Tolino Vision 2

The Vision 2 continues to carve its own path, moving even further away from the Shine and Kindle with its built-in water protection.

At a Glance

Note: The successor, called the Tolino Vision 3 HD, is now available. While the new device is slightly more expensive, it offers notably better display quality. For a more affordable alternative, the new Tolino Shine is also available.

Launched in late summer 2014, the Tolino Vision 2 proved in our review to be a sensible improvement over its predecessor—and over the still-available, more affordable Tolino Shine. The device’s most important upgrades can be found in the display. While it uses the same technology as the Vision 1, upgraded touchscreen components make it even easier to read. The illumination quality has also been improved, bringing the eReader closer to its main competitor, the Kindle Paperwhite.

One advantage over Amazon’s device is the integrated water protection. This is achieved through a nano-coating of the electronics, so the eReader is water-resistant but not entirely waterproof. Another new feature is the innovative Tap2Flip page-turn function, which lets you turn the page simply by tapping the back of the device.

With all this, the Vision 2 turns out to be a very capable reading device that can go toe-to-toe with Amazon’s toughest competition.

Other advantages of the Vision include its extremely user-friendly interface, easy eBook purchasing, relatively light weight, and an outstanding web browser that allows for effortless online research and reading of longer articles. Plus, with a Tolino device, you’re not locked into just one provider as strictly as you are with Amazon, and you can also use other shop solutions if you wish.

Interim Conclusion: The Tolino Vision 2 is currently one of the best devices on the market, as proven not only by our review but also by tests in numerous other media. You can hardly go wrong if you decide to buy this one. Tip: A great choice if you’re looking for an open and modern alternative to the Kindle Paperwhite.

Video Review

Tolino Vision 2: Full Review

The Tolino alliance first appeared in 2013. The union of Thalia, Weltbild, Hugendubel, Club Bertelsmann and Deutsche Telekom has been moving at breakneck speed ever since to shake up the German eBook market. The goal was clear even then: break Amazon’s dominance.

Today, about a year and a half later, the Tolino partners can take stock with a positive outcome. They haven’t overtaken the shipping giant from the U.S. yet, but they managed to capture second place in the German market in no time. Libri has since joined as a new partner, and international expansion is in full swing as well.

At this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, the alliance presented what is already the third (or fourth, depending on how you count) eBook Reader. The Tolino Vision 2 is being sent into the race this year as the high-end model and joins the Shine (which was already available last Christmas season) in the battle for customers’ favor. Whether the new eReader is worth buying, you’ll find out in the following review.

Unboxing & Build quality

Although the Tolino Vision 2 hasn’t changed in size compared to its predecessor, the packaging has been redesigned and is now slightly narrower and flatter. The high-quality printed box makes it immediately clear what improvement the Vision 2 brings. Around the product image are (printed) water drops and splashes. Inside the box you’ll find the eBook Reader, a multilingual quick start guide and (again) a fabric-braided micro-USB cable.

My first impression of the Tolino Vision 2 is a bit better than the predecessor. The look still follows a tablet-like design (i.e., a flat, still black front), but the brown color accents have largely disappeared. Instead, the newcomer uses the industry’s widely adopted black color scheme, which suits the device very well and makes it look more modern than its predecessor. The newly designed back with the glossy Tolino logo looks especially good (and stylistically recalls the Kindle Paperwhite).

Tolino logo on the back, gleaming with confidence

The front is still matte and anti-glare, so you don’t get any annoying reflections (i.e., no more than with other eReaders). Fingerprints aren’t an issue either due to the surface texture.

The dimensions remain the same at 163 x 114 x 8.1 mm, keeping the eReader among the most compact 6-inchers (even if the field is getting tighter). The weight has been trimmed slightly to 174 grams (minus 4 grams). You won’t notice the difference from the predecessor, but compared to many competitors it’s still very light. The crown for the lightest illuminated eBook reader goes to the newly released PocketBook Sense.

Build quality has seen a small improvement over the older model—nothing creaks this time even if you give it a firm squeeze. The panel gaps and the tactile feel are spot on.

Familiar design

Below the display sits the capacitive home button, already familiar from the predecessor. Its design and function are unchanged from the first Vision, i.e., there’s still no haptic feedback when you press it. The input is indicated visually with a brief light. The home button’s design has remained the same and can now also be found on the Tolino Tab 8″.

