Kobo Touch Review | Yes or No?

I recently received a Kobo Touch for Christmas, after straining to read purchased books and documents from my tiny iPhone screen. An E-reader had been on my wish list for ages, so I thought Christmas would be the perfect reason to purchase one. I’ll be honest, it was an impulse buy at first, as I hadn't done any research in to what e-readers would be the best for me- kindle, Kobo, basic e-readers etc. I brought the Kobo touch from Whsmiths a few weeks before Christmas, and it was on offer at that time for £40, which I thought, for a small e-reader, was such a good deal! I didn't waste my time looking through the specifications however, so I only had a basic idea of the layout from the model shown in store.

I won’t lie- I never lasted until Christmas day before opening the box and using it, though my dad never actually found out. And since that day, I have been reading religiously every day, for around 1-2 hours each night. Before I start to give my review, I feel the need to clarify that I wasn't searching for an e-reader that had apps, a camera or did anything other than show books. Therefore the Kobo touch was perfect for me. So…let me begin!

Overall

For somebody looking for a basic e-reader, this is a fantastic little gadget. I love the fact you can add your own books, as well as search through a whole range of books that can be purchased directly though the Kobo using your wifi. There are also settings to make collections of books, if you have whole series, they can sit nicely together on your homepage. I also like the fact that once the Kobo is switched off, a picture of the book cover actually stays on the front, instead of the screen being blank. At first, like most people, I thought this would drain the battery, but it turns out it doesn't- which is an added bonus. 

The overall Kobo case is a nice design too. The colours range from black, white, baby pink or baby blue, with the back of the reader having diamonds ‘etched’ (I guess you can say) in to it. Though I’ll be honest- it does make the Kobo touch look extremely girly and pretty by having this design. But I like it! And for anybody thinking about buying the Kobo touch, i suggest buying a cheap cover for it too, as it's own cover seems to peel very easily.

Screen

The screen size is small, although this is because of the make of the Kobo. It is just slightly bigger than the Kobo mini. Though with this in mind, you are still able to clearly see the writing, as you can change the size in an easily found settings tab.

I've had a few problems with the touchscreen side of it though, as it takes quite a bit of pressure on the screen for it to react. For somebody with a lot of patience, or heavy hands, this shouldn't bother you too much. However, I do find myself having to press the screen 2-3 times before it finally responds to anything I have pressed. This can sometimes make it an issue if I want to turn the page, or especially when I want to access the settings tab, as it is only a small symbol in the top corner.

Another thing I have found with the Kobo touch is that it does not have a backlight built in. I’m able to read throughout the day without any problem- there are no light reflections given off either. However, whenever I want to read in bed, I either have to keep my full bedroom light on, or use a separate book light shining on the Kobo in order to light it up. Take this information however you want- as it can be seen as good or bad!

Battery life

I can’t praise the battery life of the Kobo touch enough. I fully charged the e-reader on the first day I got it, and after reading for a few hours every single night, I can safely say that the battery is still over half full. It doesn't take long at all to charge, and last much I suspect it really does last the 8 weeks that it claims to on the box! Although I must point out, I do keep my wifi turned off as I don’t see the need in it being constantly switched on.

Portability

It’s perfect for people on the go too, if, like me, you find yourself arriving to places earlier and have a bit of spare time, I like to whip it out of my bag and within 30 seconds, I’m reading a good book. Being a girl, I use quite large bags anyway, too fit my whole bedroom in there for “just in case” moments, but I imagine the Kobo touch would even fit in to small sized bags.