Kindle Paperwhite (2015)

The Paperwhite was considered by consumers and experts alike as one of the best e-readers on the market when it hit. In the third iteration of the popular e-reader, Amazon is able to keep the costs the same as previous models while improving some of the hardware and features.

Design-wise, Amazon has made some minor changes switching over the glossy textured body to matte and the logo o from Kindle to Amazon. The only physical button is the power key so all navigation is done via the 6″ touchscreen panel. The screen itself is the biggest upgrade as it offers a pixel density of 300-ppi instead of the 212-ppi of its predecessor. On paper, this might sound like a huge improvement, but many reviewers didn’t notice a significant difference. They add, however, images and text did look slightly crisper than older version. CNET notes, “The extra screen sharpness is a subtle but important upgrade in a product category that’s reach a maturation point…” Still, many experts consider the Paperwhite as having the best ebook reader screen as it was glare-free in bright light with sharp and dark text. In fact, the Wall Street Journal states, “It looks closer to real paper book than anything else out there.”

Unlike the higher end Kindle Voyager, the Paperwhite does not come with an adaptive backlight or page turn buttons. Still, critics found it easy enough to adjust screen brightness and navigate the menu via the touchscreen.

Besides the screen, Amazon also upgraded the internal memory from 256MB to 512MB though they kept the same 1GHz processor and 4GB of internal storage. Overall, reviewers noticed all-round faster performance and very little ghosting when turning the pages. New additions to the software include:

· Bookerly font – an exclusive Kindle font specifically to improve readability on digital screens.

· About This Book – gives more information about the book, its author and place in series.

Of course all of the features users enjoyed like connection with Goodreads and Family Library are still intact on the 2015 Paperwhite. It also comes at multiple tiers with the cheapest version showing full page “special offers” when the Kindle is in sleep mode. The more expensive versions come loaded with 3G and no ads.

Overall, experts were very happy with the 2015 Paperwhite. PG Mag states, “…the Kindle Paperwhite is the right ebook reader for most people.” The Verge adds, “…this particular Kindle is the nicest one yet for the price.”