Pocketbook is finally offering an affordable e-reader that cleverly complements its range of devices dedicated to ebook reading. In this review, I'll explain whether the Pocketbook Verse Lite is a good e-reader, despite some cost-saving measures in its design.
The Pocketbook Verse Lite is a new e-reader featuring a 6-inch black-and-white E Ink screen. It is the most affordable e-reader from Pocketbook, expanding an already wide range of devices available at various price points.
The Pocketbook Verse Lite e-reader is the latest addition to the "Verse" range. It's an affordable model that adopts the design cues of the line, whose high-end model is the appealing Pocketbook Verse Pro Color.
Note: I purchased this e-reader myself in order to test it with complete impartiality.
Pocketbook Verse Lite
6" e-reader - 758 × 1024 pixels e ink screen - Ebook formats supported: EPUB, PDF, FB2, FB2.ZIP, TXT, DJVU, HTM, HTML, DOC, DOCX, RTF, CHM, TCR, PRC (MOBI), JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF
Video review
Packaging and Presentation of the E-Reader
Pocketbook sells its Pocketbook Verse Lite in a nice cardboard box that feels less bulky than those of other e-readers.
As is standard for all e-reader brands, inside the box you'll find the device itself, a USB-C cable, a small "quick start guide," and some technical and regulatory instructions.
So the package contents are simple and straight to the point and, in line with all recently sold electronic devices, there is no power adapter included in the box.
After a quick inspection of the e-reader, we notice some key differences compared to the rest of the lineup and its bigger sibling, the Pocketbook Verse: no buttons under the screen and no SD card expansion slot.
We'll see later if this is a real drawback, but the device feels well-built, and I'm reassured to see that the materials used (mainly plastic) seem to be of the same quality as those found in other Pocketbook models, even the more expensive ones.
When turning on the device, the frontlight activates correctly, and the display shows good definition despite the 212 PPI of its 6-inch E Ink screen. In use, it feels very much like the Pocketbook Verse -despite being less expensive, which is a very good sign.
E-Reader Screen, Touch Interface, Frontlight, and Ebook Reading
Like all major brand e-readers, the Pocketbook Verse Lite uses an E Ink display that allows for "passive" viewing (even when the device is turned off), mimicking the appearance of printed paper.
This type of screen makes it possible to read for long hours without straining your eyes ; unlike reading on a tablet or smartphone.
The Pocketbook Verse Light performs very well in this regard, which makes sense since it uses the same screen as the Pocketbook Verse released just over a year ago.
The frontlight works well and adjusts gradually to suit all lighting conditions. However, there's no blue light filter. That's not a major issue, since if the screen appears too "white" when reading at night, you can always activate "dark mode” which displays white text on a black background. In fact, this is how I did most of my nighttime reading on the Pocketbook.
Even though the screen isn't as sharp as the one on the Pocketbook Verse Pro or the Kobo Clara BW, pixels are barely noticeable, and the reading experience is still very comfortable.
It's also worth noting that at just 170 grams, this is a lightweight e-reader that you can easily hold for extended reading sessions.
As always, the text display can be customized to your preferences using a wide range of options:
- line spacing
- margin size
- hyphenation (on or off)
- font size
- font selection: AR PL New Sung, Deja Vu Sans, Deja Vu Serif, Droid Sans MTI Arabic, FreeSerif, Liberation Sans, Liberation Serif, OpenDyslexic, OpenDyslexic Alta, OpenDyslexicMono, PT Sans, PT Sans Caption, PT Serif, RaghuHindi, and Roboto
- page numbers display
- status bar display showing battery level and current time
A built-in dictionary is included, and you can highlight passages or add bookmarks to easily find your place ; especially helpful when switching between multiple books.
Some reading statistics are available, but the options are more limited than on Kobo devices. This is true across all Pocketbook models.
For example, you won't see how much reading time is left in a chapter, but you will see the number of pages remaining. In everyday use, I don't find this to be a major drawback.
Reading PDFs, Manga, Audiobooks, and Comics
This budget-friendly e-reader might seem like an ideal candidate for diving into digital comics or manga due to its attractive price. Unfortunately, the screen size is a limiting factor for this type of content.
With just a 6-inch display and a resolution of 212 PPI, only manga reading is somewhat feasible. Even then, I wouldn't recommend it, as I believe a screen of at least 7 inches is essential for a satisfying manga experience.
If you're looking to read manga on a Pocketbook device, the InkPad 4 (review here) is the one I personally use and would recommend instead.
If you have a few PDF documents to consult, this e-reader won't be your best ally for the task. Once again, the screen is a bit too small, and you'll find yourself frequently using the zoom function to read documents properly.
When it comes to audiobooks, this e-reader lacks both speakers and Bluetooth support. So, it's simply not possible to use it for audiobook listening. Likewise, there's no text-to-speech functionality.
The Pocketbook Verse Light is excellent for reading standard ebooks, but for anything beyond that, it falls short.
Pocketbook Verse Lite Interface
Pocketbook has a reputation for offering e-readers with a wide range of settings and customization options. The Pocketbook Verse Lite is no exception, you'll find plenty of features to tailor your reading experience to your preferences.
