 |
Kobo Aura vs Kobo Glo
Last updated: July 10, 2023
Kobo Aura and Kobo Glo are both popular eReader devices from Kobo, offering distinct features and reading experiences. Here are the key differences between the two:
One significant difference lies in their display technology. Kobo Aura features a 6-inch E Ink Carta display, which offers a high-resolution reading experience with sharp text and great contrast. It provides a comfortable reading experience similar to reading from a printed page and minimizes eye strain. On the other hand, Kobo Glo also features a 6-inch E Ink display but with the added benefit of built-in front lighting. The ComfortLight technology on the Kobo Glo allows users to adjust the brightness of the front light to suit their reading environment, making it ideal for reading in low-light conditions or at night. The built-in front lighting of Kobo Glo sets it apart from Kobo Aura and offers additional convenience for readers.
Another key difference lies in their design and physical attributes. Kobo Aura has a sleek and lightweight design, making it portable and comfortable to hold for extended reading sessions. It has a compact form factor with a smooth back and no physical buttons on the front. Kobo Glo, on the other hand, features a similar sleek design but incorporates physical page-turn buttons along with a touchscreen interface. The addition of physical buttons on Kobo Glo provides an alternative method for navigating through pages, offering users more flexibility in their reading experience. The choice between the two may depend on personal preferences for touchscreen-only or a combination of physical buttons and touchscreen controls.
Additionally, there may be differences in their internal storage capacity. Kobo Aura typically offers 4 GB of onboard storage, providing ample space for storing a vast collection of eBooks. This storage capacity is sufficient for most readers, allowing them to carry a substantial library with them wherever they go. Kobo Glo, on the other hand, often comes with 2 GB or 4 GB of onboard storage, which may be slightly less compared to Kobo Aura. However, it is still sufficient for holding a significant number of eBooks. Users who have an extensive eBook collection or prefer to carry a larger library may find the higher storage capacity of Kobo Aura advantageous.
One significant difference lies in their display technology. Kobo Aura features a 6-inch E Ink Carta display, which offers a high-resolution reading experience with sharp text and great contrast. It provides a comfortable reading experience similar to reading from a printed page and minimizes eye strain. On the other hand, Kobo Glo also features a 6-inch E Ink display but with the added benefit of built-in front lighting. The ComfortLight technology on the Kobo Glo allows users to adjust the brightness of the front light to suit their reading environment, making it ideal for reading in low-light conditions or at night. The built-in front lighting of Kobo Glo sets it apart from Kobo Aura and offers additional convenience for readers.
Another key difference lies in their design and physical attributes. Kobo Aura has a sleek and lightweight design, making it portable and comfortable to hold for extended reading sessions. It has a compact form factor with a smooth back and no physical buttons on the front. Kobo Glo, on the other hand, features a similar sleek design but incorporates physical page-turn buttons along with a touchscreen interface. The addition of physical buttons on Kobo Glo provides an alternative method for navigating through pages, offering users more flexibility in their reading experience. The choice between the two may depend on personal preferences for touchscreen-only or a combination of physical buttons and touchscreen controls.
Additionally, there may be differences in their internal storage capacity. Kobo Aura typically offers 4 GB of onboard storage, providing ample space for storing a vast collection of eBooks. This storage capacity is sufficient for most readers, allowing them to carry a substantial library with them wherever they go. Kobo Glo, on the other hand, often comes with 2 GB or 4 GB of onboard storage, which may be slightly less compared to Kobo Aura. However, it is still sufficient for holding a significant number of eBooks. Users who have an extensive eBook collection or prefer to carry a larger library may find the higher storage capacity of Kobo Aura advantageous.
17
Kobo Aura's beautiful 6" ClarityScreen and a high res, edge-to-edge low-glare Pearl E Ink screen provides a print on paper reading experience, even in direct sunlight. The latest E Ink screen technology allows you to transition between pages without those annoying flashes. With pinch to zoom, you'll catch every detail when zooming in to PDFs and select books. Or change font sizes with a simple pinch.
12
Kobo Glo's revolutionary ComfortLight illuminates the screen with a soft, adjustable glow so you can read any eBook any time of day under the perfect light — no lamp required. Because Kobo Glo’s advanced high-res XGA Pearl E Ink screen doesn’t use a glass overlay for its front light technology, there’s never any glare, even in the brightest sunlight.
Kobo Aura vs Kobo Glo in our news:
2022. Kobo is now displaying advertisements on their e-readers
Kobo has introduced a new feature on their e-readers where advertisements are displayed upon waking the device from sleep mode. Users now encounter a full-page advertisement encouraging them to subscribe to Kobo Plus, and it also highlights the availability of a free 30-day trial. Notably, this ad appears regardless of whether the device's Wi-Fi is turned on or off, as the image is sourced from the device itself rather than the internet. This marks the first instance of Kobo displaying ads on their ebook readers, contradicting their previous marketing campaigns that emphasized their devices being ad-free compared to Kindle.
2021. Kobo e-readers get new My Words feature
Kobo has recently introduced firmware update 4.26 for their range of Kobo ereaders, bringing several notable enhancements. One of the key additions is the My Words option, accessible through the Beta Features list, which functions similarly to the vocabulary builder feature found in Kindle devices. This feature enables users to conveniently review and revisit words they have looked up in the dictionary. Additionally, the update includes a "Back to page x" button specifically designed for epubs, enhancing navigation within books. Furthermore, annotation sync has been improved, allowing for better synchronization of annotations across devices. Users can now edit text within the note preview window by tapping the text field, and landscape mode PDF viewing has been enhanced for a more seamless experience.
