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

I finally decided to use Amazon's Kindle trade-in program to trade-in my 2nd generation dinosaur Kindle for some newer tech. While my old Kindle still did work and had been a workhorse for years, the battery was not what it was, it was heavier, and the lack of back-lit light for nighttime reading was overdue for an upgrade. This Kindle is very lightweight compared to my old Kindle, even with a case (Moko, Origami Slim Shell), which I purchased as an accessory item. It is almost as light as my Galaxy S8+. The touch screen works well, which is another feature I did not have previously. I can say my only complaint here is there is little room on the sides of the case to rest your thumbs when holding the device, which sometimes causes a page turn accidentally while reading. This normally happens when reading in bed, but it's not a huge issue. The display is easy to read and I really like the paperwhite design of the display. Also, I very much like the device is backlit with a good range on adjusting the brightness as needed. I don't generally read outside much, so, for now, I have not encountered any issues. I have had the device about a month and have not needed to charge it since my first charging. I usually keep it on airplane mode and the battery is going strong. Very happy with that. The one complaint I have had with this device - and it is not the device itself, but with Amazon - the charging cable (micro-USB) lacks a power adapter enabling you to charge the device from an outlet. This was not the case with my 2nd generation Kindle as it came with the full cable and power adapter. Then, Amazon conveniently recommends you purchase said adapter as "official OEM" adapter for Kindle devices for the whopping price of $19.99. This is a complete rip-off, in my opinion. The adapter should come with the device, but if you are going to sell it separately, you do not need to over-charge for it by this ridiculous amount. You can find another generic adapter for a reasonable price. Just be sure to make sure it matches the specs required for charging the device. Booo - bad form Amazon! Even with the "missing" adapter, I am happy with the product and the value and price paid. I also very much recommend taking advantage of the trade-in program Amazone offers if you can. I was able to get a $5 credit for my old Kindle and 25% off toward future Kindle product. I also pulled the trigger on this sale during Prime Days so the device was further discounted. This was a great time to upgrade and save money.

I've had my paperwhite for about a month now, so I guess it's as good of time as any to properly review it. This is my first paperwhite. I got a b&n Nook Color back in 2010 for Christmas, which has served me really well over the years. However, it reached the point recently where it wouldn't hold a charge and so I found myself in the market for a new e-reader. I was drawn to the paperwhite because it was waterproof and would hold a long charge. I was a little leery about the black-and-white only nature of the paperwhite, especially as my previous ereader was in color, but so far it hasn't been an issue. I used to read comics on my Nook but haven't read digital comics in a few years, preferring print. This might be something someone who does read books with illustrations would want to take into consideration. I really appreciate the long battery life of the paperwhite. I've had it for about a month and have only had to charge it once (and it had only gotten down to about 48% so I probably could have pushed it further than I did). I've been able to read several books with the battery barely being effected. The biggest draw on battery life seems to be using the store or trying to use the rudimentary Web browser. I've been very impressed by the light, too. My Nook was impossible to read on in some lights, which hasn't been an issue at all with the paperwhite. I usually have the brightness adjusted to about the halfway point for casual reading, and brighten the screen if necessary. The brightest option COULD be a little brighter, but that's nitpicky. The device itself is VERY lightweight and portable. I have dvd cases that weigh more. My phone certainly weighs more. It's not too big or bulky to hold; I can easily hold it with just one hand. The only draw back I've really noticed is that the touchscreen is a little sensitive. Sometimes when I'm trying to scroll through my library, I end up selecting a title I wasn't trying to open. Other times, I might scroll through several pages by accidently hitting my thumb on the screen when holding the device. Buy this is a very minor inconvenience. Also, I bought the option with "special offers". They in no way to impede my reading experience. The ads show up on the main screen when the device is not in use, or in a small banner along the bottom of the "home" menu. That's it. No ads popping up during your reading.

