Best tablets for reading

While there is nothing like the feeling of a real book, the truth is that having books in a digital format is far more convenient, particularly when you are travelling. Your tablet allows you to have several books with you and you won’t need to worry about carrying extra weight. A tablet can go with you anywhere and it is light and easy to pack. In this article, we will show the best devices for keeping your books, but before we start, it is important to establish a difference between tablets and e-readers. A tablet is a slim, flat mobile device that features a touchscreen display and that offers a lot of the functionality that you get from a computer.

An e-reader or e-book reader, is a mobile electronic device that is designed with a focus on reading digital e-books and documents. In general, any device that displays text on a screen can be used as an e-reader, even your TV or laptop can be used for the purpose of reading a book. However, a specialized e-reader offers better portability and allows you to read anywhere you are, in an easier way, even in direct sunlight. With an e-reader, you can bring with you a vast collection of books without worrying about space or weight. Most e-readers are lighter than one book and they are also compact and small. Now, let’s go through the particular characteristics of e-books and tablets.

Tablet

• A tablet has a larger screen and bigger fonts. Tablets can support a wide selection of e-reading formats.
• With a tablet, you can access a wider list of reading apps including Kindle, Nook, Scribd, FBReader and Better World.
• They usually have a bigger storage capacity and there are many models available so you can easily find an option that suits your needs.
• Tablets are more versatile. Apart from reading, you can use them for other tasks such as sending emails, playing games, taking photos and watching videos.

E-reader

• An e-reader is specifically designed for reading. It doesn’t make your eyes feel tired as much as tablets.
• E-readers offer longer battery life. In fact their battery life can last for up to two weeks so they are ideal for camping.
• E-readers are light, small and you can easily carry them on your pocket of backpack. They are usually smaller than regular books.
• With an e-reader, you can read in direct light and you can adjust the intensity of the brightness to suit your preferences
• Since the e-reader is only designed to allow you to read books, you won’t be distracted by other features and will be able to focus on your reading.
  In addition, e-readers tend to be cheaper than tablets and you can find good options for less than $100 USD.

Which one should you go for?

If you are looking for a device that offers many options and that allows you to complete a variety of tasks beyond reading books, a tablet is the best choice. However, if your main interest is to have many books available on the go and to focus on reading, you should get an e-reader. Now, to help you choose the best device, we will go through the list of the best e-readers and tablets for reading that you can find in the market.

Best Tablets for Reading

iPad Pro

The iPad Pro is a superb solution that offers all the features needed to enjoy a great reading experience and much more than that. The smaller version of the iPad Pro is a 9.7i-nch tablet that is compact and easy to carry when you are on the go. Its lightweight design makes it ideal for people who are constantly on the go. The iPad Pro is slim, it has an elegant design and as you would expect from Apple, it offers excellent quality. The iPad Pro offers many good features, but one of the best ones for avid readers is “True Tone”. This feature adapts color-tone of screen based on the light in your environment, which allows you to read comfortably, even in very low light.

The iPad Pro also offers a new sound system with four speakers, giving you powerful audio output. The 12MP rear camera can record in 4K resolution and it features auto focus, dual-LED face/smile detection. The 5MP front-facing camera can record in full HD. In addition, the iPad Pro uses A9X 2.26 Ghz dual-core processor and it has 2GB of RAM. There are different versions with 32, 128 and 256GB of memory. The battery life can last you for a whole day with steady use. In terms of security, the iPad Pro features a fingerprint sensor, which ensures that only you can access it with your fingerprint. The iPad Pro is available in Silver, Space Gray and Gold.

Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet

The Fire HD 8 is another tablet that you can easily carry with you when you are on the go. It features an 8-inch IPS LCD display with 800 x 1280 pixels resolution. However, it doesn’t offer the sharpness and brightness that you can get from other tablets. There are two versions, one with 16GB and one with 32GB of internal memory. There is a micro SD card that allows you to extend the memory. One thing to keep in mind is that you won’t be able to download Google apps in the Amazon Store, but you can use them via the web browser. Although you can’t get Gmail, it is possible to connect to your account using the built-in email app.

The tablet uses 1.3GHz quad-core processor and it comes with 1.5 of RAM memory. Although the front-facing camera has a low resolution and it doesn’t allow you to take the best quality photos, it will be enough to hold video chats with your family. The Fire HD 8 Tablet also stands out thanks to its dual speakers, which offer powerful sound, although there is no bass. The battery can last up to 12 hours, but you need to spend at least 5 or 6 hours charging the device. The Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet is available in Purple, Black, Blue and Red.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is an affordable solution that allows you to enjoy great quality for a convenient price. The tablets has a stylish design and it is thin and lightweight. It features a Super AMOLED 1536 x 2048 pixels screen. It offers a feature known as Adaptive Display, which is capable of adjusting saturation, gamma and sharpness based on your surroundings. Another features that is very convenient for users is Reading mode, which can find the right amount of brightness for your eyes. It adjusts the brightness of the screen according to your environment to ensure that you can read without hassle. The tablet uses Exynos 5433 Octa-core processor and Mali T760MP6 for graphics. It offers 3GB of RAM, which allows you to enjoy smooth performance, even when you are playing games.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is available with 32 or 64 GB and it comes with a memory slot that lets you extend the memory to 128GB. The tablet comes with two cameras, the 2.1 MP front-facing camera can record in 720p and the 8MP rear camera comes with auto focus and it can record in full HD resolution. The tablet comes with a Non-removable 4000 mAh Li-Ion battery that can last about a day in most cases. You can get the amazing Samsung Galaxy Tab2 in White and Black Gold.

