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

**LONG HONEST REVIEW** This is the second kindle I’ve ever owned. I had bought the Kindle Fire when it first came out years ago and HATED it. I vowed never to buy another kindle and decided to download the free kindle app on my other devices instead. My main issue with reading on the kindle app on my Apple devices is that there is so much glare. It makes it pretty much impossible to read at the beach or anywhere where you’re getting a lot of sunlight. My iPad and iPhone would overheat when reading outside at the beach or the pool, so I pretty much gave up on that. This year, I am traveling to many different countries and have been reading more than I have ever been. I did not want to take physical books with me on trips for the obvious reason that it takes up space and weighs down my luggage. That’s when I decided to see about the kindle paper white. My sister in law has a previous version (one without the back lights) and told me how she really enjoyed it. I decided to go ahead and order one for myself (the newest generation). Man, am I pleasantly surprised by this device. It’s compact, portable, really minimizes glare, and the backlight is phenomenal for reading in different lighting. In fact, I can now read in the dark without keeping my husband awake with a reading light. With that being said, there are something’s that I found in the reviews to be misleading. 1. Battery Life: battery life on this device is phenomenal. When I first received the kindle I fully charged it. I have been reading on my kindle since last week for hours at a time and have yet to charge it again. It’s currently at 76% and it started at 100%. With that being said, if you’re reading with the backlight on constantly the battery is not going to last as long because (obviously) the backlight will use more energy. 2. Anti-Glare: I’m actually really surprised how many people comment and complain about the anti-glare on this device. If you hold the kindle under direct light of course you’re going to get a slight glare, it’s not a book, it’s a device with a screen. The glare on the device is absolute minimal and haven’t noticed it when I’m actively reading. I only notice it when I’m picking it up to read. 3. Water-Resistance: I would absolutely avoid submerging this device (or any other water resistent devices). I have not tested the water resistance, nor will I purposely do so as the water may not do damage internally but externally to the device (i.e., the charging port WILL rust). I would definitely take this to the beach or the pool with me and am not worried at all about spilling stuff on it or touching it with wet hands. 4.Finger print resistance: I’m not really going to comment on this. Nothing is truly finger print resistent and if it bothers you carry a cleaning cloth with you. I love having the ability to buy books right off of my kindle and being able to read them right away. I’m so glad that I purchased this device. I don’t have to drain my phone battery reading on the kindle app, my husband can now sleep while I’m awake reading, and my luggage doesn’t have to weigh a million pounds while I travel country to country.

I love my kindle paperwhite so far, I've had it a week now and love the portability of it! It is so lightweight and I really have been able to read it anywhere. I love that I got 15% off AND a $20 ebook credit, that made getting it for myself for my 40th birthday an even better deal! I was stoked! I had a kindle shortly after they first came out and wasn't really sold on the e-reader vs an actual book experience. I loved the concept of it, just not the actual product at the time, BUT as I've gotten older and more used to reading on a screen (I use my kindle app on my phone quite a bit) I really craved something that doesn't have all the extra distractions of emails, text messages etc. popping up while I'm reading, plus I'm on my phone way too much already anyway, AND I loved the idea that I could take it in the bathtub with me (I will not do that with my phone). So when this deal popped up and it was close to my birthday I got so excited to treat myself that I originally ordered it without adding the code for the deal itself....whoops! But I contacted customer service and they assured me I could cancel and reorder it without issue so I did. Now, I'm not sure if I messed something up here but my order took forever to process after this and after multiple chats with customer service was told my bank was authorizing then deauthorizing it but after this particular chat session it finally switched to shipped and showed it would arrive on August 31st (10 days after my birthday when I had ordered it 5 days before my birthday). To be fair when I ordered it I was given a window of Aug 18-Sept 1st (on prime delivery mind you) and because I work for a shipping company I figured that much like we have to deal with an influx of more orders than usual due to covid that this was an over cautious