Kindle vs Kindle Paperwhite — 01 Oct 2024

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (11th generation / 5th iteration)

The Paperwhite Signature edition features auto-adjusting front light, double the storage (32 GB), and wireless charging over the regular Paperwhite. Nothing ground breaking, but as I tend to keep my Kindles forever, I went for the fanciest one.

I was already familiar with the latest Paperwhite edition, and as much as I love its screen and display, I found its size a bit overwhelming, but I needed to give it a real try.

It turns out the Paperwhite display technology is amazing, especially is very bright or dark environments. The auto-adjusting front light does a decent job most of the time, but I found myself tweaking it sometimes. I set it to automatically adjust the colour temperature and brightness, and have left it as is. It turns on and off fast, which is a nice change too.

I’d forgotten how comfortable it was to have a new battery. I leave Wi-Fi on and never have to think of recharging. Well, never like I use to with my Oasis which was often drained when I picked it up. Turn the radios off, and you can probably reach several weeks of autonomy.

After several months of usage, I have got use to its size, and one hand reading. I use my thumb to turn the pages, and it works 99% of the time.

I only read text-based books on my Kindle. For anything graphic, I’ll prefer the iPad which is far superior in rendering images and illustrations, especially fixed-layout publications. I converted all my Comixology graphic novels to ZIP format with Calibre, and use the Panels app to read them.

I don’t really use the Qi charging feature as the Kindle doesn’t provide any alignment guides. If you’re using anything other than the Kindle charger, it’s hit and miss. The only indication you have is the power light situated next to the power button that turns on when charging.

I’m pretty sold to the Paperwhite model, so why bother with the regular Kindle? Well, because of its size.

Kindle (2022 release) - 11th generation

The ‘regular’ Kindle’s size is what I love the most. It’s light, compact and comfortable to hold for long periods of time. It fits in my cargo pockets in the summer and its battery lasts forever. The perfect form factor to carry around.

The display is super crisp (300 ppi), and despite having fewer LEDs than the Paperwhite (4 vs 17), the screen is bright and sharp in all conditions. The front light is adjustable and offers dark mode.

During my time with both models this summer, I read at night on the Paperwhite, and during the day, on the Regular Kindle. Why bother, you might wonder, as I could just as easily read on my iPhone when on the go. Yes, and I do sometimes, but the comfort, weight and size of an e-ink screen beat the iPhone for longer reading periods of time.

So which one did I keep?

Both. Which one would I keep if I had to choose only one? Well, I think I would keep the regular Kindle.

I could live with the missing features:

• Fewer LEDs, no ambient light sensor: you notice the difference, the Paperwhite is way superior and offer a more pleasant reading experience, but the reading experience on the smaller one remains very good;
• Not splash resistant (IPX8 rated): this could be an issue, especially as I carry my Kindle everywhere with me, but I take care of my gear, so we’ll see;
• Older design: the screen isn’t flush with the outer bezel. This gives it a different look and feel, but it doesn’t get in the way, and the very small ridge gives your thumb a tactile indicator of where the bezel starts and ends. I would prefer a flush design as on the Paperwhite, but it’s mostly a nonissue;
• No Qi-charging: not an issue. Both offer USB-C.

Otherwise, storage is ample enough (16 GB), the smaller battery’s autonomy is very good (turn the radios off for even more).

The price difference is significant (100%): €100 vs €190

Specifications

(*) based on a half hour of reading per day with wireless off and the light setting at 13. Turning radios off increases the autonomy.