Sensibly, the button wasn’t placed in the middle of the area below the screen, but closer to the lower edge of the device. Since even a slight touch is enough to activate it, it obviously shouldn’t be in the way. Still, in my view it’s not an ideal solution, because capacitive technology is simply prone to accidental inputs in this kind of placement. Especially at first, you may hit the home button unintentionally. You do get used to it after a short time though, so accidental presses become less frequent.

Using a capacitive button has pros and cons

On the bottom edge of the device is the micro-USB port, which—unlike other water-protected (or -proof) eBook readers or the Tolino Shine—is not covered by a flap. You’ll also immediately notice that the microSD card slot, which sat right next to it on the predecessor, is gone. The expandable storage hasn’t been moved elsewhere; it was omitted due to the water protection.

On the top of the device you still get the power button and the button to turn the light on and off. I remain unconvinced by the tactility of both buttons, as both are relatively soft, which doesn’t feel particularly premium. Fortunately, you don’t need to press them very often anyway.

Water protection is one of the Vision 2’s main selling points, because it lets you use the device near water without worrying about damage. This is achieved through a nano-coating (and macro-coating!) of the internals. The board is covered with an (invisible) layer that prevents water from damaging the components. At the same time all ports are sealed with an adhesive so there’s no weak point at the critical spots.

Family photo: Tolino Shine (left), Tolino Vision 2 (center) and Tolino Vision 1 (right)

Features

The Tolino Vision offers 2.10 GB of usable internal storage, which unfortunately can no longer be expanded unlike the predecessor. As mentioned, microSD card support was dropped because of the water protection.

Wi-Fi connectivity is of course still included, allowing direct access to the shop to buy eBooks on the device. You can also browse the internet thanks to the integrated browser, which basically works quite well, but comes with a few drawbacks (see page 3).

The Tolino alliance also offers a special bonus: access to more than 40,000 Deutsche Telekom Wi-Fi hotspots. For people without home internet, or those who travel a lot within the country, that’s definitely handy. The Tolino Vision 2 connects automatically without any extra login. So even without 3G support you can still buy an eBook in many public places while on the go.

The operating system is still Android 4.0.4. However, you don’t have access to the standard Android UI on the Vision 2, so you can’t install apps or use other advanced features. Gaining root access (not relevant for laypeople) is only possible by opening the device and using a serial connection.

Display & front light

While the Tolino Shine, as the alliance’s first eBook reader, didn’t boast standout technical features to set it apart from the crowd, the first Vision was different. It was only the second eReader ever to use an E Ink Carta display and combined the new screen technology with the tablet-like look previously seen on the Kobo Aura.

The Tolino Vision 2 continues the first model’s tradition and can still be seen as the alliance’s innovation driver. In addition to water protection and the Tap2Flip function (more on that later), the new eBook reader once again uses E Ink Carta, which is becoming more common but is still a noteworthy technology.

The screen size is again 6 inches, and the resolution remains unchanged at 1024×758 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 212 ppi. So it follows its predecessor. Don’t be misled by the raw numbers though: despite the same specs, the result looks much better in person than on the first model.

E Ink Carta, quality varies?

E Ink Carta was the subject of some controversy, especially with the release of the first Vision and the PocketBook Ultra, as many digital reading fans found the perceived differences from the proven Pearl technology rather small.

In fact, the Kindle Paperwhite got the most out of the new tech, while competitors couldn’t quite keep up for various reasons. In the first Vision’s case, the visible touch sensor grid made the screen appear darker and lower-contrast than the Paperwhite. There was still an advantage over E Ink Pearl, but it was much less pronounced.

Without lighting: Kindle Paperwhite (left) and Tolino Vision 2 (right) offer similarly good readability. To the naked eye, the differences are minimal.

We’ve already taken a closer look at the advantages of Carta technology here. In short: E Ink Carta brings better reflectivity to the table, which means the screen reflects more light and thus appears brighter in various situations than the familiar Pearl technology.

Better contrast, no sensor grid

So let’s get to the point: as mentioned, the Tolino Vision 2 makes a significantly better impression than its predecessor. Unlike the first version, the touchscreen’s sensor grid is now invisible, allowing the Carta screen’s advantages to fully shine. It’s also possible the panels themselves are better.

