Amazon released the newest version of its e-reader on November 7, and it has some strong pros, but a few cons as well. Since the Kindle has cornered the e-reader market, Amazon has nothing to worry about when it comes to competition. But the question is this: does the new model provide enough incentive for Kindle users to chuck their old ones and go out and buy this one?
it is likely that the strongest answer to this is… a strong maybe.
Let’s look on the bright side first. The 2018 Paperwhite is water-resistant to the IPX8 standard, a fancy way of saying that it can be immersed in 2 meters of fresh water for an hour. So you can read in your bathtub or by the pool without worrying too much, and if you’re caught in a downpour and your device is exposed, no big deal. (Saltwater is another story, though.) Last year’s Kindle Oasis was already made water-resistant, but the 2018 Paperwhite is the first more affordable water-resistant Kindle model.
This year’s version is lighter and thinker than ever, at 8.18 mm thick and 182 grams, with a crisp 300 ppi display.
Also, for lovers of audiobooks, here’s some good news. The 2018 Kindle Paperwhite comes with Audible support. Now, the device itself doesn’t have a speaker nor a jack for headphones, however, it can be paired with Bluetooth devices for listening.
Another upgrade is storage, with this year’s model coming in either 8G or 32G options. The 32G model has an option for cellular support, so you can download books on it easily and conveniently.
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As for battery life, Amazon is saying that it can be measured “in weeks, not days,” which comes as a big relief in this day of short-lived devices. If you’re using your Kindle for bedtime reading or on long commutes, you won’t have to worry about it draining and needing charging.
Let’s go to pricing. The 2018 Kindle Paperwhite with 8GB storage starts at US $130 or S$ 178. The 32GB model sells for US $160 or S$ 220, and for US $250 or S$ 343, you can get a 4G model with 32GB and no advertisements.
So, yes, the higher model is definitely in the pricey range. That’s one of its cons. Another is that it has no buttons for turning pages, being a purely touchscreen device. Unfortunately, the surface of the screen picks up fingerprints quickly, and so will require frequent wiping off.
Other than that, it’s a perfectly good device. If you are someone who uses their e-reader a lot, Amazon’s 2018 Kinder Paperwhite will appeal to you greatly. It’s an e-reader that serves as an e-reader alone, meaning when you use it you won’t be distracted to check emails or post status updates or browse the net, which may be a really good reason for getting one of these devices.