Kindle Paperwhite Signature (2024) review: A luxurious reading experience

Amazon fully revamped its Kindle household in October when it debuted the fully new Colorsoft ereader together with up to date generations of the opposite three present fashions: the usual Kindle, the Paperwhite and the Scribe E Ink tablet. The brand new Paperwhite has a barely bigger display screen, an even bigger battery and a extra highly effective processor that Amazon mixed with E Ink tech to make web page turns quicker. This Paperwhite once more is available in a Signature Edition, which provides wi-fi charging, an auto-adjusting entrance gentle and further storage — all for $200, which is $10 greater than the previous Signature Edition.

The usual Kindle additionally acquired a $10 worth bump, leaving the identical $90 hole between Amazon’s most cost-effective mannequin and the Signature Version. I examined each to see whether or not the worth distinction between the 2 is price it. The upper-end mannequin is definitely posh, however the base mannequin handles ereader basics effectively. Is the deluxe therapy that significantly better?

Processor, capability and different {hardware} options

The corporate is looking the Paperwhite (Signature and commonplace) the “quickest Kindle ever” due to a brand new dual-core processor and an oxide thin-film transistor layer that allows faster switching of the textual content and graphics on the web page. That layer can also be extra clear than the earlier tech, so the on-page readability has elevated as effectively.

As for storage, the Paperwhite Signature will get 32GB, double that of the common Paperwhite, which is similar therapy because the prior generations for each. They’ve a pair extra backlights this time: ten commonplace LEDs and 9 heat ones for a complete of 19.

The display screen is a bit bigger at seven inches, up from 6.8, and sports activities the identical 300 ppi decision. Regardless of a bigger battery capability (with an estimated 12 weeks of dwell as a substitute of simply ten), the system is a fraction of a millimeter thinner than final time, and weighs simply two-tenths of a gram extra. It has the identical IPX8 ranking, that means it may well deal with full submersion, and the again is made out of a metallic plastic with a rubberized texture that’s straightforward to grip (so that you’re much less prone to by chance dunk it in water). The bezels assist with grip too, as they’re simply vast sufficient to accommodate a thumb with out triggering a web page flip.

The {hardware} upgrades are delicate, however they add as much as a downright elegant solution to learn books. Pulling up menus, opening new titles and turning pages are all speedier than any ereader I’ve tried. And ghosting is principally non-existent. The roomy display screen shows textual content that’s crisper than a January morning and the auto-adjusting entrance lights are like a heat lantern lighting your method.

If I take any challenge with the design of the Signature, it’s the position of the facility button on the backside edge. One of many easy joys on this life (for me anyway) is consuming whereas studying. Which means I maintain a e-book or ereader on the desk in entrance of my plate as I shovel stir fry into my mouth. Usually, resting the Signature on the underside edge by chance presses the facility button, shutting off my learn mid-forkful. Notably, this does not occur with the usual Kindle, despite the fact that the button is in the identical place, just because the smaller ereader isn’t heavy sufficient to set off the button-press. The Signature additionally has a rubber grommet across the fringe of the flush-front display screen, which I don’t hate, however I do discover myself distractedly twiddling with it once I learn.

Contact controls and customization

I sat the Paperwhite Signature subsequent to different ereaders in my testing assortment and in contrast the page-turn speeds, menu load occasions and scrolling refresh charges. Although the variations weren’t important, the Signature was undoubtedly quicker. (However the Kobo Libra Color continues to be the quickest at waking up after a sleep of longer than a couple of minutes.)

The Signature’s contact response is impeccable. I’ve accepted the truth that most ereader screens sometimes want an additional faucet earlier than they do what I need. Whether or not that’s turning a web page or pulling up a menu, my first gesture typically goes unnoticed. Not right here; the display screen instantly responds to each swipe and faucet I make. Sadly, typically that faucet is unintentional, and different occasions the display screen doesn’t reply the way in which I need — but it surely all the time responds.

That leads me to a few disappointments within the Paperwhite’s interface. These misinterpreted faucets have been virtually all the time web page turns. The realm that skips again in your studying is a slender sliver on the left-hand aspect. Some folks might plow ahead in a e-book with no backwards glances, however I typically discover myself on the high of a brand new web page with the belief that I’d been fascinated about toast or Cristin Milioti for many of the final web page and do not know what’s occurring. Then, once I faucet to return, I’m typically taken ahead, which confuses me extra. To be truthful, swipes are usually correct — however I’m a tapper not a swiper.

This wouldn’t be an issue if the realm for a again faucet have been wider — however you possibly can’t alter that. In actual fact, you possibly can’t alter the way in which your faucets and swipes work in any respect. The center of the highest of the web page accesses the header menu and a swipe down from the highest brings up the fast settings panel. There’s no switching these gestures or the zones to fit your desire.

