What’s so special about the Kindle Paperwhite? Revisit our reviews ahead of Stuff Your Kindle Day.

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Confession: I’ve read a surprisingly few books since graduating high school.

It’s not that I don’t like books or that they’re difficult to understand or anything like that. Conversely, my specific form of ADHD makes it hard for me to find the motivation to start and focus, and I don’t really enjoy holding a book in my hands. Depending on the size, both paperback and hardcover books can be a bit cumbersome, especially if you’re like me and like to read with one hand.

I’m happy to say that the 2021 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is almost It’s perfect for those who like reading more, if not for all the annoying little things that come with reading. Both the $140 ad-supported model (which I used for this review) and the ad-free $190 Signature Edition feature larger 6.8-inch displays that look great in any lighting and have long battery life lasts for weeks, and is the perfect form factor for lazy one-handed readers like me.

With Prime Day and other shopping holidays approaching, list prices will almost certainly drop. Amazon discounted the Paperwhite by $55 a year ago, but only $15 on Prime Day 2024. Still, I guess a $15 discount is better than nothing.

Even with some price and performance issues, Amazon’s latest Kindle can, uh, reignite your interest in reading.

Kindle Paperwhite price and specs

The screen is bright and easy on the eyes.
Photo credit: Molly Flores/Mashable

In its first Paperwhite update since 2018, Amazon isn’t straying too far from its previous efforts. The cheaper Paperwhite and Signature Edition both have nearly identical specs:

• 6.8-inch display with 17 LEDs, 300ppi (2018 model is 6-inch)

• New USB-C charging port, battery life up to 10 hours after full charge

• Signature version supports wireless Qi charging

• The base model is $139.99 with 8GB of storage, $149.99 with 16GB of storage, and the Signature model with 32GB of storage for $189.99

• IPx8 waterproof rating, fully submersible

Amazon managed to increase the screen size by almost an inch without making a huge weight sacrifice. At 205 grams (208 grams for the Signature Edition), it’s only slightly heavier than the 182-gram model from three years ago, likely due to the noticeably thinner bezels around the screen

better than books

As I mentioned before, part of the reason I don’t read much is that I’m lazy and prefer to wander around with one hand free. Some actual books cannot be adapted to this lifestyle due to their size and weight distribution. This Kindle Paperwhite is only It’s heavy enough that it doesn’t feel cheap and flimsy, or be a hindrance to the one-handed readers among us.

This is a completely touch-driven Kindle, with no page-turning buttons. A simple tap or swipe will complete the task. Tapping the top of the screen while reading brings up a quick toolbar with options to return to the home screen, change font size and style, and enable a simple page-turn animation. Swiping down from the top pulls up another menu for turning on Bluetooth to listen to audiobooks, adjusting screen brightness and warmth, and turning dark mode on or off.

You can adjust the screen temperature to make it more comfortable to watch at different settings.
Photo credit: Molly Flores/Mashable

Highlight passages, find word definitions, and bookmark pages, all here. However, all of these nifty features are secondary to reading books, and the excellent Paperwhite display makes reading a pleasure.

Text is clear even with the device held against your face. The glare-free screen is clear and pleasing to the eye in all lighting conditions. I’ve read Frank Herbert’s twisty epic dune (What can I say, I have sandworm fever) On the new Paperwhite, both outside in the sun and indoors at night with the lights off. In both cases, it’s as comfortable as reading a real page under the light. Even at high brightness, the screen doesn’t hurt my eyes. You can actually take the new Paperwhite with you everywhere anywhere And happy reading.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the small but important addition of a USB-C charging port. This is a godsend as we get deeper into the USB-C world, and may have been long overdue as the 2018 models don’t have it. It’s located on the bottom of the device next to the power button, which is the only button you’ll find here.

It goes without saying that I love everything about the physical design of the new Kindle Paperwhite. Once you’re actually ready to have a book on the screen, this is an ideal e-reader for me. Unfortunately, getting to this point can be a bit cumbersome.

Slow and mostly stable

Amazon has no plans to produce a powerful iPad-level tablet through the Kindle Paperwhite series. You use these devices to read or listen to books, and that’s it. Amazon promises better overall performance and responsiveness with the latest Paperwhite, and while my experience with it was mostly good, I did encounter a few technical flaws.

Simply browsing the Kindle’s simple menus can sometimes be more cumbersome than it needs to be, since the screen is only designed to display static text. Scrolling up and down a book or set list is jittery and slow, not as smooth as you’d expect from almost every other touch-based device released in 2021. Whether it’s finding a new book or changing your screen brightness, there’s no need for too much hassle. But you won’t have much fun doing that.

USB-C is always welcome.
Photo credit: Molly Flores/Mashable

I completely understand Amazon’s purpose in designing these Kindles really good Read at the expense of doing other things. For me, the huge form factor and superb display overcome these minor performance hurdles, as I’m not looking forward to an iPad or even a Fire HD tablet. Even considering those low expectations, it still feels a bit behind the times.

To make matters worse, at one point, the Paperwhite froze in the middle of reading and became completely unresponsive. dune. I waited a few minutes for it to unblock itself, but that didn’t happen. After holding down the power button for about 40 seconds to hard reset the device, I was able to continue reading, but I still felt like I needed to be aware of this.

Aside from one unusual freeze, the Kindle Paperwhite’s performance was at least a little too slow throughout my time with it. I respect consistency because at least I know what to expect.

The last noteworthy aspect of performance is battery life. Amazon rates the new Kindle Paperwhite as high as 10 weeks When the battery is fully charged. I’ve only had the device for less than a week, so I can’t fully verify this. Taking this into account, though, the battery only drained around 10% during this time. If you read for a few hours a day, maybe you won’t stick with it for 10 weeks, but no matter how you get rid of it, it will last for a long time.

Great Leap Forward, get rid of advertising

I can learn to live with the Kindle Paperwhite’s sluggish performance and even occasional freezes. Everything else about actually using the device was basically excellent and actually made me, someone with severe attention issues, want to sit down and read a thick science fiction novel about religion and feudalism. One thing that actually makes me hesitate to recommend it to people is the price.

At $140, I think the standard 2021 Kindle Paperwhite may be a bit pricey, but avid readers will find their money well spent. It’s the Signature Edition, and for an extra $50 you get the privilege of seeing no ads, some extra storage, and the ability to have the Kindle automatically adjust the brightness based on light levels in the room that annoy me. Tying savings and reward features to price increases is standard practice in the tech industry, but the advertising is terrible. Isn’t Amazon making enough money yet?

Is the Kindle Paperwhite worth buying?

The good news is, these aren’t your only Kindle options. The entry-level Kindle sells for $99.99, so if you’re looking for a powerful e-reader, it might suit your needs. Still, if you can afford to pay extra for a Paperwhite, you won’t regret it. This little tablet’s massive battery, gorgeous and versatile display, and maximum hand comfort allowed me to enjoy reading more in the few days I spent using it than I had in years.

If you are this serious too dune-It’s much better than lugging around a big book like I am now.