From Kindle Oasis to Kobo Libra Colour, Is It Worth it?

[@venereveritas]

I got my Kobo Libre Colour in the mail yesterday, only to log onto Amazon and see that they now have a color Paperwhite, but it is $50 more than the Kobo, has no physical pageturn buttons, and no stylus support. I have been an avid Kindle reader since mid 2010's. Have owned an Oasis, Paperwhite, Scribe, and a Voyage. I am very happy with my decision. I love the fact that I can organize my books through Calibre and have freedom from Amazon finally!

[@subhareadsbooks]

This is amazing!! I’m so happy for you and hope you enjoy your kobo!!!! 🤩

[@macymiller3417]

I was trying to wait for a color oasis like the kobo but didn't happen so my kobo libra color is now ordered!

[@maycee4888]

@@macymiller3417 i am too!!

[@camrodger8638]

Please ensure that you always mention the MASSIVE limitations that Canadians are forced to suffer from the Kindle experience. Amazon has crippled Canadian Kindles so that they cannot use the Libby system to borrow from local libraries. If that isn’t enough, the Kindles Bluetooth is not available from the settings, making audiobooks unavailable to Canadians. In a desperate attempt to say something nice about a Canadian Kindle, well…. At least it can make letters and words appear on the screen. It’s obvious that Kindle is a complete non starter for Canadian readers. Kobo is the only full featured Canadian choice for knowledgeable ebook fans. Thanks for another great video.

[@subhareadsbooks]

Hi Cam! Thank you so much for sharing this information with me and the rest of the community. I'm from the United States and did not know about this at all and I love learning more about technology so this is very helpful. Appreciate the time you took to click on my video and respond.

[@jmlw4]

Exactly. I bought a kindle assuming libby was supported like any other reader, cause why on earth not? They're betting you would spend a fortune buying books you could easily borrow for free from the library. Returned it the next day

[@Elfbooks]

Love that you mention that! I’ve only ever used kobo as a Canadian. I’ve never used kindle

[@toyosibee.mp3]

I'd never heard of the Kobo before and was thinking "I hope it works with Libby like a Kindle" so when you said they collaborated with Overdrive, I CHEERED, omg!!!! Might have to look into this, since I want to divest from Amazon and this could be a great alternative :3 Great video and review!!!

[@subhareadsbooks]

I'm so glad this was helpful for you!! Let me know if you have any additional questions!!

[@gsogymrat]

I love the color Kobo and I completely understand not wanting to support Amazon. I have considered replacing my Oasis with a Kobo Libre Colour but my problem is I follow some authors who are only on Kindle Unlimited. I was given two years of Kindle Unlimited as a gift.

[@subhareadsbooks]

I totally understand wanting to support those KU authors and I think that's okay!! I think it's okay to use both. Truly, it's whatever you want to do and whatever gets you to enjoy reading. :)

[@melodiousmelody]

Great review! Mine is on its way and I'm so excited! Also just fyi Rakuten is actually a Japanese company with Kobo being a subsidiary based in Canada!

[@subhareadsbooks]

Oh my gosh, I'm so excited for you! Which one did you end up getting?! Also, thank you so much for correcting me. I didn't realize Rakuten was a Japanese company. Always good to know!!

[@Atar1G1rl]

I have the white Kobo Libra Colour and haven‘t found any loss of „pop“ for the colours at all. I also own the Boox Tab Mini C, which is also colour Eink and has black casing- I find the Kobo to have much better quality colour in comparison, as well as brightness.

[@subhareadsbooks]

Oh thank you for sharing that comparison! I love to hear that and I’m so glad you are enjoying your Linda Colour like I am!!

[@SDSakuragi]

For clarification: Rakuten is actually a Japanese company. Rakuten Kobo is a Canadian based subsidiary formed after Rakuten acquired the Canadian company Kobo. Rakuten is basically Japanese Amazon.

[@subhareadsbooks]

Yes! Someone already clarified that in the comments. My mistake! Thank you for watching and clarifying. I appreciate it! 😊

[@tylerdayne1]

This was such a helpful review - I’ve been on the fence about purchasing one and I think I’m going to try it out!