In practice, this translates to noticeably improved readability—compared to the predecessor and especially compared to E Ink Pearl competitors. Our measured contrast ratio in the new standardized, real-world test confirms it: at 5.8:1, the Vision 2 is much closer to the Paperwhite, making the difference barely visible to the naked eye.

Contrast ratio X:1, without lighting (higher is better)

• Kobo Aura H2O 6.5
• Kindle Paperwhite 2 6.1
• Tolino Vision 2 5.8
• PocketBook Ultra 5.4
• Tolino Vision 5.1
• PocketBook Touch Lux 2 4.8

Under the microscope (see image) you can confirm the sensor grid is gone. Also striking is the reduced scattering of the plastic layers above the display, so character edges look less diffuse.

Under the microscope: The new Vision offers better readability—no visible sensor grid and better contrast

As mentioned, you don’t need to worry about reflections from the capacitive touchscreen. Even though the front surface is flat like a smartphone or tablet, there’s a sensible anti-glare treatment that reduces distracting reflections to a minimum. So the Tolino Vision 2 looks just as good in direct sunlight as other eReaders.

More even lighting with a different color temperature

The display is again lit by five LEDs sitting in the frame (bottom edge). Brightness is adjusted continuously using a virtual slider. You can turn the light on or off with the hardware button on the top edge, and a software indicator shows when the light has been (de)activated (in very bright surroundings it’s not always obvious whether the light is on). A long press brings up the brightness slider.

The display’s good impression continues with the lighting. Compared directly to the first-generation model, it looks more even. The Vision 1 didn’t have truly distracting irregularities, but the lighting wasn’t as uniform as the competition. The Vision 2 moves closer to rivals in terms of uniformity. The faint vertical color gradient (yellowish at the top, bluish at the bottom) is now gone (see image), and the shadows and halos at the edges are noticeably smaller and more even. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely better than its predecessor in this respect.

A comparison with boosted contrast makes the differences very clear:

With contrast boosted (+90) in this image, the differences and irregularities become obvious. The Tolino Vision 2 (left) clearly outperforms the Vision 1 (right) in uniformity.

The Tolino Vision 2 also owes its improved readability to a better light guide: the text no longer lights up as much as on the predecessor. At full brightness we measure a contrast ratio of 7.4:1, visibly better than the first Vision. That brings it closer to the main competitor, though the difference here is primarily due to different maximum brightness levels. If you measure black level at the same light intensity (40 cd/m²), the difference to the Kindle Paperwhite shrinks even further (see below).

Contrast ratio X:1, at full brightness (higher is better)

• Kobo Aura H2O 10
• PocketBook Touch Lux 2 9.4
• Kindle Paperwhite 2 9.0
• Tolino Vision 2 7.4
• Tolino Vision 6.5
• PocketBook Ultra 4.9

Black level at 40 cd/m² (lower is better)

• Kobo Aura H2O 2
• Kindle Paperwhite 2 2
• PocketBook Touch Lux 2 2
• Tolino Vision 2 3
• Tolino Vision 5
• PocketBook Ultra 6

In practice, this means that in brighter ambient light the Paperwhite offers slightly better readability thanks to its higher maximum brightness, but in a dark room the advantage is minimal. The image below shows a direct comparison with similar fonts at the same brightness setting. The contrast difference is much smaller than in the first generation.

The Tolino Vision 2 (left) has a slightly greener tint, but the actual contrast difference to the Kindle Paperwhite (right) at identical brightness settings is relatively small. In any case, both screens are very easy to read.

My only real criticism here is the color temperature of the light: it now has a slightly greenish cast, which stands out in direct comparison to other devices. Fortunately, it’s not an issue on its own and isn’t pronounced enough to be annoying. Still, I’d prefer a warmer tone.

Maximum brightness is 53 cd/m², a bit above the predecessor, which may be due to measurement and manufacturing tolerances. To the naked eye, the maximum intensity is indistinguishable from the previous model. The same goes for the lowest setting at 2.2 cd/m², which should be fine even for sensitive eyes in complete darkness.

