Kobo Mini

alaTest has collected and analyzed 17 reviews from magazines and websites. People really like the design and size. The usability and value for money also get good opinions, whereas some have doubts about the storage and reliability.

portability, value for money, usability, size, design

screen, performance, reliability, storage

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other eReaders the Kobo Mini is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 92/100 = Excellent quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 17 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

Review Ratings

  (8% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews   (23% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews   (38% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews   (15% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews   (15% of reviews)
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Features

Portability
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Value for money
  Show positive (54%)Show negative (15%)(Show all)
Screen
  Show positive (10%)Show negative (33%)(Show all)
Size
  Show positive (50%)None yet(Show all)
Usability
  Show positive (80%)Show negative (20%)(Show all)
Design
  Show positive (75%)Show negative (25%)(Show all)
Performance
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Reliability
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Storage
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Battery
  Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)
More features

Showing 12 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews
Showing 1 - 10 of 12 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (5)

Expert review by:

Kobo Mini

 

The Kobo Mini's 5-inch display gives e-reader fans a portable and affordable option, but the reading experience feels cramped compared with the competition.

Compact design; Large e-book selection; Unique Reading Life Stats

Tiny screen doesn't fit much text on the page; E-books more expensive than competition; Can't share book passages or lend books; Very small periodical selection

Click to EnlargeFor those who really can't stand to read on their smartphone, the $79 Kobo Mini might be worth a look. The compact design makes this device easy to use one hand, and you don't have to worry about glare when you read outdoors. Kobo...

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Expert review by:

Kobo Mini

 

Those of you out there who are e-reader scholars may remember that a couple of years ago, Sony was offering a 5-inch e-reader with no Wi-Fi, the Pocket Edition PRS-350 . You can still find that model for sale for $99, but Sony has since moved on to its...

The Kobo Mini is a modestly priced, very compact Wi-Fi-enabled e-ink e-reader with a 5-inch touch screen. It supports EPUB files, it's compatible with any e-book store that uses the Adobe DRM format, and with Wi-Fi off it gets up to a month's worth of...

Ideally, the device would be even smaller and thinner. Also, Kobo's selection of e-books lags behind Amazon's and Barnes & Noble's. Loading library loaners and third-party e-book purchases requires tethering to a PC.

The affordable Kobo Mini is a likable touch-screen e-ink e-reader that's too small for some and not quite small enough for others.

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Expert review by:

Kobo Mini

 

The eReader category settled in to the 6-inch screen size several years ago, despite attempts from the likes of Amazon and Sony to go bigger and smaller. The larger displays were pretty niche to begin with, but the smaller ones actually made sense. Now...

Light and comfortable ; Size is good for small hands ; Lots of control over text inside eBooks ; Touch-controlled and easy to use ; Access to eBook sources beyond Kobo's store

E Ink screen doesn't offer as much contrast as the competition ; Could use faster performance

The Kobo Mini comes with a budget price tag yet doesn't come off as cheap.

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Expert review by:

Kobo Mini

 

Sometimes smaller can be better—even when it comes to reading. The tiny Kobo Mini ($79 direct) is one of the smallest ebook readers we've tested. But the size is deceptive, as it still packs a 5-inch E Ink screen, which is just an inch less than you'll...

Inexpensive for a touch screen ebook reader. Small, cute form factor. Powerful ecosystem of books, mobile, and PC apps. Supports ePub format

Sluggish. Slightly stubborn touch screen. Display is noticeably smaller than that of a paperback book. No memory card slot

With its 5-inch touch screen, the Kobo Mini caters to an underserved market: Those who want a tiny, dedicated ebook reader. Unfortunately, it also underperforms.

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Expert review by:

Kobo Mini review: does the world need a smaller e-reader?

 

More Info Hands-on with Kobo's Glo and Mini e-readers (video) Kobo Glo review: another illuminated e-reader lights up the market Amazon Kindle Paperwhite review While tablet and smartphone manufacturers battled it out over screen sizes, e-reader makers...

Inexpensive ; Notably small and lightweight ; Intuitive UI

Limited screen space ; No expandable storage ; Low-contrast display

The Kobo Mini is lightweight and temptingly priced, but that smaller form factor also comes with some trade-offs.

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Expert review by:

Kobo Mini Review

 

The Kobo Mini is the first ebook reader from Kobo to use a 5-inch E Ink screen instead of the 6-inch screens more commonly used on most other ebook readers, including the Kobo Glo and Kobo Touch.

The Kobo Mini is very small and lightweight, and the design is well-balanced, making it very comfortable to hold ; Lots of font types and sizes, plus customizable font weight and sharpness ; Full set of software features with notes, highlights,...

No memory card slot or frontlight like its more expensive siblings ; Too much wasted space when reading—needs full screen mode ; Lacks multi-touch support for pinch-zooming ; Initial setup was painfully slow with it requiring to download a firmware...

The Kobo Mini is a nice little ereader that packs a surprising amount of features into its small size. From a software standpoint it offers the same features as its larger sibling, the Kobo Touch, just in a smaller trimmed-down package that's easier to...

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Consumer review by:

"I love this e-reader small compact and supports epub."

 

I would recommend the Kobo Mini e-reader to anyone who wants a small compact reader. I'm 67 and a smaller e-reader in my opinion would be too small and the text would be smaller making it difficult for a senior like myself to see. With the Kobo Mini...

Clear crisp text, compact, lightweight. I download books from my Public library, using Kobo desktop I drop the newly downloaded books into my Kobo Mini. Not a problem, Books from Kobo book store can be downloaded directly to the Kobo Mini with WiFi.

To date I haven't found any Cons to the reader.

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Consumer review by:

"An affordable eInk version of a small paperback book."

 

I bought a kobo mini to read at the gym. It's the perfect size. Pocketable. I do recommend changing the screen refresh rate to 1. The font stays crisp that way. No eye fatigue with the small screen, I usually read for about an hour at a time. Charge...

Small, Light, Affordable

Page turning on the screen is a bit touchy.

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Expert review by:

Kobo Mini review

 

This, the smallest e-reader on the market at around 5 inches, is gadget nirvana for book-loving commuters. The secret is in its size, which is carefully judged to fit into a handbag, a chest pocket of a shirt, or even the back pocket of a pair of jeans.

Pocket-sized, same experience as on larger Kobo ereaders, screen customisation options

Slightly too big for shirt chest pockets, no document/book emailing, computer required, unstable and liable to crash

Nicely priced at £59.99, the Kobo Mini is possible stocking filler for frequent travellers, commuters and anyone who likes to travel light, though in strict hardware terms it's certainly convenience over quality

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Expert review by:

Kobo Mini review

 

A versatile, customisable and highly portable e-reader that can be held in one hand, the Kobo Mini is cheap, but is it too limited?

Portable ; EPUB compatibility ; Screen calibration options ; Kobo interface

No 3G ; Drab design ; Average processor ; Side-loading requires PC/Mac

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