[@subhareadsbooks]

I'm so glad this was helpful for you Tyler!!! I hope you love your Kobo because I love mine!!

[@Sullisreading]

OOOH I love how you are doing the purchases on Kobo, I love my Kindle but there are sooo many things about kobo that draw me in and I loved your review, I wouldn't have access to libby in Portugal but I might have to look into getting one when I visit Canada! The colour and annotating are so cool and I loved how informative this was!!!

[@subhareadsbooks]

Thanks for watching, friend! Yes! I’m trying to find a balance between KU and ebook purchases. I feel like this is a happy medium so I can still support the authors on KU but then if I want a book I’ll support the authors on Kobo. I hope that’s fair and it makes sense to me! 🤪

[@Sullisreading]

@@subhareadsbooks I think it makes perfect sense!!

[@h.a.6060]

I got a white one and it is very beautiful aesthetically.

[@subhareadsbooks]

Yay! That’s so great. Do you love it? Did you use a Kindle prior or is this your first ebook?!

[@h.a.6060]

@@subhareadsbooks Yes, I actually love the reading progress stats on Kobo more than the Kindle. I also have Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Scribe. I use all the three. I think each is suitable for a specific use.

[@imihgo8567]

oooh, does it get dirty easily?

[@subhareadsbooks]

I love this so much and agree! I love the new reading process stats too! It’s also nice to have separate devices for specifics reading preferences.

[@ittybittyissy]

@@imihgo8567not if you put a case on!! :D which you should anyway, you can put stickers in the case too

[@alwaysreading]

I also upgraded from the Oasis to the Kobo Libra Colour. So glad I did!!!

[@subhareadsbooks]

Yay, I'm so glad too!!! I hope you're loving it as much as I am!

[@macymiller3417]

I'm actually doing this! I have the oasis but still feels like something is missing. Just ordered my kobo libra color today! Will have it in a couple days. I'm hoping I won't regret it but this feedback makes me think I won't!

[@AMBIKARANI]

Finally the video that I have been looking for. Thanks Subha.

[@subhareadsbooks]

Yay! Happy to help!!!!!

[@pjsandpages92]

I just got a Kobo for a lot of the same reasons as you! I am loving the reading experience as I’ve found I’ve been reading books mostly from my library than Kindle Unlimited lately and o don’t mind waiting for a more popular book😊

[@subhareadsbooks]

Yay! I'm so glad you're loving it too! I think it's very fair to still use both Kobo and Kindle. They both have their perks and quirks!

[@lorelladerrico9804]

I am so tempted to buy this kobo libra colour. I have a kindle paperwhite but I am so tempted to get my hands on it 😮😊

[@subhareadsbooks]

The Kobo Libra Colour is a huge upgrade from the Kindle Paperwhite! 🤗🫣

[@SBNunez]

I've had Kobo since 2011, before I even knew what Kindle was. I'm glad more people are talking about them!

[@subhareadsbooks]

I wish I had known about the Kobo sooner! You're an OG fan, and I love that!!!

[@brioche9372]

I really appreciate this specific comparison because my friend who is super techy and has multiple kindles and e-tablets favorite is the Oasis and he recommended me the Scribe in place of the Oasis. However, as i have been watching Scribe Review videos, Kobo Libre color started to pop up and i felt unsure about my decision. Do you have any experience or know someone with the Scribe??? I feel like it's so different from even the regular kindle given how big it is

[@subhareadsbooks]

I'm so glad that this is helpful for you. I love that we're all having conversations about the Kobo and we're all helping each other. It makes me happy. :) Unfortunately, I know nothing about the Scribe so I can't help you there. I'll pin this comment to the top so hopefully someone who does have a Scribe can answer any questions!

[@ocho2188]

I have the scribe and oasis.... Scribe is huge and nice. But I still do more of my reading on something smaller especially on the go.

