This is my first Kindle. I have been reading Kindle books for years, but I always used the apps on my iPhone, iPad and/or computer. I thought getting a Kindle was unnecessary - just another device to carry, charge, etc. I decided to get this new Kindle for a few reasons. I have vision issues (glaucoma) and glare on the screen has become a oroblem. I also found that the apps used a lot of battery capacity and I'm using my phone instead of the landline, so I need it to be free. This Kindle had all the features I wanted - bluetooth, capacity and waterproof. So far I absolutely love it. It was easy to set up and download my books. I'm not big on reading a lot of directions, and so far I've had no issues with figuring things out. It fits nicely in my hand and is light and thin. It is much easier to read because of less screen glare. I've used it in bright light (kitchen fluorescent) and just about no light (bedroom with lights off). Both were just fine. I postponed getting a cover for it because the one I wanted wasn't in stock, but you definitely need a cover of some type. If you're wondering if this is worth the cost, I would definitely say yes.
I have over 1294 books on my 5 year old kindle pw, I kept having to delete books just so I could add a new book. Forget being able to bookmark pages or highlight, no more room. I love all the space i have now! More than enough room for my favorites, old and new!
I like the smooth screen, however I do notice that there is a slight glare, something I don't see on my older pw. The reaction time for turning pages seems a bit slower too, every once in a while I'll tap to go forward and nothing happens so I'll press again and it'll go forward a couple of pages instead of one. Maybe I'm tapping too far over or pressing too lightly, hard to tell because I'm usually completely engrossed in whatever it is I'm reading.
It was very easy to find my books and collections and download them onto my new paperwhite. Everything syncs up nicely and all the settings are easy to find and navigate.
One thing I was upset about though is when it first arrived I noticed the charging cable would not fit. It was too big for the port, a different charging cable I had laying around worked perfect though. I did call Amazon and let them know, the young lady I spoke with was pleasant and told me that a batch had gone out with the wrong size charging cables and Amazon was aware of the issue. She gave me a credit and emailed me a link to a cable that is compatible with this kindle (AmazonBasics USB to micro), when it arrived two days later it fit perfect and charged without any issues.
Bluetooth works really well, it connected quickly to my devices and I haven't had any issues using it. The waterproof ability is something I won't be intentionally testing out, might come in handy though when the dogs walk by and knock my drink over with their tails (2 happy danes) or say hello after drinking half a bucket of water. Other than that I don't plan on dropping it in the tub or a pool.
Battery life is about the same as my older pw as far as how often I notice the % dropping. I plan on hooking it up to charge every 2-3 days since I read for a few hours at a time every night and most days. At night I have the brightness dimmed to about 11 and all the way up during the day so I do understand battery life won't be as good,...also I never turn off Wi-Fi so there's that too.
This new paperwhite is still familiar enough for me to make switching over painless. With a few new features and all the extra space I know I'm going to love this paperwhite as much as my old one.
I’ve been a huge Kindle fan since gen 2, and I’ve had just about every iteration—at least for a while before eventually selling or returning them. I’ve liked them all, despite small complaints about each one.
Prior to buying the new Paperwhite, I was mostly very happily using a Voyage. I really wanted waterproofing, though, as I have often found myself putting my Voyage in a Ziploc bag when reading in the tub, the pool, or in light rain. I was worried that switching to the Paperwhite would be too much of a downgrade in quality, though, despite gaining the waterproofing. The Voyage’s screen is so clear and sharp, and the lighting is perfect. Plus, I kind of liked having the page-turning buttons. I even tried the Oasis for a while. That’s a great device, too, with a big, gorgeous screen, but I found that I missed being able to put my Kindle in my pants and coat pockets. Plus it was just a little too slippery to handle sometimes. Plus the page-turn buttons were a little loud at bedtime in a silent room.
Anyway, so here I am with the new Paperwhite. It’s really good! I love the feel of it. I especially like the feel of the back—not just the texture, but also that it’s mostly one flat surface instead of the angular lines of the Voyage. Page-turning without the buttons takes no time at all to get used to. Also, the lighting seems just as good as the Voyage. I’ve had Paperwhites in years past, and they always had just a little unevenness, with some shadowing at the bottom. This one looks perfect.
So my only small complaints:
- Though the text is nice and clean looking, it’s just short of the quality I’m used to with the Voyage. The pixel density is apparently the same, but the text just seems a little darker and the contrast a little more vibrant on the Voyage. But it’s fine. Still a pleasure to read on the Paperwhite.
- I’ve accidentally turned off the Paperwhite a few times with the button now protruding from the bottom of the device. This is also not a big deal. There are still several very comfortable ways to hold the device as I shift my hands around while reading. And I kind of like that it’s so easy to find the power button without having to feel around, so the occasional accidental bump is fine.
