Is Kindle still king of the e-readers?

As a bit of tech queen, I’m all up for embracing developments in technology. However, one thing I refuse to do is start reading on my smartphone. I’ll probably have to eat my words in a couple of years, but I just don’t want to.

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When I’m reading I like to go into my own world, some place far away from the constant buzz of Facebook updates and calls. So, why on earth would I want to read a book on my phone? Yes, I know I can turn it on silent, but the temptation of checking emails is still staring me right in the face.

So, with that in mind, I’m putting up a fight for the eReader. As such, I was quite interested in knowing more about Kobo’s latest attack on the Kindle.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

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The Kindle Paperwhite was unveiled last year, the first device to offer readers an illuminated paper-like display. That was a fair few months ago now and actually around the same time as the launch of the Kobo Glo, which didn’t put up much of a fight.

Having had to argue with my other half over leaving a reading light on, I personally thought the introduction of a back light was a little too late. However, the idea excited me. No more hiding under bed covers with a torch!

Kindle has managed to dominate the e-reader market for many years and has fought off challenges from the likes of Kobo. However, even I’m not convinced that it can compete with the new Kobo Aura HD, the self-proclaimed ‘Porsche of eReaders’.

Kobo Aura HD

If you’re in the market for a new eReader and are thinking about giving Kobo a chance, take a look at this comparison between the Aura HD and the Kindle Paperwhite.

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Design

The Aura HD weighs in at 240g and measures 11.7mm thick, so it’s nowhere near as light and slimline as the Paperwhite (213g, 9.1mm), but does that matter? Well, both use the touchscreen as the main means of navigation, but Kindle pinches it for me.

Screen & Light

Seeing as both of these eReaders have illuminated backlights, this is an important part of the review. Kobo has given the Aura HD a 6.8 inch Pearl E-ink touchscreen, with 1440x1080 resolution, 265 dpi and ClarityScreen+. Whereas, despite Kindle improving over previous versions, it just can’t compete with the Aura HD this time.

Other Features

Of course, with tech advancing, these eReaders aren’t just about reading books. There are several other features available on both.

The Aura HD includes the ability to track reading statistics and highlight passages with Reading Life (all of which can be shared on Facebook). There’s also a couple of games, Chess and Sudoku, if you fancy a break. The Kindle has a few more gizmos to keep me busy; WhisperSync on Voice, which allows me to listen to an audiobook as well, Time to Read and X-Ray.

So, while they both have different features, they’re equally as good as one another.

Battery & Storage 

When the Paperwhite was released, Amazon claimed that it could stay charged for up to two months, so Kobo matched it. In terms of storage, the Kindle has 2GB internal storage, but offers free storage over Amazon Cloud. The Kobo Aura HD has boosted on board memory at 4GB and expandable memory of up to 32GB.

Again, this is too close to call so a draw it is.

Books

I’m sorry Kobo lovers, but Amazon wipes the floor of Kobo in this area. The Kindle Store has 1.5 million books, with 300,000 of them exclusive to Kindle. There is also the ability to borrow books for absolutely nothing if you sign up to Amazon Prime. The Kobo does have access to around 3 million books, but they’re just not as good.

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Price

It’s a bargain basement £109 for the Wi-Fi model of the Kindle Paperwhite and £169 for 3G, whereas the Kobo Aura HD retails at £139.99 (don’t forget there’s no 3G option).