Kobo Elipsa 2E review

With most tech, there’s a wealth of selection and loads of high picks. For others, with eReaders being the working example right here, one or two firms dominate.

Kobo’s Elipsa 2E is a note-taking eReader that has its sights set on the Kindle Scribe. Amazon’s gadget wasn’t launched till after the unique Elipsa went on sale, however the 2E and Scribe have a lot in frequent – together with their costs. 

The Scribe obtained combined critiques, so is the upgraded Elipsa 2E the go-to eReader with stylus assist? The quick reply is a powerful sure, though it doesn’t get all the things proper. 

Design

• Light-weight, premium construct
• No water-resistance
• Stylus included. Sleep cowl offered individually

The Elipsa 2E is the most important eReader Kobo makes by far, however the further show space is critical for notetaking. A ten.3in display guidelines out any risk of one-handed use, however that’s not what this gadget is meant for. 

It retains the identical design language as different Kobos, with a plastic exterior surrounding the E Ink show. The again of the Elipsa 2E has a novel textured coating, which provides loads of grip and appears good as well. However like most eReaders, there’s just one color – black – and it’d be good to see different choices. 

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Kobo additionally has its eye on the setting with the Elipsa 2E. It claims 85% of the outside plastic has been recycled, together with 10% that may’ve in any other case ended up within the oceans. That is nice to see, and hopefully the corporate can proceed to progress on this space sooner or later. 

Deciding in opposition to aluminium or glass additionally helps preserve the Elipsa 2E comparatively skinny and lightweight. At 7.5mm and 390g, it’s straightforward to take virtually wherever with you, though you received’t need to get it moist. In contrast to another Kobos, there’s no water-resistance right here and it’s an actual disgrace. 

I used to be involved a few light-weight plastic construct feeling low cost, however Kobo has managed to keep away from that. The Elipsa 2E feels slick and premium, and may final for a few years of use. 

That sturdiness may be improved by pairing the gadget with Kobo’s personal SleepCover (an additional $69.99/£69.99). Because the identify suggests, it routinely places the Elipsa 2E to sleep when closed, offering all-important safety for the show. 

Attaching the gadget to the duvet is a bit fiddly, however works effectively when you get used to it. There’s a devoted slot for the Kobo Stylus 2 (extra on that later), nevertheless it doesn’t double as a stand for hands-free use. You’ll additionally need to make do with none safety for the again of the gadget, so it’s removed from an important buy. 

The USB-C charging port is situated on the bottom-right facet, just under the textured energy button. However other than the Kobo brand on the back and front, the Elipsa 2E has a really minimalist design.

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Show

• Spectacular 10.3in E Ink show
• Nice visibility because of matte coating
• Adjustable heat mild

The Elipsa 2E expertise is centred round that 10.3in show. It’s one of many largest E Ink gadgets you should purchase, together with comparable measurement choices from Amazon, ReMarkable and Huawei. 

Particularly, it’s an E Ink Carta 1200 panel, with a decision of 1404×1872 pixels. That’s an identical to the unique Elipsa, though its 227 pixels per inch (ppi) is decrease than the Kindle Scribe’s 300ppi. 

However does that imply the standard of the show right here isn’t as much as scratch? Completely not. The whole lot nonetheless seems extraordinarily clear and crisp, with a dynamic distinction between mild and darkish colors. It won’t be greatest at school, however the Elipsa 2E has a superb E Ink show that can serve you effectively. 

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The matte end has two clear advantages. Firstly, it limits the build-up of fingerprint smudges and different marks. Regardless of a big facet bezel for holding the gadget, there are not any bodily web page flip buttons, so that you’ll have to faucet the display typically. 

It additionally means the Elipsa 2E is simple to make use of in brilliant environments. Even in direct daylight, you’ll nonetheless be capable to comfortably learn what’s on the display. An auto-brightness function makes it doable, though its major objective is for studying at the hours of darkness. 

E Ink shows are already simpler on the eyes than LCD or OLED panels, however you additionally get an adjustable heat mild right here. This shifts from white mild to hotter orange and yellow tones to minimise sleep disruption, and you too can set a bedtime for it to activate routinely. The function works very effectively. 

Studying expertise

• Nice in most conditions
• Not ultimate to be used whereas travelling
• Works effectively in portrait or panorama mode

If you happen to’ve ever learn something on a Kobo earlier than, you’ll be acquainted with the interface on the Elipsa 2E. It’s merely a bigger model of the corporate’s different eReaders, which itself is similar to the Kindle. 

The larger display doesn’t make it an ideal selection if you happen to wish to learn whereas mendacity down in mattress or travelling, nevertheless it’s nice in most different situations. That features if you happen to merely want to have the ability to see extra content material on the display or need to improve the textual content measurement with out always turning the web page. 

Whereas designed for use in portrait orientation (like an actual e book), the Elipsa 2E is surprisingly good in panorama mode. There are not any formatting points and it’s nonetheless comfy to carry for lengthy intervals. If you happen to typically learn comics or PDFs, it’s an ideal choice to have. 

