However, there's still an infuriating lag and some screen blinks when you scroll through menus. There's even an animation you can turn on that gives the slight effect of a real page turning. The Paperwhites get faster page-turn rates, which is noticeable and appreciated. At this point, auto-adjust should come standard on all screens without having to pay more for it. Only the Signature Edition has the ability to auto-adjust brightness to the lighting around you, so you can read outside without tinkering with settings every time the sun comes out from behind the clouds. It also now has dark mode, if you prefer that. Side by side, it's not quite as bright as the Oasis, but it was still easy to read, even outside. Thankfully, e-ink screens don't hurt your eyes the way blue light from your phone does. (The Oasis still has a slightly larger, 7-inch screen.)Īll three of the new Paperwhites get adjustable warm lighting-it gets super orange at its brightest-and brighter screens overall (10 percent brighter, according to Amazon). The matte backing helps to prevent slippage, too. Compared to the Oasis, the Paperwhite is taller, and because it doesn't have the page-turn buttons, it's not as wide, so it's easy to palm for one-handed reading. The screen gets more room overall, and the whole thing looks a little more sophisticated. The bezels are also smaller, less than half an inch from the top and sides. The screen on the 2021 Paperwhite is larger, at 6.8 inches over 2018's 6 inches. Prices vary depending on whether or not you have ads, so read the Amazon page closely before checking out. I tested the Signature Edition here, but I included information on how all three compare. With its first update since 2018, it has turned into three models of its own: the standard Paperwhite ($140), the Signature Edition ($190), and a kids version ($160). The Paperwhite has always been the midlevel upgrade in the Kindle family-better than the basic Kindle, but not as feature-packed as the pricey Oasis.

It's nice to be able to spend less on ebooks or check them out for free from the library without leaving my house. They sit, half-read, gathering dust on a bookshelf and getting moved from apartment to apartment. Nothing compares to the feel of flipping through physical pages, but I've spent a lot of money on books. After reading with the new Paperwhite Signature Edition, I can confidently confirm that Amazon's latest update to their beloved ereader is still great. Then I tried the Oasis, and suddenly I was hooked. “How could you give up real books?” I screamed into the void.

Kindles are fantastic little devices, but I was staunchly against them until recently.

Kindle paperwhite 5