Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “Kindle Paperwhite (Signature Edition) Review: Amazon’s E-Reader Grows Up”.
This video is sponsored by surf shark, true story. Last night after editing, the last video i just published, i collapsed into bed utterly exhausted reached for my kindle paperwhite review sample and said involuntarily out loud. Oh thank god! It’S not the book. I’M reading that i was reacting to nor the new and improved features that make this a signature edition.
Instead of just your typical paperwhite, it was the relief that came from knowing that i was about to read a book on a device built just for that purpose and on busy weeks like this one, that intentional limitation alone can be worth the price of admission. Now don’t misunderstand: this is not some woo-woo new age embrace of radical intentionality or anything like that. My love for the kindle comes from a very practical, very real need for a book that isn’t trying to be anything else.
The paperwhite signature edition is the most comfortable kindle i’ve ever used with a 6.8 inch display, it’s big enough without being so big that you can’t fit it into a pocket, albeit an oversized one. I miss the lightweight and more aggressive design of the kindle oasis. I reviewed a while back, but i don’t miss those things enough to make me want to spend over a hundred bucks more for them.
The paperwhite is the mid-range option and while i’ve really lost interest in that category, when it comes to phones where e-readers are concerned, i think the mid-range is probably the sweet spot. The new software that came to kindles this year is also excellent. Initial setup is as easy as tapping a link in the kindle app on your phone, after which setup is automatic and takes less than two minutes.
The interface is easier to navigate much more phone-like than ever before, and it puts the cover of the book you’re reading. Right on the lock screen, if you want finally bridging one more gap between traditional and virtual books, of course, there are things i would change. If i could, on the software side, my review sample locked up once or twice due to a bug.
Amazon says it’s aware of and is currently rolling out, an update to fix on the design side. You still can’t format in multiple columns on the kindle, like you can on the kindle app on a phone or tablet. Maybe it’s a resolution thing i don’t know and on hardware. You’Ve probably noticed these smudges yeah. The matte finish on the screen is great for visibility, but it’s also excellent at holding onto fingerprints, and i’ve never been a fan of the decision to put the power button on the bottom edge of these things.
Basically, the least ergonomic location for such a thing, but you’ve probably already noticed that, alongside that compromise is a huge long overdue win. The paperwhite finally ditches the legacy micro, usb port, good riddance for the type c connector, every other modern piece of tech uses i’ll occasionally get like weird pushback. In the comments on this like this is somehow a tech tubers only problem, but the reality is that if you travel a lot and or you are forgetful and or you need to travel light well now all you need to remember is one cable. Unless you use an iphone in which case well, that’s a that’s a complaint for another video amazon actually doubled down on charging this year, including not just that usb c port, but also a qi coil. So yeah you can charge this wirelessly. I have to admit. I’M a little surprised by this choice. Wireless charging isn’t something that often comes to mind when i think of tablets, but here’s the thing it certainly doesn’t hurt the device in any way and you’re not going to need to charge it that often anyway, that’s one of the great things about kindles.
Actually, most devices that use e-paper, because this display technology only consumes significant power when it’s changing state. You end up with battery life, measured in weeks instead of hours. I’Ve been testing this for about six days. Reading for about an hour each night in bed with the backlight set at about a third and i’ve, seen an average battery drop of about four percent per day.
At this rate, i won’t need to charge the thing until thanksgiving and my battery life would be even better if i read during the day without using the backlight. That’S another benefit to e-ink, unlike the lcd or oled screens, you’ll find on phones and tablets. It only gets easier to read in direct sunlight.
That means it’s a great beach read companion and you can even get it wet thanks to ipx8 water resistance. The other reason to consider a paper white over a kindle app on your mobile device, your papers. Every time i show myself reading on my fold or ipad in a video, i get a handful of folks in the comments saying they can’t do the same.
They prefer e-paper, because it’s a lot more like you know, paper and that’s totally legitimate. Just this week, e inc announced it worked with tooth reilland to develop the new paper-like display certification to scientifically measure how screens like this rank for visual health and the paperwhite signature edition offers a particularly comfortable reading experience because you can adjust the warmth of its backlight. Still we’re in kind of a strange new world where virtual books are concerned. There are a few things on my wish list.
This new paperwhite hasn’t checked off and that plus another factor means i personally won’t be picking this one up. I’Ll tell you why, right after this cheap, simple reliable, usually you have to pick two, but my sponsor. Surfshark has consistently been ranked all three by sites like tom’s guide.
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Well surf shark. Can help there too, and if your travels take you to a country with internet censorship, laws surf shark can help. Keep you connected whether you’re on your smartphone tablet or laptop get the vpn that eats other deals alive, hit up surfshark at the link below and pay as little as 2.49 a month when you sign up for two years, using the code below thanks to surfshark for Sponsoring this video now i promised you an answer on why the paperwhite is not on my own personal gadget wish list, and that answer is this phones. I know i literally just got done telling you all the reasons ereaders outrank their mobile counterparts, but while i’m not proud of this, i’m somewhat fatalistic about my visual health. I mean i stare at displays way too often to save myself just by switching to e-ink. For five percent of my screen time, as for the distraction thing yeah i mean do not disturb mode on phones and tablets is a wonderful thing, and the real crux of the phone versus e-reader debate for me is that in recent years the phone world has started Offering much more ergonomic diversity than the e-reader segment, with its foldable form factor an ideal aspect ratio for reading the galaxy fold.
Family has essentially replaced my kindle since the first one came out. Also microsoft’s. Partnership with amazon means that company’s surface 202 is an even better ebook in some respects. I’M not exaggerating when i say that reading is my absolute favorite thing to do on that device and whether it’s the duo, the fold or even a more conventional ipad, oled or lcd, makes up for its daylight disadvantages with full color capabilities, because when it comes to Picture books, even the color e-readers i’ve covered don’t yet measure up in this area. But that’s me for those who know that what they want is a dedicated, e-paper e-reader. Then in my book the kindle continues to be the gold standard in that department and, as i said at the top, the most comfortable one i’ve encountered yet is the paperwhite.
The standard model starts at about 140 and if you want more storage, wireless charging and a backlight that automatically adjusts add about 50 to it. For the signature edition, i think most folks will probably be able to make do with the base model paper white, but either way. If e-paper is what you need, then, whether it’s 140 or 190 well, that paper is well spent. This review was produced following six days with a kindle paperwhite signature edition provided by amazon, but remember, there’s no such thing as a paid review.
You should trust amazon had no content approval rights, no editorial input and no early preview of this video they’re, seeing it for the first time right alongside you until next time, thanks for watching and stay mobile, my friends, hey .