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.

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

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!

Received this for Christmas and it is awesome! Disclaimer: this is my first e-reader so I have nothing to compare it to. I am also a very new user and still haven't made it through the user guide... which is like 1000 pages and is very helpful but slightly intimidating! Battery life is great and lasts for weeks. I like the 'paper-like' option with no back-light for daytime reading. Easy on eyes and reads like a book. Honestly, I'm surprised at how 'book-like' the Kindle actually reads (also thanks to the leather-like amazon cover I received as well. I know that sounds like a bad advertisement but it's not. Another item I wouldn't have purchased for myself but so glad I got for the protection and feel). Only concern is that if you accidentally take brightness all the way to 0, you won't be able to see anything in the dark and it may be hard to find the 'increase brightness' symbol. The Kindle looks to be OFF in this mode if you are in the dark. NOT a complaint because I love it during the daytime, just a caution to anyone out there that may be reading while trying not to bother kids or spouses. Low-light is really good (better than my cell phone) but stop at 1 unless you have light. Only issue I've had is that the Touch screen can be finicky if your hands are super dry. Noticed this after working outside in cold. Seems like touchscreen doesn't recognize finger if hands are too cold/dry. Lick your finger, put on lotion, or don't abuse your hands and I think you'll be fine. Cant speak to it yet but I recently downloaded the ESV Bible translation (for FREE) and I'm looking forward to being able to bookmark, highlight, and make notes wherever and however I want without limitations of margins and poor hand writing. This makes it worth the cost to me for this feature alone and all the books are a bonus! Dont quite understand it yet but you seem to get 2 free books every so often but you have to choose from a list of 6 or so books. I think they might be new releases on the Kindle format maybe? Overall extremely satisfied with the Kindle so far. It's very intuitive and you really don't need to even read the guide unless you want to learn more about some of the lesser used or less obvious features. Definitely beats reading on iPad or phone by a long shot. The battery life and ease on the eyes make it worth the investment (although I must admit I was VERY hesitant to get one and would have waited for next years' Cyber-Monday sale if Santa hadn't hooked me up). Best gift and so glad I have one now. No longer have to leave lamp on to read and you can't beat the portability. At 4.75" x 6.5" in the case it's pretty much a large cell phone. On that note, also love being able to read without interruptions from text, emails, calls, etc. Hope this was somewhat helpful. Good luck and happy reading! -Will

Sooo im rather new to the kindle family! Just got my first ever kindle 3 months ago. I came from the nook and kindle app on my phone. I had the nook for 8 years and it finally died on me i figured it was time for the kindle. So i had extremely high expectations for this especially at the price point that it is. So here goes. Pros: Battery life!!!!! It is absolutely amazing (except for when reading mangas and comics i feel like the battery lfe drains quicker for that for some reason) but the battery life is amazing! Since purchasing this i have probably charged it 3 times, and it honestly didn’t even need to charge i just dont like seeing battery life under 50%. I went a month without charging and i read daily sometimes even for hours straight. Size actually matters for me😂 I actually was back and forth between the oasis and this paperwhite for size alone. I am the woman that prefers really small crossbody bags. I dont carry much but my phone, keys and my wallet which is the size of a coinpurse. That’s it!! I really love my tiny bag now and wanted No NEEDED my kindle to fit in this bag! It is my favorite bag. It fits perfectly and in most of my other small bags as well. It also very light and easy to hold without a case on it. You can take and put it anywhere its so small and cute but perfect screen for me. Screen size and brightness: the screen to me is the perfect size. If it was bigger it would just be too much to look at. Coming from the nook where it was a little on the non portable side for me because the screen was too big. The screen also seems Very sturdy..i may or may not have dropped it twice and I’m 5’9 so it was a long drop and still kicking with no scratches cracks or discolorations. Also the glare on the nook was killer the PW is the better option. Dont get me wrong there is still some glare with my paperwhite but its not in a way where i have to move unless I’m sitting outside. If thats the case i just switch up the brightness setting. So pretty manageable. Cons: Keep in my that this is MY personal opinion, not everyone might care about it but i do. Color and screen : i understand that the device is called the paperWHITE but dang couldn’t we get paperwhite color in 2020?! I read alot of comics and mangas and i love looking at the art work. Just knowing that the comic is in color and reading it in black and white its very discouraging. I will switch right away if paperwhite color comes out. Also it would be nice if the brightness option included the warm light option since that is my preference. (Another reason i was looking at the oasis) i get pretty bad migraines but still love reading too much. So easy fix for me is putting my kindle on dark mode which is very helpful. But still warm light needs to be added! Page turn animation: i just want it tbh. It gave me the reading an actual book getting. I thought the kindle would have it since the kindle app has it when i read on my phone or ipad mini. I just feel like all e readers should have the page turn animation! Please add this. Touchscreen laggy: this one actually shocked me. I bought the newest kindle paperwhite and the touch screen is just laggy which is just annoying. It should be seamless when changing the page or scrolling through all your books to find the one you want to read next. Idk if everyone else has this problem but I actually have a 1-2 second delay when selecting or swiping up and down for pretty much everything. I gave it 4 stars for the cons but overall i love the thing and I’ll probably keep it until they come out with a kindle the same size with all the stuff i dislike fixed. Hope this review helped you decide if this is the right purchase for you, it was for me❤️ Happy Shopping