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And there are many methods to tweak the textual content you see on display. Select from a spread of major and supplementary fonts, then fine-tune the scale, line spacing, margins and justification to your liking. The default is ok for most individuals, nevertheless it’s price experimenting with this to discover a setting you want greatest. 

Writing expertise

• Kobo Stylus 2 within the field
• Create notebooks or annotate straight onto books
• Will be exported by way of cable or Dropbox

However the Elipsa 2E’s killer function is its pen assist. The Kobo Stylus 2 is included within the field, and it feels nice for writing or annotating. It’s possible you’ll discover some occasional delays earlier than the display registers enter, however basically, latency is minimal. 

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The design of the Stylus 2 is consistent with many different digital pens, so it’s comfy to carry and feels pure to make use of. Don’t anticipate a pen-on-paper-like expertise, although – the shortage of stress sensitivity makes it very apparent that it is a digital display. As an alternative, there are 5 totally different shades to select from, to simulate that stress, however you must choose these manually. 

Charging is by way of USB-C, however battery life isn’t a priority in any respect. Regardless of not charging when magnetically hooked up to the gadget, you’re a number of months earlier than needing to plug within the stylus. Pairing with the Elipsa 2E can be completely seamless, because it doesn’t depend on Bluetooth. 

Holding down the bodily button on the facet of the stylus prompts highlighter mode, permitting you to rapidly choose textual content or sections of a doc. It’s additionally nice to see that the highest of the stylus now doubles as an eraser. 

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There are two primary varieties of notebooks you possibly can create: a primary one freed from any restrictions, or a complicated model which incorporates further options similar to changing handwriting into textual content. The latter works effectively more often than not, and makes it straightforward to look by your notes for one thing particular. 

Notes should be exported manually (as a PDF, PNG or JPEG), both by bodily connecting a USB cable or – extra conveniently – by connecting your Dropbox account. With the ability to immediately entry them throughout all of your gadgets is a good function, particularly with 2GB of storage on Dropbox’s free plan. 

These get saved to a selected folder inside Dropbox, which means you possibly can edit or add any recordsdata to that folder they usually’ll routinely seem on the Elipsa 2E. However you possibly can nonetheless create folders and organise them direct from the gadget itself. 

In contrast to the Kindle Scribe’s sticky word strategy, Kobo additionally helps you to annotate straight onto any e book or doc. This feels a lot extra pure, particularly when mixed with the highlighter and eraser options.  

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Impressively, this extends to rented library eBooks, the place notes will nonetheless be there if you happen to borrow once more sooner or later or determine to purchase it. With the ability to scribble notes on something is the large cause to purchase the Elipsa 2E over some other eReader on the market. 

Specs & efficiency

• 2GHz processor and 1GB of RAM
• Efficiency surprisingly glorious
• No mobile choice

Efficiency is the facet of the Elipsa 2E that’s shocked me essentially the most. I wasn’t anticipating a lot from a 2GHz processor and simply 1GB of RAM, however because it seems, that’s a lot for an eReader. 

Nice efficiency on eReaders is in no way assured, however the Kobo Elipsa 2E is quick and responsive by eReader requirements, whether or not you’re navigating the shop, enjoying audiobooks or just turning pages in a e book. The character of E Ink shows means there’ll all the time be some hesitation whereas the display refreshes, nevertheless it by no means takes greater than a few seconds. 

Supplied you’ve gotten a stable web connection, all content material will show and obtain rapidly. However there’s no choice for mobile connectivity (similar to 3G or 4G), so that you’ll want Wi-Fi.  

The one mannequin of the Elipsa 2E options 32GB of non-expandable storage. This can be a lot for most individuals, and also you’ll solely run near capability if you happen to obtain a number of lengthy audiobooks.  

Software program & options

• Large vary of books out there
• Kobo Plus now out there in US and UK
• Glorious OverDrive and Pocket integration

The Elipsa 2E runs the identical software program you’ll discover on all Kobo eReaders. It interprets effectively to the bigger show right here, and stays the primary cause to purchase one over a Kindle. 

Let’s begin with the obvious function: studying books. Kobo has its personal eBook file format, nevertheless it natively helps virtually all main file sorts: EPUB, EPUB3, FlePub, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, and CBR. 

CBZ and CBR are comedian e book codecs, each of which work very effectively on this bigger show. However in case you have any of the file sorts listed above, simply switch them from a pc utilizing the USB cable within the field – or sync them utilizing Dropbox.  

The truth is, the one primary file sort you received’t be capable to use is Amazon’s personal. If you happen to’ve purchased a number of Kindle books beforehand, there’s no strategy to learn them on the Elipsa 2E. It’s a means of Amazon maintaining individuals loyal to Kindles and never switching to Kobo. 

