kobo Vox Pro Reviews

The truth is that I actually felt bad for Kobo while writing this review — the company has consistently been the underdog in the e-reader race and it has always been overshadowed by larger competitors. But most of the time I felt badly for myself as I consistently waited for books to load, pages to turn, and the screen to register my taps. In the pre-Fire and Nook Tablet era, Kobo may have gotten by with a poor screen, underpowered processor, and sluggish software for $200, but the reality is that the other options out there provide an experience that's incontrovertibly better for the exact same price. I think the answer is fairly obvious: the Vox isn't a contender in this new cheap tablet race; it's not even on the track.

It's impossible to discuss Kobo's entry into the tablet space without also talking about fellow e-reader makers who have also recently made the leap into tablets. And by that measure, the Vox doesn't look good. It's a piece of last-generation hardware that offers up a limited multimedia experience on the software front. That might have been acceptable six months ago, but the Fire and Nook Tablet have changed the game as far as budget Android tabs go. For its part, Kobo appears to be positioning the Vox as more of a souped-up color screen e-reader with apps and some multimedia functionality, as Barnes & Noble did with the Nook Color. It's a fair description, given the limits of the device, but even with Kobo's nice Reading Life feature, it's hard to justify paying the same $200 price tag as the Kindle Fire or the recently refreshed Nook Color. Unless you're already firmly entrenched in the Kobo ecosystem, there's little reason to choose this. For now, consider the Fire or Nook Tablet and here's hoping Kobo's new parent company helps it hit a home run the second time around.

It's not really an eReader, but a cheap Android tablet that suffers from a slow processor and unresponsive touchscreen

It’s here now, and it’s largely competent, with great storage and a decent look and feel. But the sluggish processor is the machine’s biggest problem and is a world away from the effortless-to-use touchscreens we’re used to. Page turning is fine but you may find yourself waiting when programs take time to launch. But if your aim is just to read books, and you want to see colour on your screen, the Kobo Vox offers access to a big store of books and you’re not tied in to a closed system as you are with Amazon’s offerings.

At $199, the price of the Kobo Vox costs exactly the same as the Kindle Fire. So why would anyone opt for Kobo instead of Kindle? That all depends. If you’re a dedicated Kobo buyer who’s built up a sizable library of books you’re not ready to abandon and you want the convenience of having an eReader/tablet, the Vox might just be your obvious choice. But for those just getting their feet wet as first time owners of either, it’s difficult to see why anyone would pay the same amount of money for what basically amounts to a much slower performing device with limited app options.

I actually think the Vox will get a bit better over time. Kobo clearly rushed it out to have something to counter the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet and it's taken some hard knocks from reviewers (that's what usually happens when you put out a device with beta software on it). It's gradually making the device more stable and smoother operating, though its processor remains a limiting factor. The other issue is that it simply has a pretty generic look and feel to it. And while Amazon's Kindle Fire isn't all that sexy looking either (it has a bit smaller footprint), its snazzy user interface makes it look a lot more inviting. The Nook Tablet is also a clear step up both in terms of performance (I think it runs better than the Fire) and design. So there you have it. The Vox's biggest fault is that it's not exceptional in any way. In fact, it's rather mundane. And in today's highly competitive market, that's not going to cut it. I'm not saying that in a mean way. I'm just being honest.

The Kobo Vox is a tablet and eReader hybrid and the combo has been well thought through. The screen isn't great outdoors, but the social features may be a lure, and the WHSmith tie in means you've a huge ebook store on tap.

With the Amazon Kindle Fire currently US-only, Kobo has missed a great opportunity with the Vox. As the only prominent LCD eBook reader in the run up to Christmas it will no doubt sell well, but satisfied customers will be few and far between. Navigation is tortuously sluggish, the display is second rate and the design materials lack thought. There is much promise in Kobo's innovate take on eBook reading rewards and the Kobo store is very well stocked, but we can't imagine any scenario where you'd want to use the Vox for long enough to enjoy either.