The best e-readers for book lovers in 2023
Booked and busy
One surefire way to get the book-reading community all fired up is to bring up the topic of e-readers. It’s decidedly split into two factions: the traditionalists who love the smell and feel of a physical book and the modernists who prefer technology to meet their reading needs. Whether you’re a book-smelling finger-licking page-turner or someone who doesn’t mind what kind of medium your books come in, there is no denying that e-readers are convenient and growing in popularity.
What is an e-reader?
If you’re thinking that e-readers are the same as tablets, let’s recalibrate. E-readers (short for electronic readers) are devices which use e-ink AKA electronic ink. This special display technology gives e-readers a low-power paper-like display as it does not require the backlight that normal LCD screens do. Therefore, it requires much less power due to its two-pigment ink system. Due to this, e-readers can last weeks between charges and are much easier on the eyes. Further, e-ink used to come in grayscale, but with advancements in technology, some e-readers now come in colour.
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With e-readers, you don’t have to worry about lugging around your books or creasing up your precious reads. The nifty gadget offers portability, a wide array of functions, and most importantly, a huge library of books at the tip of your fingers. Sound tempting? Perhaps you’re one of the traditionalists looking to dabble in the world of e-readers or hoping to upgrade your current one. Ahead, we list out five of the best e-readers in the market for your consideration.
Kindle Paperwhite 11 Gen
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Kindles and e-readers have become synonymous with each other ever since the launch of the product in 2007 and Amazon continues to dominate the field with its diverse lineup. Naturally, we have to mention a Kindle on this list—and the latest Paperwhite 11th Generation is a great place to nose-dive into the e-reading world. Featuring a 6.8-inch display with even thinner bezels than before, a flush-front design and a 300 PPI glare-free display, the reading experience on this Kindle feels seamless and like the real thing, even in bright sunlight.
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The e-reader also comes with 8 GB of on-device storage and 30 to 40 full-length audiobooks, and 32 GB of storage to hold more comics, books, and at least 150 Audible audiobooks. Other features also include adjustable warm light, Bluetooth headphones or speakers wireless pairing and up to 10 weeks of battery life on a single charge.
Price: From RM940
Availability: KindleMalaysia
Kobo Libra 2
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A great alternative e-reader is the Kobo Libra 2. If you wish to explore beyond Amazon’s library, Kobo has its own wide selection of reads (think five million) to suit your bookish tastes. The Kobo Libra 2 features an improved E-ink Carta 1200 touchscreen on a 7-inch display and only clocks in at 0.37g. Made to enrich your reading life, the gadget comes with 32GB of storage that can hold up to 24,000 e-books and 150 Kobo audiobooks. Plus, its unique ComfortLight Pro blue light reduction technology limits eyestrain in the dark.
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Further, the Kobo Libra 2 is fully waterproof which means you don’t have to worry about getting your precious literature wet while you’re at the beach, taking a bath or out in the rain. It also sports an ergonomic design that feels good in your hands. Swipe to keep the story going or use the page-turn buttons when one of your hands is full. In addition, it can be orientated to read in landscape mode and offers Dark Mode depending on your preference.
Price: From RM979
Availability: KoboMalaysia
Onyx Boox Page
Another popular non-Kindle option is from Onyx which is China’s top e-reader brand. The Boox Page was launched just last month and is the latest cutting-edge 7-inch e-reader with an advanced octa-core CPU and customisable page-turn buttons. Essentially, it is a beefier version of the best-selling Boox Leaf 2 as it offers 3GB of RAM instead of 2GB.
Unlike other e-readers that run on Linux, the Boox Page operates on Android 11 and has unlimited access to the Google Play Store. It comes with 32GB of internal storage, a microSD card, the usual wireless connectivity, and adjustable colour temperatures for a comfortable reading experience.
Price: From RM1,299
Availability: BooxMalaysia
Kobo Clara 2E
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The Kobo Clara 2E is consistently rated high for being one of the best alternative e-readers on the market for various reasons. Firstly, it’s a great choice for book lovers on a budget as it is affordable whilst offering a chock-full of features. It is also on the smaller side, sporting a 6-inch HD e-ink touchscreen with a glare-free black-and-white display.
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Notably, the 170g device is made with over 85 per cent recycled plastic which makes it an eco-conscious product if that’s something you look for. Further, the Clara 2E holds 12GB of storage which equates to about 12000 e-books, and offers brightness and temperature adjustments. Battery-wise, it can last up to seven weeks on a single charge. The slim e-reader also has an IPX8 waterproof rating so if your books tend to suffer from accidental spills, you can kiss those worries goodbye!
Price: From RM699
Availability: KoboMalaysia
Boox Poke 5
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Another compact 6-inch e-reader is the new Boox Poke 5. With its E-Ink Carta Plus screen that consists of a 2-colour front light system and a 300 PPI display, this gadget is designed to read e-books, webcomics and even manga. Despite its small size, the Poke 5 is equipped with a 4-core Qualcomm processor with 2GB of RAM. Like other usual Onyx products, it runs on the Android 11 operating system and you are allowed to download third-party apps onto the device.
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In addition, It has 32 GB of storage and a microSD card slot to transfer even more books or documents to the Poke 5. Significantly, the new grayscale system uses 256 levels instead of the usual 16 which means that consuming image-heavy content or text files will be more dynamic than ever before. It also comes with Bluetooth wireless connectivity if you like to listen to music while you read.
Price: From RM849
Availability: BooxMalaysia
For more nifty gadgets to add to your tech arsenal, head here.
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