However the number of eBooks out there on the Kobo Retailer is similar to Kindle. The whole lot I looked for was out there on each gadgets for the same worth. New releases arrive at roughly the identical time. 

Nonetheless, you don’t essentially need to purchase eBooks. The Elipsa 2E has integration with OverDrive, which means you possibly can join a free native library card and borrow books – similar to you’d for the bodily variations. 

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Not each e book is out there utilizing this technique, however I’m impressed with the choice which might be. My native library isn’t significantly huge, though even the wait occasions for widespread books (normally 4-6 weeks) aren’t dangerous in any respect. 

Most libraries allow you to borrow books for 7, 14 or 21 days. If nobody else has requested the e book, you possibly can renew it and preserve studying. But when a maintain has been positioned, you’ll have to return on the waitlist. 

Even with some limitations, having the ability to borrow library books so seamlessly is a really glorious function. The price of eBooks can mount up, so it is a nice different. 

Sadly, OverDrive doesn’t embody audiobooks. The number of these isn’t nearly as good on the Kobo Retailer as Audible, and also you’re much less prone to have the writer narrate the e book than on Amazon’s service. Nonetheless, there’s the choice to import your individual audiobook recordsdata (as much as 200Mb per e book) in MP3 or M4A codecs, which is helpful.

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Each eBooks and audiobooks are included within the costly Kobo Plus subscription ($9.99/£11.99 per thirty days), however you’ll want to decide on one or the opposite on the cheaper plan ($7.99/£8.99). The service is now out there within the US and UK six years after first launching, and there are greater than 1.3 million eBooks and 100,000 audiobooks to select from. 

It’s primarily Kobo’s reply to Kindle Limitless, which means you possibly can learn or take heed to as many of those as you’d like. The choice out there is repeatedly up to date, however you received’t discover most of the hottest titles – a minimum of initially. Consequently, it’s greatest for avid readers, particularly those that are prepared to strive new authors or genres. 

One other helpful function is integration with Pocket, the favored “learn it later” app out there on all of your gadgets. After connecting your free account, any articles you’ve saved there’ll routinely be out there to learn on the Elipsa 2E. Until the article depends on photographs or movies, it’s an effective way to learn them – particularly as they assist annotations.

On the whole, the software program expertise feels slick and intuitive, however that’s not all the time the case. I bumped into a few bugs throughout testing, together with a one the place the Wi-Fi connection saved dropping. However points like these may be mounted with updates, and all different options work as supposed. 

Battery life

• 2400mAh battery
• Round two weeks of battery life
• Sluggish charging, no adapter in field

As anticipated, battery life on the Elipsa 2E is superb.  

The 2400mAh cell is massive by eReader requirements, and means it will probably technically stay as much as Kobo’s claims of “weeks of battery life on a single cost”. Nonetheless, that’s solely actually doable if you happen to flip off Wi-Fi, preserve brightness low and restrict notetaking. 

To get essentially the most out of the Elipsa 2E, you received’t need to do any of these issues. Subsequently, a extra reasonable determine is round two weeks between full expenses. That’s nonetheless very spectacular, although – battery life is one thing you received’t want to fret about on the Elipsa 2E.  

The Elipsa 2E expenses by way of USB-C, however solely the cable is included within the field. Charging is comparatively gradual, however will get the job executed if you happen to’re not in a rush. 

Value & availability

At launch, the Kobo Elipsa 2E prices $399.99/£349.99 for 32GB of storage – the one mannequin out there. You should purchase it from the Kobo web site within the US and UK. 

That seems like quite a bit, nevertheless it’s solely barely dearer than the most cost effective Kindle Scribe ($339.99/£329.99). The equal 32GB model of Amazon’s eReader will set you again $389.99/£379.99. 

The Elipsa 2E contains the Kobo Stylus 2 within the field, however the firm’s SleepCover will set you again an additional $69.99/£69.99. 

You may’t actually examine it to most conventional eReaders, however the ReMarkable 2 (from $279/£279) and Huawei MatePad Paper (€499, approx. $530/£420) are additionally price contemplating. 

Verdict

The Kobo Elipsa 2E is a wonderful eReader that’s nice for each studying and note-taking. 

A crisp 10.3in E Ink show is among the many highlights, and it combines with nice efficiency for a superb person expertise. 

But it surely’s the software program that elevates the Elipsa 2E above its rivals. You may annotate straight onto any e book by way of the included stylus, atone for net articles saved to Pocket and even borrow eBooks out of your native library.  

Nonetheless, the audiobook choice isn’t fairly as spectacular, and there are some software program bugs. You’ll additionally need to make do with none waterproofing. 

Nonetheless, until you’re deep within the Kindle ecosystem, that is the note-taking eReader to purchase. 

Specs

• 10.3in, 1404×1872 (300ppi) e-ink show 
• 2GHz processor 
• USB-C charging 
• Wi-Fi 
• Bluetooth 
• 32GB storage 
• 2400mAh battery 
• Kobo Retailer 
• 7.5mm thick 
• 390g