[@mrsdorough81]

I have The Scribe and I mostly use it to write notes. I also have the paperwhite which I prefer for reading. I am techy too.☺️

[@biancasouza_mg]

I think kobo can offer you everything the Scribe can, plus the colours

[@nnitaf]

I love mine and I’ve used it for a few months now. I had a Kindle 5 years ago and lost it on a plane and I finally got one this year. I loveeeeee it because it has buttons and it’s so light (without cover ofc, yes i raw dog my Kobo in my bag 😂). The link to Google Drive is definitely the topmost reason I got this Kobo as it’s soooo convenient. Plus, I don’t use Kindle Unlimited so that feature definitely useless for me. Is it a bit grainy? I think so. Is the color ink screen good? No. Dies it dampens the experience? No. It does what it supposed to do which is an e-reader with just a bit of cute feature aka colored highlights. Also if you’re hesitating on getting it or not, then just don’t. It’s just a product that works just as well as other existing e-reader. It irks me when people have a good/fav e-reader and want to buy a new one because of FOMO.

[@subhareadsbooks]

That's so sad that you lost your kindle, RIP but also glad you got a replacement! No judgement here! 😂 I forgot about Google Drive and being able to link it!!!! Another plus for us Kobo friends! I agree with you in the color ink. It makes me happy and it is enough for me!!! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I love that we're all having this convo!

[@nnitaf]

@@subhareadsbooks Also thank YOU for making this video. Review videos really helped me in making the decisions in buying my Kobo hence why this video is still recommended to me. Really doing the gods work 🫶🏻

[@subhareadsbooks]

@@nnitaf this makes me so happy!!!! I’m so so glad this was helpful for you!!!!!!!!!! ❤️

[@log81427]

I own the kobo clara colour and I’m loving it!!! I don’t find the reading experience to be lacking at all, the greyish background doesn’t bother me at all

[@subhareadsbooks]

I’m so glad you’re enjoying it!! I agree with you!!!

[@CarmenJost]

The wall decor and the mug are lovely details, giving real cozy vibes 💕

[@subhareadsbooks]

Carmen, thank you so much!!! 😊

[@artiechokie]

Sick review! Super informative and it's always nice to know others share my sentiment when making the switch to Kobo 🤭 I've got an older Kobo and was surprised to see there's now colours! I love my comics so I'm definitely gonna bag one. Have you played around with the Notebooks much? Keen to know what people use it for - journals, reviews, planners and all that, y'know? Just tryna weigh the pros against the price tag of the stylus lol

[@subhareadsbooks]

Thank you so much for watching! Yeah, the Kobo Colour isn't perfect but it's so much fun!!!! I played with the notebooks a little but but I do prefer just using pen and paper or my iPad for note-taking since it's a lot bigger. I will say you can find a more affordable stylus elsewhere!!! hope this helps!!

[@mightyorcagames2898]

I've been talking myself out of buying this since it came out, but I think you persuaded me lol

[@subhareadsbooks]

YES, I'm so so glad!!! I hope you love it!!!!!

[@macymiller3417]

I was doing the same and I was finally convinced!

[@jaysloane2228]

I'm not sure if it's just the Kindle Oasis, but... My kindle Paperwhite is USB-C O.o . I've been contemplating getting a Kobo Libra, Boox Page or Kindle Oasis bc I'm craving those tactile buttons but I've been unsure!

[@subhareadsbooks]

I think the oasis is the only one that doesn’t have usb-c! It’s very frustrating! I’ve never heard of the Boox Page. I should look into it you can’t go wrong with what you decide. :)

[@macymiller3417]

The oasis doesn't have usb-c. Everything is switching to usb-c now like phones and other devices. Oasis is a micro usb I think? something like that

[@KPJumpyHufflepuff]

I’ve been looking into e-readers because I have found it difficult to carry my books everywhere all the time because I might have a bit of time to read! Buuuutttt I also annotate every thing I read - this might be my solution! It’s smaller and more affordable than the Kindle Scribe, its in color, and you can annotate right in the book rather than in the notes option…I cannot wait to buy a Kobo!

[@subhareadsbooks]

I'm so glad I could help you through this process in some way! I hope you love your Kobo because I do!!!!

