Libra 2 Vs Sage
When it comes to Kobo, two formidable e readers always stand out: the Kobo Sage and the Kobo Libra 2. In this comprehensive comparison, we delve into the distinctive features, strengths, and drawbacks of the Kobo Sage vs Libra 2, unraveling the intricacies to help you make an informed choice for your literary companion.
In a nutshell
- Kobo Libra: For those whose Primary is to use the device for reading as it has bigger screen and better battery timing
- Kobo Sage: For those who love reading but their secondary purpose is to use the device for annotating and note taking
Comparison Table Libra 2 Vs Sage
Aspect of Consideration
- Design
- Display
- Reading
- Hardware & Software
- Pros and Cons
- Pricing
Design
Kobo Sage:
- Premium Build: The Kobo Sage showcases a high-end build quality, utilizing premium materials, which is evident from the packaging to the device back designs.
- Ergonomic Considerations: Rounded corners, tactile page buttons, and a solid build contribute to an ergonomic design, ensuring a comfortable and user-friendly experience.
- Aesthetically Pleasing: The device’s attention to detail, rounded corners, and tactile page buttons give it a visually appealing and sophisticated look.
Design Concerns:
- Stylus Issues: The stylus design is noted for being uncomfortable and clacky, hindering prolonged use. Some users report latency and nib issues, impacting the overall writing experience.
- User Interface: Despite the premium design, the user interface is criticized for being outdated, lacking modernization and potentially affecting the overall user experience.
Kobo Libra 2:
- Well-Built and Waterproof: The Kobo Libra 2 boasts a well-built, waterproof design, enhancing durability and making it suitable for various environments.
- Enhanced Image Quality: The device features improved contrast and sharpness, particularly beneficial for image-rich content, providing an elevated reading experience.
- Front Light Design: The Comfort Light Pro offers a remarkable front light with an extensive range of intensity settings, ensuring a comfortable reading experience in various lighting conditions.
- Audiobook Support Addition: Bluetooth support for audiobooks is a valuable addition, catering to users who enjoy a multi-sensory reading experience.
Design Concerns:
- PDF Handling: The Kobo Libra 2 is considered less ideal for extensive PDF use due to its small screen and limited formatting options.
- Bulkier Build: Compared to its predecessor, the Kobo Libra 2 is slightly bulkier and heavier, which may be a consideration for users who prefer lighter devices.
Both devices prioritize design, while the Kobo Sage emphasizing premium materials the Kobo Libra 2 takes the lead with its well-built, waterproof design
Display
Kobo Sage:
- Size and Aspect Ratio: The Kobo Sage boasts an 8-inch display with a 4:3 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1440 x 1920 at 300 PPI, offering versatility for various reading materials, including comics, PDFs, and A4-sized documents.
- Front Light: The device features a commendable front light, ensuring exceptional uniformity even at the highest intensity, providing a pleasant reading experience in various lighting conditions.
- Flush Screen Design: The display’s flush surface design gives the impression that the ink is on the device’s surface, offering an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Kobo Libra 2:
- Size and Aspect Ratio: The Kobo Libra 2 features a 7-inch HD E-Ink Carta 1200 touchscreen with a resolution of 1264 x 1680 at 300 PPI, providing a compact yet high-quality display.
- Front Light: The Comfort Light Pro offers an impressive front light with versatile brightness settings, ensuring comfortable reading in various lighting conditions.
- Responsive Navigation: Navigating through pages on the Kobo Libra 2 is smooth and responsive, offering options for both button and touch navigation.
The Kobo Sage excels with its larger 8-inch display, making it more versatile for various reading materials. The Kobo Libra 2 is considered less ideal for extensive PDF use due to its smaller screen size and limited formatting options.
Reading
- When it comes to reading both the devices have some of the same features, which include
- Adjustable Font Styles: The Kobo Sage provides users with customizable font styles, enhancing the reading experience and catering to individual preferences.
- Advanced Reading Settings: Users have access to advanced reading settings, including long presses for highlights, adding notes, definitions, Wikipedia lookups, web searches, and translation capabilities.
- Customization Options: The device offers markup capabilities, allowing for highlighting or deletion using dedicated buttons. The settings menu provides various options to modify header/footer visibility, manage progress bars, and customize page appearance.
- Audiobook Support: The Kobo Sage supports audiobooks, although users need external wireless speakers for playback. The Bluetooth connection for audiobook playback may impact battery life.
- Overdrive Integration: Integration with Overdrive allows users to connect to select libraries globally, providing easy access to borrow e-books.
- Text Marking and Notations: The device allows for text marking, notations, searches, dictionary lookups, and web searches using Google. The presence of the web browser adds an additional tool for accessing information beyond the dictionary.
- G Sensor: Automatic screen orientation adjustment enhances the reading experience by adapting to different holding positions.
However, there are a few things which differ in these two devices.
- Battery Life: When it comes to Sage some users report poor battery performance, lasting only a few hours under normal use, especially during audiobook playback. Whereas the Libra performs a bit better when it comes to battery
- PDF Handling: The Kobo Libra 2 is considered less ideal for extensive PDF use due to its smaller screen size and limited formatting options.
Hardware & Software
Kobo Sage:
Hardware:
- Comes with a generous 16 GB storage capacity and 1500 mAh battery offers a hours of use, and some users report poor performance, especially during audiobook playback
- Supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for connectivity
- Equipped with a Qualcomm 1.8 GHz processor
Software:
- Runs on KoboOS, Kobo’s proprietary operating system.
- App Store: Does not support third-party app stores like Google Play.
- Formats: Supports various e-book formats, including EPUB, EPUB3, FlePub, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR.
- Overdrive Integration: Integrates with Overdrive for library book access.
Kobo Libra 2:
Hardware:
- Storage: Equipped with 32 GB internal storage, providing ample space for a vast e-book collection.
- Battery Life: The 1500 mAh battery is reported to offer excellent battery life, better than Kobo Sage.
- Connectivity: Supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
- Processor: Features a 1 GHz single-core CPU.
Software:
- Kobo Sage has the same iOS and features as that of Kobo Libra
Pros & Cons
Kobo Sage:
Pros:
- Ergonomic design with rounded corners and tactile page buttons.
- Comes with a stylus
- 8-inch display with a flush surface for a visually appealing look.
- Comfortable front light with uniformity even at high intensity.
- Seamless integration with Overdrive for easy access to borrowed e-books.
Cons:
- Poor battery performance, lasting only a few hours under normal use.
- Uncomfortable, clacky stylus design hindering prolonged use.
- Outdated user interface lacking modernization.
Kobo Libra 2:
Pros:
- Well-built and waterproof design.
- Comfort Light Pro with versatile brightness settings.
- Remarkable front light even at the lowest setting, suitable for reading in the dark.
- Excellent battery life, consuming approximately 1% per hour of reading.
Cons:
- Less ideal for extensive PDF use due to the smaller screen size and limited formatting options.
- Lack of a micro SD slot for storage expandability.
Price
Keeping the price bracket and the features that the device has, i would say that Kobo Sage is a great buy keeping in view its note taking capability.
Verdict
The Kobo Sage and Kobo Libra 2 each bring a unique set of features to the table, catering to different reading preferences.
If you are looking for something closer to a Kindle paperwhite then Kobo Sage is a good option further more the device has some basic note taking capabilities, making is a good choice for someone looking for both in a single device
However if you a reading nerd then libra with its bigger screen and better battery time is a far better choice.
