Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 – Whats Different?
Back in July 2016, Travelling King reviewed the brand new Kobo Aura H2O, since then the Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 has been released and we were keen to see what had been improved and what was different. We will go through the differences and what makes the Edition 2 better:
Screen Size:
Original Kobo Aura H2O – 6.8” Carta E-Ink touchscreen
Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 – 6.8” Carta E-Ink touchscreen
Difference: There is no difference in screen size however the overall size of the Kobo has change slightly. The original Aura was 179 x 129 x 9.7 mm and the new Aura is 129 x 172 x 8.8 mm – Making the new Aura slightly smaller than the original, which i think helps fit in your hands better (or 1 hand, if you’re reading in the pool).
The New Aura is lighter (in weight) by 26 grams (old 233g -> new 207g).
Storage:
Original Kobo Aura H2O – 4 GB on-board memory, holds up to 3,000 eBooks. Option to expand up to 32 GB with a microSD card
Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 – 8 GB of on-board memory, holds up to 6,000 eBooks
Difference: The new Aura removed the need for the additional microSD card and has increased internal storage for 8gb which apparently holds 6,000 books. There is no need for the microSD card, realistically you don’t need 32GB of data on an ebook reader, surely 6,000 books should be sufficient through your lifetime!
Battery Life:
Original Kobo Aura H2O – Last for weeks*
Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 – Last for weeks*
Difference: There is no difference, however form personal use, which is reading when i can! The original Aura has lasted 1.5 months before needing to be charged and so far the new Aura hasn’t needed to be charged during the 1+ month trial i have had it for.
Waterproof:
Original Kobo Aura H2O – Waterproof and sandproof. IP certified, can be immersed for up to 30 minutes in up to 1 meter of water with port cover closed
Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 – Waterproof from the inside out with HZO Protection™ IPX8 – up to 60 mins in 2 metres of water
Difference: The main difference is that the new Aura doesn’t have a port cover – which made me hesitant to drop it in the water just in case however i did accidentally fall off my pool flamingo (haha!) and the new Aura was perfectly fine once i had dried it off. The new Aura has also increased its time (30mins -> 60 mins) and depth (1m -> 2m) for waterproof-ness.
Lighting:
Original Kobo Aura H2O – Built-in, fully adjustable ComfortLight with micro-thin coating for durability and even light distribution
Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 – ComfortLight PRO – Reduces blue-light exposure for more comfortable nighttime reading
Difference: The lighting on the Kobo hasn’t changed significantly, its still perfect to read in any lighting situation, whether you are laying in the sun or in bed. The only major change if the ComfortLight PRO which changes the lighting from a blue tone to an orange tone, so minimise eye strain. This feature can be activated in the “bedtime” feature, which automatically switches the screen to warmer, non-blue tone at a specific time.
I have provided a below example – on the left is the standard blue tone light for day time reading, on the right is the orange tone which is best for night time reading (i have turned the settings up to the highest setting to be able to take a photo to show the difference.)
Customizability:
Original Kobo Aura H2O – TypeGenius: 11 different fonts and 24 sizes to choose from
Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 – TypeGenius: 11 different fonts and over 50 font styles. Exclusive font weight and sharpness settings
Difference: The new Aura provides an increased font style and additional font settings.
Price:
Original Kobo Aura H2O – $239.95 AUD
Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 – $239.95 AUD
Difference: The price for both Kobos are the same, however the new will provide you with some extra goodies that you get with upgrades discussed in this article.
Kobo E-Books:
According to Kobo eBookstore, you have access to over 5 million titles, i’ve been able to find all of my favourite books plus a lot of new books! My Wishlist grows daily!