[@dalishrogue3621]

Awesome review girl! You’re so sweet and pretty, I LOVE your shirt ❤. Can’t wait to see what else you have on your channel ❤❤❤

[@subhareadsbooks]

Hi! Thank you so much for watching! You're so kind!!!! :) I'm so glad you're here and I hope you enjoy my videos!!! ❤

[@zulrod1229]

Can I transfer books I have on my kindle app that I use in my Ipad? I dont own a kindle e-reader…

[@subhareadsbooks]

Hi there, I’m not sure how to do it with the app. I’m still looking into this and I’m sorry I don’t have an answer for you right now!

[@rhiannonblewer9055]

I’m so tempted by the libra colour! I converted all my ebooks just in case I end up getting one 😂

[@subhareadsbooks]

Oh, was the conversion easy for you!? I thought it was pretty simple to do! I hope you end up treating yourself!!! You deserve it ;)

[@macymiller3417]

I need to start since I just ordered!

[@ShabeenaZ]

I just ordered Oasis. But I'm tempted to buy Kobo Libra now.

[@subhareadsbooks]

thank you for watching Shabeena! I hope you found this video to be helpful!!!

[@pamgindlesperger]

I got the kobo libra Colour there are many things i love about it. The kobo plus is less expensive than kindle unlimited that kobo has different kobo plus plans. When reading a book on kobo they have the title of the book on the bottom that way you never forget what book you are reading.

[@subhareadsbooks]

I'm so glad you're enjoying your Kobo Libra Colour!

[@helenewng3909]

Thanks for this video !! I have the kobo libra colour as well, but I feel like it is hard to write with the stylus (compared to writing on an iPad), like it is harder to detect my writing well. What do you think about the stylus ? Thank you !

[@subhareadsbooks]

Helen, Thank you so much for watching! Are you loving your kobo libra colour so far?! I hope you are! I think that for me, the writing is a lot more difficult than the iPad because my ipad is bigger and the screen is small. Usually it takes some time before my handwriting gets better in new devices. I really like the stylus! I like it more than the iPad stylus because you can erase with the kobo stylus and you can highlight with ease! I hope this helps!

[@decidocisum]

Rakuten is a huge Japanese company. Kobo which they own was founded in Canada and is headquartered there.

[@subhareadsbooks]

Yes! Oopsie on my part. Someone corrected me on that. My mistake! 😅😊

[@maycee4888]

Hi! What about the locking and unlocking of the kobo? Do ypu have to press the power button from time to time like the kindle oasis?or a magnetic flap cover would do it for you (same with the oasis)? Im coming from oasis too!

[@subhareadsbooks]

Hi there! So it’s very similar to Oasis. There’s a power button on the back you can press to use sleep mode or wake it up and if you press it down and hold it will turn off! You can change the settings on how long you want the kobo to be on for before sleep mode as well. I hope this helps!!!

[@maycee4888]

@@subhareadsbooks thank you! The thing is i am preventing my oasis' power button from rapid wear and tear by clicking it everytime i need to use my kindle so i resorted to a magnetic flap case so i wouldnt need the power button to wake my kindle up. Can i do that with the KLC too?

[@Rkuuyam]

How do I get the page turn buttons to work with the Kobo app?:

[@subhareadsbooks]

I’m not sure if that’s even something you can do!! 🤔

[@janisjay]

thank you for your insight! very informative! the Kobo is so cute!

[@subhareadsbooks]

Thanks so much of watching, friend!!!

[@deannas1515]

So you can download from Libby, and not have to transfer the ebook from your computer?

[@subhareadsbooks]

I you have your library card connected to overdrive on your Kobo, you're able to access your library from Kobo (there's a tab for Overdrive/Libby) and you can borrow books!

[@sharoncrisostomo7859]

Ya i was gifted my first kindle in 2008. Im debating to get this or the boox go 7. I like boox because it has the android store and i can get my other 3rd party apps like Inkitt, Dreame and patreon that i use to read. So im stuck lol. Ive stuck with kindle for so long because many authors such as Coho, Abbi glines, K.a. linde... indie authors weres using amazon and not kobo at the time. Also have over 3k books from amazon and man... im just thinking of the process to use calibre to transfer all that 😅 Atm I'm using my palma mostly becuase its so compact. I still use my kindle when i want a bigger screen.

