![]() This is similar to the airplane mode in that it will shut off Wi-Fi, as well as put a stop to any incoming notifications as well as slightly dim the screen, all of which will create a non-intrusive reading ambience. By dragging down the top right corner, the Android quick settings are also at your disposal, though with one addition: a new Reading mode. The bottom left has the icons for the app gallery, device search and voice search. You have the same three on-screen menu, back and recently opened apps buttons like a Nexus, which are displayed on the bottom right corner. Running on Android 4.2.2, the Kobo has a stock Android interface but has integrated their own Kobo Launcher. In this day and age of smartphones and tablets, it is in this department that a company will really stand apart from the others. ![]() The software is where Kobo, in my opinion, really excelled. The ''avant-garde'' back side of the Kobo Arc 10 HD. HSPA+, EDGE/GPRS, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi, Kies WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC (Android Beam), micro USB, micro HDMI Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Miracast support, micro USB micro HDMI Mali TS04 Quad-core GPU, A15 Dual-core CPU The Arc 10 HD had some hits and misses in terms of tech specs, but their strength is yet to come.Ģ,560 x 1,600, 300 ppi WQXGA True RGB REal Stripe PLS, Corning Gorilla Glass 2 ![]() The Arc 10 HD shines bright thanks to its 2,560 x 1,600 HD+ display with 300ppi and 1,080p video playback: here it’s up to par with the Nexus 10 and better than the Note 10.1 (1280 x 800 WXGA LCD). On the other hand, it is ticking with a Quad-core Nvidia Tegra 4 processor at 1.8 GHz which ensured for smooth operation. I didn’t even bother testing the 1.3 MP front-facing HD camera. It only offers 16 GB of internal storage with no micro SD slot, though this shouldn’t be a problem when reading web-based books. My first worry came when I saw the battery: with only 6,550 mAh compared to the 9,000mAh of the Galaxy Note 10.1, it doesn’t quite shape up. Though the new Kobo Arc 10 HD, when compared to other 10-inch tablets, doesn’t match up, it doesn’t stray too far behind. Kobo left the design frills aside and focused on the user experience for readers. A tad heavy at 627g grams (Nexus 10 weighs 603g Galaxy Note 10.1 weighs 600g), a tablet for reading should ideally be light as a book so your arms don’t get tired. Be that as it may the entire device gave off the feeling of being extremely sturdy. It is definitely a design that I haven’t come across with any other tablet and I did notice an irregular gap between the front and back sides. When turning the device over, I noticed an unusual embossment, which Hasan says they like to call “avant-garde”. Hasan stated that Kobo didn’t invest in gimmicks with their design and left it looking rather plain, similar in many ways to the Nexus design, in order to focus much more on the software and user experience. Though there was no explanation for this at the time, I can imagine that it is to provide a more optimal experience for reading: so you don’t cover words with your fingers. Design and Craftsmanshipĭesigned in Toronto, Canada, the Kobo Arc 10 HD is made of a matte, black plastic chassis which on the front has a very large bezel, no edge-to-edge display. In my test, I review the design, hardware, tech specs, software and the app. Kobo’s tablets, the Arc 7, Arc 7 HD and the Arc 10 HD, take on something similar to the Facebook Home launcher, but in a much more intelligent way: their launcher creates a user interface which brings the reading content first and the apps second, along with some new software features and home screen customization options so readers will still feel like these tablets are catered to them.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |