comments.

[moshano]

Originally Posted by shamanNS

I find it quite interesting that nobody mentions Libra 2's absolutely appalling battery life.
That was by far the biggest disappointment for me. When compared to Kindle PW5's battery life Libra 2 is a terrible terrible device.
3-4% battery drain as best case (and sometimes as much as 10%) for each 24h in standby / sleep mode should be unacceptable to anyone that has ever owned a non-Basic Kindle.

100% agree. Libra 2 stand-by battery consumption is terrible (Libra 1 was the same). I had my Kindle PW11 fully charged without using it during months and only dropped about 5-10%.

[shamanNS]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Your claim about Libra 2 'appalling battery life' is massive hyperbole.

Does it sound better to you if I modify that claim to be instead MY LIbra 2 has appalling battery life.

Originally Posted by Quoth

Perhaps you have sync, WiFi, BT and frontlight all on and a faulty sleep cover?

The Sage has the poorest battery life of any Kobo and it's still acceptable.

WiFi & BT are turned off, auto-sync option is disabled, device is even in that "SideloadedMode" (I've switched to that after 2 charge cycles).
The latest firmware (4.38.xxx) is installed on it.
Tried using it without the 3rd party cover (before trying that I've disabled the option for those wake/sleep cover events).
Compared batttery drain when sleeping on stock Kobo software vs when KOReader is opened, no significant differences.

I sincerely doubt that Kobo's book database file has managed to corrupt itself while I've transfered a single book to the device.

I've charged it 4 times in last 1.5 month of using it and even those claims of random internet people that Libra 2 needs 2,3,4 charges to "better calibrate battery indicator" look to be bullsh*t.

My Libra 2 is a "revision 2" , that IIRC has a different PMIC chip ...

Originally Posted by Sirtel

By the way, do you use KOReader? I've heard the battery life is worse with that than the native software on recent Kobo models. I've not used KOReader since I tried it in 2019, so again can't make personal comments.

I do use KOReader and that was the reason and intention when I decided to buy this Libra 2. BUT also keep in mind that those 6 charges for a 12 month time period & 7000 screens read stats for Kindle PW5 are also while using KOReader 100% of the time.

Standby battery draing from my notes isn't while running KOReader, since I still haven't jailbreak-ed this PW5 unit #3 (I have the choice since the device arrived with firmware 5.15.1 which is jaibreakable), so no using KOReader before doing that. I plan to do that if I decide to resell Libra 2 and to risk it again for the 3rd time with PW5.
( MY first PW5 bricked itself 15 days after bying it and the second PW5 managed to be alive for about 16 months, all 16 I was using KOreader... the bootloop & bricked happend after I've exited KOReader and used stock firmware to test KFX "personal documents" when Amazon started converting books send via email of Send to Kindle to KFX format).

[shamanNS]

Originally Posted by Quoth

My Libra 2 has fantastic battery life when sleeping compared to the Kindles (which have no OFF) and has an off setting.

That power off option on this Kobo is really "usefull" when bunch of peope have demonstrated that there is almost no difference in regard to battery drain between powered off Kobo and Kobo in regular sleep/standby, and when IIRC @NiLuJe tested and observed with a USB power-draw measurement thingy that PW5 when idleing with the screen (and lights??? ) turned on uses less power than last 2 generations of Kobo devices in sleep or powered off state.

Originally Posted by Quoth

Perhaps you have sync, WiFi, BT and frontlight all on and a faulty sleep cover?

Yeah I forgotten to comment on the frontlight usage: arround 60% of my total reading time I read with fronthlight turned off (I prefer how the screeen looks when it reflects the light from my floor lamp that I have beside my bad), the rest of the time when I'm using the frontlight I use it turned on to 18-25% intensity.
I never read any of my reader with room light turned off (as in total darkness) and reader's frontlight being the only light source... to me that looks and feels to much like reading on a tablet and I could never get used to that.

[Sirtel]

Yes, I'm not arguing the PW5 is not better regardless of reading software; I've heard it has an outstanding battery life before now. All I'm saying is that recent Kobos are said to last less with KOReader than the native SW, so if you say the Libra has an appalling battery life AND you use KOReader, this should be taken into account.

I don't use KOReader and I wouldn't say the Libra has a terrible battery life, or a superb one. Just somewhere in the middle.

[FireFrog]

I use KOReader on my Libra 2 and I must say the "appalling" battery life is not something I notice. Maybe because I don't spend time staring and monitoring the battery percentage.

