E INK Pearl was a step up, and used primarily in 2011-2012 Kindle models, Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch, Kobo Touch, and Sony PRS-T1. The earliest screen technology was “Vizplex,” which was employed by the Sony Reader, MOTOFONE F3, Barnes & Noble Nook, Kindle, txtr Beagle, and Kobo eReader. The screen technology will make a huge difference for reading ebooks. As a rule of thumb, generally any e-reader made after 2013 can’t have the batteries replaced.īatteries aren’t the only issue when buying an old e-reader. Most e-readers have their rear plate and front plate glued together and held together with fasteners or clasps. The industrial design changed too, instead of easily removable screws, they removed them altogether. When the Kindle first came out in 2007, it retailed for almost $750, now you can buy one for around $80. The devices also started to come down in price, making them more accessible. Around 2013-2014, e-readers were no longer big and chunky, instead they started to slim down and new e-paper, lighting systems and other advancements were introduced. Why can certain e-readers have their batteries replaced, while others can’t? Early on, e-readers could be easily opened with a screwdriver, in order for people to do their own repairs or the vendors. I suppose its good the older models can be opened up with a screwdriver and batteries replaced. There are hardly any batteries available for the Kobo line of e-readers, but I did find some for models made around 20. Older Sony E-Readers like the PRS-650, PRS-950 and PRS-T1 all can have the batteries replaced and there are lots of sites that sell them. The Barnes and Noble Nook Glowlight Plus made in 2015 can have the battery replaced, but not anything after. Any Kindle made after 2014 cannot have batteries replaced. There are tons of batteries available for the Kindle 3rd generation, Kindle 7th generation and Kindle 8th generation, as well as the Paperwhite 1, Kindle Oasis 1 and Kindle Voyage. Most sellers just talk about the overall condition.

This is why buying a used e-reader is pure folly, you have no idea how much it was used, where it was stored. If an e-reader is left outside for a long period of time, or in a basement or shed, moisture can make the battery swell, and eventually explode. I know many people with older Kindes, Kobos or Nooks, that the only way they can use them, is buy always having them connected to their PC by a USB cable. Lithium Ion batteries only have a certain number of charge cycles and then it degrades over time, holding less and less of a maximum charge. The vast majority of e-readers do not have have user replaceable batteries. If you see an old e-reader on Ebay, do not buy it. Early Kobo e-readers really stood out in a crowd, since they had colorful designs, while Barnes and Noble had an entire line of tablets such as the Nook Color or Nook HD, which provided a ton of value. When Sony was making consumer grade e-readers, they would often be made of aluminium, instead of plastic. Suffice it to say, I think I will stick with ebay listings.Many people have nostalgia for their first e-reader or gravitate towards industrial design. (The item in question was found here: and the store page was here: - both now lead to 404 pages). Two days later, their store had closed and all of their inventory was gone, so I think I may have narrowly dodged a scam. I actually messaged a seller last Monday regarding a screen on aliexpress. This is what's making me nervous to order. MacZap discusses this in further detail on this post. That screen seems to have a different part number (ED068OG1 rather than ED068TG1) but I am not having trouble finding listings - there are plenty - I am looking for more information about this 'waveform' value that would supposedly make these replacement screens not work properly with my device.

Thanks for your response JSWolf, I appreciate it. You could ask the seller for the screen with the value you are looking for.

Ebay kobo h20