Some people would have you think that the Kobo Vox is the device of choice if you are looking for an Android tablet that’s good for a little bit of mobile browsing and for a little bit of e-book reading on the go. The Vox is available as part of a larger group of Android tablets that are being positioned as feature-rich e-book readers. How well—or how poorly—does it perform in this regard?
The Vox is, by all accounts, a product that might have been so much better if it hadn’t been rushed to market. It stood up against the likes of the Nook Tablet and Amazon Kindle Fire when it was released and was generally able to hold its own. But with the use of beta software and pretty much the exact same hardware features, it was difficult for this device to set itself apart. And how can it, really?
It comes with a 7-inch 1024x600 pixel resolution touchscreen display, 8GB of flash memory, and 512MB of RAM. It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread on a slow processor and the rest of its spec sheet is also rather lackluster. It’s like the Amazon Kindle Fire, only worse because it doesn’t have Amazon’s content ecosystem to back it up. So does this product have anything that can somehow be considered as a redeeming quality?
Not really. In a world of mediocre e-book reading tablets with Android, the Vox fits right in. That is to say, while it isn’t great, it’s not that bad either.
Need To Know: Kobo Vox
1. 7-inch form factor hits the sweet spot in readability and portability. (The Good)
2. 8GB of internal storage is just right. (The Good)
3. Slow processor and limited amount of RAM results in sometimes sluggish performance. (The Bad)
4. The operating system likely won’t get any upgrades from Android 2.3 Gingerbread to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. (The Bad)
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Jon Mundy, Pocket GamerThere's so much more to discuss about The Banner Saga, such as its memorable soundtrack, it's nuanced character classes, and its sparing but effective use of voice acting (in suitably scandinavian accents) - but all you really need to know is that it's a truly top class game.It's not quite a perfect...
- David Carnoy, CnetI actually think the Vox will get a bit better over time. Kobo clearly rushed it out to have something to counter the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet and it's taken some hard knocks from reviewers (that's what usually happens when you put out a device with beta software on it). It's gradually making th...
- Chris Hall, Pocket-lintThe compromise you have to make with the Kobo Vox is clear: it is good value for money and you get a tablet that has been reasonably well built and offers a wide variety of features. But you get neither the best tablet experience nor the best reading device. As a tablet it lacks the Google certifica...
- David Ludlow, Expert ReviewsKobo has certainly got the pricing of the Vox right and the benefits of a colour screen are certainly attractive. Sadly, the implementation really lets it down, particularly the sluggish performance. We'd rather buy a Kobo eReader Touch and stick with black-and-white content for this price, or save...
- David Phelan, The RegisterIt’s here now, and it’s largely competent, with great storage and a decent look and feel. But the sluggish processor is the machine’s biggest problem and is a world away from the effortless-to-use touchscreens we’re used to. Page turning is fine but you may find yourself wait...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Resources
Manuals / User Guides
- Kobo Vox Manual (PDF)
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