Kindle Paperwhite (2021) One Month Later - But Why?

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Yes, it's been 14 years of Kindle, and what's funny is that when Brandon told me he was gonna do that review so many years ago, I just didn't understand why? A product that could only read books didn't make any sense to me, and especially when I was already reading ebooks for years on my Pocket PC.

It wasn't until I tried one many years later that I picked up on the genius behind these little gadgets. Surely I know many of you still love that smell of paper, and the feel of a regular book, but that would be a huge oversimplification of what a Kindle can do, and their latest model is out to prove just that.

This is the new Kindle Paperwhite, a pretty overdue update to the 2018 model, and what I'd call the most ambitious change Amazon has brought to these devices, even if you won't be able to tell as easily. I'm Jaime Rivera with Pocketnow and this is our full review, sponsored by MediaTek

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[paulsmith]

I am 82. About 10 years ago or more, I bundled up all my hardback and paperback books and hauled them off to the library. Then I got a Nook. And a year later I got my first Kindle. Now I have the latest version of the Nook and the Kindle Paperwhite. I have both just in case one fails.

For all those geezers between 30 and 40 that just have to be able to touch the printed page, go for it. Me, I am sticking with my e-Readers.

[biu]

I love physical books but man kindle makes it's so convenient to read them. I've read more books because of that. An absolute value for money if you are ferocious reader.

[experiment]

I absolutely love e-ink over the LCD or OLED displays

[jessedominguez]

I totally agree with using a Kindle over an actual book or even my iPad Mini for the same reasons you mentioned. I've done more reading on my Kindle than using a book or even my iPad mini. So convenient and light and unlike using my iPad Mini, I can't close the app and switch over to streaming a movie or social media on a whim. It makes you stay focused on reading. Big plus, I never have to worry about lighting conditions or people judging me by the books I read while at a coffee shop 😂

[davidenoch]

I love my Kindle. I've not seen any reviewer mention that one can borrow books from their library on it. I've only ever bought one book in about eight years.

[victoriamolina]

Thanks to kindle I went from reading 1 or 2 books per year to 69 books in 2021, it´s cheaper, easier, much more comfortable and keeping count of the days i read on the kindle app is really motivational to me. Best thing i have ever purchased.

[evelynwoolston]

I've got the ordinary 2021 Paperwhite. I did wonder about the extra storage on the Signature but to give you an idea, I have 1206 books and docs plus 2 Audible loaded onto it so far and still have 3.11GB of space remaining. Many of my books are larger books - foreign language dictionaries, and Complete Works. Naturally I can remove books as I read them, I will still be able to see them listed when I'm connected to Wifi so that I can redownload them when I want to read them again.

[DacLMK]

I have the 2015 Paperwhite 3, and that device is still kicking strong in 2021. I've read many books and Japanese comics (Manga) on it.

[TjPhysicist]

Something I think most people forget to mention is availability of digital copy of the book. Much less a problem now than when Kindle was first a thing years ago but certainly something you need to research. It depends on what kind of books you read. Most modern published books will be available in digital and identical to physical. If you read more non fiction and books that tend to be older but still not in public domain then you may have a hard time. Yet others (like a lot of anthologies I've seen) are available in digital copy but their digital version of very poor, often missing content. Again, not a big deal for most people, given the kind of books that seem like popular reads but something you'd want to look into it your taste differs or you read a very specific type of literature.

[jayvansickle]

I, surprisingly, found the PW more comfortable to hold for a long period of time... Compared to the Oasis.
Battery is better

[tommyjw]

I have been a Kindle fan/owner since their inception, including the latest and greatest Oasis (disappointing). I look forward to returning to the US and purchasing the new Paperwhite. Being retired I have the luxury of reading at least four to ten books a month. I have been a voracious reader for years. Kindle is by far, the best e-reader today.

[makaylagrant]

I found a kindle from 2011 (and probably haven't been used since then) still works and the battery life was surprisingly very good. I've been using it and the e-ink makes it feel like I'm looking at paper rather than a screen and hurts my eyes a lot less. The only reason I'm considering getting a new kindle is to read in the dark.

Also I'm more likely to bring a kindle as a carry-on on a road trip rather than an iPad due to the size and the longevity of its battery-life.

[matiaserp]

I upgraded from my perfectly fine and beloved Paperwhite 3 to this new Paperwhite 5. Yes, the larger screen is awesome, and menus are a tiny little faster. But for me the killer feature is Dark Mode. Love it! It could have been implemented in older versions but they chose not to which is a shame... But I did not mind buying a new device as I plan to keep it for at least 5 to 10 years of frequent use.

[fernandocompri]

I love mine, is a old version, from 2017 and still working very fine.

[marccolten]

I am currently a patient in a nursing home and as much as I have always loved books they just don’t work here. With the Paperwhite, I can read inside or outside, sitting up or lying down. I’ve got hundreds of books available at all times including many “Complete works of ...” and many compilations by genre. All books are equally convenient no matter how huge the physical copy would be. And the prices are great with many selling for .99 to a few dollars and immediately available. It’s a life saver.

[matzsn]

I’ve been loving this version of the Kindle… The speed and larger screen were definitely the biggest reasons i picked this one.

[walkerhjk]

I began with a Kindle 3 which needed an external light and then replaced that with the very first Paperwhite which I bought in 2013 shortly before the PW2 came out, I still have it and it's as good now as when I first bought it although the leatherette cover is just about worn out, I have very recently bought the latest 11th generation Kindle, the Paperwhite 5 with 8Gb . I thought the extra cost of the 32Gb rather exorbitant and I see no need for wireless charging, especially now there is USB-C connection'., I have the Kindle app on my phone which is synced with the Kindle so no matter where I am and even when I don't have the kindle with me, I can continue reading if I get stuck somewhere. However the phone doesn't last very long unlike the Kindle which can run for weeks without charging.

[gweneththompson]

For me, the Kindle is about accessibility. I have arthritis in my hands, I can't hold a paper book for more than 20 minutes or so without extreme pain. The Kindle I can hold for *hours*. My vision tends to blur when I get tired, so being able to up the font extends my reading time. I'm asthmatic, the 'smell' of books is problem when books hold on to things like perfume, cigarette smoke, etc, especially when buying books 2nd hand or taking them out of the library. NOTHING is more frustrating then finding the next book in a series you're reading at the library, opening it up and going into an asthma attack! Because you can't read the book. I rarely use the back lit option, though it's nice to have for those rare times I *do* need it. And being able to switch between books (because other wise I finish my book club book way too fast and lose the rest of the group), and being able to pick up a new book when I finish one without dragging two or three books along on a trip is great as well. I got my first Kindle in 2009, and I haven't been without one since, I use it every day for many hours a day.

[vishnubhaskaran]

I have been using one for the last 10 years and it still works really well.

[waltbutk]

I like my Oasis because of one feature. I like the page turn buttons and the ability to disable the touch screen. I tend to turn pages by accident just holding a device. I have the same issue with my phone. The Oasis is my second Kindle. The first one was the Kindle Keyboard.