It’s unlucky as a result of that’s one thing each Kobo and Boox gadgets can do. These readers additionally provide you with finer changes for the margins, line spacing, font weight and extra. The choices the Kindle does present for the look of your textual content are truthfully tremendous, although. And the Kindle will get factors for letting you create and save themes made up of various combos of fonts and layouts. Kobo doesn’t enable this and Boox can’t do it in its native reader app.

Shopping for, borrowing and listening to books

Buying books you wish to learn is possibly some of the necessary qualities in an ereader and Kindles have their strengths and weaknesses. These options aren’t distinctive to the Paperwhite, but it surely’s price mentioning how Amazon’s e-book entry compares to its rivals. The very first thing to acknowledge is that the Amazon Kindle library is the biggest, due to Amazon Unique books and self-published, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) titles. That mentioned, for those who largely learn titles from established publishers, you’ll discover them on any reader.

Amazon’s gadgets are higher for individuals who wish to flit between studying and listening to a given e-book. Not solely do you get a reduction on an audiobook for those who purchase the e-book model, the Whispersync function retains observe of the place you’re so you possibly can swap between the codecs and decide up the story on the proper place. And for those who’re energetic on Goodreads, a Kindle will even serve you higher as the combination with (the Amazon-owned) website is baked-in.

What Kindles don’t help are ePubs with any digital rights administration (DRM) apart from its personal. If you happen to purchase a e-book from a 3rd occasion e-book retailer that makes use of Adobe DRM, you possibly can’t learn it on a Kindle — however you possibly can on Kobo and Boox gadgets (with a couple of further steps). Lastly, you might wish to think about the way you’ll entry books borrowed out of your native library. Utilizing both the Libby app in your cellphone or your native library’s web site, you simply want to decide on the “ship to Kindle” possibility for them to indicate up in your reader. It is price noting that Kobo helps you to seek for and borrow library books from the system itself, and Boox gadgets allow you to accomplish that from the Libby app straight.

How the Signature compares to the common Paperwhite and base Kindle

The common Paperwhite is $160 and the Signature Version is $200. That’s a $40 enhance which will make sense for some, however in all probability not for most individuals. The three add-ons (further storage, wi-fi charging and auto-adjusting gentle) are helpful, however gained’t dramatically enhance your studying expertise. If you happen to like having offline entry to a number of audiobooks, the bigger 32GB capability may be price it. However for those who largely learn ebooks (and/or use your cellphone for audiobooks, which makes extra sense to me), the 16GB-capacity must be greater than sufficient for years of library enlargement.

The auto-adjusting entrance gentle on the Signature Version is responsive and calibrates the sunshine to the atmosphere fairly effectively. I nonetheless have to manually decrease it in a completely darkish room, so it’s not absolutely hands-off, plus it’s straightforward sufficient to regulate. The separate heat gentle (which you get with the common Paperwhite) is the extra important function anyway, because it makes studying into the wee hours of the night time much more nice. The ultimate Signature-only function, wi-fi charging, might be the least necessary — you solely cost these items as soon as each different month on the most. The way you accomplish that feels inconsequential.

So for those who save $40 by not going with the Signature mannequin, does it make sense to save lots of much more by going with the $110 commonplace Kindle? That’s more durable to reply. The bottom Kindle has the identical 300 ppi decision, the identical storage capability, the identical font and structure choices and entry to the identical audio- and ebooks as the usual Paperwhite. However the Kindle’s display screen is smaller, the system isn’t waterproof, the battery lasts half as lengthy and there’s no heat gentle. Contact responsiveness isn’t fairly pretty much as good and web page turns are barely slower (although the distinction on each counts is minor).

Truthfully, the dearth of a heat gentle on the bottom Kindle is the one main disadvantage. It’s much more pleasurable to learn the softer yellowish screens of both Paperwhite than the harsher blue of the bottom mannequin. However I discovered myself getting used to it pretty rapidly, and I in all probability seen the distinction most when switching forwards and backwards between the 2 — one thing most individuals gained’t do.

Wrap-up

In brief, the Kindle Paperwhite and the brand new Paperwhite Signature provide a extra premium studying expertise. The flush entrance display screen and soft-touch again really feel extra upscale. The bigger display screen feels just like the distinction between studying a mass market paperback and a commerce paperback, which isn’t to say the usual Kindle feels cramped, it’s simply smaller. I see the Paperwhite (particularly the Signature mannequin) interesting to individuals who need probably the most elevated studying expertise — the crispest textual content, the least lag, the swankiest really feel. And the common Kindle is ideal for many who simply need probably the most direct line to studying almost any e-book they need.

It comes down as to if you suppose a heightened expertise will make you learn extra. If that’s the case, then it’s in all probability well worth the worth soar in the long term. However for those who’re simply on the lookout for a no-frills solution to learn books, go for the bottom Kindle. Although it’s much less high-end, it feels extra sturdy and extra moveable. The smaller measurement can slot in a again pocket and you might be extra apt to toss it in a cluttered bag — all of which can very effectively imply you learn extra, and, actually, that’s the entire level of any ereader.