Been waiting for the Kindle Colorsoft in Australia? I'd get this Kobo colour ereader instead for AU$40 off

(Image credit: Rakuten Kobo)

I've been testing ereaders and E Ink tablets of all kinds for over eight years now and my current favourite ebook reader is undeniably the Kobo Libra Colour. In fact, it's what I've picked for the best ereader overall because it balances price and functionality very well.

It's also got physical page-turn buttons that I'm very partial to and comes with stylus support for taking notes or scribbling in the margins of ebooks.

Importantly, it's now got a small discount on Amazon – which is rare indeed – which drops the price by AU$40. You might tell me that the savings are higher than what Amazon is advertising, but Kobo has a penchant for hiking prices on its devices even after launch and the current RRP of the Libra Colour actually stands at AU$379.99 on the Kobo Store – Amazon's 'regular' price is out of date.

Available in black and white for the same price, this is a great deal on the Libra Colour as I'm yet to see Kobo itself slash the price by more than AU$20. It's still expensive for what is essentially an ereader, but hey, it's a good E Ink colour screen that's optimised well and the performance is excellent. It comes with full stylus support, although you will need to buy the Kobo Stylus 2 separately. Even then, I think it's good value, far better than any Kindle currently available.

Now, let me explain why I say this epaper tablet represents good value for money. There are plenty of reasons why I gave it a full five stars in my Kobo Libra Colour review and it goes beyond the page-turn buttons, because physically this tablet doesn't offer the oomph factor. It's all in its functionality, although I should give points for its 7-inch form factor that makes it very portable indeed.

Firstly, this is the best optimisation of the E Ink Kaleido 3 screen that I've had the pleasure of trying – the colours displayed, while still a little washed out, are more saturated compared to other such models using the exact same display, the Kindle Colorsoft included.

Then there's the writing capabilities. Kobo has given the Libra Colour all its notes features, including the Advanced Notebooks that made me fall in love with the Kobo Elipsa 2E over the Kindle Scribe. You might think it's unfair that the Libra Colour doesn't ship with a stylus in the box but, at this price point, there is no epaper tablet that will come with a writing implement. Even the new Boox Go Color 7 Gen II (which I am currently testing for TechRadar) doesn't come with a pen included and it costs AU$439 in Australia.

So buying the Kobo Stylus 2 separately is fine if you'll take full advantage of the writing features – it costs an additional AU$119.95 from the Kobo Store or AU$113.16 currently on Amazon.

Neal Sephenson's Zodiac book cover displayed in color on the Kobo Libra Colour ereader — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Then there's all the other features that add value to the device, starting with Dropbox and Google Drive support so you can wirelessly transfer ebooks or notes. I've used the latter to access ebooks and it works so smoothly! And there's 32GB of storage to keep 'em all on board.

There's also OverDrive baked in, so you can borrow library books (digital versions of course) if your local book depository uses the platform, or uses Libby. You'll just need your library card and it's a fabulous way to save on purchasing ebooks every now and then.

If you already have an existing collection of EPUBs somewhere, transferring files is remarkably easy via a PC connection – Windows or Mac. Heck, you can even add more fonts to it the same way, including Amazon's own Bookerly and Ember. It's a much more open ecosystem than the Kindle.

I personally also prefer the user interface on a Kobo to a Kindle, the home screen is just so much cleaner in comparison. And, importantly, it has Bluetooth connectivity so you can listen to audiobooks, albeit only those purchased or borrow from the Kobo Store or via a Kobo Plus membership. The current Kindles no longer have Bluetooth or Audible support in Australia, go figure!

I also respect that fact that it's repairable. Kobo has partnered with iFixit to sell genuine parts and you'll also get step-by-step guides to do your own repairs should it come to that.

If this long list of features doesn't convince to choose the Kobo over a Kindle, I'm not sure what will. If you do have your heart set on a Kindle, though, the best Prime Day deal is on the Kindle Scribe with a 31% on Amazon right now for the 16GB variant in Tungsten only.

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While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, Sharmishta's main priority is being TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor, looking after the day-to-day functioning of the Australian, New Zealand and Singapore editions of the site, steering everything from news and reviews to ecommerce content like deals and coupon codes. While she loves reviewing cameras and lenses when she can, she's also an avid reader and has become quite the expert on ereaders and E Ink writing tablets, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about these underrated devices. Other than her duties at TechRadar, she's also the Managing Editor of the Australian edition of Digital Camera World, and writes for Tom's Guide and T3.

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