Bottom line: it’s great but imperfect, like all Kindles, and for me the waterproofing is worth the tiny downgrade in text contrast vs the Voyage, especially considering the nice price of the Paperwhite.
I couldn't imagine ever finding something better than my beloved Kindle PaperWhite but I did ... this new version 10. I only bought an updated version because, after four years of excessive use (at least 20-30 hours per week), a couple of pixels have died out on my original and it's just "slowing down". So, Merry Christmas to me, a replacement PaperWhite. This one is slightly slimmer and a bit lighter. The flush front is well worth the upgrade too. All of this just makes for even more comfortable reading. I enjoy the free cellular connectivity -- both on my first and this version. I haven't yet taken advantage of the audible functionality but know I will enjoy that too. Very happy that I decided to upgrade. This is an improvement on what was pretty darn perfect to begin with! I'll donate my earlier version as it still maintains a strong battery life and will be enjoyable for someone who just reads a normal amount of time per week.
It's a great eReader overall. I would recommend it to anyone. However, there is a problem. The MicroUSB that comes with the device is bigger than the connecting port. I'm using the charger that came with my Galaxy Tab S2 to charge my Paperwhite. When comparing the two connectors, I found that the one that comes with the Paperwhite is bigger than the Tab S2 connector.
Feature Product
- The thinnest, lightest Kindle Paperwhite yet-with a flush-front design and 300 ppi glare-free display that reads like real paper even in bright sunlight.
- Now waterproof, so you're free to read and relax at the beach, by the pool, or in the bath.
- Enjoy twice the storage with 8 GB. Or choose 32 GB to hold more magazines, comics, and audiobooks.
- Now with Audible. Pair with Bluetooth headphones or speakers to listen to your story.
- A single battery charge lasts weeks, not hours.
- The built-in adjustable light lets you read indoors and outdoors, day and night.
- Get instant access to new releases and bestsellers, plus over a million titles at $2.99 or less.
Description
I love the backlit feature of the Paperwhite and there was no question I would replace it when Amazon ran the incentive to upgrade back in November. I had an early Kindle -- and it converted me to eReading, but lighting for rading in bed was always an issue. If you enjoy reading in bed -- and you share a bed with a spouse who falls asleep before you do (don't want to bother his sleep), Paperwhite is it. What I did not like -- and was not in the publicity -- was the fact that Active Content is no more with Paperwhites. My previous edition of the Paperwhite allowed me to play Sudoko, crossword puzzles and other interactive games -- I did a Sudoku every single night. I bought the new Paperwhite and figured out three days later there was no Active Content. By then I had mailed in my trade-in Paperwhite -- or I might have kept it until it totally died, just for the Active Content. My other negative is that I do not find an earjack for audible -- the Paperwhite is Bluetooth compatible, not for earjacks. Well, I am back to listening to stuff on my phone with my old fav earjacks. The plus is a big one -- there is nothing out there better for reading in all kinds of light -- dim light, bright light, etc. And I do like the free 4G LTE feature since I travel from time to time.
I love all my old Kindle Keyboards and my Touches But I have had them for a long time so when the new Kindle came out the said it had TTS I decided to try one but for some reason their is things I haven't been able to figure out for some reason. SO I am just not sure about it. I hope I will figure it out soon or someone will wright a good instructions book. I have vision problems so I really need the TTS.
I was reluctant to spend as much as I did on this new Paperwhite, however let me say right up front I am so glad I did! I love this so much it is awsome! I went with the 32 gig. Wi-Fi and 3 g data connection. I wanted to have plenty of room for several audio books. The quality of the audio books when played back is clear and flawless, much better than on my fire tablet. This Paperwhite is a little smaller and lighter than previous versions. It is easy to carry with me and listen in the car. The new flat screen is also a great addition and it's waterproof. I love the Paperwhite and now to have Audible too is simply the best of both worlds! Thanks for making a great product even better. Perfect and I absolutely love it!
This is my 4th Kindle I have owned. I traded in my old Kindle keyboard for this one. I had been looking at this Paperwhite and the Oasis for a while now, but I don't like to be the earliest adopter. I only shopped because it looked like my 2015 Paperwhite wasn't holding a charge, but it turned out it was an issue with the case. No matter, I wanted a waterproof/resistant Kindle so I can't complain.
For me, the DPI is an upgrade from my older Paperwhite. I got the top of the line model because I wanted the cellular connection for when I am traveling, as I hate relying on someone else's Wifi. The first thing I noticed is that my USB cables that work with my phone, do not work with this Kindle. However, the prior Kindle USB cables did work. So, that means I have have another cable connected to my outlet just for the Kindle, which is annoying, but not a deal breaker. I have noticed that this Kindle seems to charge faster than my prior model. I have not noticed an issue with battery life being worse than my older Paperwhite.
