Should I buy a tablet or an e-reader?
One display technology decides most of this. Why an e-reader lasts weeks on a charge and works in direct sunlight, what it is genuinely bad at, and the library service that changes the maths for a lot of people.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 20 min
- Read
- 6 min
Short answer
Buy an e-reader if you read books, particularly outdoors or at length — the electronic ink display is easier on the eyes for long sessions, readable in bright sun, and lasts weeks rather than hours on a charge. Buy a tablet if you want anything else as well: magazines with pictures, comics, video, web browsing, email or apps. An e-reader does one thing extremely well and is close to useless at everything else, which is the point.
This decision looks like a comparison of two similar devices and is really a choice between two display technologies. An e-reader uses electronic ink: tiny capsules of pigment physically rearranged to form the page, which then holds without power. That produces a page that looks like paper, is perfectly readable in direct sunlight, draws no power while you read, and cannot show anything moving. A tablet uses a backlit screen: brilliant colour, video, apps, and a battery measured in hours. Almost every difference between the two devices follows from that, including the ones nobody mentions in the shop.
Step by step
- Decide whether you are buying a reading device or a general one.If you read novels for an hour or more at a time, that is the e-reader case and it is a strong one. If reading is one of several things you want to do, or you read magazines, comics or anything with pictures and layout, a tablet is the answer and an e-reader will frustrate you within a week.
- Consider where you read.Electronic ink in direct sunlight is genuinely better than any backlit screen — it gets more readable as the light increases, which is the opposite of a tablet. If your reading happens on a beach, in a garden or on a train by a window, this is the deciding factor.
- Take the battery difference seriously.An e-reader lasts weeks because it uses power only when the page changes. A tablet lasts hours. For a fortnight's holiday, or for someone who will not remember to charge it, that is a practical difference rather than a specification one.
- Check the library question before buying.UK library services lend ebooks free through apps such as Libby and BorrowBox, and they work on tablets and on most e-readers. Support varies by device and by service, and it can substantially change the running cost of reading. Check your own library authority's app and its device compatibility.
- Understand the ecosystem lock.Amazon's readers use Amazon's format and store; others generally use the open EPUB format and can buy from several shops. Books bought in one ecosystem largely stay there. If you already have a large library on one platform, that is a strong reason to stay with it.
- Look at the specifics that actually matter on an e-reader.A front light with adjustable warmth for reading at night, waterproofing if you read in the bath or by a pool, physical page-turn buttons if you have any hand pain, and screen size — a larger one for anything with fixed layout such as PDFs or sheet music.
- Consider eyesight and comfort honestly.Electronic ink is more comfortable for long sessions for many people, and both devices let you increase the text size, which is a genuine advantage over print for anyone with failing eyesight. The catalogue's guide on setting up a device for poor eyesight applies to both.
- Consider colour e-ink only with realistic expectations.Colour electronic ink exists and is improving, and it is muted and lower resolution compared with a tablet. It is a reasonable choice for comics and illustrated non-fiction where battery life still matters, and it is not a substitute for a tablet screen.
Common mistakes
- Buying an e-reader for magazines or comics — Fixed-layout, image-heavy content is exactly what electronic ink is worst at — small, monochrome or muted, and slow to redraw. This is the most common regret with these devices.
- Buying a tablet to read on and finding you do not — A tablet is a device with notifications and everything else on it. A great many people who buy one to read with find they browse instead. An e-reader's uselessness at everything else is a feature for anyone who knows this about themselves.
- Not checking library compatibility first — Free borrowing changes the running cost of a reading habit substantially, and the compatibility is device-specific. Ten minutes on your library authority's website before buying is well spent.
If it doesn't work
PDFs are unusable on the e-reader
Cause: Fixed layout on a small screen — Fix: PDFs do not reflow, so a document laid out for A4 on a six-inch screen is unreadable. A larger e-reader helps; a tablet is the real answer for PDF-heavy reading.
Books bought elsewhere will not open
Cause: Format and copy protection — Fix: Check the format before buying. EPUB is widely supported and Amazon's format is not, and copy protection means a book from one shop may not open on another shop's device.
Library borrowing does not work on your reader
Cause: Device or service compatibility — Fix: Support varies by service, by device and by country. Check the specific combination of your library's app and your intended device before buying, rather than assuming.
Reading at night keeps you awake
Cause: Screen light in the evening — Fix: Both device types now offer a warm front light that reduces blue content. On an e-reader the light shines onto the page rather than out at you, which many people find noticeably more comfortable.
The e-reader feels slow
Cause: That is how electronic ink works — Fix: Page refresh takes a moment and there is a characteristic flash on some devices. It is not a fault and it does not affect reading. Anyone who finds it irritating in the shop will find it irritating at home.
You bought an e-reader and use it for everything else too
Cause: Wrong device — Fix: Web browsing and apps on electronic ink are painful by design. If you find yourself wanting them, that is the tablet answer arriving late.
Questions people ask
Is electronic ink actually better for your eyes?
It is reflective rather than emissive, has no flicker, and does not shine light at you, and most long-form readers find it more comfortable for extended sessions. The evidence that screens damage eyes is weak either way; the evidence that they cause fatigue is much stronger, and that is the difference people report.
Can I read library books on an e-reader?
Generally yes. UK library services lend through apps such as Libby and BorrowBox, and most e-readers support borrowing from at least one route, though the mechanics differ by device. Check your own library authority and your intended device together, because the combination is what matters.
Do I need the version with mobile data?
Almost never. Books are small, downloading over wifi before you leave takes seconds, and an e-reader holds thousands of them. The mobile data version costs more to buy and, on some devices, to run.
What about reading on a phone?
Free, always with you, and fine for short stretches. The reasons people move on are the small page, the battery, and the fact that a phone interrupts. If you already read on a phone and enjoy it, an e-reader is likely to suit you; if you have never tried, try that first before spending anything.