#Kindle paperwhite review upgrade

David Carnoy/CNET Yay for USB-CĪfter Amazon's Fire tablets were upgraded with USB-C charging, a lot of folks have been waiting for USB-C to come to the Kindle line. The new Paperwhite is fully waterproof like the previous Paperwhite. Most people, including me, like the redesign, as it makes it easier to access the Kindle's most useful - and used - features and settings. It's also worth noting that Amazon recently redesigned the Kindle interface for the first time in five years (that redesign is available for legacy Kindles). Although E Ink is inherently sluggish compared to the responsiveness of an iPad, I did find the device zippier overall than the previous Paperwhite. That also makes it a good choice if you like to read in the bathtub.Īlong with improved battery life, Amazon says it's equipped the new Paperwhite with a more powerful processor and that page turns are 20% faster. And speaking of washing out in the wet sense, this Paperwhite, like the previous model, is fully waterproof (IPX8 certified) and can survive a dunk underwater. Of course, the nice thing about E Ink e-readers is that unlike the LCDs on phones and tablets, they're made to be viewed in direct sunlight: You can take them to the beach or pool and not worry about having your screen washed out. At night while indoors, I read with the light on, and during the day I took the Kindle outdoors, turning the light off. (That's with Power Saver mode engaged.) I left the Wi-Fi on, and after 3 days of light reading (about 5 hours total), the battery was down to 89%. David Carnoy/CNETīattery life is also improved, according to Amazon: It's rated at up to 10 weeks now. The standard Paperwhite (2021) adds color temperature adjustment while the Signature Edition (shown) also has the Oasis' auto-brightness feature. Like other Kindle devices, many cover options are available, including Amazon's own, which now includes a snazzy cork cover ( $50).

($250) for the first time, but its metal back gives it a colder feel compared to the Paperwhite's textured plastic back. You get a similar sensation when you hold the flagship It remains small and light enough to fit in a jacket pocket with a more spacious screen. It'd be nice if it was slightly slimmer and had almost no bezel, but it does feel like it's edging closer to being the perfect size. The 2021 model also has a smaller 10.2mm bezel. While the display is larger, the new Paperwhite is only a little bigger and weighs just 23 grams more than the previous Paperwhite (205g vs. Using an average font size, you get three or four more lines of text per page and a few more words per line. I measured the actual screen sizes - not the devices themselves - and recorded that the previous Paperwhite's display is about 4.75 inches tall by 3.55 inches wide, while the new Kindle Paperwhite's screen is about 5.5 inches tall and 4.1 inches wide. While 6.8 inches compared to the previous 6 inches doesn't sound like much, once you see the two devices side by side, you realize it adds more screen real estate than you think. And a step-up model, the Paperwhite Signature Edition, adds wireless charging and additional storage - 32GB instead of 8GB - as well an auto-adjusting light sensor for $190 (£180, AU$289). The new version costs $10 more than the previous Paperwhite.

Though we can give Amazon credit for enhancing it with new features - namely, a larger 6.8-inch display with an upgraded lighting scheme and USB-C charging - that offer just enough improvements to tempt you into buying one, whether you're an existing Paperwhite owner or not.

#Kindle paperwhite review upgrade

Not surprisingly, then, the new 11th-generation Kindle Paperwhite (2021) ($140, £130, AU$239) isn't a huge upgrade over the Kindle Paperwhite 2018. But with an e-reader, you're dealing with a limited feature set and a core technology, E Ink, that seems pretty stuck in neutral. The same might be said for Apple's iPhones and plenty of other devices. One of the problems with having a sophisticated, already excellent e-reader like the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is that it's hard to make it much better.