Kobo Aura One Firmware Update 4.1.7729 Resolves Rapid Battery Drain Issue
The Kobo Aura One is undoubtedly one of the most interesting new releases in this year’s eBook reader lineup: Large display, brightness sensor, Retina resolution, lots of storage, lightweight design, water protection, and a blue light-reduced lighting mode. This neatly summarizes the many advantages of the device.
However, there are two downsides. On one hand, the price of 230 euros is even higher than the already excellent Kobo Aura H2O. On the other hand, the manufacturer achieves the low weight partly by using a relatively small battery (1,200 mAh capacity).
While most current dedicated reading devices have batteries of about 1,500 mAh and four to six LEDs, the Aura One’s display is illuminated by up to 17 LEDs at the same time. Combined with the smaller battery and the large number of pixels to drive, this ultimately results in the battery life being roughly halved compared to the Aura H2O.
Battery Drain Due to Faulty Sync Function
These points should have been (or rather, should be) clear to any potential buyer before purchase. More surprising for some, however, was the rapid battery drain that sometimes occurred within just a few hours. According to analyses by various users, the problem seems to be caused by a bug in the eBook synchronization.
Disabling the WiFi connection does not help, nor does modifying a configuration file. Only restarting the device can stop the battery drain.
However, for some time now, there seems to be a permanent solution. In October, Kobo released firmware version 4.1.7729, which includes the following updates:
- The high battery consumption due to the sync bug has been fixed.
- Disabling synchronization works.
- Issues connecting to hidden SSIDs have been resolved.
- The OverDrive implementation has been changed.
- Books that have been read to the end are recognized.
- New “Downloaded” filter in the library.
- Various menus have been tidied up (e.g., removing notes in eBooks that don’t support notes).
The firmware will automatically appear on the device as soon as you activate Wi-Fi and synchronize the eReader. Alternatively, you can download the file directly from the Kobo server and install it manually (copy all contents of the ZIP file to the “.kobo” folder).
Fix Appears to Be Reliable
According to various reports, firmware 4.1.7729 reliably fixes the sync bug. Although some MobileRead users still report unexplained battery consumption, it is unclear whether it’s the same issue or if the update was executed correctly.
The firmware is currently only available for the Kobo Aura One and the Kobo Aura 2. Kobo usually continues to provide older models with new software versions for a long time, but so far, owners of Kobo Glo HD or Aura H2O are still waiting for an official update. However, the necessity is limited, as the changes are not too significant, except for the OverDrive support, which is of little use in Germany.
Bold users can still install the software on other devices with a bit of tinkering, as reported by “Martina” in the forum and “frostschutz” on MobileRead.