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.

Ill say upfront, Kindle is fantastic, has been for a decade! I love the convenience of reading and accessing new books. The Paperwhite reading page is easy on the eyes, precise fonts and backlit to read without additional light. And Im talking about my 5th gen that Ive used for years. Five Stars all day long and for the past 8 years! So yea, I give this new 10th gen Kindle 5 stars in this review however from a different perspective is the upgrade worth it? Now.........I compared my 5th Gen to my just received 10th gen (no wifi with ads) is it worth it to upgrade to the 10th generation Paperwhite? If you just read books then probably not, here is why......... -- Font resolution is the same: This is the biggest upgrade issue for me. The screen viewability. Well there may be more pixels on the screen with the 10th gen, to my eye when looking at the 5th and 10th side by side with the exact same settings for display and font my human eyes cannot perceive one iota of difference (see picture attached). Amazon points out the improved font resolution but this make not difference to the end font presentation. -- The 10th gen is faster. Yes pages change a little faster and crisper with the 10th. But again IMO not worth the cost of upgrading. -- The 10th gen online book search is much faster and it works!. My 5th gen was slow and often would not work when trying to find and research new books to buy from the Amazon Kindle store. This feature is supremely more usable with the 10th gen. If this is how you shop for books then the upgrade from 5th to 10th is worth it. If you like me, use your computer to search and manage your content then its not really that beneficial. -- 10th gen is waterproof. I cant think of one instance in all the years Ive used my 5th gen Kindle that it was at risk of getting wet. I gotta say for me its a nice to have but dont care. -- Battery life: I suspect the 10th gen is longer but the 5th gen lasts so long now, weeks for me, why do I care? -- Lighter and thinner. Yes it is. Were talking an ounce here. honestly i like a little more bulk to hold on to the thing. When its put in a case then what does it matter. -- A nice convenience on the 10th gen is that now I can return borrowed Kindle Unlimited books right from the Kindle rather then doing it when having to visit Amazons website and the content page. There is one reason to upgrade........ -- Audible content. OK they got me here. This is one single most important difference between 5th and 10th. The 10th can play audible content over a bluetooth device. Yea thats pretty cool. Ive not used audible books before but like other new things "you dont know what your missing until you try it". This is probably the one feature that might make upgrading to the 10th gen worth it! -- Well there is one more reason to upgrade...its cheap to upgrade. If you get the ads, no wifi version and trade in the old kindle you get 25% off + a $25 gift coupon. If you pay for Kindle Unlimited as I do you also get 6 months free even if you have an existing account....thats $60 savings. So bottom line it cost me $20 to upgrade to the new 10th gen Kindle when trading in an old one and by golly im looking forward to trying out my 10th gen using those new fangled audio books!

