With the Kobo Sage, the e-reader manufacturer shows that an e-reader is more versatile than you might think. Not only is the device suitable for reading e-books, you can also read audiobooks and take notes. But with a figurative caveat.
Kobo Sage
Price: € 289,- (excluding sleepcover worth € 49.99 and stylus € 39.99)
Screen: 8 inch e-ink with night lamp (1920×1440)
Processor: 1.8GHz (quad core)
Storage: 32GB (not expandable)
Weight: 241 grams
Dimensions: 16.1 x 18.1 x 0.8 cm
Wireless: bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/b/g/n
Connection: usb-c
Other: IPX 8 waterproof, stylus support
Website: https://en.kobobooks.com
7 Score 70 
- Pros
- Comfortable screen
- Design
- Storage area
- battery life
- Negatives
- Audiobook support is lacking
- Added value of stylus
- Price
Kobo is busy reviving the e-reader market. That is also allowed, because the user group remains quite small because many people seem inclined to opt for a tablet, which is a lot more versatile… But it does not have a comfortable screen for relaxing reading. A few months before the introduction of the Kobo Sage, the Kobo Elipsa appeared on the market, a large-screen e-reader where you can annotate your reading material with a stylus or get started with scribbles and notes you make in a note field.
Unfortunately, the stylus is not really a golden combination with an e-reader screen. Such a screen has a slow response speed, which makes it feel very unnatural. You are also limited by the lack of color and only the possibility of making scribbles and markings. You can also buy a stylus with this Kobo Sage. But unfortunately this is not the innovation that the e-reader is pulling into the conference room or classroom.
audiobooks
With the Kobo Sage, Kobo innovates in yet another way: audiobooks. A smart move, because audiobooks are also on the rise. Storytel previously presented an e-reader that plays audiobooks. There are also several audiobook services available, such as Storytel, the online library and Kobo itself. It also seems a matter of time before Audible officially starts in the Netherlands.
In short, the fact that Kobo also supports the playback of audiobooks with the Kobo Sage (and the also new Kobo Libra 2) is very much to be welcomed. Unfortunately, its implementation leaves much to be desired. It makes sense that the Kobo Sage supports Kobo’s own audiobooks. You can also download the books, so that you are not dependent on an internet connection to listen to your books while on holiday. One drawback, however, is that you cannot play audiobooks from other services or put your own audiobooks on the device, as you can with regular books from which you simply copy epub, mobi, pdf and other files onto the device.
The limited playback options can be explained from Kobo’s perspective. But where it becomes incomprehensible is the fact that you can only listen to your audiobooks with a bluetooth device: there is no audio connection. I could break my head over it. What must the discussion in Kobo’s boardroom have been like before this bizarre decision was made? Either way, when you’re playing an audiobook, which you may like to do for extended periods of time, you can listen for as long as your bluetooth headphones, speaker, or earphones last. While the device could easily have supported both bluetooth and wired and has a lot of playing hours more available on its battery. Even while maintaining its waterproof IP rating, it is possible. After all, there are waterproof devices, such as Xperia smartphones, that have an audio port and an IP rating.
In short, for audiobooks, the Kobo Sage does not yet offer any added value compared to, for example, the audiobook app on your phone.
Although the Kobo Sage is a fantastic e-reader, the innovation is disappointing.
reading books
Okay, the new functions are a bit clunky, but when it comes to reading books, you’re very well off with this e-reader. But really. First of all, construction. So the Kobo Sage is water resistant, which is a nice plus. It also comfortably grips the edges around the screen. There is a curve in the edge to which you hold the reader, which is especially nice if you turn the device a quarter turn and hold the edge at the bottom. The buttons to turn the pages align perfectly.
The e-ink screen is also an excellent read. The screen has a diameter of 8 inches (approx. 20 centimetres) and, thanks to the high resolution, is sharp enough to be able to read from. No light comes from an e-ink screen, which keeps it comfortable for the eyes. Thanks to a built-in light that shines on the screen, you can still read in the dark as if you were reading a normal book with a night light. In practice, minimal lighting is sufficient for pleasant reading in the dark.
Of course you can read e-books from the Kobo service on the Kobo Sage, but the great strength is that the reader is also excellent for other e-books. Although it is not possible to sign up for other reading services such as the digital library, you can connect your reader to your PC to transfer your own e-book files. Including PDFs. Thanks to 32GB of storage, you have enough to load an entire library on your e-reader and you can also store quite a few audiobooks from Kobo itself (these are usually a few hundred MB, an e-book only takes up a few MBs).
You can go weeks without having to charge the battery. Of course that depends on your usage. An audiobook consumes a relatively large amount of battery because of the playback and the active connection. The night light also slightly decreases the battery life. If you want to be able to read as continuously as possible, turn off the sleep mode and the WiFi connection. Because the screen only refreshes when you turn the page, the battery life also depends on how fast you read.
Alternatives to the Kobo Sage
As an e-reader, the Kobo Sage is very impressive. The screen reads wonderfully thanks to the size, night light, in addition, the light weight and battery life are also strong plus points for reading comfort. The price of 289 euros is a bit steep. For a hundred euros less you have the Kobo Libra 2 at home, which is almost equivalent except for stylus support. However, that stylus is not yet able to prove its added value.
If you are looking for a device that plays your audiobooks, it might be better to keep an eye out for a while or to continue using your smartphone or tablet for the time being. The Kobo Sage and Kobo Libra 2 do show that they are more suitable for audio books than the Stoytel Reader. Although all three readers mentioned are limited to their own audiobook services, the Kobo e-readers have enough storage memory, where the Storytel Reader falls short. The Storytel Reader does, however, simply offer the option of connecting your headphones wired.
When it comes to reading itself, Kobo remains a worthy competitor to Amazon’s Kindle. The Kindle may have a slightly more luxurious look. Kobo reader’s are just that much more versatile, for example by supporting multiple file formats and now also audiobooks.
Conclusion: Buy Kobo Sage?
With the Kobo Sage, Kobo still falls short in the areas in which it tries to innovate: audiobooks and stylus support. As an e-reader itself, the Kobo Sage is very comfortable to use, thanks to the good screen with night light and handy design. The price is a bit high, but if you find that a problem, Kobo itself offers a smaller and more affordable alternative with the Kobo Libra 2.
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