estimation but as it turns out, it was not. Now, when I contacted my bank they also assured me that they do not authorize and deauthorize charges like that and it had to be on the other end so with that knowledge it does upset me that I am paying for a 2 day shipping service (that I do not use all that much to even justify the cost I'm paying) that I now have to wait 2-3 weeks for, so that's really the only complaint I have at this time, the product itself I am in love with. I was surprised by the size of it, I am terrible at interpreting dimensions by measurements and sometimes even the comparison pictures don't quite sink in so when I opened the box and saw how slim the box it actually comes it was I was shocked and then when I opened that and saw that the kindle itself was about half the size of that I felt kind of disappointed at first until I realized how perfect the size really is, I can hold it comfortably in one hand and it's lighter than most books, not to mention I don't have to hold the pages open as well so those are all pluses for me, (even though I absolutely adore books and own tons of them also and never want to get rid of them either) I love that I can get a brand new book delivered instantly to my device without having to go anywhere, BUT books I love the tactile feeling of plus anytime illustrations or pictures are included they are much better in the book, especially since this is only black and white though this isn't a deal breaker as most pictures in the books I read aren't usually so integral to the story that I need to see them in color, though if I was reading the kids picture books I got way back when my son was small I'd want the color for that. I am also new to Audible and see I can hook my device to a bluetooth device to listen to but have not tried that yet to let you know (I usually do this on my phone) whether I like it on this device or not but if I do eventually try it I will update the review.

Don't listen to the entitled. TLDR; Just y**tube reviews of it. There are tons of unboxing/review videos. If you are a surgeon shopper like myself, do it and then decide. Cheers! Ahh 2018... the year of entitlement and review bombing. For the record, this thing is the same or better in every way then is predecessor. Period. All the bad reviews are old-timers who don't understand how device upgrades work (even comparing it to completely different models - "The power button is on the bottom when before it was on the back..." -Old woman from Happy Gilmore. That's because it not the Voyage 2. And now good news boys and girls - Arts and crafts time has been extended by 2 hours today), or young people who are entitled. Could there be a bad batch out there? Sure, but that doesn't explain away the outright misinformation. People are just complaining to complain, yet offering no actual constructive criticism. So comparing this Paperwhite 4 to previous "Paperwhites," let me address the BS: -Someone said you can't adjust the read time/% left on the page anymore, unless you go into settings. BS! -Someone said the screen temperature is yellow (more yellow than the Paperwhite 3 - Bad Batch?). BS! And Amazon will exchange it for you for this reason. -Someone said the battery is SUPER bad and only lasts 6 hours before needing a charge. Complete BS! -Someone said it's not waterproof. BS! And just plain stupid as that's a main selling point (watch y**tube peeps) -Someone said you can't invert the colors for night reading like the Oasis. BS! -Someone said the screen being flush is worse. BS! This is subjective, but honestly it's easier to clean now. -Someone said it's lighter and hence flimsier. Half BS! They are correct, it is lighter! BUT there is nothing more flimsy about this than the Paperwhite 3, BS! -Someone said it's slower. BS! It has a new ultra power-saving mode which can make it take 3-5 sec more at startup, which you can disable in the settings. SETTINGS > DEVICE OPTIONS > ADVANCED OPTIONS > POWER SAVER. Other than that, it is just as fast. If yours isn't, you got a dud so exchange it. -Someone said the screen isn't 10" ...no comment. -Someone said it doesn't support games *blink blink* Did you think you were buying a PS4? -Someone said there's no improvements over previous models. uh... BS! Read below. These are legitimate reviews on here. Talk about first world entitlment problems. Coming from a Paperwhite 3, this is pretty much the exact same ereader, but with some serious improvements laid out below: -Is lighter yet just as firm as previous model -Is waterproof (Seriously watch y**tube. This thing takes a bath in a vat of soda, tomato sauce, oil, honey, and water, you name it and survives just fine). -Has 8gb of storage. -Is every bit as white as Paperwhite 3 (There could be a bad batch, fair enough, but mine is more white, so they apparently fixed it) -Battery life is just as good as Paperwhite 3 (maybe a little better per ultra power saving mode) -Has night mode. Can invert colors - this was the