Kobo Clara 2E A

Overview

Once again, Kobo presents a minimalist e-reader. Like the previous model, the Clara 2E keeps this sober and simplistic side, starting with the packaging, a simple recycled cardboard box containing a brief user manual and a USB-C cord (without a power supply). The latter allows the device to be recharged (quickly) and connected to a PC. It also has Bluetooth for connecting headphones, earphones or a speaker.

The first difference with the HD is that the Clara 2E is less austere with its two-tone colour scheme. Part of the back grain for a better grip features the large on/off button.

The Clara 2E fits well in hand and is light (171 grams) and thin (8.7 mm thick for a surface of 15.90 x 11.2 cm). It is one of the thinnest reading devices on the market.

The 16GB internal memory – twice that of the Clara HD – means that the new Kobo does not need a microSD memory card and can hold several thousand books.

Its 1500 mAh battery gives it an autonomy of “several weeks”, which corresponds in practice to two months, at a rate of 30 minutes of reading per day, with Wi-Fi off. For more economy, this reader can activate the “automatic sleep” function (after 5 to 60 minutes).

The 6-inch HD capacitive touch screen (diagonal 15.24 cm) again uses E-Ink Carta 1200 technology. The definition reaches 1448 x 1072 px (300 dpi) and benefits from ComfortLight technology, which makes it possible to read comfortably regardless of the brightness of the environment. This function also reduces or eliminates the famous “blue light” emitted by screens, which is harmful to sleep.

Ergonomics

Even though the Clara 2E is not covered with a soft rubber coating, the grooved rear panel ensures a good grip for the fingers and limits the risk of falling. As mentioned in the overview, the power on/off button on the back of the book is now easier to use.

Once switched on, the first thing you are asked to do is to connect the reader to a Wi-Fi network. It’s a pity that the most used network(s) are not recorded, forcing you to type in your password each time.

After that, the e-reader will automatically perform and download the latest update. A Kobo account is required to enjoy the e-reader fully.

The screen lights up quite quickly, revealing a familiar Kobo structure. The top right-hand side shows the brightness setting, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connection, battery level, sync for downloading new books and updates, and a field for searching for a title, author, or series from the Kobo shop or downloaded books.

The centre of the screen is occupied by blocks dedicated to the last books consulted, excerpts or being read, with the percentage read and the time remaining to finish the book, followed by the books owned and recommendations for similar reading. Of course, direct access to the Kobo shop is included as a link to the Kobo Plus monthly subscription offer.

The Plus section is a sort of catch-all with the reading wish list, the articles downloaded via Pocket, the activity linked to reading time and the rewards that go with it, the beta functionalities (web browser, large print mode, the sketchbook), the settings (the reader’s toolbox) and the help section.

Once the books have been purchased and downloaded, they are placed in the collection of your choice, defined by your themes. It is possible to turn the pages in different ways. To do this, you need to go to the “Reading settings” section, where you are offered four modes: choose an area of the screen to turn the pages and make the menu appear (in the centre or at the bottom of the page). The pages are scrolled by scanning the screen from right to left and vice versa. The refresh rate can be set page by page, up to a maximum of ten, or at the end of each chapter.

Once the reading has begun, we can access various settings by pressing on the bottom or middle of the page. Two fields open up for us. The first, in the lower part of the page, gives us the number of the current page and allows us to access the table of contents, the annotations, to search for a word or expression on the page or to pop up all the pages to go more quickly to one of them.

The most important upper part allows you to adjust the brightness, choose a font (among 11) and its size and justify the text. There are also reading statistics for the current chapter and the entire book, as well as the possibility of annotating passages, the dictionary, similar readings and usage tips (reading menu, turning pages, defining a word, taking notes, adjusting brightness by sliding along the screen and synchronising the reader with the mobile application).

The Clara 2E allows you to search while reading a book. A long press on a word brings up a dialogue box that displays its definition via the integrated Larousse dictionary or gives its translation via one of the 21 dictionaries available. You can also go to Google or Wikipedia. Annotations, highlighting, and bookmarks are also public.

Screen

The capacitive screen of the Clara HD has a diagonal measurement of 6 inches (15.24 cm). It is an E-Ink Carta 1200 screen with a definition of 1448 x 1072 px (300 dpi) at 16 levels of grey. It occupies 63% of the front panel. And the good news is that it is not too sensitive to fingerprints.

Kobo’s ComfortLight technology automatically adapts the brightness to daylight. The “natural light” setting allows you to control the light diffused by the diodes hidden under the screen. This light is initially very white and then turns orange when it is dark. This reduces exposure to blue light, which is especially important for falling asleep. Hence the need to opt for the automatic adjustment, which varies the screen colour according to the bedtime that you have previously indicated.

If the brightness is adjusted from a specific tab positioned in the upper part of the screen, the reader can also vary it by sliding (up and down) his finger on the left part of the screen. This is very practical when you are in the middle of reading.

The dark white-on-black mode is also available, rendering the page in reverse so that the text is displayed in white on a black background.

The measured contrast ratio (with the backlight off) is 110, which isn’t bad considering that the Kobo Elipsa occupies the podium with a contrast ratio of 132.

Formats

Like the Kobo range, the Clara 2E is eclectic and natively supports 15 reading formats. These include eBooks (EPub, EPub3, FlePub, PDF, TXT, HTML and RTF), images (JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, MOBI and TIFF) and comics (CBZ and CBR). However, the PDFs still need to be better managed; the screen size does not facilitate their reading, and the interface could be faster.

But what catches the eye, or rather the ear, is the compatibility with audiobooks. All you need to do is get a pair of headphones or a Bluetooth speaker and buy and download an audiobook (only from the Kobo online bookshop). The sound is OK, but the display is stark. Like the mobile app, you can fast-forward or rewind the playback by 30 seconds, speed up or slow down the diction, adjust the volume, access the table of contents and search via the dictionary for a word you hear.

CONCLUSION

This Kobo Clara 2 E is a good reader in its 6-inch category thanks to its quality HD screen, ease of use, backlighting and well-stocked online bookshop. Its dedicated audiobook function is a gimmick when considering that the mobile application is more suitable.