Smartphone Reading? Is It Even Plausible?
Smartphone reading. Today this is the thing where the new generation of readers is turning to their mobiles to read books. They are moving beyond the usual physical books, eBook readers (prominently towards Kindle, Nook and Kobo). Now, the world is in smartphones. Everything we think of getting our hands on is all in the form of apps. Apps run our day. Everything has an app for it today. Now, in that context, it is imperative that we find an app for reading as well.
Yes, there are multiple Android and iOS based apps which allow you to read PDFs, Docs, ePubs, etc., but are they all good? And more importantly, do we need so many? Of course, more the merrier. And FReader comes as an excellent inclusion.
FReader or previously called Full Reader is a simple app which does what it says. It opens and reads eBooks as it were, and brings incredible ease in reading them. Isn’t that what we all want? You see, not much is required when it comes to bringing the best quality app for smartphones. The only thing that people are looking for within an app is the ease of functions, lower size on the phone, and of course doing what it says. FReader does all that, checks all the boxes, and does more. It shows the biggest of things can be done with the smallest of tweaks.
The minimal design in the user interface, compatibility with multiple eBook and eText materials, and an app which is fast and durable. Practically, you have everything you need from an effective eBook reader, in the form of FReader. If Kindle does it, FReader simply betters it.
What Can FReader Truly Do? And Why Do You Need To Use It?
We could go with the straightforward explanation that Google Play lists it as, a multifunctional app which supports both ePub and DjVu books. Of course that means that you can read both books, eBooks, and PDFs, and eventually, you can even listen to Audiobooks and read Comic books too. So yes, it is an all eBook solution that you get, at half the size of General eBook readers like Helicon, Tolino, and more. Of course, you can get them, and the latest smartphones which come with massive storage abilities will easily run them. Well, we aren’t talking about them. What we are referring to are smartphones which are decent on their storage. For them, the app size becomes a crucial factor. And lesser cache data is something which holds some relevance. You see when you have an app which does all these things, you need to start using it.
In this effect, FReader or Full Reader is an app you would want. FReader brings simplicity to the core with its smart and clean interface which sets an example to every other app out there. It stands out because it doesn’t load too much into the system or smartphone specifically. However, as we see with many other ebook readers across the market, FReader does not officially support the Kindle format of eBooks, Mobi. The Mobi made in the format specific to the Amazon Kindle, and the core of it is not changed to adapt other eBook readers. Having said so, some avid users claim that you can read, Mobi files on the app as well, with a little bit of tweaking here and there. You just must save the files as ePub, with the said extension, into your system and load it up.
You can do the same on smartphone devices as well when you have a rooted device with you. With a rooted device, open the file manager and find the eBook which is in Mobi and rename it into ePub. Most of the readers usually have found this method to be working all over. However, it may or may not work on devices which run the latest Android version, Nougat. However, it is still a good method to try if you are looking to open Kindle format in FReader.
On this context, FReader becomes a versatile eBook reader by lending support to almost all the eBook formats. As we mentioned, the e-reader supports the following formats: fb2, ePub, txt, PDF, Doc, Docx, CBR, CBZ, RTF, DjVu, HTML, Mobi, XPS, ODT, RAR, Zip, MP3. As you may notice, the app also supports the playing of Audio files which brings the best of eBook reading experience to hand.
Features of FReader – Which Things Make It Truly Stand Out
The features in FReader are only there because they need to. And most of them can be opted in or opted out of. You see some of them are optional and you can download extension packs to load it up. But that would reduce the whole purpose of having an app which frees up your space. Therefore, FReader brings an option to the users to either go with a fully loaded version or a basic version. The difference lies in the range of functionality but not the eBook format support. Thus, the features which you can opt-in will not end up using all your resources. In this regard, let’s have a look at what this reader has in store for us.,
Themes And Interface – FReader Read As You Like Interface
- The FReader becomes a visually exciting app which you can tweak the app as you like. At least with different themes at hand, you can bring your personality to the app and book reading.
- Now, to plainly list out, the app comes with four original themes. Namely, they are Marble Wall, Light Wood, Mahogany, and the latest Android loved the material design.
- These themes come by default with the FReader as you download it, and therefore in future, you can expect more to come. Pick you theme and have a great reading experience.
- One other thing, you can test the FReader with is the language support you get. Natively, you get the support for Russian, Ukranian, English, French, and German.
- Now, with multiple language support, and more language packs you can download from the website, you don’t have to worry about reading regional books ever again.
- One of the features is that you can switch through language halfway through the reading. However, most users claim that there is no translate button which brings extra ease to read the book.
Visual Inputs and eBook Supports – How Does FReader Fare In Effects
As we mentioned earlier, Visual inputs are needed by every reading app which makes for incredible usability.
- Now, because of this FReader might have to take a step back when you see that there are only plain and simple visual effects which make your reading exciting.