Maximum screen brightness in cd/m² (higher is better)

• Kobo Glo 121
• Kobo Aura 112
• Kobo Aura H2O 99
• PocketBook Touch Lux 2 96
• Kindle Paperwhite 2 91
• Tolino Vision 2 53
• Tolino Shine 41
• PocketBook Ultra 40
• PocketBook Touch Lux 38
• Icarus Illumina HD 36

Minimum screen brightness in cd/m² (lower is better)

• Kobo Glo 4
• Icarus Illumina HD 3.2
• Tolino Shine 2.4
• Tolino Vision 2 2.2
• PocketBook Ultra 2
• PocketBook Color Lux 2
• Kobo Aura H2O 1.2
• PocketBook Touch Lux 1.2
• Kobo Aura 1.2
• PocketBook Touch Lux 2 1.1
• Kindle Paperwhite (2013) 0.2

Improved ghosting behavior

Ghosting has also improved. On the predecessor this sometimes led to very questionable results; now it looks much better. That’s partly due to an apparently better display and partly to software optimizations. When you show and hide UI elements on the Vision 2, the screen is fully refreshed. The old model didn’t do that, which meant you could see annoying remnants for several pages after opening the menu. That’s history now. Regular page turns also show improved ghosting.

The only criticism that hasn’t changed from the previous model is the front’s susceptibility to scratches. Since it’s still flat, it’s more prone to them. The front housing material seems softer than the usual coating on other eBook readers (with non-flat surfaces) or on smartphones and tablets. As a rule of thumb, you should use a protective cover if you’re tossing the device in a backpack, handbag, etc.

Interim verdict on the display

The first Vision did show some improvements over the Shine, but some differences were so small you couldn’t perceive them in all situations. With the Tolino Vision 2, that changes quite clearly: the screen is essentially better in every respect than on the previous model.

Contrast is visibly stronger both with and without lighting, illumination is better, and ghosting has been corrected. The contrast improvements are partly due to the new touchscreen and possibly also to a better display panel.

The exact reasons don’t matter much in practice. What matters is that readability has visibly improved compared to the predecessor, widening the gap (without lighting) to the Pearl competition and narrowing it to the main rival (Kindle Paperwhite).

Bottom line: well done! The Vision 2 is a serious competitor for the rest of the field.

Reading & usability

Initial setup

Setting up the Tolino Vision 2 is still quick and easy. The former country selection (Hallo, Servus or Grüezi—Germany, Austria or Switzerland) has been replaced by a language selection (English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch). After selecting your language, you’re prompted to connect to Wi-Fi.

If you don’t want to, you can skip the rest of the setup, though some functions won’t be available (e.g., dictionaries). Amazon handles this similarly (regarding collections), which in my opinion doesn’t exactly support the openness the Tolino alliance likes to tout against Amazon. Only after finishing setup and signing into the corresponding shop can you download dictionaries.

Which eBook store is integrated depends on where you bought the Tolino eReader

Once connected to Wi-Fi, you’re taken to the shop’s login page (in our case eBook.de). Then a short introduction to operating the device opens, which should make handling easier even for newcomers. Finally you land on the familiar home screen: at the top are the three most recently read or added titles; below that are eBook suggestions from the shop. Which shop that is depends on where the device was purchased. The status bar is at the top edge.

The built-in eBook store can’t be changed and still can’t be hidden. Even Amazon added an option after customer feedback to remove eBook recommendations from the home screen. That would be welcome here too. This has been a point of criticism since the Shine’s launch but hasn’t been addressed.

Once you’ve completed setup including shop login, you can basically start buying eBooks. It’s worth registering an Adobe ID, however, otherwise DRM-protected titles can’t be read. You can authorize the device in the settings, so there’s no need for a PC. The Adobe account must already exist though—you can only log in with the Vision 2’s input mask.

Home screen, operation, and library

Basic operation doesn’t differ from previous Tolino eReaders. At launch, the software has mainly been adapted to the alliance’s new international focus. In any case, operation remains very simple, everything is clear and largely intuitive. Here the Tolino Vision 2 is on par with Amazon’s competition.

The capacitive home button below the screen almost always takes you back to the home screen. Occasionally it interrupts the current function instead. For example, during a search the keyboard will close rather than taking you straight home. Only a second press then returns you to the home screen.

