Kindle Paperwhite – (previous generation - 2018 release) Waterproof with 2x the Storage – Ad-Supported

Skip to the end for a quick summary!I got this device at a discount through the Kindle unlimited promo, and I was so tempted because I wanted to rekindle (hee hee) my love of reading that has been since beaten out of me through uninspired required reading when I was in school. After graduation, I all but swore I wouldn’t pick up another book. 10 years later, I started reading fanfiction and thought I’d really like to read something more complete and properly edited. You know, like a book. when I got the offer via email, and combined with my love of electronic toys, I had to give the Kindle a shot.Before the device arrived, I have any questions. Is this device going to prove redundant compared to my iPad? Will the battery life be insufficient when a physical book doesn’t have that problem? Can I get a reading flow that doesn’t involve a subscription if I choose? I’ll talk about these more later.When the device came, it was delivered in parsimonious packaging, no larger than necessary to contain the device. No charger was included, but that’s not a problem as I have many charger bricks to go with the included cable. The device is perfectly sized to hold in one hand, and it’s very comparable to holding a book in weight and form factor. I ordered a third-party case in advance which slipped on without difficulty so I could open and close the device in a manner that more resembles a book. leaving the screen exposed seemed unwise. I recommend getting a case to protect the screen and to provide a better reading experience. Don’t underestimate the satisfaction of having a cover with a lid to preserve more of the book experience.My first few books were through the Kindle unlimited program, but I soon discovered that my local library offers a mobile app that can be used to check out books directly to the Kindle. This is become my main source of reading material. Don’t feel like you’re stuck with Amazon. Consider OverDrive or Libby to check whether your public library supports this. I’ve also read I can save files directly to the Kindle through the USB cable for reading, but I’ve never tried, and the popular epub format is not supported. I still enjoy the Amazon integration so I can find and purchase hard to find titles that are instantly available on the device. The saves a trip to the bookstore, and I don’t have one locally. The digital copies are often cheaper than a paperback. I have no room in my small apartment to store a large collection either.I much prefer the Kindle to reading on the iPad for two reasons: no distractions, and superb battery life. On a full charge, I can get through three books over five days, and there’s no temptation to check email nor interruptions from messages received while I’m reading. It helps me dedicate my time to reading. Battery life doesn’t seem to get in the way. There’s a certain peace that comes with reading on the Kindle versus the iPad because I know while I’m using the Kindle that I’m going to be reading and nothing else. I don’t know how to get the same distraction-free experience on a tablet or smart phone compared to the Kindle. The Kindle specializes in doing just one thing, and that’s what makes it so much nicer than a general purpose device. Charge time is an hour or two. I notice almost no battery loss if the device is sitting idle for a few days, but I can’t speak to how the battery performs if you read rarely. Infrequent readers might not appreciate the flexibility of an ereader.Let’s talk about the display. In my opinion, the recent iPads have a better display. I’m not sold on the eink concept. Don’t get me wrong; the display is excellent with plenty of resolution for reading text. I’m not complaining about the display, but I do feel like it’s objectively inferior technology when compared to high end tablets and smart phones. The display is impressive when reading in bright light, but then again, many smart phones can do that too. The display technology really just enables the extremely long battery life necessary to read books without annoyance because, if you’re not using the reading light, it doesn’t take power to keep the display on. I usually use a reading lamp by my bedside, so I don’t use the reading light. The display contrast is comparable to old-fashioned LCD, I think like an alarm clock display. The eink is a unique technology, and it saves power, but don’t expect to be blown away by it if you have used a high-end phone or tablet. It’s more than sufficient, but to me not the selling point, unless you do lots of reading and bright light. Rather, the unique display technology enables low power operation more than anything else. Reading multiple books in a day in bright lighting would absolutely kill my iPad battery. Not so with the kindle.Here, I’ll address a concern of some other reviewers. Some of you have mentioned display imperfections. I believe this is intentional. In the settings, you can have the