true selling point for me (no more disturbing my wife at night), and it is beautiful and uniform -Flush screen makes it easier to swipe, clean, and the new soft screen is easier on the fingers -Bluetooth. Can listen to audible now -It has an Ultra Power Saving mode now to conserve even more battery when idle. Yes, this is a pro. People are confusing this as the device is now slower for no reason. There's a reason, it's saving your battery even more than previous models. Furthermore, you can turn it off if you want your 3-5 seconds back. Everything else is pretty much the same, which isn't a bad thing. Does that sound like no improvements? Just because some/any of those pros don't apply to you doesn't mean it doesn't apply to everyone. Only you can decide if the new features will be worth it for you, but it DOES provide the new features Amazon said it does. Complainers will complain. Ironic how none of these complainers ever put in their input on the features they feel would be the "huge improvements" they want, no, they just complain. People even complained it doesn't match previous cases... *blink blink* when has a new model on any device - ever, done this? Truly these are first world problems and entitlement issues. Is it a HUGE upgrade over the Paperwhite 3, Voyage, or Oasis? No. Can it make you steak and eggs and rub your feet? No. Did Amazon tout is as such? No. Is it a refresh of an already good ereader with some cool new features? Yes. And to some people those might be pretty BIG upgrades (waterproof is pretty big if you read by the pool, beach, or bath tub. Lighter might mean the world to someone with arthritis. Bluetooth & 8gb is awesome for the person on the train who wants audible). To me it is a 5-star device.

Ill say upfront, Kindle is fantastic, has been for a decade! I love the convenience of reading and accessing new books. The Paperwhite reading page is easy on the eyes, precise fonts and backlit to read without additional light. And Im talking about my 5th gen that Ive used for years. Five Stars all day long and for the past 8 years! So yea, I give this new 10th gen Kindle 5 stars in this review however from a different perspective is the upgrade worth it? Now.........I compared my 5th Gen to my just received 10th gen (no wifi with ads) is it worth it to upgrade to the 10th generation Paperwhite? If you just read books then probably not, here is why......... -- Font resolution is the same: This is the biggest upgrade issue for me. The screen viewability. Well there may be more pixels on the screen with the 10th gen, to my eye when looking at the 5th and 10th side by side with the exact same settings for display and font my human eyes cannot perceive one iota of difference (see picture attached). Amazon points out the improved font resolution but this make not difference to the end font presentation. -- The 10th gen is faster. Yes pages change a little faster and crisper with the 10th. But again IMO not worth the cost of upgrading. -- The 10th gen online book search is much faster and it works!. My 5th gen was slow and often would not work when trying to find and research new books to buy from the Amazon Kindle store. This feature is supremely more usable with the 10th gen. If this is how you shop for books then the upgrade from 5th to 10th is worth it. If you like me, use your computer to search and manage your content then its not really that beneficial. -- 10th gen is waterproof. I cant think of one instance in all the years Ive used my 5th gen Kindle that it was at risk of getting wet. I gotta say for me its a nice to have but dont care. -- Battery life: I suspect the 10th gen is longer but the 5th gen lasts so long now, weeks for me, why do I care? -- Lighter and thinner. Yes it is. Were talking an ounce here. honestly i like a little more bulk to hold on to the thing. When its put in a case then what does it matter. -- A nice convenience on the 10th gen is that now I can return borrowed Kindle Unlimited books right from the Kindle rather then doing it when having to visit Amazons website and the content page. There is one reason to upgrade........ -- Audible content. OK they got me here. This is one single most important difference between 5th and 10th. The 10th can play audible content over a bluetooth device. Yea thats pretty cool. Ive not used audible books before but like other new things "you dont know what your missing until you try it". This is probably the one feature that might make upgrading to the 10th gen worth it! -- Well there is one more reason to upgrade...its cheap to upgrade. If you get the ads, no wifi version and trade in the old kindle you get 25% off + a $25 gift coupon. If you pay for Kindle Unlimited as I do you also get 6 months free even if you have an existing account....thats $60 savings. So bottom line it cost me $20 to upgrade to the new 10th gen Kindle when trading in an old one and by golly im looking forward to trying out my 10th gen using those new fangled audio books!

