Updating the Kindle Paperwhite, Amazon’s very best e-reader, isn’t precisely a very easy factor to do. Some suppose a colour E Ink display screen — which you’ll get with the Kobo Libra Color or the approaching Kindle Colorsoft — is the solution. However the ones value much more, and colour is of questionable price in case you communicate to sufficient e-reader customers. Positive, it’s great to have your ebook’s duvet sing out extra as it should be, and comedian ebook fans are actually fed, however what about the remainder of us?
Neatly, Amazon cracked that code within the new Paperwhite, due to a brand new show tech that almost broke my mind after I noticed it for myself. However after I regained my composure, I downloaded a number of books onto the Kindle Paperwhite 2024 to place it via its paces, and notice how the most recent adjustments to its bodily design have an effect on the sacred studying revel in. I took the brand new Paperwhite with me far and wide, from the bed room to park benches, and from New York’s subways to the workplace, to ensure I may inform you the whole thing you had to know sooner than making a decision so as to add some other Kindle for your library.
Amazon’s newest improve to its water-proof Kindle Paperwhite upgrades its efficiency for sooner web page turning.
The Signature Version improve gets rid of lockscreen advertisements, doubles your garage and provides an auto-adjusting entrance digital camera and a metal again.
The most productive factor about standard knowledge is that it sooner or later ages into obscurity — and that’s what Amazon’s doing to earlier perceptions about e-readers. I’ve examined Kindles for years, which led me to be expecting E Ink pages would at all times load slower than I’d like, as I used to be simply used to seeing visual pauses after each and every faucet. Amazon shattered that reality with its newest era of Kindles that use a complete new oxide backplane show generation to easily transfer the virtual ink round sooner. A lot sooner.
Simply watch the above video of pages turning. A month in the past, I wouldn’t have believed that this used to be conceivable on an E Ink show. And now I’m extra locked into the studying revel in than sooner than, as I noticed pages of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” bounce off-screen as rapid as my arms may faucet. Infrequently — particularly with image-heavy titles corresponding to “Beastie Boys E-book” — I in truth spotted the web page refresh (and no longer simply the textual content), however it comes and is going a lot more temporarily than sooner than.
It is a high quality of existence improve that some — corresponding to myself, who’ve lengthy felt that E Ink displays simply didn’t are living as much as their hype — will treasure. It would possibly not imply the sector to those that have lengthy beloved their Kindle and treasure it very much, however it’s implausible to peer this well-defined software get some newfound pep in its step.
However this efficiency bounce isn’t on the subject of web page turning and machine navigation. A sooner display screen additionally signifies that typing on a Kindle after all appears to be like and feels because it must in 2024. For a ways too lengthy, the Kindle’s lag used to be one thing that many other people simply approved as a result of they beloved their e-readers, whilst those that do their studying on their telephone or pill (I’ve lengthy stated the iPad Mini is best possible for this) will have checked out the ones delays as a major flaw. Now you don’t wish to compromise on revel in.
Moreover, Amazon claims the 2024 Kindle shows be offering higher distinction, which must theoretically make textual content pop much more at the E Ink display screen. I didn’t understand a distinction when evaluating the brand new Paperwhite in opposition to the 2021 type, even though.
A well-recognized design will get rather better and a lot more colourful
Having a look on the 2024 and 2021 Paperwhite Signature Editions aspect via aspect, I will inform you that I doubt somebody will be capable to temporarily determine the diversities — except they understand the latter has a brightly coloured backplate. I’m checking out a Jade Signature Version, which provides a dash of metal inexperienced that’s a lot more expressive than the muted Denim blue and Agave inexperienced hues Amazon added in 2023. You’ll get it in black if you wish to have one thing that’s extra same old or Raspberry in case you like that nook of the colour wheel.
The ones choosing a Signature Version must know in regards to the two trade-offs. At the upside, this new metal again isn’t just about as a lot of a fingerprint magnet as the former model’s matte again. At the problem, this new subject material doesn’t be offering that rather grippy texture.
Whilst Amazon is fast to boast that the Kindle Paperwhite 2024’s 7-inch display screen is bigger than sooner than, it’s just a 0.2-inch bump up from the 2021 type. Those that’ve held out since 2018’s Paperwhite 4 or previous, have essentially the most to achieve right here, as the ones older Kindles packed 6-inch displays. I couldn’t visually see the adaptation within the two displays after I positioned the 2024 and 2021 fashions subsequent to one another till I were given a ruler out. The full sure, even though, is that the latest Paperwhite remains to be simple to carry and use for prolonged periods, and sufficiently small that it suits in my fanny pack.
Sstill, some other people with smaller luggage or a penchant for smaller units would possibly not need to are compatible a bigger display screen of their areas. Positive, this 7-inch Kindle Paperwhite suits into the entrance pocket of my denims, however my mom has selected the much more moveable 6-inch Kindle, which could also be $50 extra reasonably priced and is available in a pleasing Matcha inexperienced hue — on the expense of routinely adjusting lighting fixtures and water resistance. I’m certain Amazon would inform you to only have two Kindles: a Paperwhite you’re taking to the settee and mattress and close to our bodies of water, and a standard Kindle you stay on your bag.
Oh, and in case you’re hypersensitive to weight, chances are you’ll understand the brand new Kindle Paperwhite is 0.14 oz. heavier than the former era. However I discovered it relaxed to carry during my checking out.