device redraw the entire screen every time you turn the page. This eliminates visual defects for me, but turning the page became slower. I think Amazon decided to sacrifice some display sharpness for faster response, but you can adjust the setting to your liking. I use the device with the default settings. Sometimes, there will be a spec or two of eink left behind when I turn the page, but it’s not a distraction to reading. I much prefer the device responds quickly when I touch the screen.I chose the version discounted with ads. The ads don’t bother me, and sometimes I find them useful as I’ve only ever seen it advertise books I might be interested in reading. I like it.The display bezels make the device feel less sleek then newer models, but the space doesn’t feel wasted as I imagine the edge space as page margins when I’m reading.Finally, I’d like to talk about the software experience. I’m fascinated that the device cannot be shut down. No really, you can’t turn it off. You can restart the device or turn off the screen, but the device does not support being turned off. It’s always on. This isn’t a problem if you use the device regularly. It uses very little power when you’re not using it. Almost nothing. But, it’s still there, so consider this if you are an occasional reader. EPUB support would be nice, but it is absent. It’s glorious to be able to find uncommon books on Amazon and purchase for reading instantly without leaving my chair. It’s also nice that my library lets me check out books to my Kindle, and there is a large collection in my case. There is noticeable lag when you touch the screen. While there is a notetaking feature, I don’t think the device is responsive enough to take long notes. Typing isn’t nearly as pleasant as it is on a smart phone. Highlighting works with some patients, but again there’s some lag. I believe the lag exists because drawing the display takes time and not because the device is slow, but I’m not sure. It doesn’t get in the way of reading. Software updates happen automatically overnight. I enjoy the built-in dictionary feature and vocabulary builder. The device supports Goodreads account integration, but I find it doesn’t often accurately update my book progress.Quick SummaryWorks best with Amazon, but you’re not limited. Works with plain files and some public libraries.No EPUB support.Fewer distractions compared to smart phones and tablets.Display is satisfactory. I’m not sold on the concept, but it enables long battery life. Black and white only.I recommend a case for the tactile experience of opening and closing the Kindle like a book.Battery life is perfectly adequate, especially for someone who would rather not drive to the bookstore.The software is adequate.I like it. It’s fun! I’m reading much more now. I hope that as the novelty wears off I’ll stick with the new habit.

Quick summary in case you don’t want to read my whole review: This is the best Kindle ever. If you are searching for a great reading device then this is the one you want!I’ve had many Kindles over the years, beginning with the very first one with the full keyboard and the strange looking scroll wheel with LCD indicator. At the time that first Kindle was amazing even though it is a dinosaur by today’s standards.From there I moved on to the subsequent smaller models without the keyboard, the original Paperwhite with the built in lighting, the fancy new Oasis last year, and finally to my current Kindle which is the most recent Paperwhite prior to this new release.Last year I wrote in my review of the Oasis (which you can view here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1X98VSOJ61Z4C/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B075M8FDWM) that despite the Oasis being a great, premium device, I still recommend just buying the Paperwhite. Despite the Paperwhite not being waterproof like the Oasis, having a different (smaller) screen size with less LEDs for lighting, and not having the “premium” device feel with the metal case I still preferred the Paperwhite due to it’s comparably low cost and I actually liked the feel of the case better when reading. Ultimately I returned the Oasis and purchased the Paperwhite. For my money the only thing that was really missing on the Paperwhite compared to the Oasis was the waterproofing.And now… (drumroll….) the Paperwhite has waterproofing!For me just knowing this one new feature (the waterproofing) is enough to know that this is the best Kindle yet because I already put the previous Paperwhite in that top position.For good measure I had to immediately test the waterproof feature. Be sure to see my pictures, since seeing is believing! First I just simulated spilling a glass of water on it. That was easy to clean up with just a few swipes of a paper towel. Then I actually submerged the entire device in a bowl of water. It continued to work fine even while underwater and when I removed it the paper towel wiped it dry without any issues. The only residual water were some drips from the charging