I bought the Kindle Paperwhite 2018 edition, 8 GB of storage with Special Offers for myself because up until I received it, I've been reading with the Kindle app on my Samsung Galaxy S9 phone instead. While the Kindle app on my phone was great, my eyes were really straining on the smaller screen and I'm a voracious reader. I was looking for something in a larger screen, but won't utilize the other feature and capabilities of a tablet, and beyond Kindle have no use for one at all. Overall, I'm highly impressed with this little Kindle device. I want to start by mentioning the Special Offers, as in all the reviews I read and heard about the device, the Special Offers weren't more than a footnote. They aren't intrusive at all, it's just on the main screen and that's it. They don't interrupt reading at all, and the Kindle Paperwhite personalized my Special Offers based on my reading, Kindle browsing history, and purchases so a lot of the ads that come through are actually interesting to me and in fact one or two of the ads have made me drool enough to purchase whatever book they were trying to peddle. That is definitely a plus, and yet a terrible thing because I AM such a voracious reader and I know I'm going to be spending a lot more money on Kindle books but at least the majority of the ads are tailored to the type of books I enjoy reading. I'm definitely not complaining about the Special Offers, nor will I pay to have them removed when the next ad that is displayed on my Kindle's screen might be a book I might like. Some may find the ads annoying just because it's an ad, but I find it enjoyable and definitely not intrusive in the slightest. The battery life - the Kindle came out of the box at 60% battery life and took virtually no time at all to charge to 100% on my phone's quick charger. I spent from 3 pm until almost 11 pm doing nothing but reading (when I said I'm a voracious reader, I meant it). My Kindle went from 100% battery to only 81% and from 11 pm until 8:30 am, only lost 2% battery. That is absolutely amazing to me and worth every penny I spent on the Kindle. I can't do that with my phone or a tablet; those batteries drain so quickly but this Kindle will last me all day long and still won't need to be charged at night. That's such a huge plus for a reader like me! The light on the Kindle Paperwhite is amazing, and even in my dimly lit room I don't need to have it much above 5 or 6 on the brightness. Although my phone boasts an almost 6" screen, truly the Kindle screen is much larger and thus much easier to read especially with the matte finish. My eyes strain far less on the Kindle even with almost a solid 8 or more hours of nothing but reading. This Kindle screen isn't too large, but it's definitely not too small either, it's just right. It's almost like you have a physical book in your hand, as far as relative size goes, though a little larger than your common paperback. I don't use Audible because I can't pay attention to a book when I'm listening to it being read to me, so the 8 GB of storage (more like close to 6 GB usable), holds plenty of books for me. I only have just a handful downloaded at any one point in time, but even the 10 or so books I have downloaded at once still doesn't take the storage space down anywhere near the 5 GB mark. So 8 GB is more than plenty for just regular printed books if you're like me and suddenly develop a case of A.D.D. when it comes to audiobooks. The speed of the device is just fine too. I won't say it's excellent compared to my Galaxy S9, but that's apples and oranges. For an e-reader the speed is great. There is just a little lag, but not enough to become anything beyond just barely noticeable. It's not annoying at all. It takes maybe a second or so to respond. When turning the page, even reading at a quick pace I'm able to keep up with the story on the next page from where it left off without interruption. The overall build quality is excellent. It is light weight and thinner than I expected. Yes it's plastic, but it doesn't feel cheaply made. It's comfortable to hold in one hand, or two if you like. The only thing I would change about the build is the power button - maybe I'm just used to them being on the right side of the device near the top... but the only thing I would change is the placement of the button. Overall, I'm very satisfied and impressed with my purchase. This was an excellent buy, and my next Kindle purchase is going to be one for a couple other people in my life who read just as voraciously as I do.