The entirety you are expecting from a Kindle Paperwhite — and one function you could be stunned via
From its even lighting fixtures to its flush show and water-proof design, the Kindle Paperwhite 2024 could be very a lot the e-reader that Kindle lovers are aware of. That stated, I examined out the waterproofing for myself via leaving it in 5-inch-deep water in my crammed kitchen sink for an hour, simply to ensure it could possibly nonetheless live on a bathtub. Unsurprisingly, the whole thing labored simply high-quality after the dip, even though one time I had to wait an additional second for its display screen to reply to my contact. If I had deeper basins, I will have even put it to Amazon’s precise declare of round 6.5 toes (two meters to be precise). Nonetheless, those that continuously take care of spills and instances of bath-bound drops will proceed to move Paperwhite.
The brand new Paperwhite additionally choices up reflections and glare from close by lamps similar to sooner than, even though I used to be ready to tilt them off-screen whilst tapping via Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s “Mexican Gothic” on my settee. Oh, and the 2024 Kindle Paperwhite is rather like the 2021 type in that it fees over USB-C, the an increasing number of ubiquitous common port used to price and hook up with laptops, gaming controllers or even the iPhone 15 and later. This used to be a welcome trade over from the aggravating and nonreversible micro-USB port of Kindles previous.
The ones taking into consideration the brand new Kindle Paperwhite as their first e-reader might need to know why they must select it over the just lately up to date iPad Mini, which is close to in measurement. Kindle fans love Amazon’s e-readers as it’s a real single-purpose studying software. The iPad Mini is for the multitaskers amongst us, the parents who don’t care in regards to the E Ink show and those that need a pill that does all of it.
Oh, and whilst Apple guarantees “all day” battery existence for the iPad Mini, the Kindle Paperwhite is rated for as much as 84 days … supplied you stay to a part an hour of studying in keeping with day, with wi-fi off and the sunshine set at rather above 50%. If truth be told the use of the Kindle Paperwhite 2024 with out sticking to these particular necessities, I controlled to empty 25% of its battery in every week, which is ready what I anticipated. That provides as much as a couple of month between fees, which is a smart window in case you inquire from me.
For up to I will be able to reward the brand new Kindle’s efficiency spice up, I’m no longer glad to peer it get a value hike. The common Kindle Paperwhite is now $20 greater than sooner than, going from $140 to $160, and the Signature Version jumped from $190 to $200.
The ones in a position to spend that $40 to improve to the Signature Version must realize it comes with a selected set of perks that can enchantment to various customers. For starters, you get upgraded to an ad-free lock display screen, so you’ll see your books when your Kindle is sound asleep (which chances are you’ll wish to permit in Settings). I in my opinion suppose that lock display screen advertisements are an abomination, however it’s so established that I simply settle for it at this level.
The Signature Version additionally packs wi-fi charging, even though I’ve discovered it tricky to make use of on third-party stands, so use one in every of Amazon’s personal that it bundles with the Paperwhite Signature Version. You additionally get routinely adjusting lighting fixtures and the aforementioned metal end at the again plate.
Pay attention, I do know converting instrument interfaces is usually a tough topic — simply have a look at how Sonos created an unintentional uproar over its app redesign this yr — however there’s one thing in regards to the House display screen, the menus and the entire glance of the Kindle instrument that feels elderly. That’s more than likely alright to maximum, as other folks might simply see their e-reader as a gateway to books. It simply works, you already know?
However from the old-looking drop-down fast settings menu to a house display screen with rows that use descriptions to fill the gap, the Kindle’s interface is in want of a few tidying. I’d additionally make the icon for the ebook you’re recently studying — which sits between the House and Library tabs — somewhat better, because it’s too simple to forget with out considering.
Once I witnessed Amazon unfurl its 2024 Kindle lineup refresh at a personal match, the corporate omitted one function that myself and a few of my colleagues have been hoping for: buttons. The ones aware of the Kobo Libra Color and the since-retired Amazon Kindle Oasis know that tapping and swiping the display screen isn’t the one solution to flip the web page. Sadly, the brand new Kindle lineup is sans buttons, save for the small energy button at the fringe of this software.
I wonder whether we’re simply the vocal minority. Amazon is not any stranger to making a living, and the price of the ones Kindles might simply outweigh the possible benefit to be made if the call for isn’t in reality there.
The query of which Kindle is best for you additionally comes all the way down to the units you personal and the ones you’re taking into consideration. Individuals who purchased the 6.8-inch Kindle Paperwhite from 2021 onward have a easy query to respond to: Do you understand or thoughts the delays and pauses that happen as you flip pages and sort? If you happen to by no means thought of your Kindle’s efficiency till now, you’ll imagine ready till your measured attention is upgraded to a necessity.
If you happen to personal some of the previous 6-inch Paperwhite Kindles, your resolution might revolve round the way you raise your e-reader at the cross. When your Kindle is already cosy as a worm on your bag, the Paperwhite might not be best for you, so imagine the common 6-inch Kindle (now to be had in that fetching Matcha colour). The bottom Kindle additionally were given a velocity spice up this yr, however it doesn’t have the waterproofing that the Paperwhite provides.
As famous above, the newly refreshed 8.3-inch iPad Mini is another choice, however the 2024 Kindle Paperwhite’s sooner studying efficiency and almost seamless web page turning makes it a much more compelling competitor. Ahead of this new Paperwhite, I used to be a ways much more likely to learn on a telephone or pill, however the velocity spice up makes the Kindle really feel like extra of a first class system than ever sooner than. And that’s the way it earned its spot in my fanny pack and become an simply recommendable reward for the ebook fans on your existence.
