Moov Lite vs Moov Pro: is the 300 PPI screen worth it?

PPI (pixels per inch) is how many pixels fit along one inch of screen. Both Moovs have the same 4.5-inch screen, so a higher PPI means smaller, more numerous pixels:

• Pixel size: each pixel on Moov Pro is about 0.085 mm across, against about 0.116 mm on Moov Lite.
• Pixel count: 300 PPI fits almost twice as many pixels (1.9 times) into the same screen. Moov Pro's is about 680 × 1,136.
• What you see: letters are drawn from more, finer pixels, so curves, diagonals and thin strokes come out smoother, and edges look less soft.

E-ink screens smooth letter edges with grey pixels (anti-aliasing), so 219 PPI text isn't jagged at normal sizes; it's slightly softer. The difference grows as text gets smaller, because each letter has fewer pixels to work with.

On a pocket-sized screen, font size is a trade-off. Bigger text is easier to read, but fits fewer words, so you turn pages more often. Many pocket-reader owners settle on a smaller font than they'd use on a 6-inch Kindle.

This is where pixel density pays off. A font size describes the height of a line of type (the em), so you can count the pixels each screen has for it:

Moov Pro at 8 point has more pixels per letter than Moov Lite at 10 point. Dropping from 10 to 8 point fits about 56% more text on each page, so on Moov Pro you can read noticeably smaller type, turn pages less often, and still get letters drawn with more detail than Lite gives you at a larger size.

The same goes for footnotes, superscripts, page numbers and the small text in menus, which all sit below your main font size.

PDFs. A PDF has a fixed page layout, usually designed for A4 or letter paper, so its text is tiny on a 4.5-inch screen. Both Moovs support PDFs, and Moov Pro adds enhanced PDF reflow and text formatting, and its 300 PPI keeps diagrams and small labels legible.

Images. Covers, maps, diagrams and illustrations keep more detail at 300 PPI, and the 16 grey levels of e-ink blend more smoothly when the pixels are smaller.

Chinese, Japanese and Korean text. Characters with many strokes need more pixels to stay distinct at small sizes, so readers of these languages benefit most from a higher PPI.

Moov Pro is rated IPX8 for continuous immersion beyond 1 metre, so a drop in the bath or the pool isn't the end of it. Moov Lite has no water-resistance rating, so keep it dry. As with any rated device, ratings are tested in fresh water: rinse after salt water or chlorine, and let the port dry before charging. More in our guide to water ratings.

• The same 110 × 66 × 6 mm, 75 g body, in white or black
• The same warm/cool front light with adjustable brightness and warmth
• The same touchscreen and left and right page-turn buttons
• The same 1,100 mAh battery and USB-C charging and file transfer
• The same 16 GB microSD card, replaceable up to 256 GB
• The same CrossPoint firmware, companion app and magnetic back

So the choice comes down to the screen, water and PDFs, not size, battery or software.

Every other 300 PPI e-reader we know of is phone-sized or larger, from the announced 5.84-inch PocketBook Q to the 6-inch Kindle and Kobo Clara BW. Among pocket readers, the sharpest screens before Moov Pro were the Xteink X3 (259 PPI) and Boox Picco (235 PPI). See 300 PPI e-readers explained for the full comparison, and every pocket e-reader compared.