Kobo Clara Color review: a pleasant color e-reader with a few compromises

The Kobo Clara Color will forever remain in the history of the Canadian brand since it is its very first color e-reader. It has since been joined by Libra Color. However, the model that interests us here stands out for its affordable price, which promises to make color digital reading accessible to as many people as possible. Before seeing if this promise is kept, let's start by looking at the main technical characteristics of the Clara Color.

Compact and lightweight, with dimensions of 160 x 112 x 9.2 mm and a weight of 174 g, it has a 6-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 screen that can display up to 4096 colors, thus offering the possibility (theoretical ) to read content such as comics, manga or magazines.

The resolution reaches 1448 x 1072 pixels with a density of 300 ppi in black and white and 150 ppi in color. The Clara Color also offers 16 GB of internal storage (non-expandable), IPX8 certification guaranteeing water resistance up to 2 m deep for one hour, a USB-C port for charging and file transfer , autonomy announced at one month, as well as Bluetooth for listening to audio books with wireless headphones. However, this feature is limited to audiobooks purchased from the Kobo store.

Construction

The Kobo Clara Color is first distinguished by its compact format. Equipped with a 6-inch screen and weighing only 174 g, it is extremely light and easy to transport. Its dimensions (160 x 112 x 9.2 mm) allow it to slip easily into a handbag or backpack.

The design is identical to the Clara BW and doesn't differ much from previous Kobo models, including the Clara 2E, with a power button on the back and a USB-C port for charging and data transfer. files. This rear positioning may require some time to get used to for new users. It's not dramatic, but we never got used to it ourselves, even after a considerable time using both this Clara Color and its big sister, the Libra Color.

The build quality is quite good overall, but we note that the rear cover moves a little under finger pressure and sounds hollow, which can give a false impression of fragility. On the other hand, the IPX8 certification constitutes a great advantage, especially in this price range. It guarantees waterproofing allowing immersion up to 2 m for one hour without risk of damage. This provides peace of mind for readers who want to use their e-reader near water.

Finally, this won't bother everyone, but this e-reader does not include a gyroscope. The screen therefore does not automatically orient itself according to the position of the device, requiring you to manually adjust the orientation as needed.

Screen

The main selling point of the Kobo Clara Color lies in its 6-inch Kaleido 3 color screen. This screen can display up to 4096 colors. It has a definition of 1448 x 1072 pixels with a density of 300 ppi in black and white and 150 ppi in color. This compromise makes it possible to display colors while maintaining correct quality for black and white texts. This also theoretically opens the door to reading comics, manga, magazines and other colorful visual content.

Let's get this point out of the way right away: no, you're not going to read comics or even comics on this e-reader. Beyond the intrinsic qualities and defects of the display, which we will expand on below, it is above all such a screen size that is simply not suitable for such uses. Concretely, the color will mainly serve to brighten up the whole thing a little, but no more.

In terms of performance, this screen is not much better than the one that equips the Libra Color. Thus, we measured the maximum brightness at 115 cd/m², a correct score, but not exceptional. However, it must be compared to the reflectance of only 15.4%. This means that the display reduces reflections quite effectively and that the e-reader can be used outdoors without any problems.

At 6202 K, the color temperature remains relatively close to the neutral standard (6500 K). This is not the case for colorimetric compliance with a particularly high delta E at 19.6. As with other color e-readers, color fidelity can be improved a lot. Finally, the contrast of 13:1 ensures very decent readability for black and white texts, but remains insufficient for detailed colored images. The latter appear bland and faded.

User experience

If you are primarily a reader of black & white novels or ebooks, the Kobo Clara Color will perfectly meet your expectations. The touch screen is relatively responsive and the ComfortLight Pro lighting automatically adjusts the blue light emitted by the screen depending on the time of day. This reduces eye fatigue during long nighttime reading sessions.

The user interface uses the usual codes of Kobo e-readers and will be intuitive for those familiar with the brand. But if its 2 GHz dual-core processor ensures smooth navigation for classic texts, it coughs on the other hand for zooming in images, from a stronger in color. While reading, it is possible to change the display font, its size, its thickness, the spacing, the margins and even the justification of the text. The little icing on the cake is that the color screen allows multicolor highlighting for annotations.

We were particularly disappointed to see that Kobo does not include Cloud synchronization (Google Drive and Dropbox) in this entry-level model, while the option is available on more expensive models such as the Libra Color. And since we are talking about the annoying things, note that the integrated sketchbook offers very basic functionalities: it only allows you to take quick notes or make simple drawings which cannot be modified after saving in .svg format . Additionally, it is not compatible with the Kobo stylus. In short, it's difficult to consider it as a real note-taking tool.

Fortunately, compatibility with the Pocket service is still there. You can save an article on the web to read it quietly on your e-reader afterwards, with a suitable layout.

The Kobo Clara Color also makes up for it with wide format compatibility: EPUB, PDF, MOBI, CBZ, CBR, TXT, HTML, etc. We just regret that this opening does not concern audiobooks, because the e-reader is only compatible with those from the Kobo store. And to read them, as the device does not have a speaker, you will need to connect a Bluetooth wireless headset.

How does the rating work?

Very complete considering its price, the Kobo Clara Color constitutes an interesting alternative for those who wish to discover digital reading in color without investing in high-end models. Its compact and lightweight format will particularly appeal to readers looking for portability. However, color here is more of an amenity than a selling point. The colorimetric rendering does not overly flatter the retina. But for the little twenty euros that separates this model from the Clara BW, you can be tempted. However, keep in mind that you will not be able to read comics and comics on such a small screen. For the rest, the e-reader benefits from the usual strong points of the brand's models, i.e. fairly extensive compatibility with formats, correct responsiveness (without being unforgettable), a pleasant interface, good battery life, an anti-blue light ComfortLight mode. for nighttime readings and even IPX8 waterproofing.