[shamanNS]

@Sirtel I used it also with stock Kobo software, tried both epub and kepub files. Also tested reading for 1 hour with stock vs 1 hour reading in KOReader and both are quite similar in terms of battery discharge). Reading experience with KOReader is to my habits and expectations significantly better that even if KOReader would drain say 15% more battery (and it doesn't) than Kobo stock software I would still choose to use KOReader.
I've tried "patched" stock Kobo software and still dislike it overall (even "patched" Kindle PW3 was more to my liking).

Bottom line is that for sleep / standby battery drain KOReader or no KOReader shoudn't be a factor at all, since no process is running when the device is in sleep mode / suspend or whaterver. As in KOReader is not the reason why my Libra 2 drains 3-4% of the battery for every 20-24 hours while not being used, it does the same thing if I exit out of KOReader and leave it to sleep on "My Books" tab on stock Kobo homescreen.

And it certainly doesn't have significant effect on how a Kindle PW5 behaves when it goes from running KOReader to sleep and then deep sleep state.

Battery draing while using the device to read stuff is not something that I've singled out and discusses here as a seperate issues... I've only mentioned that I can read only about 500 screens between 2 full charges on this particular Libra 2.

I haven't and problaly will never try reading even one whole book let alone read using only stock Kobo firmware for the entire time between 2 discarges. I've tested the continues use of stock firmware for 2-3 session of ~2-2.5 hours of reading and that has demonstrated always the same amount of battery discarge ... so I don't care to be 200% certain that accumulated total reading time is X or Y% different when compaired to reading with KOReader.

The main issues stands: in comparison with Kindle PW5 the Libra 2 is huge disappointment to me.
And the only reasons I still haven't sold LIbra 2 are:

1) the screen is very nice.
2) I've been "burned" 2 times already with Kindle PW5 bricking itself, and since warranty for my PW5 is tied to the US and Amazon COM if this unit would die in the near or far future I would simple not longer bother with asking Amazon for a replacement for a 3rd time!! It is to much difficulty and to much stress to organize the shipping to and from the US.

I can't really afford to keep 2 e-readers, and to have Libra 2 lying in a drawer to have just in case Kindle PW5 dies for the 3rd time. On the other hand I was very much annoyed through ~15 days I had to wait for until my old PW1 that I lent to a friend has returned to me... I now I know how much I would hate to have to wait for internatinal order to get to me. Reading on a phone is the worst...

But all in all I'm very very disappointed with Kobo Libra 2. If I were able to return it back to Amazon DE in December 2023 I would have done so... but alas..

[Aleron Ives]

I've managed to get up to 20 days of reading out of my Libra 2 before needing to charge it. Perhaps some Kindles have better battery life, but I'll take Kobo's open platform over Amazon's closed one any day, even if it means I have to charge more often.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Aleron Ives

I've managed to get up to 20 days of reading out of my Libra 2 before needing to charge it. Perhaps some Kindles have better battery life, but I'll take Kobo's open platform over Amazon's closed one any day, even if it means I have to charge more often.

It's certainly massively better than my PW3 (even when new) and everything, even two of my Android tablets (10000mAH and 8000mAH!) and my Oppo phone are better than the Oasis (2nd ed.)

[shamanNS]

My PW3 had good battery life. I regret selling it when I bought PW5 (the first one, that ironically died like 3 days after I sold the PW3).

@Aleron Ives "Up to X days" statements are meaningless without extra context of how much actual time you spent reading and with what settings.
It has been 21 days since I last changed my Libra 2 but then when you consider that I read on it only 4 hours / less than 150 screens and it is currently at 21% battery left then those 21 days don't look so rosy no more

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by shamanNS

It has been 21 days since I last changed my Libra 2 but then when you consider that I read on it only 4 hours / less than 150 screens and it is currently at 21% battery left then those 21 days don't look so rosy no more

Either you're mistaken or the Libra 2 is faulty.

[Sirtel]

I haven't measured the exact amount of battery drain on my Libra 2, as I'm not interested in the result. But a week or two of battery life while using the device every day is entirely acceptable to me. I have to charge my Sage every few days when I use it and even that is acceptable to me. Neither of them has been a disappointment. As I used the various iterations of Kindle Oasis before Kobos, I didn't get significantly longer battery life then either. So I have never expected to go for a whole month without charging.

I confess I actually don't understand why charging an ereader a few times a month is a disappointment, when people charge their phones, tablets and laptops every day or every other day at the very least. But to each their own. I dislike the Kindle software and the lack of physical buttons enough that I would never consider a PW5 even if its battery lasted for years. KOReader is not a substitute to me (even without the bricking issue) as it has a couple of flaws I can't accept. All in all, I'm happy with my Kobos, even with my Sage which only lasts for a few days. YMMV.