The QWERTZ keyboard is easy to use

Since it still runs Android, the Vision 2’s virtual QWERTZ keyboard is easy and accurate to use. The layout is good, and thanks to the fast 1 GHz processor, input is responsive, so even with quick typing there are rarely mistakes and no missed letters.

On the home screen, directly below the three most recently read or added books, is the link to the library. This lists all eBooks in internal storage or in the cloud. As with predecessors, you can create collections on the Vision 2 to bring some order to the library. Unfortunately it’s a proprietary solution that doesn’t work with Calibre.

Otherwise the collections feature is pretty basic—no sort or filter options, and no search (for collections). If you want to manage a larger eBook library on the device, it can quickly become confusing. PocketBook Sense shows how a library feature should work, with many options including Calibre tag support presented sensibly.

There’s of course a search function for individual eBooks, so you can find the title quickly that way. The function provides a clear list of results, and you can open the eBook with a simple tap. Search works both in the library and in the connected shop.

In the library (and in collections) you can sort by recency, title, author, and last added. You can also switch the set cover view (called “tile view” here) to a list view. In both display modes, a maximum of six titles are shown per page, and you can use virtual arrow keys at the bottom edge to move through library pages. Unfortunately, you still can’t use the familiar swipe gesture in the library.

Visually, the library is well done because all covers are the same size with a black border, which immediately creates a sense of order and clarity. That’s something some competitors don’t manage. Lastly, you can delete eBooks or show detailed information (list view only), such as reading progress, format, file size, and date added.

Reading options (text appearance)

As mentioned, you can open the desired eBook by tapping the title or cover. Turn pages with the familiar swipe gesture or by tapping the left or right third of the screen. Also new is the aforementioned Tap2Flip function. It’s an innovative page-turn method you use by tapping the back of the device. It works exactly as it sounds: hold the device in your hand and when you want to turn the page, tap the back. It works reliably and is relatively resistant to accidental inputs.

After a brief adjustment period, you won’t want to read without Tap2Flip—this third option (alongside swiping and tapping) turns out to be very practical. It appears to work by registering the tap’s vibration, i.e., the Vision 2 apparently has an accelerometer. In any case, the back isn’t touch-sensitive; it’s just regular plastic, as on the predecessor. If you don’t want the function, you can disable it in the settings.

Tap2Flip: tap the back to turn pages

You can also use the virtual slider for page turning, which is automatically displayed when you open the options menu by tapping the middle of the screen. A shortcut conveniently takes you back to the original page. Alternatively, you can enter a page number directly.

When you open the options menu, the following items appear at the top of the screen:

• Table of contents
• Notes list (incl. bookmarks and highlights)
• Text appearance
• Brightness setting
• Search

The table of contents shows the book’s chapters in a list view. Tap a chapter name to jump straight to that location. The notes list is similar. The notes, bookmarks and highlights you’ve created appear in a list (see page 3).

Good text customization

The Tolino Vision 2 also does well with text customization options. You can choose from seven font sizes, and in addition to the publisher default you have five other fonts (Fira, Linux Libertine, Rokkitt, Dosis, and Droid Serif). You can also adjust line spacing, alignment and margins in three settings each. There’s also hyphenation (not disableable), which the main competitor Kindle Paperwhite still lacks.

With the search function you can look for words and longer passages within the book. It works quickly and reliably, but you still don’t get a results list at the end. Instead, you have to jump from hit to hit, which can be tedious with frequently mentioned terms. A results overview would likely be easy to implement, since the Vision 2 scans the entire eBook anyway and shows the total number of hits.

At the bottom of the screen, an open eBook shows the current page number along with the total (e.g., “5 / 572”). There’s no progress indicator with time estimate like on Kindle or Kobo (yet).

Bookmarks, highlights and notes

You can set bookmarks by tapping the indicator in the top right corner of any page. Unlike other manufacturers, this indicator is always visible and unfortunately can’t be hidden.

Tap and hold a word briefly to open a context menu with the following options:

• Highlight
• Create note
• Look up (see below)
• Translate (see below)

You can adjust the text selection with two cursors, which works quickly and flawlessly—without the fiddling you get on some other devices.

Notes and highlights are shown with a gray background; the bookmark indicator (no bookmark set here) is always visible

Created highlights and notes are shown with a gray background, although there’s still no really obvious way to distinguish the two. Only the shade differs slightly: notes are a touch darker. Another visual hint would be useful, since the color difference is really only clear in direct comparison.

