Amazon’s New Kindle Paperwhite Adds Bigger Screen, Longer Battery Life, and USB-C

Amazon refreshes the Kindle Paperwhite for the first time in nearly three years with an updated model, adding a larger 6.8-inch E-Ink display that’s brighter and has adjustable color temperature, charging USB-C, faster processor and extra weeks of battery life.

The current Kindle Paperwhite has been Amazon’s best e-reader since its release almost three years ago, and Amazon isn’t playing too much with the formula. The design of the new model is similar to the old one, with a recessed display, built-in backlighting, 300 PPI resolution for crisp text and IPX8 waterproofing.

The new model, however, seems to improve on virtually every aspect of the eReader. The battery went from six weeks to around 10 weeks from a single charge. The charging itself is faster: thanks to USB-C, the device can fully charge in about two and a half hours. There is a new SoC, which (combined with software improvements) according to Amazon offers a 20% improvement in performance. And the color temperature change technology that Amazon launched on the 2019 Kindle Oasis has made its way into the more affordable Paperwhite for nighttime reading.

The most notable change, however, is the larger display, which drops from six inches to a 6.8-inch panel. Amazon still maintains the same pixel density of 300 PPI, so the text will be just as crisp despite the larger display.

In order to achieve this minimum increase in size, Amazon reduced the bezels on the new Paperwhite. Since bezels are the primary place you typically hold a Kindle, we’ll have to see the new device in person to gauge how this change works, although generally smaller bezels are a good thing in the tech world.

The new Paperwhite models will also include Amazon’s updated Kindle software that it announced earlier in September; at launch, they will offer the new smartphone-style settings menu and a new menu bar at the bottom of the home screen. An additional update is planned later this year that will more substantially update the home screen and library menus with more drop-down interfaces. Additionally, Amazon is introducing a new login system with the new Paperwhites that will add the ability to log in using a Kindle app on a smartphone instead of having to struggle with the keyboard on the Kindle device.

For the first time, Amazon is also presenting an improved and more expensive version of the Paperwhite alongside the base model: the Paperwhite Signature Edition, which is identical to the standard version, with three differences. First of all, it adds Qi wireless charging for easy charging. Second, it offers 32GB of storage, compared to 8GB on the standard model. And finally, it offers the self-adjusting light sensor that Amazon previously only offered on the Oasis (whereas the base model has to manually adjust things).

While the new Paperwhite – and in particular the Paperwhite Signature – got the more obvious features of the top Oasis model, the $ 250 model still has a few more differences that put it ahead of the pack.

The Oasis still has the largest display of any Kindle (a seven-inch E-Ink panel, compared to the Paperwhite’s 6.8-inch screen), and it has 25 LEDs for a brighter overall display. The Oasis also has its unique form factor, with an aluminum body, rotating screen, and physical page-change buttons that are still lacking in cheaper models from Amazon.

That said, I’m hoping Amazon will borrow a few features from the refreshed Paperwhites, like USB-C charging and Paperwhite Signature’s Qi wireless charging, for its next Oasis refresh.

The new upgrades come at a cost, however: the new Paperwhite starts at $ 139 (a $ 10 increase over the 2018 model) and the Paperwhite Signature Edition starts at $ 189. These prices are for models supported by advertising; getting an ad-free Paperwhite will add $ 20 to the price.

Amazon is also selling a Kindlewhite Kids Edition with the new model for $ 159, which includes a Paperwhite, kid-friendly cover, one year of Amazon Kids Plus, and a two-year extended replacement program, similar to the existing bundle. from Amazon for the basic Kindle model.

Orders for the new Paperwhite models begin today, and the new e-readers are expected to ship on October 27.