This review is based on two months of daily use. I purchased a Kindle without really knowing much about them. I have always been against electronic books because I have always enjoyed the feeling of pages in between my fingers. However, circumstances have made me change my beliefs, mostly not having a nightstand with a light, and books can be bulky for a bike traveler like myself. So let me just begin with a couple of negatives. A couple of my favorite features about actual books is able to leaf back through pages and re-read portions that I misremembered, or that I really enjoyed. Reading on a Kindle makes that difficult because "leafing through" could take forever, especially if you don't recall the area in which the passage occurs. I'm also a big highlighter and margin note-taker in books so I can analyze. Although you can highlight with Kindles, for me, it's just not the same. Finally, Kindle's touch screen can be hit or miss - sometimes I will want to go forward, but the page might be back. Load times for the main screen, or cycling through, can be obnoxious. And just looking through Amazon's library to find a book? Forget about it! A lot of the novels on their suggested books, or top sellers, are "adult" novels, or easy reads. It's very difficult to find a book when you just want to discover a new author or title. Now for the benefits - my favorite feature is integrating Good Reads. It tracks my reading, the books I've read, and the books I want to read. Not only that, but it will give me suggestions based on the books I have saved or I have read. That takes care of the Amazon library problem. The backlight and the battery life are phenomenal! I can go a week without charging my Kindle, and I read it for about 90 minutes a day. It might be attributed to my backlight always being fairly low. I don't really see a reason to raise it above a third of the meter. Finally, the Kindle is small enough to fit in the back pocket of jeans. It's lightweight and waterproof. Basically, it's built for travel. As someone who walks and bikes everywhere, it makes reading on a go so much easier than carrying around a bulky or heavy book. I am grateful for this purchase. Even though it isn't an actual book, I look forward to reading on my Kindle, and if I fall in love with a new book I'm reading on my Kindle, I know that it will be worth the $15 to buy the physical copy and collect dust on my bookshelf!

Updated Review on Oct 6, 2019: After nearly a year of using it, I noticed that the issues I mentioned in the original review were largely negligible while reading. The pinhole near the corner was never bothersome because I'd have to remember to look very closely to see it. The battery can last for a long time during hibernation, even for many many weeks if not used. I also hardly remember to notice the uneven screen color temperature. The only thing that's still a bit inconvenient is the glare. When near a window I'd have to adjust my reading angle to avoid the glare. It's something hard to overcome with a digital device and it's not a big compromise for light-weight and convenience. Therefore please take my original review below with a grain of salt, I was nitpicking on a device that I had a lot of expectations for. I also decided to change the 3 stars to 4 stars. Original review on Nov 12, 2018 (with updates on Jan 26, 2019): I have owned a Kindle Paperwhite since 2014. I really liked that old one and gifted it away a while ago. Perhaps I have had too much expectation for this new 2018 version (waited for many months for the release), I felt quite disappointed with a few of its issues. First I must be clear that I am a fan of e-books, and I think Kindle Paperwhite has always been a nice device, light, easy to use, easier on the eyes than an LCD screen, easy to look up words, etc. I also used a Kindle Oasis for a couple of days, I don't feel comfortable with the hard slick aluminum back, and its front lights are located on the sides, so the slight uneven light can be observed from left to right; while for Paperwhite with bottom lights, the unevenness is from top to bottom, meaning within each text line, the light is usually even, therefore less distracting to reading. Here comes the new 2018 Paperwhite: I like the screen is flat with the bezels now. However, both the first device I received and the subsequent replacement have a bright pinhole dot under the screen (see photos). It's like a piece of tiny defect or dust above the e-ink text and located in the light distribution layer (my guess). When the front light is adjusted to a high level, the dot becomes quite bright and distracting. I was surprised the second device had the same issue (just my luck or something else is going on here?), but because it's near the corner, I decided to live with it. This pinhole bright spot issue apparently can be found on the previous generations as well based on many reviews, I am just astonished Amazon hasn't fixed it. Also, I don't know what happened with the charging cable, it took me a lot of effort to plug it into the device, and pull it out, it's like as if the connectors are not made well. (Update Jan 26, 2019: the difficulty of plugging in the cable only occurred during the first couple of uses, it became normal and smooth later.) Also, the screen feels easier to smudge than my old Paperwhite. The texts appear slightly blurrier where there are fingerprints. Another issue is that the screen has a ton of reflection from bright windows or light sources (please see my photo, taken under an east-facing window in the afternoon). I don’t remember if it has always been like this or it’s because of the new screen update. Even with the window blinds shut, I had to tilt Kindle to certain angles to avoid the glare, albeit softer than on an LCD screen, still quite distracting. Under the same lighting, a real paperback has no reflection glare issues. Furthermore, when front light is on and when external ambient light is somewhat dim, my replacement Kindle Paperwhite appears a bit yellower near the bottom, especially on the left side, it’s distracting but hopefully, I’ll get used to it. It’s like real paper books getting old and parts of pages turning yellow—I try to convince myself. (Update Jan 26, 2019: other reviewers have mentioned issues with poor battery life. My experience is similar that if I don't use it for a few hours, even with WiFi turned on, the device will enter something like a hibernation mode, which requires a bit more time to wake up, but it allows the battery to last for many weeks if left on the shelf. If I read about 1-2 hours a day with wifi on, the battery drains very quickly, and will hardly last beyond a week. However, If you keep airplane mode on during reading, it will significantly conserve battery, the only inconvenience is that if you don't know a word and the dictionary also doesn't have it, which is quite likely the case, Wikipedia won't be able to show up without WiFi.) Perhaps I’m just asking too much for a digital device. Overall, it’s still a great device to read books, and Amazon still provided a fast replacement when I asked. However, with these experiences, I can no longer swear to e-readers. I don’t write reviews often, but I feel strongly about this product and sincerely hope it will help fellow costumers and help Amazon improve their devices.

