Kindle Oasis vs Kobo Forma

It turns out Kindle Oasis and Kobo Forma aren't all that different, despite living on opposite ends of the planet. Both of them boast high-resolution E Ink displays that mimic the experience of reading an actual piece of paper—unless, of course, you happen to be reading on a piece of paper. They come equipped with adjustable warm light, a feature that allows you to read comfortably in the dark, whether you’re avoiding space pirates or just avoiding the glare of a well-lit room. Both are waterproof (IPX8 rated, no less), meaning you can accidentally drop them in your drink without worrying about them deciding to take an unscheduled swim. They also both come with physical page-turn buttons, which is a throwback to the days when humans had to manually turn pages in books—before the convenience of touchscreens. And lastly, they both have Bluetooth, which, much like the technology of the 21st century, is mostly used to listen to audiobooks, though with a few limitations that you might not immediately notice unless you really think about it.

Now, let’s talk about Kindle Oasis, that sleek little number from Amazon—home to every book ever written by humans, provided you pay for it. Amazon, being Amazon, has designed it to lock you into their entire ecosystem, meaning if you want to read an EPUB file, you’ll have to jump through hoops or convert it. It's designed with a luxurious aluminum back, which gives it a feeling of premium exclusivity, much like that one lounge at the airport you always wanted to enter but never could. And if you happen to be an Amazon devotee—whether that means Kindle Unlimited or audiobooks—this is your device. The target user? Someone who enjoys a bit of convenience and is perfectly happy letting Amazon curate their entire reading life for them.

On the other side of the galactic bookshop is Kobo Forma, designed by Rakuten, which doesn’t mind letting you wander freely. It supports every file format under the sun, including EPUB, PDFs and even the library’s own digital lending service through OverDrive. It’s made of lightweight plastic and its “ComfortLight PRO” reduces blue light, which is a nice touch for those who prefer their reading experience to come without any digital hangovers. With options for 8GB and 32GB of storage, it’s ideal for readers with a penchant for large PDF collections, manga or those who want their bookshelf to stretch on forever. The target user here is someone who values freedom—whether that means library books, international selections or the ability to sidestep the monopolistic tendencies of massive corporations.