If you want the best all-rounder, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature is your best bet. If you hate being locked into Amazon, go with the Kobo Libra Colour or Clara BW. For those who want to run wild with Android apps, the BOOX Go 7 is the only serious choice.
Basically a tablet with e-ink, letting you run any app you want. A true power user tool.
What We Liked 👍
Android flexibility
Huge 64GB storage
Supports third-party apps
What Could Be Better 👎
Steep learning curve
Battery drains faster than simple readers
Spec sheet says one thing, reality says another
We love to look at resolution numbers and RAM, but an e-reader is only as good as its distraction factor. The Kindles here offer the most frictionless experience; if you have a massive library of books on Amazon, you are buying a Kindle. Period.
The Kobo options are for those who prefer to curate their own files. They handle EPUBs like a dream and don't care where you got them. When it comes to the colour models, be warned: they look dimmer than standard black-and-white screens. Don't expect a vivid iPad experience, because that's not what E Ink is about.
When smart devices stop being smart
The BOOX Go 7 is the weird outlier. It is technically an e-reader, but it is actually a stripped-down Android tablet. If you want to install the Kindle app on your Kobo, you can't. If you want to install it on the BOOX, go for it. But with that freedom comes the same headache you get from a phone: updates, app crashes, and shorter battery life.
Choose your poison carefully. If you want a book, buy a Kindle or Kobo. If you want a computer that looks like a book, buy the BOOX.
The final chapter
If you want to read, buy the Kindle Paperwhite Signature. It is the most refined, effortless experience on the market. If you despise Amazon's corporate grip, the Kobo Libra Colour is the superior hardware choice for its ergonomics.
For the tech-obsessed who think an e-reader needs an octa-core processor to flip a digital page, the BOOX Go 7 is your toy. Just don't blame me when you end up checking emails on your e-ink screen instead of reading.