The PocketBook Verse Pro Colour is the budget-friendly alternative to the Kindle Coloursoft

Ever since the first Kindle came out, readers have been obsessed with e-readers. It’s a no-brainer: you can carry round thousands of books in a device that’s the size of a hardbook cover. And now with colour displays, these devices are even better. PocketBook was one of the first on the scene, and its latest release is the Verse Pro Colour – which might be the best value option.

• Read more: Best e-readers 2024: E Ink tablets for reading and note-taking

This device is a colour e-reader in a compact 6-inch package. It offers a bit more from an e-reader display without giving up that eye-friendly, paper-like experience. This model uses the new E Ink Kaleido 3 colour screen, which PocketBook reckons is a 50% improvement in resolution and clarity. Apparently, it now supports 4096 colours, which should bring a more realistic touch to the screen.

The Verse Pro Colour isn’t all about looks, though. You get Bluetooth 5.4 for wire-free audiobook streaming, which is a nice touch. The 2100mAh battery claims up to a month on a single charge. And for late-night reading marathons, there’s the SMARTlight feature, which lets you customise the screen temperature. You can save your favourite settings or let SMARTlight adapt automatically based on the time of day.

Another feature that might tip the scales for you? This e-reader has IPX8 water resistance, which means it can handle fresh water up to 2 metres deep for a solid 60 minutes. Now, while I don’t suggest you use it underwater, it’s reassuring to know you’re safe in the bath or by the pool. Add in the ridged back panel and a weight of just 182 grams, and you’ve got a device that fits snugly in your hand and won’t slip easily.

There’s more under the hood of PocketBook’s latest e-reader, too. A Quad-Core processor keeps things snappy, and the 16GB storage (expandable via microSD) holds plenty of books, comics, and audio files. There’s support for 25 file types – no conversions needed – including the CBZ and CBR formats for comic books.

The Verse Pro Colour is priced at £150, which, for what’s on offer, seems like quite the bargain. You can grab it directly from PocketBook or from other retailers like Amazon.

• Related: Amazon Kindle Colorsoft hands-on review: color finally comes to Kindle

Connor Jewiss

About

Connor is a writer for Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. He has been writing for around seven years now, with writing across the web and in print too. Connor has experience on most major platforms, though does hold a place in his heart for macOS, iOS/iPadOS, electric vehicles, and smartphone tech. Just like everyone else around here, he’s a fan of gadgets of all sorts! Aside from writing, Connor is involved in the startup scene. This exciting involvement puts him at the front of new and exciting tech, always on the lookout for innovating products.

Areas of expertise

Mobile, macOS, EVs, smart home