Tap an existing note to edit or delete it. Tapping a highlight lets you delete it or add a note. Notes are written in a new window. In an input field you can write your note using the QWERTZ keyboard and save it.

All notes, highlights and bookmarks in a book are listed together in the notes list. It shows the type (note, highlight, bookmark) as well as page number, date and time. This is exactly how an overview should look—clearly structured and precise. You can delete or edit items individually in the notes list. Unfortunately, a search or filter option is still missing (e.g., to show only highlights or bookmarks).

An automatically created text file (TXT format) allows for easy export of all notes, highlights and bookmarks. Just copy the file to your PC and you can work with it right away.

Dictionary feature

The context menu mentioned earlier (press and hold a word) also lets you start the dictionary. You can choose between “Look up” and “Translate.” The former opens a monolingual dictionary, the latter a bilingual translation dictionary.

The following dictionaries are available, with translation dictionaries working in both directions (e.g., German to English and English to German):

• German (75.4 MB)
• English (108.6 MB)
• Italian (13.3 MB)
• French (110.7 MB)
• Spanish (51.4 MB)
• Dutch (23.1 MB)
• English-German (47.1 MB)
• Italian-German (8.0 MB)
• French-German (12.1 MB)
• Spanish-German (2.6 MB)
• Dutch-German (925.2 KB)
• English-Dutch (5.4 MB)
• French-Dutch (3.8 MB)
• Norwegian-Dutch (828.1 KB)

Compared to the first Vision, some new dictionaries (Dutch) have been added, but the earlier criticism still applies: the source is Wiktionary, which, like Wikipedia, is a community project filled by users. That’s not inherently bad, but it can’t quite match a professionally edited dictionary (Duden, Langenscheidt, etc.).

The file sizes (unchanged since the Vision 1) already show how much scope varies. Some dictionaries exceed 100 MB, while others are only in the kilobyte range.

In practice, this means that for some words only the base form is recognized, or occasionally only the inflected or conjugated form is shown—without explaining what it means. The same issue exists with the translation dictionaries.

One advantage is that Tolino uses the open-source QuickDic format, which can be freely used. With a bit of work you can build and add dictionaries yourself. The biggest advantage over most competitors is that the translation dictionaries work into German. Here the Tolino devices’ German roots are a clear plus, as all other manufacturers usually offer only English-language dictionaries (e.g., English-French, etc.).

On the downside, the dictionary opens in a full-screen window, so you can’t see the text in context. As a result, the dictionary can’t be opened automatically in a small overlay the way most other manufacturers do it.

All in all, the dictionary function works fine but leaves plenty of room for improvement.

PDF functionality

The Vision 2’s PDF function isn’t exactly feature-rich, but it’s impressively fast. Even very large (120+ MB), image-heavy PDFs open and render without issue. On many other eBook readers the same files bring the device to a crawl, make operation sluggish, or cause a crash. Not here.

You can set the PDF zoom level with two virtual buttons (zoom out and zoom in); there’s still no pinch-to-zoom (even though it’s available in the browser!). You can zoom in six steps, which should be enough even for documents with very small text. Fine-grained control isn’t possible due to fixed steps. You can pan the zoomed area with your finger, which also works quickly and accurately. You can turn pages by tapping the left or right third of the display. However, the zoom level isn’t retained, so you have to zoom in again on the next page.

There’s no landscape mode, nor special view modes (column mode, etc.) or contrast boost. There is a text reflow function, but it still struggles with occasional display errors—an issue already present on the Tolino Shine. Sometimes paragraphs or character spacing aren’t recognized, leaving you with unreadable jumbles of letters. At least page turns are quick, and the usual text adjustments (font and size, line spacing, alignment and margins) are available.

As with the dictionary, there’s plenty of potential for improvement here. The foundation is very good though: the impressive speed advantage over many competitors is a solid base to implement more features. Whether that will happen is unclear, as PDF functionality isn’t very high on eReader makers’ to-do lists.

