We live in a world of iPads and Galaxy tablets, but that doesn’t mean that the good old ebook reader doesn’t have a place. In fact, Amazon, known for its Kindle lineup of ebook readers, announced a new addition — a reimagined version of the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. The new device offers many of the best features of the more expensive Kindle Oasis.
The new device boasts a number of advantages over the original Kindle Paperwhite. For starters, the device is now finally waterproof with a rating of IPX8, meaning you can read by the pool or at the beach without having to worry about getting the Paperwhite wet. The device also has an improved 6-inch display, with a 300 pixel-per-inch resolution that delivers what Amazon calls “crisp, laser-quality text.”
Hardware isn’t the only thing that’s different about the Kindle Paperwhite. Amazon has also updated its software a little, giving the homepage a refresh to make it easier to find books you may be interested in reading based on your previous reading habits. You’ll also get some interesting stats about how much you read and the types of things you read, and you’ll be able to customize things like fonts, boldness, and more.
Of course, while this is a device for those that enjoy reading you don’t technically have to read on the Kindle Paperwhite. There’s also support for Audible audiobooks, and the device has Bluetooth support so you can connect your Bluetooth headphones or speakers.
There are some downsides to this device versus others. For example, some like the idea of physical buttons for turning pages, and you won’t get that as a feature on the Kindle Paperwhite. It also doesn’t have USB-C — which is a little disappointing in 2018.
Still, that doesn’t take away from the fact that the Kindle Paperwhite looks to be one of the better options for ebook readers in 2018. The device comes at $130 for the 8GB Wi-Fi model, but you can also shell out $160 for the 32GB model, or $250 for the 32GB model with 3G connectivity — though then you will need to add the device to your data plan. You can get the device for yourself straight from Amazon.
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