port on the bottom (the only port on the new Kindle Paperwhite). I gave the unit a few good shakes and the remaining water came out of the port (shaking produced a surprising amount of water!). Test passed!The other new things are kind of a bonus to me, the main ones being:- 8 GB of storage on the base model. This now matches the Oasis base storage. I really don’t think you need a lot of storage on a Kindle unless you will be away from Wi-Fi for long periods of time and need to be able to carry tons of books on the device, but having extra space can’t hurt. - Flush front screen. It’s nice that the screen and the bezel around the screen are now flush so you can easily wipe things off the screen without them potentially getting stuck along the edges. Previous models had the screen sunken below the bezels so it was always possible that something could get stuck under the bezel. This flush design just makes it easier to clean without worrying about those edges. - Audible. This may be a big deal to you if you use Audible a lot. You can now listen to your Audible books via Bluetooth headphones or speakers. For some reason I feel like I would just use my phone if I wanted to listen to Audible, but if you’d rather use the Kindle it’s now an option with the Paperwhite for the first time. Other Kindle models have had it for years and now it’s finally available on the Paperwhite.In the past I always criticized the Paperwhite models for having uneven lighting. I am happy to report that the lighting on this new model is much improved and seems to be very even now! Despite still only using 5 LEDs versus the Kindle Oasis’ 12 LED setup I think it would actually be hard to tell the difference between the two. Previously I could see lots of “hot” and “cold” spots on the Paperwhite screens where the lighting was uneven. I am not noticing that nearly as much now, if at all! So even though the Oasis has a technically better lighting setup I think most people will find that the new Paperwhite screen is perfectly fine for low light reading (see picture).As I said in the beginning, I had already recommended the last generation Paperwhite over the Oasis even without the waterproofing, larger storage, or Audible support. Now that the Paperwhite has all of those things and a seemingly improved lighting system it’s an even better buy! The Paperwhite is just shy of half the price of the Oasis as of this review making it an incredible value!If you already have the most recent Paperwhite then there’s not a huge difference and upgrading may not be worth it to you. The main things you’ll get are the waterproofing and the Audible support. I upgraded mine mainly to get the waterproofing. Using Amazon to trade in my old Paperwhite I was able to buy the new one for around half price (they pay you for the old device AND give you a coupon for a discount on the new one). For me it was worth it, but of course you’ll have to decide for yourself if the new features are worth the cost of upgrading.If you don’t have a Paperwhite already then it’s a no-brainer and this new one is the model to get.Pros:- Waterproof! Now you can read by the pool, on the beach, or in the tub without fear of destroying your device.- Lighting system seems to be improved and provides a more even light pattern compared to previous Paperwhite models.- Flush screen makes cleaning smudges or dirt easier.- Audible support means you can listen to your books via Bluetooth.- Double the base storage of the previous model, now matches the Oasis with 8 GB to start.- Great Kindle interface just like all the models. There’s really no need to review this as it’s basically the same as it has been and works great for what it’s purpose is.- Thin and light, easy to hold while reading with a nice texture that doesn’t feel like it will fall out of your hand.Cons:- None! Unless you count the plastic case as one versus the Oasis metal case (I don’t since I like the feel of the Paperwhite’s rubberized back better)… or if you think 12 LED lights on the Oasis are better than 5 on the Paperwhite, but again the Paperwhite’s lighting is much improved and provides a very nice, even light.The bottom line here is that this is by far the best Kindle device for the money. It’s worth the extra price compared to the base Kindle just because it gets you the lighting (which to me is a requirement for reading in bed or reading on the plane) and now it gets you waterproofing. The jump up to the Oasis really is even less justified now as the Oasis just gets you a metal case, a marginally better screen size/aspect ratio, and MAYBE better lighting… for almost twice the price.Buy this one. There’s no reason to look at the other models.TIP: If you happen to already have a sleeve-type case for your previous Paperwhite then the case will most likely also fit the new Paperwhite. I’ve been using this case for about a year and it fits the new model great as well: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073GFS4K8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1