Settings, web browser, passcode lock

You can access settings from the home screen. The options are:

• WLAN (Turn on/off, choose network)
• My accounts and tolino Cloud (User accounts, link libraries, Adobe DRM)
• Settings (Display, passcode lock, time display, factory reset)
• Device information (Battery, hardware, software, storage)
• Dictionaries (Add and remove dictionaries)
• Web browser (Surf the internet)
• About tolino (Manufacturer information, licenses)
• Sprache / Language (Switch language / Switch language)

The menu items are mostly self-explanatory, but a few are worth noting.

The web browser is a positive extra that works flawlessly and even supports pinch-to-zoom, which hasn’t appeared anywhere else so far. Thanks to the fast chipset, browsing is quick and page rendering is accurate. Unfortunately, there’s a caveat: the otherwise well-equipped Android browser has been heavily stripped down.

On the Tolino Vision 2, every settings option has been removed, you can’t change the start page, and you can’t set bookmarks. Double-tap to zoom doesn’t work, nor does text reflow. These are all features that actually belong to the standard Android 4.0.4 browser. The missing bookmarks are especially annoying, because you have to re-enter every URL instead of saving favorites for alternative eBook shops, Onleihe, RSS readers, news sites, etc. It seems the Tolino alliance wants to make sure users can’t easily shop elsewhere (aside from the integrated store). I can’t think of another reason why important (already existing!) features were removed. A real shame—there could definitely be more here. Especially because a full-featured browser would easily set it apart from most competitors.

Also worth mentioning is the configurable passcode lock, which protects the Vision 2 from unauthorized access. If enabled, waking the device from standby prompts you for the correct four- to eight-digit code. In testing it worked flawlessly and reliably, just as you’d expect. Handy: USB access only works after you’ve entered the correct code on the device.

Lastly, you can also change the UI language (see initial setup on page 2), making the Tolino Vision 2 accessible to a broader customer base. The significantly expanded language support reflects the recently launched international expansion.

Interim verdict on functionality

In terms of features, the Vision 2 is convincing overall and offers the most important functions, quickly and easily accessible. The notes function with simple TXT export is a clear positive. The dictionary could be improved further; in particular, automatically opening in a smaller overlay would help usability. The translation dictionaries into German are a definite plus over the competition.

The collections feature is still, at best, a bonus. Without sorting and filtering options and without Calibre sync, it’s almost pointless for large libraries and users who like order. PocketBook’s new firmware shows how to do it better. The Tolino developers could take a big page from that book.

Text options—with adjustable font size and type, line spacing, margins and alignment—are very good. Built-in hyphenation is another clear plus compared to Amazon’s offering.

All in all, the feature set is roughly on Kobo’s level, though the Canadian eReaders still show their longer development in some details and are a bit more refined.

Compatibility & battery life

In terms of file support, the Tolino Vision 2 sticks to the essentials. The eBook reader reads only ePub (+ACSM), PDF and TXT files. Files in these formats copied to the device (into the “Books” folder) automatically appear in the library. The device supports Adobe DRM, and all partner companies also use this standard.

That leaves out many other eBook formats (CBR/CBZ, FB2, DJVU, HTML, RTF, CHM, etc.), but thanks to ePub support that’s manageable, since it covers the bulk of the market. If you’re interested in the Vision 2 and just want to read, you don’t need to worry. Only for specific needs (e.g., manga and comic readers) are the omitted formats relevant.

As for battery life, there’s nothing unusual to report. Our test lasted a good two weeks, and after the first charge the device only needed to be plugged in once more. Keep in mind that several resets were performed during the test and usage was more intensive than it would be in everyday life.

Bottom line, you’ll easily get several weeks of reading with the Tolino Vision 2. Generally, note that using Wi-Fi and the light reduces runtime, and depending on your daily reading time, you might need to plug in after a few days. That’s not unique to Tolino devices; it applies to all (lit) eBook readers. In any case, the battery will outlast a smartphone or tablet (with an LCD screen) under the same usage.

Buying eBooks & sync

Buying eBooks on the Tolino Vision 2 is very convenient overall. On our test device, the shop is eBook.de, already familiar from the Sony PRS-T3. The store has been further adapted for Tolino.

As mentioned, you can search for eBooks directly via the standard search and open the detail page. Alternatively, you can open the shop app (from the home screen) and search there. The end result is the same.