The issue I did have, which resulted in a replacement was the screen responsiveness. When I tapped in the lower right hand corner, the page wouldn't turn, but if I tapped a second time, I was advanced 2 pages. Sometimes, I would wait to see how long it would take for the page to advance. When I called Kindle Support and did a reset, the problem got worse where I got no responsiveness. At that point, they ordered a replacement. The replacement is working perfectly fine. I will say, with all of the updated software responsiveness in general is a bit slower than the other Kindle from the home screen. Annoying yes, but not enough to make me return it.
I am rating this device 4 stars because it does not support the wonderful games the older Kindles did. I was so looking forward to a fresh install of Math Blender only to find out it's not compatible. Also, not being able to play Word Scrabble when I need a break from my binge reading is a big bummer. Amazon, if you read this, please reconsider the games (smile).
If you are an avid reader and haven't switched to an eReader, now is a good time. My boss was a physical book person and she got this Kindle for Christmas. She's in love. If you have an older Paperwhite and don't need the ability to read while in the hot tub or near other water, stay with it until it doesn't work. I'm not trying to talk you out of the upgrade, but it's not an immediate need. I have been wanting a waterproof device for a good 8 years, so I'm glad I upgraded.
One final thing to mention is the screen. It does not appear to have more reflection than my older Paperwhite and I am glad they removed the bezel. However, this screen does tend to hold smudges more than any other version. I find that I have to clean it more and at times, even scrub to get the whatever hand cream I used off. This was not an issue with my older Paperwhite.
I upgraded from a year-old, previous-generation Paperwhite, mostly to gain the new inverted white-on-black screen mode that Amazon insists requires new hardware and to have built-in Audible playback over Bluetooth.
This unit ticks most of boxes, and after some debate I've decided to give it five stars, but there are some imperfections worth knowing about. It's mostly good, though, and often great.
Battery life
No complaints. In several long international flights, I've yet to run it down more than about 30%, either in long reading sessions with the front-light or in lengthy Audible playback sessions over Bluetooth.
Audible content
The Audible player works brilliantly. Excellent sound, simple controls (including playback-speed adjustment). It does work best if you don't have a screen password enabled, though-- that will get in the way if you just want to rewind a few seconds to catch something you missed. Playback proceeds even if you have a case closed, which shuts off the front-light and saves battery charge.
There's no headphone jack-- this is for Bluetooth only. Fine with me. I have Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids (cochlear implants, actually) and it's a true joy to be able to listen to books on this device. Thanks, Amazon.
Screen
The screen is pretty much the same as my previous-generation Paperwhite's, meaning not bad but could use more contrast when reading in a dark room using the front-light. Outdoors or in well-lit areas, it's fantastic and mostly glare-free.
More seriously, the lack of contrast mars the new Paperwhite's valuable ability to invert text to white-on-black. This is a marvelous accessibility feature for those with "floaters", vitreous separation and other vision issues. Unfortunately, when used with the front-light in a darkened room, such as when reading at night or in a darkened airplane, the black background is more of a medium gray. So this new feature is less helpful than it could be. In fairness, poor contrast is characteristic of today's e-ink displays, which provide perhaps 8:1 contrast. If Amazon can significantly improve the contrast, I'd upgrade again in a flash.
The screen is plastic and will scratch. Keep it clean and use a case. Even with a case (I prefer one of the various "origami" cases available here, which allow the Kindle to prop itself upright) it will fit nicely into a pocket.
The touch-screen user interface is the same as the previous-gen Paperwhite's. I'm not a huge fan of it; too easy to touch it when you don't mean to, and end up on the wrong page. But, the earlier button-driven Kindles had sort of the same problem, so whatever. I recommend a simple fix, perhaps as a Settings option: require a double-tap rather than a single-tap. How about it, Amazon?
Connectivity
The 4G/LTE capability is a nice speed upgrade from the previous 3G connectivity. Downloading Audible content requires a WiFi connection as before.
Unfortunately I'm finding that global connectivity with the new 4G hardware is inferior to the previous-gen's 3G radio. For example, my year-old 3G Paperwhite connected without issue in Saigon, but the new one won't.
The user interface for turning Airplane Mode on and off could be improved. As it is, engaging Airplane Mode cuts all connectivity including Bluetooth. So if you're in the middle of listening to a book when the time comes to put your gizmos in Airplane Mode, it will cut your connection. Better to do what the latest iPhones do, and have the device learn if your usage prefers that Bluetooth remain active.
Browser
It's high time for Amazon to replace the minimally-functional "Experimental Browser" with something more useful. I get it that Kindles are all about battery life and browsers can be major energy hogs, but c'mon, it's 2019, and this browser feels like a relic from 1996. Probably is.
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