Kobo Aura One review: A super-sized ebook reader that will survive a dunk in the tub
What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever dropped in the bathtub? For me it is the ancient loofah I found in a tomb, for you it may be a jewel-encrusted rubber duck, for most it will be their mobile phone, but for some unlucky few it will be their ebook reader.
The original Kobo Aura H2O mitigated bathtime risks by being the world’s first waterproof ebook reader. Launching later this month, its successor the Kobo Aura One can survive twice as long at twice the depth, a superpower that continues to set it apart from even its most luxurious rivals. The backlight screen also shifts colour as bedtime approaches, gradually becoming warmer to (supposedly) promote more restful sleep.
It’s the new king of the Kobo range, at a price that well undercuts the £269 Kindle Oasis. At 7.8-inches it’s a behemoth too, which makes it chunky to hold for those used to reading on smaller screens, though the overall design feels light and strong.
Whether you can stand being detached from Amazon’s bookstore however, is another question.