[@subhareadsbooks]

That’s so many book, oh my goodness! That’s amazing! I just posted a video on how to transfer a book over using calibre if you haven’t done it before, but it sounds like you know how! :)

[@madhattressnightcore2754]

I found it pretty interesting that you said that you bought the black version because of the colours popping more! I am from Germany and here Rakuten has partnered with a company called Tolino so they stopped selling their Kobo Devices here and instead supported the Tolino brand and now they are basically releasing Kobo products under the name Tolino and next week they will be releasing the Tolino Vision Colour which is really just looking like a 1 to 1 copy of the Kobo libra colour, which I LOVE because the Kobo Libra colour does not work in Germany as far as I understand so I love having a usable german version! What I kinda hated was that similiar to the kindle devices Tolino only has black cases for their e-reader so no white version availeble :( But I loved the look of the white Kobo sooooo much and I was soooo sad! Now with your explanation, it might be a bit easier to buy the black / grey version ;) After a month of using it, has still applied? Like do you feel the colours pop more? Might be a dumb question since you don't have the white version to compare xD

[@subhareadsbooks]

That’s so interesting that you’d be getting a Tolino. I’m sure it’s basically the same! I don’t really think I’ve found any issues or flaws with the color on black! I don’t have the white version so I can’t really compare. You’ll still be pleasantly surprised I’m sure with the color :) I hope you like it!!!!

[@zainabshanshool6674]

Hi,I tested the Tolino yesterday in Saturn and found it impressive in display quality and much better then the rest but I’m not sure if it will work in Denmark ,do you know if it works outside Germany and with English books?

[@madhattressnightcore2754]

@@zainabshanshool6674 If you buy books somewhere else and load them on there, I guess it should not be a problem. But I can't say I have tested it or know if Tolino is as weird as Kobo when it comes to actually preventing the device to log in to the system in other countries. I am afraid you have to ask the Tolino support about it, sorry that I could not be of much help :(

[@DEBateBookz]

I’d literally never heard of a kobo libra before this!!! I never annotate but I feel like I’d be tempted to on a kobo 😍

[@subhareadsbooks]

Honestly, I can't even remember when I started getting Kobo ads. You better watch out because you might start getting these ads as well! haha

[@bevielle]

kindle has been for USBC for a while now. My paperwhite is USBC.

[@subhareadsbooks]

Yes, you are correct! The Kindle Oasis that I have is micro-USB!

[@philologus6577]

I don't find the reading experience on color devices enjoyable at all. I can always see the color screen layers in a black and white text. Some call it a screen door effect. The much grayer background is also annoying. No matter how you adjust the lighting you cannot get the text to match the experience of a black and white eink device. Color images also look pastel and washed out and I would say cartoony looking. It's a lot of money for a device that may perform well but I think many people will be a little disappointed in the overall experience.

[@subhareadsbooks]

Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts! I also need to look more into the screen door effect.

[@LecturasEreaders]

@@subhareadsbooks i came for this! i got a KLC, and have this issue with manga, and even when i enabled reduction rainbow effect, this doesnt go away.

[@sharoncrisostomo7859]

Maybe that's why I'm stalling on getting my own color device. Lol. I keep hearing about the pale color tones.

[@booksmitin]

Super fascinating! Thanks for this. I found you through mans' channel and I'm excited to follow along :)

[@subhareadsbooks]

Hello! Thank you so much for watching. I'm so glad you're here! :)

[@booksmitin]

@@subhareadsbooks ☺

[@andrearamosramos130]

excellent vid!

[@subhareadsbooks]

Thank you for watching! I hope it was helpful!!!

[@andrearamosramos130]

Hey! step by step awesome but the final thing like passing the book to the kobo is saying is locked but I did the Plug in too perfectly step by step so I am taking a one hour break from this bc I am the one that is blocked hahahha

[@GaryMartinDobbs]

I've been debating getting a Kobo, but I still love my Oasis and am going to hold off and see what Amazon come out with in 2025. It seems fairly certain that colour is coming to the kindle.

