Further reflections on the Kindle Oasis

My review of the Kindle Oasis was positive. There is a lot to like about the Oasis but there are certain things that now bother me about the device after prolonged use. Below are the main issues:

• Battery life is poor for an e-reader. The Kindle Oasis 2 has a 1000 mAh battery capacity and I found the device drains completely after two days of continuous use. To compare, the Kobo Aura One has a 1200mAh capacity and after Kobo’s recent firmware updates lasts longer than the Oasis 2. The Kindle Oasis re-charges fast so that somewhat makes up for the poor battery life. 
• The text is sharp, but the contrast isn’t good. Text appears dark grey rather than inky black. Due to the sub-standard contrast, I tend to bold text to make it appear darker. To be fair, E-Ink has never reached the deep black you get on a Super AMOLED screen. CLEARInk promises to deliver superior blacks but we haven’t yet seen a consumer e-reader with the technology. 
• I don’t like the form factor. Amazon claims the uneven design makes it easier to hold. The original Amazon case was designed to make it easy to remove the Oasis 2 and read one-handed. This was a device designed to be used without a case. There is a problem - when reading the device without a case the metallic back is cold to the hand. The thin edges also make the e-reader feel fragile. It would’ve been a better idea if Amazon released an anti-knock bumper case for the Oasis 2 instead of the now-withdrawn official case that doesn’t completely cover the device. The Kobo Aura One’s all-plastic design might be utilitarian, but it works. Plus, Aura One’s design makes finding a good case easier. I use a Belkin iPad Mini case that fits the device perfectly. 

In my view, the contrast issue is the biggest problem. An e-reader does one thing and should do it well – the faded text is a drawback in that regard. The Oasis is a good e-reader, but it does not offer anything exceptional beyond the extra screen size to justify its price. Considering screen size, the Kobo Aura One is larger and cheaper.