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E-book readers, also known as e-readers, grant you access to a vast library of books offline and an almost innumerable reservoir of the written word when hooked up to the Internet, for less weight and size than a traditional hard-cover book.
These e-readers are a must-have for any avid bookworm, if only for the level of reading comfort they provide via crystal-clear E ink screens compared to smartphones or tablets. The newer models even offer nifty journalling and sketching features – a great tool to have when you’re playing with ideas, and more eco-friendly than a traditional notepad too. These are some of the best e-readers available in Singapore as of 2023.
1. Rakuten Kobo Elipsa 2E
Credit: Rakuten
Many of us are probably experiencing a chronic shortage of briefcase real estate, what with the wealth of gadgets – and their respective accessories, including chargers – available nowadays.
That said, productivity geeks should probably make room (however agonising that may be) for Rakuten’s upgraded e-notebook, the Kobo Elipsa 2E.
The device has gone through some substantial upgrades since we last saw it during its 2021 debut – most notably, with the included Kobo Stylus 2, which comes included with the e-reader.
The next-gen stylus is no longer battery-powered and is now rechargeable, with a dedicated eraser on one end (this feature costs extra on some other brands’ styluses).
A highlighter button on the stylus allows users to easily call attention to paragraphs and sentences in PDFs and especially e-books, just as you’d doodle on the margins of an actual paperback.
When not in use, the stylus stows safely by magnetically attaching to the top of the Kobo Elipsa 2E.
While not exactly groundbreaking upgrades, these thoughtful quality-of-life features might swing the tide, especially when it comes to productivity devices that see plenty of mileage.
Case in point: A weighty battery life, saving you the need to lug a charger on short trips, that is said to last several weeks per charge with light use. It lasts slightly shorter when working for a few hours per day, all while operating with that same, gloriously roomy 10.3-inch E Ink touchscreen as its predecessor.
E Ink screens are known to be easier on the eyes than the conventional OLED screen of a tablet, though the Kobo Elipsa 2E attempts to take the comfort up a notch.
Its screen is fully adjustable in brightness and temperature (referring to the intensity of blue light being emitted), allowing you to use it day or night while minimising eye-strain and disruption to your sleep. It does this automatically, though you can customise it further to your liking.
As a plus, both the Kobo Elipsa 2E and its protective case (styled by the company as a SleepCover) score well in the sustainability department.
The device’s exterior is hewn from 85 per cent recycled plastic, while the case boasts an even more impressive make with just 3 per cent of its plastic coming from non-reycled sources.
Pre-orders for the Kobo Kobo Elipsa 2E (complete with Kobo Stylus 2) begin from April 5. The device retails for $629.90.
Find out more here.
2. Amazon Kindle Scribe
Late last year, e-reader pioneer Amazon released the Kindle Scribe, their debut e-note device. Its stylus and 10.2-inch screen – one of the brand’s largest in recent years – makes for a very generous canvas where it comes to making annotations, notetaking or general scribbling. The 300PPI (pixel per inch) E Ink display that works in direct sunlight means the Kindle Scribe remains a powerful e-reader, especially once you factor in its 12-week reading time on a single charge. It comes in three storage variants – 16, 32 or 64GB, all ripe for filling with e-books from Amazon’s expansive library.
Available here (temporarily out of stock as of press time).
3. Onyx Boox Tab Ultra C
Credit: Facebook
US-based Onyx Boox just unveiled the Tab Ultra C, a colour e-reader equipped with a 10.3-inch Kaleido 3 E Ink screen. This is the latest version of E Ink’s colour electronic display tech, which means it offers colour that’s just about as vibrant as you can get on an eye-comfy E Ink screen for the time being. The Tab Ultra C offers 300 PPI reading in black-and-white mode, and half that when you switch to colour, along with a frontlit system that makes it easier to read in a dark room. Both battery life and storage capacity are supersized, weighing in at 6,300 mAh and 128GB respectively. Its built-in 16 megapixel camera allows you to scan in documents for annotation and ideation to your heart’s content.
Available here.
