Product Comparison: Rakuten Kobo Aura H2O vs Kindle Paperwhite 3G


General Specifications
Brand
Kobo
Kindle
Model
Aura H2O
Paperwhite 3G
Origin
Taiwan
China
About the Product
At Kobo, we never stop trying to make reading even better for booklovers around the world. Now, the original waterproof eReader just got even better, with the addition of ComfortLight PRO. Welcome to the new Kobo Aura H2O—you’ll experience reading in a whole new light.
Unlike a tablet, Kindle Paperwhite 3G is deliberately designed to read like a printed page with a glare-free display, ultra-light design, and weeks-long battery life. Includes free 3G wireless—no hunting or paying for Wi-Fi hotspots, no annual contracts or monthly fees; 3G wireless works globally.
Key Specs
Screen Size
6.8 in.
6 in.
Screen Resolution
265 ppi
300 ppi
Backlit Display
Yes
Yes
What customers say about "Key Specs"
Rakuten Kobo Aura H2O E-Reader
  • Also despite having a bigger screen, the actual physical footprint is almost identical to the Paperwhite. It feels solid and yet light in the hand and the bezel allows for a nice grip and hold, thanks to the soft coating rubberized texture. It feels premium.
  • The device is so good, the screen is everything I wanted it to be and the battery life is supurb. Just pop an SD card in, download Calibre to your computer and have at it.
  • The screen is much larger, and about the smallest screen for reading a paperback, without the need for reflow, or changing text size.
  • Excellent e-reader. I chose this one because of the slightly larger screen (7" vs. 6") compared to the Kindle. It may not seem like a lot, bit an extra inch diagonal makes a big difference at this small size. Compared to my wife's Paperwhite it seems substantively larger.
  • I really wish that I loved this more than I do. I got it a couple years back because I was looking for a easy on the eyes screen that still had a backlight for night reading.
  • This is the reader to buy if you think the 6 inch screen is too small and is not afraid to google and mess around with the device a bit.
Kindle Paperwhite 3G 6" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Built-in Light
  • The Paper White is crisp and clear. No longer do multiple pages turn when I swipe the screen to turn the page.
  • It's so easy to read in sunlight and the backlight is so handy at night.
  • The mat screen of the paper white takes care of that. It is lighter than the tablets, and the backlighting is adjustable - perfect for reading in bed without disturbing my mate.
  • Great in light, no glare, recommend having the 3G, wonderful overall.
  • Good size and very light to carry around. Good capacity, easy to use, Good light on the display
Size & Weight
Height
6.77 in.
6.7 in.
Width
5 in.
4.6 in.
Depth
0.35 in.
0.36 in.
Weight
7.3 oz.
7.6 oz.
Features
Color
Black
Black
Control Type
Touchscreen
Touchscreen
Adjustable Brightness
No
Yes
Adjustable Font Size
Yes
Yes
Supported Media Formats
ePub, EPUB3, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR
Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, Unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion
Interface(s)
Micro USB, Micro SD slot
Micro USB
Battery Type
Lithium-ion
Lithium polymer
Extras
IP67 certified, ComfortLight
VoiceView screen reader, Amazon's largest high-resolution display, Ideal for one-handed reading, Free cloud storage for all Amazon content
What customers say about "Features"
Rakuten Kobo Aura H2O E-Reader
  • It reads a multitude of formats, and has a MicroSD card input.
  • With wifi off, and LED between off and 2%, the device seems to last forever on a battery charge!
  • SD card expansion is nice; I like having my whole library on the go with room to spare.
  • This works really well, and is simple to use. It also has great battery life. Touch feedback on the display doesn't seem as good as the Kindle, but it works well enough.
  • Really great battery life, though. Better than any of my other devices, and it probably helps that it's very easy to read on 10-20% brightness in the dark.
  • The frame really is a fingerprint magnet. Doesn't bother me, but could drive some people nuts
Kindle Paperwhite 3G 6" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Built-in Light
  • Some of the biggest improvements are with screen resolution and battery life. Processing speed on 3G also seems to have improved. All things considered, I'm very happy with my purchase!
  • I love that I can change font sizes and contrast. I need to have larger print than most people so this was perfect for me.
  • Easy to set up and share books with family. Much better than clutter of the books
  • I am enjoying the books I have bought for my Kindle. I just love reading books this way and it is very inexpensive.
  • This is the reader to compare all others to. With the build in cellular connection, it is perfect to take on a road trip or anywhere there is cellular reception. Warning on the road trip, if you get nauseous reading in a moving vehicle...this ain't no miracle cure.
Warranty / Certifications
Manufacturer Warranty
1 year(s)
1 year(s)
Certifications
FCC, CE
FCC, CE
Other Information
Other reviews