I thought it would be interesting to compare the current state of the lower end Kindle with the new Kobo Clara BW and the Kobo Clara Colour. I recently posted about how Kindles are lagging behind the competition, and this is good example of that.
There’s only a $10 price difference between the Kindle and the Clara BW when you consider the comparable ad-free version of the Kindle, which sells for $119.
You could argue that the Kindle should be compared to the Kobo Nia at $109, but there’s really no reason not to get the Clara BW over the Nia with its 7-year-old hardware only to save $20. The Nia is long overdue for a replacement or to get phased out.
Similarities
There are a lot of similarities between the 2022 Kindle and the Kobo Clara BW. Both share the same basic design, although the Kindle is a bit smaller and lighter, but the Clara has the power button on the back instead of on the lower edge where it’s easier to accidentally press.
They both have 6″ E Ink screens with 300 ppi, but the Clara BW uses a newer Carta 1300 screen, which is somewhat disappointing compared to Carta 1200 screens, but it looks better than the older Carta screen on the basic Kindle. The Clara has darker black ink, and lighter whites when using dark mode.
Both share a number of software features as well, and both come with 16GB of storage, and each supports ebooks and audiobooks from their respective stores.
Where the Kindle is Better
Despite the new screen on the Clara BW that is supposed to be faster, the Kindle still outpaces the Kobo when it comes to page turns and general navigation.
Kindles also have the option to use landscape mode for ebooks, which the Clara models still lack for some reason, although landscape mode is an option with other types of content, like comics.
Advantages Kobo
Kobo has some software advantages over Kindles, like advanced layout options, support for more formats, and Kobos work better with Calibre than Kindles when it comes to managing your ebook library. Kobo also offers a scalable interface on their devices, which is nice for those with vision problems.
For an extra $10, the Clara BW also adds a few hardware upgrades over the ad-free Kindle:
- Newer screen tech with improved contrast.
- Warm frontlight.
- Waterproof (IPX8 rated).
- Power button on back.
- New Clara models are user repairable.
There’s also the option for color…
Clara Colour
I didn’t spend much time comparing the Kindle with the Clara Colour in the video, but it’s exactly the same as the Clara BW except for the screen. Color E Ink has some drawbacks, but it is nice to have the option for color for those that want it, and you do get used to the different look of color E Ink after a while.
The Kobo Clara Colour sells for $149 so it’s more expensive than the basic Kindle, but not by a lot. That’s the same price as the ad-supported Kindle Paperwhite. It’ll be interesting to see if Amazon releases a color Kindle at some point too.
I wonder if the next Kindle is going to be something like a color Oasis. Maybe that’s why they discontinued it and slashed prices for the available stock. Or a smaller color Scribe thing. I’d still pick Kobo if I were buying a device. I liberate all my books so the better Calibre integration is much appreciated and that the new devices are user repairable is also a big plus.
Is there a comparison between the Clara BW and the Basic Kindle 2024?
No, sorry. The 2024 Kindle has slightly better contrast and a brighter frontlight than the 2022 model, but everything else is exactly the same (aside from the new green color).