PocketBook InkPad Color 3: From Niche to Mainstream | REVIEW

This is the PocketBook InkPad Color 3 and it was definitely one of the most surprising product launches in the ereading space in late 2023.

Why you ask?

Well because Pocketbook launched the InkPad Color 2 not too long before this one, and I actually haven’t even published my review of that one at this point, because I wasn’t able to finish it in time before they launched the Color 3.

The reason for it being released so soon after the InkPad Color 2 was the high demand. E-Ink wasn’t able to deliver the older Kaleido Plus displays in higher numbers, so PocketBook made the switch to Kaleido 3. So that’s how the InkPad Color 3 came to be so quickly.

So this is a Color E-Ink eReader with Kaleido 3 display technology, which is the same tech we’ve seen in a couple of E-Ink tablets from Boox and Bigme before.

But there’s a big difference: This isn’t a tablet. It’s an ereader. It’s laser focused on reading, still offers a couple of useful extras, but doesn’t run Android and therefore can’t be expanded with apps.

So let’s check it out and see if it’s worth considering as your next ereader.

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🔗 LINKS

🎬 CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:29 Why Was It Launched So Quickly?
01:24 Design & Specs
04:58 Build Quality, Optionally Available Front-Cover & Handling
06:25 E-Ink Color Display
10:40 Frontlight Quality
11:17 Dark Mode
12:31 Frontlight Adjustment With A Timetable
13:09 Modern & Intuitive UI
13:59 Data Privacy & Lock-In Practices
15:24 Usability & Features
15:45 Library
16:23 Reading eBooks, Text Styling, Dictionaries, Note Taking
17:44 Text-To-Speech (Demo)
18:56 Audiobooks & Music
19:21 PDF-Functions
20:20 PocketBook Store
21:10 Battery Life
21:32 Conclusion

🖖WHO AM I
I'm Chalid, and I've been a fan of e-ink technology for a very long time. I've been reviewing e-ink devices since 2010. After more than 100 different e-reader tests for my German website, this channel is dedicated to sharing my experiences with the latest e-readers, other e-paper devices, and sometimes other tech in English as well.

🔗 DISCLAIMER/DISCLOSURE
The tips, tricks and experiences shared are for guidance only; any actions taken based on these are solely at your own risk. Some links in the description contain affiliate links, which means that if you buy something through these links, I will receive a small commission on a purchase at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you so much for supporting the channel.

🔖 TAGS
PocketBook InkPad, PocketBook InkPad Color, Pocketbook InkPad Colour, Pocketbook InkPad Color 3, PocketBook InkPad Color3, Pocketbook InkPad Color 3 Review, Pocketbook InkPad Color 3 Hands-On, Pocketbook InkPad Color 3 Test, PocketBook InkPad Colour 3, Pocketbook Color 3, E-Ink Kaleido, Color E-Ink, Colour E-Ink, Kaleido 3

#pocketbook #eink #ereader

[warchildalex]

Wow, this was the most in depth review i have saw to an e-reader device ! Great job !

[kongyiu]

Less features than the Boox mini tab C, but a lot cheaper. If you only use the ereader to read books, comics or manga, then I think this is a better buy.

[Kajamazvideos]

Tried it and found it to have the best colors of any eink tablet. Only downside is screensize making it hard to read comics, which is what its designed for. If they release a 10 inch version ill be extatic!

[Carlos_Vr]

Could you please make a comparative between Inkpad Color 3 and Boox Note Air 3C?😊

[seefeel]

Wow, congrats with amazing review! I like deep dive approach very much.

[RichardSchatz]

Chalid, thank you for an, as usual, excellent review. You address all the important points including privacy and battery life and I especially appreciate that you always check important facts by yourself. I agree this is a really good and user friendly color e-reader. However, personally I think it was a mistake by Pocketbook to skip the SD-slot that was on the first version of Inkpad Color. The internal 32 GB is more than enough for ordinary ebooks but not necessarily so for a large library of color comics, color magazines, audio books and music files.

[denismalinovskiy]

Thanks for the thorough review from a happy owner of this device!
You didn't mention one important feature — ability to lend DRM-protected ePub books in the public libraries. This is available in all recent Pocketbooks.

[sebimmbasti]

Sadly, it is not enough for a real comic reading device. I think, we need another two or three years, the InkPad Color 5/6/7 may be THE device. Main points missing: Colors are too desaturated/dull and you need to adjust the settings (thanks for this! MUCH better than the default) every time you open another comic.

Very good review.

[ReadGameCraftCook]

This looks nice thanks for sharing. I was waiting for the viva, I have the era and prefer the side grip format with buttons. I would really love if they did an era style color ereader with 10 inch display.

[Danielp]

A little downside of the Inkpad Color 3 is the slightly darker screen in comparison to the Inkpad Color 2. And the front-light is not as even than that one on the Color 2. Other than that, I agree. The sub-pixels of the color layer is much less visible on the 3 than on the 2, which is as great improvement. The Color 2 has kind of a linen aesthetic.

[kami-samaudjin]

Благодаря онлайн переводу смог получить интелектуальное удовольствие от Вашего видео. 👍

[alexanderbolanos]

Hello. Could you please tell me if the text is big enough for reading comics and pdfs? Thanks

[luc]

Thanks for the review! How does the display compare to the Boox Mini Tab C?

[BeanieKing]

An e-reader with decent color that doesnt phone home to China, regardless of whatever permissions you gave it, is all I want in a product.

[dgutie]

I like the size and colors look great, but it is slow and difficult to get books on this device, am I missing something?

[Boomer.Roberts]

Thank you for the review! Do you find the page turn buttons being all the way at the bottom of the screen to be ergonomically bad, or is it easier to reach those than it seems like?

[mcinnocent]

Thx for these interesting infos! I would like to see a comparison between the Inkpad color 3 and pocketbook era color ;-)

[oliviachua]

Thanks for the indepth review. Very helpful as I'm in the maeket for color e-reader. Does it comes with preloaded Google Playstore?

[PragMattic]

What an amazing review! I decided to replace my kindle when I found out how much data it was collecting and that it could remove books that were purchased. This seems like the best choice for me. Is there an even better option out there for privacy or is pocketbook the best?

[barbeldetermann]

Very good review, thank you!
I'm a bit torn right now. Would you recommend the Inkpad Color 3 over the Inkpad 4 if I mostly read B/W content? Having the Covers in color would be great, but is no must for me, if the contrast of the screen would suffer through the extra layer. I don't have a problem to turn on the front light though. And the Color 3 is faster all in all, right? Greetings from Germany!