I love my kindle paperwhite so far, I've had it a week now and love the portability of it! It is so lightweight and I really have been able to read it anywhere. I love that I got 15% off AND a $20 ebook credit, that made getting it for myself for my 40th birthday an even better deal! I was stoked! I had a kindle shortly after they first came out and wasn't really sold on the e-reader vs an actual book experience. I loved the concept of it, just not the actual product at the time, BUT as I've gotten older and more used to reading on a screen (I use my kindle app on my phone quite a bit) I really craved something that doesn't have all the extra distractions of emails, text messages etc. popping up while I'm reading, plus I'm on my phone way too much already anyway, AND I loved the idea that I could take it in the bathtub with me (I will not do that with my phone). So when this deal popped up and it was close to my birthday I got so excited to treat myself that I originally ordered it without adding the code for the deal itself....whoops! But I contacted customer service and they assured me I could cancel and reorder it without issue so I did. Now, I'm not sure if I messed something up here but my order took forever to process after this and after multiple chats with customer service was told my bank was authorizing then deauthorizing it but after this particular chat session it finally switched to shipped and showed it would arrive on August 31st (10 days after my birthday when I had ordered it 5 days before my birthday). To be fair when I ordered it I was given a window of Aug 18-Sept 1st (on prime delivery mind you) and because I work for a shipping company I figured that much like we have to deal with an influx of more orders than usual due to covid that this was an over cautious estimation but as it turns out, it was not. Now, when I contacted my bank they also assured me that they do not authorize and deauthorize charges like that and it had to be on the other end so with that knowledge it does upset me that I am paying for a 2 day shipping service (that I do not use all that much to even justify the cost I'm paying) that I now have to wait 2-3 weeks for, so that's really the only complaint I have at this time, the product itself I am in love with. I was surprised by the size of it, I am terrible at interpreting dimensions by measurements and sometimes even the comparison pictures don't quite sink in so when I opened the box and saw how slim the box it actually comes it was I was shocked and then when I opened that and saw that the kindle itself was about half the size of that I felt kind of disappointed at first until I realized how perfect the size really is, I can hold it comfortably in one hand and it's lighter than most books, not to mention I don't have to hold the pages open as well so those are all pluses for me, (even though I absolutely adore books and own tons of them also and never want to get rid of them either) I love that I can get a brand new book delivered instantly to my device without having to go anywhere, BUT books I love the tactile feeling of plus anytime illustrations or pictures are included they are much better in the book, especially since this is only black and white though this isn't a deal breaker as most pictures in the books I read aren't usually so integral to the story that I need to see them in color, though if I was reading the kids picture books I got way back when my son was small I'd want the color for that. I am also new to Audible and see I can hook my device to a bluetooth device to listen to but have not tried that yet to let you know (I usually do this on my phone) whether I like it on this device or not but if I do eventually try it I will update the review.

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

Me and my husband have these and we love them! We are about to turn 6 years with them and doing and working great!