- In that context, the app comes with three variants of page shifting effects. You have the necessary slide page effect that you can mostly see in Kindle apps and devices.
- Along with that, the app includes a 3D animation for the page shift. One additional page effect in FReader comes as a page peel effect. In effect, you just have to tap at the right bottom corner to get the page turn effect.
- Thus, you can use this app for a single hand reading experience with no need for placing it on the surface. In addition to it, you get the possibility of different variants of backgrounds.
- While reading, you can pick and load your backgrounds as needed within the app. By adding your wallpaper to the bookshelf within the FReader app, you are making the app much more personal.
- The process of adding it is also very simple, as you can put a chosen path to sd card/wallpapers. The visually exciting aspects within FReader come to the point where we talk about the fonts it supports.
- The app supports different fonts. Obviously, this is because the app supports more than five languages now, and fonts which support Arabic and Right to Left scripts become important.
- To be more specific, the app supports 12 fonts with a full featured display while reading. 12 available fonts with a full-featured setting opportunities.
As with the backgrounds we spoke of earlier, you can also add newer fonts within the app by simply getting them into the device, and redirect the path to it. Usually, you can do this by adding the font files (which come in the extensions of TTF/OTF) and place them in the fonts folder. Now redirect the path in the settings as /sdcard/fonts/. Then, choose the font to load. You just have to do this once, because the next time the app remembers your selection and brings it up automatically.
Reading Modes and Visual Treat – FReader Scores Good Here
The reading modes are something we need to discuss within the context of FReader. Also, the points mentioned above, you can always use the app for different things. In one such simple example, you can use the app to respond to finger touch for various functions. Now plainly, you can use finger touch along the left edge of the screen, to adjust the lighting. Of course, as we saw earlier you can flip your pages with a simple touch on the right-hand corner.
- This makes for a smart use for touch and light reading all the same. As we find with many other Reading apps, you can get the two modes in which to read the app. The modes, we are referring to are, Day/Night modes which allow you to adjust the device and reading as needed.
- Also, most users say that the Night mode within the app works well in reducing the amount of pressure on eyes because of cooler filters in backlights.
- The modes, we are referring to are, Day/Night modes which allow you to adjust the device and reading as needed. Also, most users say that the Night mode within the app works well in reducing the amount of pressure on eyes because of cooler filters in backlights.
- In addition to different modes and variable, FReader gives you the options of customising your app as you like. You can set up tap-zones within the reading material to quickly go to important functions. To explain that role simply, you can allow a few actions to respond to others.
- For example, you can program the app in a manner where, double tap means changing the mode, single tap and slide up means next books, double tap and slide up to skip to the next chapter, and so on. These are handy gesture controls which usually we don’t find in the reading apps.
You can pull up the settings, and have one gesture mean the creation of bookmarks or save a quote or open up another thing. The possibilities are numerous. On that topic, you can easily create Bookmarks within the app, just by pulling down from the top of the book. This movement is very much like what you can do with Google Play Books.
Other Utility Options Within FReader: How To Use Them?
When we mentioned the support FReader and more languages within the app, we failed to look at the inbuilt translator in detail. You see, when you have an app which supports the reading of Russian, Ukrainian, English, French, and German, it is only imperative that you get the ability to interchange them if needed. Therefore, there is an inbuilt translator who comes in handy.
- Although many users claim that the translator has a lot left to be desired, you can still use to simple conversions. You can also, link your vocabularies to add to the translator when you need them. This smoothens out the process of translation and brings in contextually relevant things in FReader.
- Additionally, like in most reading apps in the market, you also get the option to bring in a search option which becomes an easy way of finding a book. And not only that, you can search for lines, words, and contextual searches within the books.
- One good nod for the classical search bars of Microsoft Windows, this search bar adds to utility progress of FReader. A few other things that you get in handy are the reading statistics which help you see the progress within a book. Also, you have the options for the possibility to hide the system buttons.
- You can also change the page flipping sequence using volume rocker; and be turning on and turning off the sound of the page flipping.
FReader And Its Performance Within Social Plugins
Social sharing is a must have a facility we require within the social networks. The FReader gives you the option of the creation of the quotations with a capacity to share them: social networks, SMS, instant messaging clients, Bluetooth, etc. You also get E-reader widget for desktop with a display of the last opened books. You also get the Support for microSD memory cards.
The FReader also offers you synchronisation of bookmarks, notes, last opened books and reading positions with Dropbox cloud storage service, as well as the usage of the Dropbox online catalogue. Adding to OPDS libraries with a possibility of book download. Scanning of the device file system for the availability of the books and files supported by the e-reader based on their format. Reading aloud TTS (text to speech), additional plugin installation may be required.Thus, you can always use FReader which makes for a smart, easy and efficient eBook reader you can use the smart devices and it is particularly made for it. You can make the changes, add backgrounds, and many other features to the eBook reading, to make it truly stand out. Use this FReader for the eBook reader in you.