[@subhareadsbooks]

That would be amazing if Amazon Kindle came out with a Color version. I know a lot of people will be so thrilled!

[@macymiller3417]

I'm disappointed they stuck with the paperwhite even for the color. I'm now getting the kobp libra color.

[@macymiller3417]

kobo** i can't type

[@subhareadsbooks]

@@macymiller3417 I know!! I’m honestly surprised they discontinued the oasis. People who have the oasis (including myself) are die-hard fans!!!

[@michaelaceleste4764]

Yeah KU is far better than kobo plus, so I am keeping both kindle and kobo colour

[@subhareadsbooks]

I agree! They’re both great for their own reasons. Thanks for watching!!!

[@saftball111]

My ocd brain couldn’t handle the crooked pictures hanging in the back 🥴 but I did listen to this like a podcast and found it helpful!

[@subhareadsbooks]

I had notice the frames too late. Don’t worry they’re being fixed! 🫣😂 thanks for watching/listening!!!

[@saftball111]

@@subhareadsbooks hahaha all good! It was still a great listen, thanks for doing this video! 👏🏻

[@cocowhite2854]

Girl your skin!

[@subhareadsbooks]

Oh my gosh, thank you!!!!!!!! ❤

[@Mzgldnpearl]

As someone who owns the Paperwhite, the Oasis, and the Libra Colour… I’ve gone right back to my kindle products. I used the Kobo for 3 months consistently. Did not pick up a physical book or any kindle products. Unfortunately, the color ink “fascination” died for me faster than I expected. I also spent way more money using the Kobo because kindle unlimited books do not transfer over… However, if you have purchased books from kindle… you are able to download them on your kobo using the Calibre software. Also when you are scrolling through your library on the kobo, you see the previous book from the previous page in the shadows (not sure how else to explain that). Either way, I imagine Amazon is cooking up something exciting with the color ink technology… and I have a feeling they’ll get it right!

[@Mzgldnpearl]

Let me add… you can use the Libby and Overdrive feature but unless you’re keen on waiting weeks for your books… it’s not really ideal

[@subhareadsbooks]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us! I'm sorry the Kobo Colour wasn't as you expected :( Hey, at least you have your Oasis and Paperwhite to fall back on! :)

[@ReadwithLexi]

Just a couple things to point out while watching your video: I read a lot of indie authors and I can only find them on Amazon. Only the oasis is micro usb. The newer paperwhite and the newer bacic are usb C. The oasis is just an old device and hasn’t had an upgrade in a few years.

[@subhareadsbooks]

I love that! I'm sure that with both Kobo and Kindle there will be unique authors that you can't find in the other. Thanks for sharing about the Oasis. I'm really glad that they upgraded to usb-c for the new products! I wish they had upgraded for the Oasis as well!

[@ReadwithLexi]

@@subhareadsbooks me too! I loved the page turn buttons and I loved that it charged fast but I don’t like looking for a usb charger so I ended up giving it to a friend that doesn’t have a kindle and she loves it. I do love my kobo libra colour and just started my free trial for the kobo plus so we’ll see if I like it. I just wish I could have more than one card on the overdrive side without logging out to add more books from the library.

[@subhareadsbooks]

@@ReadwithLexi oh my gosh, okay I read somewhere online you can add multiple library cards to your Kobo but I could never get it to work! If you figure out a way, please let me know! Also, Let me know your thoughts on Kobo Plus! Love that you got to share your kindle with your friend. We have to spread the love!!!!

[@ReadwithLexi]

@@subhareadsbooks will do! I have a lot of cards and I just picked one. I do love I don’t have the extra step of having to send it to my kobo I just sync it and they show up which is really nice. I have 2 paperwhites and figured I didn’t need 3 kindles so I spread the love.

[@michaelchan4236]

KOBO build quality is so bad, a light fall you will definitely break it.

[@subhareadsbooks]

Ah, I'll make sure I don't have sticky fingers and drop it!!

[@maycee4888]

Hi! What about the locking and unlocking of the kobo? Do ypu have to press the power button from time to time like the kindle oasis?or a magnetic flap cover would do it for you (same with the oasis)? Im coming from oasis too!