On the sides of the device sits your 3.5 mm headphone jack and volume control options. The Kobo Arc, in terms of sound quality, is the second best we have ever reviewed. Amazon has done the best job so far with Dolby Surround Sound and incorporating four speakers on the Kindle Fire HD 7 and 8.9. Even the new Nook HD+ only has a single speaker.

The Apple iPad has a single mono speaker and the entire Nook line of tablets have speakers on the back. Paying particular close attention to sound is something most companies fail to grasp. When the SRS mode was engaged during our demonstration, the music and video sound levels were very clear. When we attended the Kobo launch event in Toronto a few months ago, there were roughly 70 people in the room and it was surprisingly loud. This allows you to really boost up the volume levels and configure the bass and treble. The Arc features front facing stereo speakers with SRS technology. It is critically important that the sound quality be solid. Many people ultimately purchase Android tablets to listen to music, audiobooks, or watch videos. There is seldom any of the lag or delay that you would find on more budget Android tablets. All programs that come bundled on it open very quickly. The hardware really makes the Arc shine and makes common tasks tremendously robust. There is no support for MicroSD or SD cards, so you want to make sure you buy the best model to suit your needs. This is the first device the company has offered that actually does not have expandable memory. There are three different storage options depending on the type of user you are-16, 32, and 64 GB. Underneath the hood is a Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 1.5 GHZ dual core processor and 1 GB of RAM. If you figure most airlines are flying above the cloud line and susceptible to lots of sunlight, this tablet excels under direct light where others fail. This is the same type of screen technology that airline pilots have in their flight instruments. The screen features IPS screen technology, which is an industry-leading display optimized for 178 degree viewing angles and ultra-durable glass, resistant to damage, scratches, bumps, and drops.

The Kobo Arc features a seven inch HD display with a resolution of 1280×800 pixels and 215 PPI. How does this device stand up to the Nook HD or Kindle Fire HD? Today we dive into everything that makes this truly unique. The Arc brings new features to the table that makes us forget about its first tablet offering, the Vox. This is tremendously useful when it comes to reading magazines, newspapers, cookbooks, kid’s books, and other content that is best displayed in full color. This was designed primarily to be a dedicated e-reader to give you a full color experience. Kobo recently released its second iteration Android Tablet, called the Arc.

Kobo tablet charging screen