Samsung Galaxy Tab E Lite

If you are looking for a low-priced tablet that offers good quality and that allows you to read on the go, consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab E Lite. It offers a good design and solid built. It is also lightweight and slim, featuring a 7-inch TFT screen with 1024 x 600 resolution. Although the color and brightness are not exactly impressive, given the low price of the tablet, there is no major complaint to make. The Samsung Galaxy Tab E Lite is rather simple, but it has all the main hardware options that you need such as a 3.5mm headphone jack and a charging port.

The tablet uses a 1.3 Ghz quad-core processor with 1 GB of RAM. There is only one 2MP rear-facing camera that allows you to take decent quality photos. The Galaxy Tab E Lite offers 8 GB of internal storage and it can be expanded to 32 GB with the help of a Micro SD card. The speaker on the back offers good enough audio quality and the battery life lasts up to 9 hours.

Best e-readers

Amazon Kindle Oasis

As you would expect, Amazon offers the best e-reader out there so if you want to enjoy the best reading experience, don’t hesitate to go for the Kindle Oasis. It is very lightweight, thin and has a compact design that makes it perfect for reading anywhere you are. Thanks to the wedge shape feature, you will enjoy comfortable reading, no matter in which hand you use the e-reader. The leather cover is available in Merlot and Walnut and it offers elegant design. Thanks to the cover, you will be able to hold the Amazon Kindle Oasis without hassle. The two buttons on the front of the device can be used for moving through the pages.

The device is designed to make you feel as if you were reading a paper book and the battery can last you for several weeks. Thanks to the design and the technology used for the screen, you can enjoy a comfrotable reading experience without affecting your eyes. You can select the level of brightness that better suits your environment. The screen is sharp and offers a resolution of 1440 x 1080, and the processor used is 1 Ghz. The Kindle Oasis has 512 of RAM. Another advantage of choosing this e-reader is that you can access Amazon’s library that offers millions of books.

Kobo Aura One

The Kobo Aura One has a large 7.8-inch screen that makes thing easier when you are reading. The e-reader is thin, simple and stylish. One of the best things about the Kobo Aura One is that it is waterproof, which means that you can read by the pool or while you are enjoying a sunny day by the lake. Just keep in mind that the device is not dust-proof so it is important to protect the USB charging port that is located on the back. The Kobo Aura allows you to enjoy text with great clarity and if offers solid viewing angles. The screen also features front-lighting technology that lets you read comfortably under any light conditions.

Another feature that is worth highlighting is ComfortLightPro, which is designed to adjust the color of the screen based on your surroundings. You will be able to read comfortably at night. The tablet uses 1GHz processor and it comes with 512 MB of RAM, as well as 8GB of internal storage, which allows you to store around 6000 books. The Kobo Aura One supports multiple formats including EPUB, MOBI, PDF and TXT. The battery life is not as impressive as you only get about 10 hours of screen time.

Amazon Kindle Voyage

The Amazon Kindle Voyage offers a fantastic high-resolution display, it is light, slim and it offers an outstanding lighting system. The screen allows you to read easily and thank to the automatic brightness, which is adjusted depending on the light in your environment, you can enjoy a comfortable reading experience. The tablet is easy to carry and it has a solid built. The display uses chemical strengthened glass, which is designed to prevent scratches. You can turn pages on the book you are reading with the pressure sensitive page-turn buttons located on each side. The Amazon Kindle Voyage uses 1GHz processor and it comes with 4 GB of RAM, as well as 4GB of built-in storage, which can be expanded. The light of the screen can be adjusted automatically to suit the light surrounding you. Thanks to the Amazon’s Family Sharing system, you will be able to share eBooks with your family for free. The battery can last up to 6 weeks, depending on how much you use the device on a day.

Kobo Glo HD

The Kobo Glo HD is a good alternative if you prefer an affordable e-reader that also offers a comfrotable reading experience. The 6-inch display and lightweight design allows you to hold the device easily using just one hand. The Kobo Glo is simple and allows you to focus on your reading without putting strain on your hands. You can also carry it in your pocket or handbag. Thanks to the Pocket feature, you can sync articles from the web so that they are available to read, even if you don’t have an internet connection. You have the option to open a Pocket account, integrate it into the browser to keep everything saved and easy to access on the Kobo HD for reading at a later stage.

One thing to keep in mind is that it is not possible to expand the internal storage as the Kobo Glo doesn’t come with a micro SD slot. The screen is sharp and bright, meaning that you can read in direct daylight. It is possible to customize different aspects including font size and there is a built-in dictionary. You also get an overview of how much you have read and since you can access the KOBO online store, you will be able to enjoy millions of books. The Kobo Glo is easy to use, it is powered by 1GHz processor and its battery life can last up to two weeks.