Kobo Libra 2, hit on the table in the mid-range [Analysis]

Kobo continues working on offering great alternatives within the eReader environment, and its latest additions could not be missing from our analysis table here at TodoeReaders. For that and much more, we want you to discover with us this new Kobo Libra 2 that lays the foundations for the mid-range with an innovative feature that many users have been demanding.

We analyzed the new Kobo Libra 2, a device that has Bluetooth and its audiobook store to meet the demands of users. We tell you what we think of this new Rakuten Kobo device and if it can really be worth it.

Design: Standardizing the Kobo Product Range

The first thing that catches the attention of this Kobo Libra 2 is its resemblance to the "older brother", the Kobo Sage, saving the differences in size and functionality. For starters, this new Kobo Libra 2 has dimensions of 144,6 x 161,6 x 9 mm, for me almost perfect measurements for daily use. I take into account the fact that some users are demanding larger sizes lately, but in my case I prefer the balance between portability and comfort that these measures provide. All this is accompanied by barely 215 grams of weight.

• Size: 144,6 x 161,6 x 9 millimeters
• Weight: 215 grams

As usual on Rakuten Kobo, the device It comes in two colors, a basic white and black. We have a "soft" plastic with a very pleasant touch and far from the hard and brittle plastic of other brands, once again Kobo stands out within the products that want to offer something more. For the back there is the brand logo and the button that allows us to lock the device together with a series of perforations that imitate a series of geometric figures and whose function is to provide an extra grip to the device. The only physical port we have is the well-known USB-C.

Technical characteristics

Rakuten Kobo has wanted to bet on known hardware in this mid / high-end Libra 2, so it mounts a 1 GHz processor that we imagine is single core. Enough to move the device, which executes our instructions through the user interface in a light way (as you can see in the video that accompanies this analysis). We have 32 GB of storage, once again Kobo does not sin of racanería and it gives us a hard-to-pass ability for eReader readers and more than enough for newer audiobooks.

At the level of connectivity now we have three options: WiFi 801.1 bgn that will allow us to access 2,4 and 5 GHz networks, a new module Bluetooth whose version we have not been able to know and finally the already classic and versatile port USB-C. 

As a hallmark of the Rakuten Kobo devices, this Libra 2 is also waterproof, you can read on the beach, in the pool and even in the bathtub without fear, we have cIPX8 certified to depths of two meters for up to 60 minutes.

15 natively supported file formats (EPUB, EPUB3, FlePub, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR). For its part, Kobo Audiobooks are currently restricted to some countries. The same happens with the available languages, for the moment English, French, French (Canada), German, Spanish, Spanish (Mexico), Italian, Catalan, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Turkish, Japanese, Traditional Chinese.

The audiobook arrives with some work ahead

Interacting with the new audiobooks built into the Rakuten store is easy. We have several options when it comes to connecting our headphones Bluetooth Either play an audiobook that will invoke a configuration pop-up window for the headphones, or go to the new Bluetooth connection section located in the configuration section of the lower right corner of the Kobo Libra 2 within its user interface.

The audiobook menu is sufficient for the moment, both in terms of will allow us the following functions:

• Modify the headphone volume
• Modify the playback speed of the book
• Advance / Rewind 30 seconds
• Get book and index information

However, I have missed the integration of audiobooks with traditional versions, I mean by this that we could continue listening to a book from the same point we left it reading previously, and then resume the traditional reading where we had left its "audio" version. This would be especially decisive, at the moment Rakuten Kobo only shows two individualized versions depending on whether it is an audiobook or a "traditional" book.

We have to emphasize that we can not only use headphones, obviously we can also connect our Kobo Libra 2 to an external speaker with Bluetooth.

A well-known screen

For the rest, the Kobo Libra 2 has a 7-inch E Ink Carta 1200 high-definition panel, reaching 300 pixels per inch with a resolution of 1264 x 1680. The refresh rate is what you would expect from this well-known screen. .

It also integrates other already common Kobo technologies such as ComfortLight Pro It automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen as needed, as well as the warmth of the color to better fall asleep. For its part, TypeGenius offers us 12 different fonts with more than 50 different styles.

The brightness of the panel, as it happens with the memory, is a waste on the part of Kobo, it offers a maximum capacity that you will never use for its power and a treatment against the reflections of ten.

• Battery: We have scratched more than three weeks of autonomy without difficulty, yes, it does not include a charger, only a USB-C cable.

The experience in tactile interaction with it is enough, although personally I take more advantage of the side buttons when turning the page.

SleepCover, a necessary accessory

This cover that drinks directly from Japanese origami offers us a very good experience, especially curious that it opens "like a book", as well as the finishing of its materials that have shown resistance in daily use. We have the possibility of acquiring it in four different colors: pink, red, gray and black. Its placement is simple and allows us endless positions.

If you come and go continuously with your Kobo Libra 2, I see it essential to acquire one of these covers, not so when you go to make a home use, you could save the 39,99 euros it costs at the official Kobo store or at Fnac.

Editor's opinion

This device has a slightly higher price than some alternatives such as Amazon, but certain characteristics are differentiating for this purpose. The Kobo Libra 2's User Interface is still very good, as are its displays and hardware. You can buy it from 189,99 euros both in Fnac and in the official website of Kobo in Spain.

Pros and cons