(Scroll down for a bulleted Pros and Cons list) After having my Kindle Touch for 7 years, I finally upgraded to a Paperwhite! Overall I love it. I will never forget my book light again, the resolution is incredible, it's faster, the new software interface is great, and I love how opening and closing the cover turns the device on and off automatically. And don't forget how amazing E-Ink is and how much easier it is on the eyes than reading on a backlit tablet. However, there are a few things I miss, like the raised bezel, the 3.5 mm headphone jack, and the better battery life my old Kindle had. When reading in a room with low lighting, the built-in light provides an excellent enhancement, however the light is not so great in a completely dark room. While I love that it goes to a very low level, it has a blueish LED light, which means it's hard to focus on the text, and its blue light that can keep you up at night. Seeing as my Fire tablet was the first device I ever had with a built in blue light blocker, I was surprised that Amazon didn't put more yellowish LEDs into their Paperwhite. The screen on this is wonderful. The resolution is so high that the text is crisper than it could ever be on a printed page, and I have always loved Kindle's easy ability to change the font-size to larger print as needed. I have a love-hate relationship with the solid glass(?) screen. It looks sleek, having the entire front of the device at a single level, but the black bezel area shows fingerprints like mad, and the lack of a raised bevel leaves the screen more prone to chips and cracks, as well as to accidental page-turns if you hold onto the bezel. Only two days after receiving my new Paperwhite, I had left the case open and set the device on the sofa, while I went to get a glass of water. When I returned, I sat down next to it and then had to tend to my toddler on the other side of me, and I knocked the Kindle onto the floor. It landed face-down, and now there's a chip in the screen. Thankfully, that chip is only in the bezel area, but really, a chip in my two-day-old device from falling only 1 foot?! I will probably never use Audible on my Paperwhite. That's for two reasons. The first reason is the lack of a 3.5 mm headphone jack (I own zero Bluetooth headphones or speakers), and the second reason is the lack of immersive reading, where you can have the Audible book read along to the eBook text. I'll just use Audible on my phone or Fire tablet where I have both of these features. Here's hoping Amazon releases the immersive reading feature to the Paperwhite in the near future. The battery life... has issues. Initially, when I first unboxed my Paperwhite, it ate through the battery. However, it was downloading my entire eBook library, I was flicking through lots of menus, and it was downloading a software update in the background. I burned through half my battery that first day. After the software updated, the next day, battery life was a bit better. The new software changed it so that the Kindle goes into standby when not in use, and that helps it use less battery. However, it was still draining faster than my old Kindle Touch battery did. To remedy that, I usually keep my Paperwhite in airplane mode, only turning on wifi at the end of each reading session to sync up my reading progress, and then turning it back off. Doing this has made it so that I only use about 5% of my battery for each half hour of reading. Thankfully, the battery does charge up much faster than my old Kindle Touch did, but it does make me wonder about the longevity of this battery's capacity as my device ages. Overall, I like the Paperwhite more than my Touch, even though I have a few complaints. I could go into even more details, but seeing as I've already written quite a bit, I figured I'd just leave you with a giant list of Pros and Cons. Also, if I could have rated the Paperwhite with 4.5 stars, I would have. Pros: • Screen: ○ High contrast - seems whiter than my old Kindle Touch ○ Amazing resolution, can't see any pixilation, crisper than print on a page ○ Capacitive touch screen means no more accidentally turning the page with my sleeve ○ Can see great in bright light or low light (with the screen light on) • Light: ○ Nice enhancement in low-lighting ○ No more forgetting the book light ○ No glare from a book light shining on the screen ○ Light level goes very low - I can read in the dark without it being too bright, and it doesn't keep up my baby or husband • Updated software interface ○ So many settings, especially for the reading text (font, size, typeface, line spacing, margins, orientation) ○ Peek ahead options, to look at previous or