2020. Kobo introduces $99 e-reader Nia to replace Aura
Rakuten has introduced a new, entry-level e-book reader that stands up favorably to the most affordable Amazon Kindle in various significant aspects. The Kobo Nia features a 6-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024x758 pixels and 212 ppi. It incorporates Kobo's ComfortLight technology, allowing users to adjust the display's brightness according to their preference. With a sleek design weighing in at 172 grams and measuring 9.2mm in thickness, the Nia offers a visually appealing form factor. Inside, it is powered by a 1,000mAh battery, providing "weeks" of reading on a single charge, and offers 8GB of storage capacity. In comparison, Amazon's cheapest Kindle, which inevitably draws comparisons to the Nia, starts at $89.99 but includes Amazon's "Special Offers" ads. Without the ads, the price increases to $109.99. The Kindle also features a 6-inch display but with a lower resolution of 165 ppi and only half the storage capacity of the Nia. These factors make the Nia an enticing choice for budget-conscious e-reader shoppers who prefer not to be locked into Amazon's ecosystem.
2019. Kobo boosts performance of PDF files
Kobo has recently rolled out a firmware update for their complete lineup of e-readers. This update enhances the performance of PDF files, leading to quicker loading times. Moreover, users now have the option to customize the header and footer of their reading interface. They can opt to showcase page numbers, percentage read, time remaining, or even deactivate the header, footer, or progress bar entirely.
2019. Kobo brings many of the Libra H2O features to older Kobo e-readers
Kobo has released a new firmware update for the Kobo Touch, Kobo Glo, and Kobo Aura, incorporating several features found in the latest Kobo Libra H2O model to enhance eBook navigation. The headers and footers now provide information on both chapter and book progress, ensuring you can easily track your reading position. Additionally, a progress bar offers a visual representation of your progress within the book. For further customization, you can adjust your page layout through the Reading settings. The book scrubber has been improved, now displaying the entire book instead of just individual chapters, allowing for smoother navigation. Lastly, the addition of page previews enables quick referencing and facilitates navigation to different sections of the book.
2018. Kobo e-Ink readers get rapid Page-Turning
Kobo has recently launched a firmware update for their entire range of e-readers, aiming to enhance the speed of page-turning through the implementation of a new rendering engine. With this new system, users can experience faster page transitions by simply tapping their finger rapidly on the screen or using gestures. Holding a finger down on the screen also enables page-turning. However, it's important to note that during rapid page-turning, the text may become unreadable until the user releases their finger from the screen, allowing for full rendering. This rapid page-turning engine specifically works with KEPUB ebooks, which are books purchased directly from Kobo. It does not support CBR/CBZ or classic EPUB formats, and it is incompatible with sideloaded EPUB books.
2017. Kobo makes managing ebooks simpler
Kobo has recently released a firmware update for its e-readers, introducing several noteworthy features. One of the key additions is the "Manage Books" feature, accessible under the "My Books" section. This new feature allows users to select multiple books simultaneously, enabling actions such as marking them as finished or unread, removing them, or adding them to collections. The "My Books" section itself has undergone a visual enhancement, offering a cleaner layout of information, along with the inclusion of convenient Filter and Sort menus. The reading experience has also been enhanced with this update. Now, by tapping the middle of the page, users can easily access reading menus, navigate to the Table of Contents, or adjust Reading Settings. Additionally, the screen will now refresh after each chapter, as opposed to every six pages, providing a smoother reading experience.
2016. New 7.8-inch Aura One e-reader - the Cadillac of e-readers
In an effort to challenge Amazon's dominance, Kobo has unveiled the Aura One, targeting a niche market. With its impressive 7.8-inch display, the Aura One surpasses the Aura HD and carries a matching price tag of $230. Despite being relatively expensive for a dedicated e-reader, especially considering the Kindle Voyage's lower starting price, Kobo's past successes in pushing boundaries indicate potential for the Aura One. While acknowledging that this device may not appeal to everyone, it caters precisely to those willing to invest over $200 for the ultimate e-reader experience. Kobo once again showcases its innovative mindset, offering features such as a spacious screen, blue-light shifting, an attractive design, and ample storage. Although the Aura One may not be cost-effective for most readers, it is sure to captivate a devoted audience seeking an exceptional reading device.
2015. Kobo unveiled new e-Reader Glo HD to take on Kindle Voyage
Kobo is set to release its latest e-reader, the Glo HD, which claims to offer the highest resolution at an affordable price point. Priced at $129.99 and launching on May 1, this new device from Rakuten-owned Kobo features a 6-inch display with an impressive 300 ppi pixel density. This resolution matches that of the $199.99 Kindle Voyage, ensuring extremely sharp and pixel-free text rendering. Both the Kobo Glo HD and the Kindle Voyage utilize e-ink's Carta screen technology, delivering text quality comparable to high-resolution e-ink screens found in modern smartphones, albeit with the low-power e-paper technology that provides black and white display, ideal for dedicated text reading devices.
2014. Kobo unveiled waterproof Aura H2O Reader
Kobo has unveiled the Kobo Aura H2O, a new waterproof device priced at $179, set to be released on October 1. This addition to Kobo's product lineup targets the premium segment of the market, offering a purpose-built e-reader tailored for avid readers. The Kobo Aura H2O serves as a versatile, all-terrain e-reader, catering to users who desire to bring their devices to unconventional locations such as the bathtub or the beach. With a sleeker and lighter design compared to the Kobo Aura HD, the Kobo Aura H2O features an upgraded high-definition display and a dustproof, air-tight construction that can withstand submersion in water for up to thirty minutes.