Amazon Paperwhite (Signature Edition): Purpose-built for reading, it’s thin and portable too

Reading is a dying habit. Blame it on the rapid proliferation of devices in our everyday life, but many among us have lost the zeal to read. However, anyone who likes to read books will find themselves reading more often once they get a Kindle. Amazon Kindle’s ease of use, long battery life, and instant buying ability means it’s more likely to get you reading books, newspapers, magazines and other digital media content. On a personal note, I always wanted to introduce my daughter to reading for quite a while. I simply gifted her a Kindle Paperwhite and it’s been just a delight to to see her develop the much needed reading habit in this digital era.

Cut to present. Amazon has introduced the next generation of Kindle Paperwhite with two new models: the all-new Kindle Paperwhite and the first-ever Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. We got the latter for review purpose. For years, Kindle Paperwhite has been the most popular Kindle, and the new generation combines premium hardware, faster performance, and a redesigned user interface for a more enjoyable reading experience. Starting at Rs 13,999, Kindle Paperwhite comes with a larger display, a new adjustable warm light, and increased battery life, while the new Signature Edition adds an auto-adjusting light sensor and is the first-ever Kindle to offer wireless charging. It retails for Rs 17,999 and is available in Black colour. Whether reading in the sun, or in the dark, the new Kindle Paperwhite devices have a smoother experience enabled by all-new hardware and a redesigned interface.

The Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition have been purpose-built to help you get lost in your favourite book. Thin, portable design, and at only 205g for Kindle Paperwhite and 208g for the Signature Edition, it’s easy to carry around or read for hours. Plus, 8GB of storage on Kindle Paperwhite and 32GB of storage on the Signature Edition means there’s room for thousands of titles and more space for comics and magazines. Let me list out some of the key features here.

Larger and brighter display: Featuring a 6.8-inch, 300 ppi glare-free display that reads like real paper even in bright sunlight, Kindle Paperwhite now has smaller bezels, and is 10% brighter at the maximum setting.

Longer battery: A new USB-C charging port and upto 10 weeks of battery life allow you to enjoy your book without the worry of finding a power outlet. You can charge from zero to full battery in 2.5 hours when using a 9W adapter or larger.

Warm light: Built-in adjustable warm light and dark mode offer flexibility for reading, so you can easily transition from daytime to nighttime reading.
Faster and smoother: The latest generation E-ink display offers better performance and device responsiveness, including 20% faster page turns.

Waterproof: With the IPx8 rating, you can take Kindle Paperwhite almost anywhere you want to read—it’s waterproof from the beach to the bath.

Unique to Signature Edition are some interesting features. One is auto-adjusting light sensor. This ambient light sensor automatically changes the brightness of the display to the lighting around you. Then, there is wireless charging feature that offers flexibility, and can be used with any compatible Qi wireless charger.
Switched on, we are looking at a completely redesigned Kindle interface, adding several new features for an easier and more intuitive experience from the moment you pick up your device to start reading. The updated experience provides an easy way to switch between the home screen, your library, or your current book, while a new library experience includes new filters and sort menus, a new collections view, and an interactive scroll bar.

One of the things I really liked about the new Kindle is that it has no glare and won’t distract you with social media, emails, text messages, or notifications. The Signature Edition offers more features than standard model, including wireless charging and automatic front light adjustments, the latter is a genuinely useful feature. Indeed, one of the finest devices to inculcate reading habits among the digital-savvy lot.

Estimated street price: Rs 17,999