This is my third? Fourth Kindle? Maybe Amazon should have a subscription program where they deliver a new one every 18 months? No... to be fair, these are built like a tank. They can take a beating. I’m afraid to take my iPad in a bus or park because sometimes it feels even if I look at it ugly it will bend... but a Kindle is the kind of device you can throw in your bag if you’re going hiking and feel like you want to read some science fiction in your tent. Nonetheless... I think they last about two years of actual usage. The first one broke because I MIGHT have sit on it while at the beach. It’s still a mystery up to this day. All I knew is that now it was working, now the screen was frozen and stuck and impossible to repair. The second one I sold it because I told myself I’m not reading anymore... and ended up buying another one two months later. The third one, I swear, it wasn’t my fault. I just woke up one day, picked it up from the table and there it was, half the screen black, e-ink frozen. I contacted Amazon, they couldn’t do anything for me but they were nice enough to give me a $20 gift card to use towards my new purchase. Taking into account THAT... ONE - I purchased it offline from a store in London. TWO - It was out of warranty. THREE - It was an older paper white model... They were really nice about it, aren’t they? Anyway, I used that money to buy some books and bought this offline - this latest model and I’ve been using it for about a year now. So what do I think about it? ONE - I think the screen is awesome. It has glass or tough plastic or whatever it is - but it feels it can withstand more pressure. The other one was very sensitive and fragile. Now I wouldn’t suggest to sit on it (unless you want an excuse to get the Oasis, in which case, go ahead) but it feels a lot better in the hand. TWO - Battery life maybe a bit worse? But who cares. Let’s be honest, you’ll finish 1 - 1.5 books (or around 400 pages) BEFORE you have to charge it again. If you are such a reader that you read more than 400 books between charges or having a power outlet next to you - well, I don’t know what to say. Good for you? But even if I would go on a multi-day expedition, it would still last me enough time. A tablet doesn’t last 20% of that time. You also have to charge your phone once a day. So it is that bad to have a decide that lasts ONLY a 400 page book? I mean - how entitled have we’ve become if this is a problem? THREE - Storage. Don’t care. I prefer to listen to audiobooks on my phone and it takes a damn long time to fill 8 GB with books. If the average book is about 2 MB, that’s 4000 books. Unless you’re leaving on a mission to Mars and you need a good segment of the best knowledge the world has to offer, you’ll never run out of space. FOUR - General design. Feels more solid and more tablet like. As I said, I appreciate the new screen. Apart from that, it’s fine I guess. Old cases won’t fit though, remember that. FIVE - Water proofing. I haven’t read with it in the bathtub yet nor in the pool. I truly believe it is water proof but please remember this is for non-salty water. Salt is corrosive and does bad things to electronics, no matter if it’s an iPhone or a Kindle. I can’t really think of many places where I can read in water to take advantage of the water-proofing and I’m curious how the touchscreen works (or not works) then. SIX - Backlighting. Same I guess - just don’t use an Oasis, a recent one, because you’ll be spoiled by the blue light filter and the multiple LED’s. And then you’ll think this one sucks. It doesn’t, it’s more than enough. SEVEN - Value for money. I don’t know. It’s not like I bought all the ebook readers out there. I like to read a lot. Like a lot, lot, lot. And I spent thousands of dollars on books - some which I never read but looked good in my library. Buying a Kindle saved me a lot of money. The Amazon ecosystem saved me money. If you’re living outside the US and you want to buy a book written in English in a local library, expect to pay a premium, sometimes 50 - 100% over the initial price. Buying on Amazon is still the cheapest way to get books, apart from used books stores. My first eBook reader was an iRiver and it was fine. Then the Kindle 4, Kindle Paperwhite 1, 2 and this one. And I got more value out of this $100 than for any other device. It brought me more joy and profit than anything else I have. Buying a Kindle for me is like buying Apple stocks ten years ago, it paid off. So I guess the value is in the usage. That’s about it. Enjoy your new Kindle.