Two most acclaimed ereader devices at the moment are the Kobo Aura One and the Kindle Oasis 7-inch model. Both are larger than an ordinary 6-inch ereader and both have practically every feature required in a reading device – they are even waterproof. If you are planning to get the best ereader available at the moment, which one to choose? Here is our guide.
The Kindle Oasis 7-inch model (also known as the Oasis 2) and the Kobo Aura One have many similarities, but also some crucial differences. Let’s take a look at the features and then, view a video that shows how the devices feel and behave when used for reading ebooks.
The Aura One comes with a 7.8 inch E ink screen and the Oasis 2 with a 7-inch screen. This is a major difference in real life, even though on paper it doesn’t seem a big deal. Both screens are very sharp: 300 pixels per inch (PPI). Screens also have a front light for reading in poorly lit nooks.
The Kobo Aura One price starts from $229. The Kindle Oasis starts at $249.
Both devices are waterproof, which makes them also sand and dust proof.
The weight of the devices is similar, the larger Aura One weighs only 36 grams more than the Kindle. The Kindle Oasis 2 measurements are 159 x 141 x 3.4-8.3 mm and the Aura One is 195 x 138 x 6.9 mm.
The design of the Kindle Oasis is unique, but you can hold it in right or left hand, and it has dedicated hardware keys for turning pages. The Aura One doesn’t have dedicated buttons, but its design is easier to approve.
The Aura One has plenty of fonts to choose from and it is possible to adjust the fonts and the page layout. The Kindle doesn’t provide as many choices.
The Oasis 2 lets you listen to Audible audiobooks via Bluetooth headphones or speakers.
The crucial difference between all Kindle ereaders and all other ereaders (of any brand) is the ebook file formats the devices can open. The Kobo Aura One can open EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, MOBI, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR documents. The Kindle can open AZW3, AZW, KFX, TXT, PDF, MOBI, PRC documents, which means the Kindle Oasis 2 (and all other Kindle) devices are intended for ebooks downloaded from the Kindle Store only. Amazon has a separate file conversion service that can be used to send HTML, DOC, DOCX documents to a Kindle ereader.
Below is a video where The Ebook Reader Blog compares the Kobo Aura One and the Kindle Oasis 7-inch model.
Hardware aside, this is what really matters when choosing an ereader
The key difference between any Kindle device and all other ereader products (be it Kobo, Onyx, Cybook, or another brand) is the commercial system where the device can connect to. What does it mean in practice?
Amazon has created the world’s largest bookstore, but ebooks purchased from the Kindle Store can only be opened in Kindle ereaders, Fire tablets and Kindle reading applications. The Kindle ebook system is a closed system that you can only access with Kindle devices and applications. Kindle ereaders, like the Oasis 2 can not open EPUB ebooks (without troublesome tweaking of ebook files on a PC).
The world outside Amazon uses an ebook standard known as EPUB. It is the file format for ebooks purchased from practically all bookstores, except for Amazon, across the world. If you have a non-Kindle ereader, such as Kobo, you can purchase ebooks from practically all other stores except for the Kindle Store.
My recommendation is: first, carefully choose which commercial ebook system you want use – Amazon Kindle or the rest of the world – and after that, choose the ereader you like the best.
More information on large-screen ereaders and a few tips for deciding on the screen size.