Kindle Paperwhite – (previous generation - 2018 release) Waterproof with 2x the Storage – Ad-Supported

I travel a lot and love to read. I decided books are too bulky, and man, was i right?! Pros: +Weight: When it comes to weight, my Kindle Paperweight 2018 edition is 6.4oz, and my iPhone 13 weights the same with a slim cover on. So it’s ridiculously light for being a reading device. +Build: it feels sturdy so I’m not worried it will crack in my backpack. I ordered one in mint green, so it has beautiful color on the back side, I don’t feel the need for a protective cover. I did knit a little sleeve but I wouldn’t buy the $20+ covers on Amazon. +Backlight: amazing to have for reading in low light. I don’t need it during the day, and inly run it to about 6/24 during evening reading with lamp on bedside table turned on. At level 24 it gets super bright! +Battery life: i must have read 5 or so books in past 2 months and only charged it once, because i was traveling and didn’t want it to die on me mid trip. As said above, i barely ever run at above level 6 for backlight and only turn wifi on when downloading books, so this definitely helps. +Ads: I paid for the version that comes with ads after reading other people’s reviews, and I actually don’t mind the ads. It’s only there when you reader is turned off (on standby). And it actually gives me suggestions or inspiration for further read. As soon as you wake up your kindle, the ad disappears. When you manually force your kindle to power off, the screen will be blank. But this is time consuming and powering on and off will be draining more battery. +Format: you can easily adjust Font style and size, spacing, margins, direction (layout)… +Progress: By clicking in the left bottom corner, you can flip between displaying page number, time left in chapter, time left in book,… - i only recently discovered this, and ‘time left in chapter’ has been super useful if i want to just finish one last chapter before putting the reader away before bedtime, since I don’t want to be clicking ahead, trying to find out how many more pages I have left. Cons: -Price: i paid just under $100 w/tax for this 2018 edition, and yes, it is more expensive than renting/buying books, but i feel like it’s a long term investment if it lasts me a few years :) -Touch screen: responsiveness can be little delayed when clicking between pages on library or trying to loads new titles. Just be patient and wait before clicking again. Definitely wouldn’t use this as a browser for internet search, but for flipping through book pages it works great. -Amazon Kindle Unlimited magazines: it doesn’t work well with magazine subscriptions or any books that have lots of pictures and were not made specifically for this format. If pictures get cropped or text ‘too busy’, magazines are difficult to read. I just prefer reading books on my Kindle, and looking at magazines on my tablet or desktop. -Downloading books from public library or your own pdf. can be time consuming if you don’t have the right format. Make sure the file you are trying to send to your device is supported by your Kindle. Otherwise use a free software to convert the file. Can’t send books that are too large, have to manually connect it to desktop and use a cable i guess. Summary: I’m very happy with my purchase and i read a lot more now that I have this Kindle. It doesn’t strain my hands as books do, even though the physical book will always have a special place on my shelf. Easy to use, battery lasts forever. Small and cute design. About 1/3 size of an average novel book, yet you can download hundreds of books onto it and read as you please. I’m taking advantage of the 3-month Kindle unlimited trial that came with my purchase but it also works great with my downloads/loans from my public library. I certainly don’t need any bells and whistles of the newer editions, this is exactly what I needed it for - reading books in paperwhite color. I certainly enjoyed it on a beach in Hawaii over Christmas! Highly recommend!

I finally decided to use Amazon's Kindle trade-in program to trade-in my 2nd generation dinosaur Kindle for some newer tech. While my old Kindle still did work and had been a workhorse for years, the battery was not what it was, it was heavier, and the lack of back-lit light for nighttime reading was overdue for an upgrade. This Kindle is very lightweight compared to my old Kindle, even with a case (Moko, Origami Slim Shell), which I purchased as an accessory item. It is almost as light as my Galaxy S8+. The touch screen works well, which is another feature I did not have previously. I can say my only complaint here is there is little room on the sides of the case to rest your thumbs when holding the device, which sometimes causes a page turn accidentally while reading. This normally happens when reading in bed, but it's not a huge issue. The display is easy to read and I really like the paperwhite design of the display. Also, I very much like the device is backlit with a good range on adjusting the brightness as needed. I don't generally read outside much, so, for now, I have not encountered any issues. I have had the device about a month and have not needed to charge it since my first charging. I usually keep it on airplane mode and the battery is going strong. Very happy with that. The one complaint I have had with this device - and it is not the device itself, but with Amazon - the charging cable (micro-USB) lacks a power adapter enabling you to charge the device from an outlet. This was not the case with my 2nd generation Kindle as it came with the full cable and power adapter. Then, Amazon conveniently recommends you purchase said adapter as "official OEM" adapter for Kindle devices for the whopping price of $19.99. This is a complete rip-off, in my opinion. The adapter should come with the device, but if you are going to sell it separately, you do not need to over-charge for it by this ridiculous amount. You can find another generic adapter for a reasonable price. Just be sure to make sure it matches the specs required for charging the device. Booo - bad form Amazon! Even with the "missing" adapter, I am happy with the product and the value and price paid. I also very much recommend taking advantage of the trade-in program Amazone offers if you can. I was able to get a $5 credit for my old Kindle and 25% off toward future Kindle product. I also pulled the trigger on this sale during Prime Days so the device was further discounted. This was a great time to upgrade and save money.