Along the top, you've got the power button, with the headphone jack placed on the side of the device somewhat strangely, just next to the volume rocker. This is also present on the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD, but sadly absent on the Nook HD (and HD+, for that matter). On the top bezel, you'll find a 720p camera for some hand-held Skyping (let's face it, a front-facing 1.3 megapixel still camera on a 7-inch tablet isn't destined to become anyone's default picture taker). For extended listening or viewing marathons, you'll definitely want to plug in some headphones if you hope to hear things clearly. The sound quality, however, leaves a bit to be desired: it's tinny and distorted, particularly at higher volumes. These guys get loud, too - surprisingly so for a device like this. Kobo definitely gets some points for placement: it stuck the sound sources on the front of the device so that they're pointed at your face as you're listening to music or watching videos - something we can't say about similar products from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. We didn't battle-test the tablet, but we should point out that the finish on the black version we tested was already beginning to rub off after just a few days in a messenger bag.Īlong the bottom bezel, a small white Kobo logo is flanked by two oblong speaker grilles. What it lacks in sleekness, however, Kobo claims it makes up for in ruggedness: the device can withstand 1.5-meter drops. It also lacks the handy concave back of Barnes & Noble's tablet. And at 12.8 ounces, it's heavier than both the Nook and the Nexus 7 (though still lighter than the 13.9-ounce Kindle). At 0.5 inch thick, it's a beefy thing - thicker than the competing Kindle, Nook and Nexus tabs. That's not to say that it's particularly comfortable to hold. This gives you a place to stick your fingers while you read that won't leave behind your greasy smudges. Kobo may have taken a page out of Barnes & Noble's playbook here, swapping out the relatively slick look (not to suggest that the Vox was ever particularly slick, per se) for utility. The company's maintained the Vox's square form factor, while trading in its all-glass front for a bezel-heavy configuration.
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