For the vast majority of people who truly want an ereader, the Kindle Paperwhite 2022 is simply the best option.
It outperforms its predecessors in the areas that matter the most, and at $140, you won’t find a greater combination of features and quality.
Perhaps more crucially, it could be the first Kindle Paperwhite worth upgrading to in years, and I’d argue it’s a better option than the more expensive Oasis.
The screen is now larger.
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The new Kindle Paperwhite is the same size as its predecessor, but thanks to smaller bezels all around, it now has a 6.8-inch screen instead of a 6-inch one.
In terms of screen size, itmakes similar to the Kindle Oasis — and similar to a paperback book — but in a smaller package that fits comfortably in a jacket pocket.
Whereas the smaller screen on older non-Oasis Kindles seemed to give no advantage over your standard current (read: huge) smartphone, the latest model significantly makes the reading experience. It may not seem like , but it makes a significant difference in how frequently I want to bring my Kindle with me.
The screen also refreshes faster than previous versions, with less ghosting, making a more book-like experience.
Blue light will not suffocate your eyes.
The incorporation of ‘warm’ light is one of the nicest features of the Kindle Oasis, as well as other ereaders like the Boox Note Air. The new model contains a warm light in addition to the normal eye-searing blue-ish white light that gives the Paperwhite its name.
For someone like me, who spends the most of his reading time indoors and at night, this makes a tremendous impact. In dimmer lighting circumstances, E Ink displays, as good as they are in bright sunlight, tend to look overly dark compared to a traditional book, and most people have rather warm indoor lights. Reading on the previous Paperwhite versions exposed you to a lot of blue light, which isn’t much better than reading on a phone or tablet screen.
The warm light mixes in better with indoor lighting, and the light is evenly distributed around the display, unlike some other ereaders I’ve tested.
The $180 Signature Edition, like the Oasis, comes with an ambient brightness sensor, albeit it doesn’t alter colour temperature.
Finally, it charges via USB-C.
Kindle ereaders were among the only gadgets from a big brand to use the godawful micro USB connector until recently. Despite the normal ereader’s weeks-long battery life, you don’t realise how inconvenient it is to not have USB-C until you need to go on a trip and find your Kindle has finally run out of juice and you have no way to charge it.
God bless you. USB-C
Many people are no longer concerned about this because of USB-C (and wireless charging on the Signature Edition). It may be charged in the same way as a variety of laptops, tablets, and Android phones.
Since receiving my review unit a few weeks ago, I’ve only charged it once, however it appears to last longer and charge faster. It’s simply one less thing standing in the way of some nice reading time.
There’s still some room for advancement.
Amazon can still improve the gadget in a few areas:
- I’d like Amazon to incorporate a colour temperature sensor that adjusts warmth rather than just brightness, similar to Apple’s True Tone. You can programme the screen to warm up on a timetable, although this isn’t particularly practical. A colour temperature sensor would make the experience much more paper-like.
- I wish there was a method to turn pages without tapping while still being able to tap on terms to read up definitions and modify settings. To switch pages with swipes, you can only turn off taps completely, which drastically limits functionality.
- I miss the tactile page-turning buttons on the Oasis.
- The Kindle can’t read.epub files, which are a common format for free books. They must be converted and sent via email.
- I’m sure some people would appreciate an LTE/wireless option like the Oasis has.
- Obviously, you’re primarily locked to Amazon’s walled garden.
- There are a plethora of more versatile, similar-sized tablets available. The Boox Nova Air is significantly more expensive, but it includes a stylus and a large number of Android apps. Many people, of course, choose to limit their ereaders to books.
- The Kindle Paperwhite costs $140 and comes with advertisements on the lock screen. To get rid of the advertising, you’ll have to spend an extra $20.
But that’s nitpicking, and I assume Amazon needs to leave some features for future Kindles to enhance.
The Kindle Paperwhite nearly feels like’solved’ technology at this time. It does practically everything most people want from an ereader, and it does it exceptionally well. When you add more features to it, you’re just adding distractions, and many people buy ereaders to get away from distractions.
I’m a power user who prefers a gadget that’s less tethered to Amazon’s ecosystem, but I can’t deny that the Kindle Paperwhite is a fantastic reader. For its size and price, it features one of the largest and highest-quality e-ink displays available, and it does very nothing wrong. The Kindle Paperwhite 2022 is simply unbeatable as a reader.
