If you're looking for an excellent all-round e-reader, you can now choose between two great e-readers: the Kobo Clara 2E and the Pocketbook Verse Pro. In this comparison, we'll see which is the best e-reader.
Different brands: Kobo or Pocketbook
Kobo is a Canadian brand belonging to the Japanese Rakuten group.
Pocketbook is a European brand that produces a wide range of e-readers with different features. Their e-readers often use the latest e-ink screen technology.
If you want a different kind of e-reader from the market leaders, Pocketbook is a good alternative. This is particularly the case if you don't want to go for a big global brand like Kindle or Kobo.
However, in both cases, the e-readers are made in Asia, and there's a good reason for that! The e-ink screens used in these two e-readers are only made in Asia. It is therefore impossible today to manufacture a e-reader outside Asia.
Comparing e-reader specifications
| Pocketbook Verse Pro | Kobo Clara 2E | |
| Image |  |  |
| Screen size | 6" | 6" |
| Resolution | 1072 x 1448 pixels | 1448 x 1072 pixels |
| Color | No | No |
| Backlight | Yes | Yes |
| Waterproof | Yes (IPX8) | Yes |
| Storage | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Pen / Stylus | No | No |
| SD card | No | No |
| Ebook formats | EPUB, PDF, FB2, FB2.ZIP, TXT, DJVU, HTM, HTML, DOC, DOCX, RTF, CHM, TCR, PRC (MOBI), JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF | EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR |
| Blue light filter | Yes | Yes |
| Other | Text-to-Speech and audio format support (MP3, MP3.zip, OGG, OGG.zip, M4A, M4B) via Bluetooth | Can read audio books from Kobo with Bluetooth speaker or headset. |
| Review | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Old model in the Kobo e-readers lineup ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Link (where to buy?) | Check the price on amazon.com - Official website | Check the price on amazon.com - Official website Kobo.com |
Kobo Clara 2E and Pocketbook Verse Pro: similar high-definition Carta technology e-ink screens
Technically, both readers use the same screen technology. It's a 6-inch screen with Carta 1200 HD technology.
The display hardware is therefore identical, but the screens do not display text in the same way.
This is because the Kobo Clara 2E and Pocketbook Verse Pro use different software. However, it is the software that is responsible for displaying the text on the screen.
These differences are mainly linked to the fonts used and the personalization settings that can be given to ebook texts.
To put it plainly, it's all about aesthetic differences, and since it's fairly simple to install new fonts on these e-readers, it's very easy to adapt the display to your own aesthetic tastes.
So, it's a draw for screen and display quality.
Front-lit display: perfect equality
Image : Kobo Clara 2E front-lit display
Front-lit display is also an important parameter, and the Pocketbook Verse Pro and Kobo Clara 2E e-readers feature a lighting system that not only enables night-time reading, but also filters out blue light.
Pocketbook Verse Pro: Smartlight front-lit display
On both screens, the rendering is very good and makes for an excellent reading experience.
It's another draw.
Features: the Pocketbook Verse Pro is better
The design of the Pocketbook Verse Pro features physical buttons under the screen, whereas the Kobo Clara 2E has only a touch screen (which the Pocketbook also has).
In addition to this difference, the Pocketbook Verse Pro is natively compatible with a greater number of file formats. Nevertheless, the Kobo Clara 2E supports the EPUB format very well - as does the Pocketbook.
While both readers offer playback of audio books purchased from the brand's bookshop, only the Pocketbook Verse Pro can play MP3 audio books without the need for manipulation.
In addition to classic reading functions, the Pocketbook offers small applications (drawing, games) and greater customization options.
Image : Pocketbook Verse Pro chess game
The Kobo Clara 2E, on the other hand, offers more extensive reading statistics and integration with the Pocket service.
All in all, I find that the Pocketbook Verse Pro's functionalities are far more extensive, which is an advantage over the Kobo.
Both ebook readers are compatible with the Calibre software.
Kobo and Pocketbook build quality
Image: Pocketbook Verse Pro
Both e-readers are well designed in solid plastic.
The Kobo Clara 2E and Pocketbook Verse Pro are also waterproof, making them resistant not only to water (short immersion) but also to dust, crumbs and sand.
However, the Kobo Clara 2E is made from a plastic that uses a small proportion of recycled material. If you're sensitive to environmental issues, this may be a decisive point.
Nevertheless, if we focus solely on manufacturing quality, we can say that the two e-readers are similar. You'll still need to think about buying a protective case to protect the e-reader.
Comparison between the Kobo Clara 2E and the Pocketbook Verse Pro: the Pocketbook is better
With a similar price tag, the Pocketbook Verse Pro offers some interesting advantages over the Kobo Clara 2E.
On the one hand, the Pocketbook's buttons are located under the screen. But it also offers more functionalities. If these options are far from necessary for reading ebooks, I think it's still interesting to have them.
If I have to choose, I'd recommend the Pocketbook Verse Pro. But that shouldn't make you forget that the Kobo Clara 2E remains one of the best e-readers available today. If you find a special offer, you can also buy it with your eyes shut.
