Review: Kobo Arc

The Kobo Arc is what I wanted the Kobo Vox to be. I was really disappointed with the Vox, but I’m quite impressed with the Arc. I no longer have a sluggish machine that has issues turning pages, and not freezing. I was on my third Vox when I finally gave up. The Arc is a completely new machine, new design and works great! I have the white 16g reader.

All in all, I’m really impressed with the Arc. Reading on it is simple, it’s fast. I have none of the issues that I had with the Vox. The battery is great! I do get a full ten hours. The screen is really bright and looks amazing. I can actually use other apps with ease, something I couldn't do with the Vox. I’ve actually been using it to watch Netflix.

Reading apps, I use Kindle, Blufire and Sony Reader. Switching between apps doesn't lag and I enjoy having all the options. I’m happy to get my Sony books back since I no longer have the eink reader. I have used Overdrive in the past, but I haven’t used it lately. It’s great for Adobe DRM epub books. I also like that I can use Instagram and Twitter without problems. It does have a camera, located in the front but I haven't used it.

Setting up the Arc was really simple. It had an initial download, which seems to be the norm with Kobo products. Once the machine was booted up, I just needed to sign into my accounts and all my books were downloaded from the cloud.

Kobo uses Tapestries, which is similar to Pinterest with the idea that you can pin and place into folders. I haven’t really explored this feature and deleted some of the folders. I don’t like clutter on devices and prefer just simple icons for the apps that I use mostly. I can see how people like this feature; I might look into it more later on.

Discovery is Kobo recommendations. Kobo does not offer good recommendations, and mostly they recommend self-published or book I already purchased through them. I actually turned this feature off. The bar still remains with no books. I would love to be able to delete this feature.

Kobo mentioned that the Android system should be updated within a few months. I’m excited to see what the update will bring.

I bought the Kobo Sleepcover in grey and I’m really happy with it. The Arc clips into the custom case, and turns on/off when you open or close the cover. I like that it clips in and doesn't use elastics. The case was a bit pricey at 49.99$ but I think it was worth it. The case is good quality.

Kobo will be selling optional snapbacks in different colors. I can’t wait to buy the purple. I’m hoping these come into stock soon. Hoping they’ll decide to sell a pink one, but it doesn't seem to be in the line up.

I’m really happy with my Arc, it’s my reader of choice right now. The Kobo Glo is also a great machine for eink lovers. I did get a free Kobo Mini when I purchased the Arc, and I’ll be reviewing that one as well.