The eBook.de shop is very clearly laid out, like the regular website. As with other eBook stores, besides search you can browse categories. Unlike the Thalia shop (tested on the Vision 1), eBook.de also offers sorting options (by relevance, price, title, author, publication date; ascending and descending), which makes finding what you want much easier.

Also exemplary is how eBooks are labeled. In addition to the format, a small pop-up shows the DRM status, and for comparison the price of the print edition (if available). Less well implemented are the samples, which can’t be downloaded directly to the device but (if available) are displayed in the info box.

The Telekom cloud is one of the main selling points the Tolino alliance uses to market the devices. On the Tolino Vision 2 this is even more important, because the missing memory card slot could lead to space issues with very large files (e.g., image-heavy PDFs). Usually that won’t be a problem, since in ePub format you can fit about 1,500 to 2,500 eBooks on the device. That should be plenty for most users.

Cloud storage is generous at 25 GB per customer. Purchased eBooks are stored there directly. The advantage is you don’t have to carry all your purchases with you and still have access (if Wi-Fi is available). The cloud also lets you access your library from different devices. Reading position is synced too, so you can pick up where you left off on another device. Up to five different devices can access the Telekom cloud.

Another plus of the Tolino system is the ability to synchronize libraries across different providers. If you’re a customer of multiple Tolino partners (e.g., eBook.de, Thalia, Bücher.de and Weltbild), you can link the accounts so all eBooks end up in the cloud and can be synced with the Vision 2.

Conclusion

When the Tolino Shine launched in 2013, the ambitions of the newly formed bookselling alliance were huge. Their goal was nothing less than to become number one in the domestic market and break Amazon’s dominance. Initially, given the Shine’s meager feature set at the time, that challenge looked very ambitious—to put it mildly.

However, they have shown they’re willing to listen to customers and move with the market. Key core features that many digital reading fans expected were delivered by the 2013 Frankfurt Book Fair, making the Shine a serious competitor at the latest. That was reflected in rapidly growing market share. With the Tolino Vision 2, the union of Thalia, Weltbild, Hugendubel, Club Bertelsmann and Deutsche Telekom—plus the newly added Libri—continues on its steady path.

The device’s most important innovation is undoubtedly the improved screen. It’s excellently readable—both with and without lighting. The differences to the main rival, the Kindle Paperwhite, have shrunk so much that they hardly matter, and the premium over the Shine now finally pays off in full.

For many customers, something else will weigh even more heavily: the Vision 2’s ePub support. That means you can not only switch shops as you please (on a PC, not on the device) but also use Onleihe (a lending service for eBooks). Even though buying a Tolino eBook reader naturally ties you to a certain provider as well, that tie is looser than with Amazon.

You can also see water protection as a bonus, allowing worry-free reading in the tub or by the pool, and the excellent Tap2Flip page-turning feature, which I consider a very practical addition.

The excellent display delivers outstanding readability (shown here with lighting on).

Of course, the Vision 2 isn’t perfect. There’s room for improvement in the lighting, and several software elements could be implemented better. The dictionary and collections features are high on that list, and the needlessly stripped-down web browser should be fixed quickly. The removed memory card slot will also annoy some potential buyers, though it probably won’t matter much for most.

About half a year ago, I saw the first Tolino Vision as a very good device that couldn’t keep up with Amazon’s rival especially in terms of the screen. Today the verdict is different: the Vision 2’s improved display, water protection, and Tap2Flip page turning significantly narrow the gap to the Kindle Paperwhite, giving the Tolino alliance a definite hot contender.

It remains to be seen how pricing will develop, since the eBook reader is supposed to cost 149 euros starting in November, which would undoubtedly dampen competitiveness. But that’s not the topic here.

In conclusion, the Tolino Vision 2 is a very good eBook reader that can finally go head-to-head with its toughest competitor in the crucial screen department and also offers practical and innovative features like water protection and Tap2Flip that Amazon doesn’t have. Overall, the Vision 2 improves its test score over its predecessor once again and ranks among the top with a very good 1.4. From our side, it’s a clear recommendation to buy.

Photos

Predecessor

The Tolino Vision 2 succeeds the Vision 1. The biggest technical innovation is the built-in water protection. Otherwise there are a number of small refinements that particularly improve illumination and readability.

Tolino Vision 2: Technical Specifications

All information provided without guarantee.