![]() You can take the Kobo Aura H2O Edition to the pool without needing to worry if it gets dunked.Īnyone who enjoys taking their e-reader to the beach or plowing through pages poolside will be pleased by this feature. It was still functional after 45 minutes of submersion. Taking the Edition 2 to a community swimming pool, I found this rating to be accurate. This means that the e-reader isn’t rated for dust incursion, but it can remain submerged in two meters of water for up to one hour. I found the Edition 2 still easy to hold, and its weight is almost unnoticeable while carrying it in my backpack.Īs its name implies, the Aura H2O Edition 2 is waterproof, boasting an IPX rating of X8. It’s the same design, although scaled down, as you get with the excellent Kobo Aura One. In its place, you’ll find a flat, textured plastic backplate with a power button placed high and to the left. Gone is the original model’s distinctive angular backplate, which we loved as it was easy to keep a grip on. ![]() With its 5.08 by 6.77 by 0.33-inch dimensions and a weight of 7.3 ounces, the Edition 2 weighs and feels more like a current-generation Kindle Paperwhite than Kobo’s first-generation Aura H20. The Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2’s backplate makes it easy to grip, even when wet. It’s a $180 waterproof e-reader designed to go toe-to-toe with Amazon’s flagship e-reader, the Kindle Oasis. The results of their efforts culminate in the company’s latest device: The Kobo Aura H20 Edition 2. Tech Crunch states, "Rakuten-owned Kobo has executed perfectly on e-reader hardware with the Aura H2O.Over the past few years, Rakuten has revamped its e-readers’ design language, developed unique technologies that Amazon can only dream of baking into its Kindle hardware and, perhaps most importantly, tremendously expanded the variety of content available for download. Reviewers were impressed with the Kobo Aura H2O and recommend it to people who are not already invested in the Amazon ecosystem and want an e-reader with a great screen and protection against accidental drops in water. There is also no pinch-and-zoom capability so reviewers had to manually zoom in using a slider at the bottom of the screen. When attempting to load a book, it took them over a minute load large files and over seven seconds to flip through the pages. TechRadar adds that there's very little in the way of personalization noting that, "The Kobo storefront…is dominated by a carousel of book covers of random authors in random genres."Įxperts also ran into issues when trying to load PDF books. However, critics also point out that the shopping experience is overall far easier and cheaper on the Kindle. Amazon has had years to build up relationships with publishers and authors so it isn't any surprise that they have a bigger selection. Perhaps the biggest downside of the Aura H2O is its store. ![]() When critics compared it to the Kindle Paperwhite 2, they noticed that the background was much whiter and the light distribution was very even. More important than resolution is actual screen quality. The screen itself offers a resolution of 1080p for a pixel density of 265ppi. Despite its slightly larger dimensions, experts found it comfortable to hold for long amounts of time due to the soft-to-the-touch surface and light weight of 227 grams. However, when submerged for over 10 minutes, Gizmodo states that, "For about five minutes after the fact, no matter what we hit, the device shuffled between slow loading and freezing entirely." They add that it worked fine after it dried off completely.ĭesign-wise, the Aura H2O is bigger than the Paperwhite due mostly to the larger 6.8-inch screen. ![]() Not only can it be read under water but it maintains all of its general functionalities thanks to plastic covers for the microUSB and microSD slot. This is perfect for consumers who bring their devices in the bath, pool or beach. What sets this apart from other e-readers? It is IP67 certified, which means it is completely waterproof in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. Kobo is trying to break that with the introduction of their latest e-reader, the Aura H2O. In the market of e-readers, the first name that comes to mind is the Kindle. ![]()
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