Apple iPad Mini 6 vs Barnes and Noble Nook Glowlight 4 vs Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition
Over Christmas last year, I went haywire on updating our eReaders. Our Barnes and Nobel Nook was 13 years old with a battery that no longer held a charge. While our Kindle was newer by several years, it was still long in the tooth. The Apple iPad Mini 6 is a generation behind, but works well so we opted not to replace that. As such, I decided do an eReader comparison for those who aren’t sure which one they should get.
Apple iPad Mini 6 – $N/A (Mini 7 – $499)
The iPad Mini 6 has an 8.3″ screen, making it the largest of the eReaders reviewed. It is a full color tablet that runs any app in the Apple store. It is heavier than the other eReaders but makes up for that in its versatility and extra functionality. Battery life easily lasts most of the day, if reading, though it will require charging that night after a days use. It’s bright screen is suitable for outdoor use, however the screen can glare if the sun is directly behind you and the sunlight might lead to an overheated device (which happened to us). It is fast and reading through or highlighting in a book is a breeze.
Why would we pick the iPad Mini over the other eReaders? For one, it it more universal due to the app store, allowing us to use Kindle, Nook, Libby, and other apps for reading. If we get bored of reading, then we can use the iPad Mini to draw with the optional Apple Pencil Pro. Or check our email. Or reply to text messages. Or…, well, you get the gist. The price, however, makes it the most expensive. While our iPad Mini 6 is no longer sold, an equivalent (but faster and newer) iPad Mini 7 is currently $499.
My wife prefers the iPad Mini 6 over an individual eReader locked to a single store (aka, Amazon or Barnes and Noble), and her lack of patience is satiated by the snappy performance of the A15 Bionic chip. I dislike the weight of the iPad Mini for reading, though I do use it for other tasks such as listening to audio books.
Buy the iPad Mini if you need extra functionality and/or have a library of books across different apps like us.
Barnes and Noble Nook Glowlight 4 – $149.99
The Nook Glowlight 4 has a 6″ e-ink black and white screen (7.8″ if you opt for the plus model), making it the smallest eReader of the three. It is light weight, has an adjustable back light for nighttime reading (adjustable in brightness and color, from cool white to warm orange). It’s interface is simple. However, it is showing it’s age, having been released in late 2021. It is no where near as snappy as the Kindle, and I have had some books freeze for up to a minute on it’s table of contents.
The physical buttons are convenient for turning pages and going one chapter forward or backward, however due to placement I tend to hit them on accident while adjusting my hands. Battery life is better than the iPad Mini; with the backlight on at medium brightness, I have gotten a weeks’ worth of reading before getting a battery low warning. Without the backlight, reading for weeks at a time is possible.
While the eReader supports EPUBs and PDFs, it is largely meant for one purpose: to read eBooks purchased through Barnes and Noble. It does not support other apps natively nor does it support eBooks purchased through Kindle. It also does not support audio books (though the Glow Light 4 Plus, does).
I prefer the Nook for its small and lightweight body, making it the most comfortable to read on when laying down. However, the pesky buttons sometimes get in my way, advancing or backtracking the pages and even chapters when accidentally pressed. Considering the price and it’s age, however, its a hard purchase to swallow. Our library is largely Nook based, so its either this or the iPad Mini.
Buy the Nook Glowlight 4 if your library is Nook based.
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition – $279.99
Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition has a 7″ color e-ink screen. While the colors are limited and dull, especially compared to a tablet like the iPad Mini, it is a nice upgrade from the black and white e-ink readers and adds a splash of colorful fun to the reading and highlighting experience. While the weight is lighter than the iPad mini, it is heavier than the Nook, though I can tolerate it while reading in bed. The Kindle is noticeably snappier than the Nook Glowlight 4, but not as snappy as the iPad Mini.
There are no physical buttons to accidentally press, but if you like having said buttons, then this is not for you. Battery life appears as solid as the Nook, easily lasting a week with its backlight. Like the Nook, the backlight is adjustable.
The Kindle does not support EPUBS natively, requiring you to use the “Send to Kindle” feature to convert the file into a format readable by the Kindle. Unlike the Nook, you can technically use Libby via the “Send to Kindle” option, but like the Nook, there are no other native apps. The Kindle Colorsoft is meant for Amazon’s ecosystem of eBook purchases for Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible for audio books.
The Signature Edition comes in 32 GB of storage and has a Qi Charger for wireless charging, so if you do not need that much storage or wireless charging then spring for the cheaper base 2025 Colorsoft instead.
While I like the Kindle Colorsoft and while I certainly use it, I mainly have it just for the Kindle library I maintain. It is lighter than the iPad Mini, so it is more comfortable to use it to read in bed than the Mini.
Buy the Kindle if your library is Kindle based, or you use/have Kindle Unlimited and/or Audible.
Conclusion and Notes
All three eReaders support USB-C and all three do the job they are meant for wonderfully well. The Nook does support side-loading content via USB-C, whereas the Kindle ‘supports’ it but has an increased complexity so that the “send to Kindle” option is a better choice for compatibility.
There are also other eReaders out there, from full tablet to e-ink, such as Kobo, Onyx, and Remarkable (which double’s as a note taker). There are also a plethora of models to choose from within each make (Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Colorsoft, Kindle Scribe, Kindle Scribe Colorsoft… for example). While this article does not cover them all, I hope it helps those trying to decide what to buy.