I made a video that goes over everything you can do with a Pocketbook e-reader, and it applies to this Pocketbook Verse Lite as well, except for the Bluetooth section, since this device does not support audiobook playback.
Here are the available settings and features on this e-reader:
Ebook Reading : You can read ebooks in various formats with plenty of customization options.
Bookstore : A built-in store lets you buy and download ebooks directly to the device.
Settings:
- Wi-Fi
- Accounts and synchronization: You can create user accounts if you're sharing the device.
Customization of the Pocketbook Verse Lite:
- Frontlight settings
- Gyroscope settings
- Button assignment and gestures while reading
- Startup logos (e.g., display book cover when in sleep mode)
- Startup action (e.g., go to home screen or resume last book)
- Screen refresh settings
Built-in Apps:
- News: RSS feed synchronization
- Calculator
- Dictionary
- Photo gallery
- Calendar and clock
- Web browser (basic and minimal)
- Notes (simple note-taking app)
- Scribble: a small drawing app
- Solitaire: the classic card game
- Sudoku
- Chess
This variety of apps and settings makes the Pocketbook Verse Lite surprisingly versatile, especially for an entry-level e-reader.
Wi-Fi, USB, Storage, and Bookstore
To access the Pocketbook bookstore, you'll need to connect your e-reader to a Wi-Fi network. This is a very simple process, just like on a smartphone or computer.
You can then visit the Pocketbook bookstore to download new titles (some of which are free) or purchase additional ebooks.
Once purchased, the ebook is downloaded to the device and ready to read within a few seconds.
If you already own ebooks in the EPUB format, the Pocketbook Verse Lite supports this file type. Simply transfer your ebooks to the device using the included USB cable and a computer.
This e-reader is fully compatible with the Calibre software, which helps you manage your digital library from your computer.
The Pocketbook Verse Lite comes with 8 GB of storage for digital books, allowing you to store several thousand titles. That's more than enough, especially since this device isn't designed for reading comics or graphic novels.
Technical specifications of the Pocketbook Verse Lite e-reader
In the meantime, here are the technical specifications of the Pocketbook Verse Lite e-reader:
- Diagonal: 6" (15.24 cm)
- Screen Type: E Ink Carta™
- Resolution (Grayscale): 758 × 1024 pixels
- PPI (Grayscale): 212
- Color Depth (Grayscale): 16
- Touch Screen: Capacitive (multi-sensor)
- Front Light: Yes (no blue light filter)
- Processor: Dual Core (2×1 GHz)
- RAM: 512 MB
- Internal Storage: 8 GB
- Battery: 1000 mAh (Li-Ion Polymer)
- Wi-Fi: 2.4 GHz
- USB Port: USB Type-C
- Platform (OS): Linux 3.10.65
- E-book Formats (without conversion): ACSM, AZW, AZW3, CBR, CBZ, CHM, DJVU, DOC, DOCX, EPUB, FB2, FB2.ZIP, HTM, HTML, MOBI, PDF, PRC, RTF, TXT
- E-book Formats with DRM Support: Adobe DRM (EPUB, PDF), LCP DRM (EPUB)
- Image Formats: JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF
- Dictionaries: 11 pre-installed language combinations + 42 language combinations available for download
- Online Services: PocketBook Cloud, ReadRate, Dropbox, Send-to-PocketBook
- Applications: Book store, Library, Dictionary, Browser, Gallery, Calculator, Notes, RSS News, Chess, Klondike, Scribble, Sudoku
- Dimensions: 108 × 156 × 7.6 mm
- Weight: 170 g
- Available Colors: Midnight Grey
- Package Contents: E-reader, USB Type-C cable, documents
Conclusion: One of the Best Entry-Level E-Readers
If you're looking for an affordable e-reader, there are really only two options today: invest in a Kindle, or go for the Pocketbook Verse Lite.
The Pocketbook Verse Lite performs very well compared to its American competitor, and reading on this device is truly enjoyable.
While it's a bit disappointing not to have physical page-turn buttons under the screen, you quickly get used to the touchscreen interface, which is also customizable. Plus, with 8 GB of storage, you can hold thousands of digital books.
So if you're looking for an excellent first e-reader for reading novels, the Pocketbook Verse Lite is probably the best option right now, thanks to its very attractive price of $119 (though you can often find it for less by checking discounts on this page).
I'm giving it a 5/5 rating for its unbeatable value for money!
Pros:
- Price
- Fast device with support for many file formats
Cons:
- Limited reading statistics
- No more physical page-turn buttons under the screen
| Pocketbook Verse Lite | |
| Image | |
| Screen size | 6" |
| Resolution | 758 × 1024 pixels |
| Color | No |
| Backlight | Yes |
| Waterproof | No |
| Storage | 8 GB |
| Pen / Stylus | No |
| SD card | No |
| Ebook formats | EPUB, PDF, FB2, FB2.ZIP, TXT, DJVU, HTM, HTML, DOC, DOCX, RTF, CHM, TCR, PRC (MOBI), JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF |
| Blue light filter | No |
| Other | One of the most affordable e-reader on the market. |
| Review | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Link (where to buy?) | Check the price on amazon.com |
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