upcoming pages without changing your position (or reading progress) in the book, or even to quickly look through and navigate to another page. ○ The ability to only have some of my collections from the cloud appear on my device. ○ Integration with Goodreads - I can easily share my progress and remarks on the book I'm reading, easily add books to my Goodreads shelf, and easily see my Goodreads lists. • Faster and more responsive than my old Kindle Touch • Waterproof - now I'm not afraid to read in the bath! • Magnetic cover ○ Automatically wakes on open, and puts the Kindle to sleep on close • More storage ○ I never ran out of space on my old Kindle, but now I have even more! • Lighter, thinner, and that cool feeling, almost "fuzzy" hard plastic covers the entire back of the device Cons: • Screen: ○ "Non-reflective" is still semi-reflective, like a high-gloss magazine (same as other Kindle reader screens) ○ Shows fingerprints - no big deal on reading area, but ugly on bezel ○ Solid glass with no bezel means more chances of chips and cracks ○ Capacitive touch screen - I can't turn the page with gloves on, or through a blanket - When the device is wet, water can cause it to register fake taps - use the "disable touchscreen" option in the menu, and then it only detects swipes • Light: ○ Has a lot of blue spectrum in it ○ Feels more like a backlight, when used in total darkness ○ LED light makes it hard to focus without any ambient light, so I have to make the font larger when reading in a dark room • Battery life: ○ Drains fairly quickly when wifi is left on ○ When wifi is off, still drains faster than my old Kindle Touch's battery, but is much, much better and might last a week or two, depending upon how much you read and what level you use the light at • Power button position ○ It's easy to accidentally turn the Kindle off while reading, if you hold it by the bottom • Software interface: ○ I can't figure out how to share to Facebook when I've completed a book. I used to do this with every book on my old Kindle Touch. • No more 3.5mm headphone jack or built in speakers (my old Kindle Touch had these and I loved both) ○ I will never use Audible on my Paperwhite because of this. I will instead use it on my phone. • No immersive reading where you can let your Audible book narrate along the page of your eBook ○ It's either read the eBook text, or listen to the Audible book; you can't do both at once ○ I hope they update the software to support this, like tablets do

This new 2018 Paperwhite is the 4th generation of the Paperwhite version of Amazon’s Kindle – the latest update to Amazon’s best-selling Kindle model. It is a significant update to the Paperwhite, and to summarize the changes made and how significant they are: 1. It has a flush front screen for a much more attractive appearance. The Kindle Voyage and Oasis models have had flush screens but this is the first time that a lower-priced Kindle had this feature, and it is a nice improvement 2. It’s slightly lighter and thinner than earlier models 3. It’s waterproof, making it the second Kindle model (after the latest Oasis) to have that capability. This is a significant improvement. 4. It has audio capability – using Bluetooth to connect to headphones or speakers, so you can listen to audiobooks. This is also a significant improvement for those users who enjoy audiobooks – previous Paperwhite models did not have this feature (but the other current Kindles – the Oasis 2 and basic Kindle – do) 5. It has greater storage capability – double that of the previous Paperwhite (8 GB now, 4 GB before), with the ability to increase that to 32 GB. This is particularly useful if you have a lot of audiobooks since they use up much more storage space With all of this, the new Paperwhite is only $10 more than the previous version, which makes it an even greater value in my opinion. Amazon’s Kindle line-up is now simplified to three models, and I have all of them so let me give my brief summary: - The ‘basic’ Kindle E-reader has a 6” screen, no lighting, touchscreen controls, and is the lowest cost Kindle for those who don’t need or want a lighted display - The latest Kindle Paperwhite (4th Generation) has a 6” screen, lighted display, touchscreen controls, greater memory and waterproofing. It’s really the best choice for most people, especially with these latest improvements - The top-of-the-line Kindle Oasis (2nd Generation) has the largest display (7”), lighted, touchscreen controls and page turn buttons, greater memory and waterproofing. For those readers who want or need the larger display or the buttons for turning pages, it’s a great e-reader - at almost twice what a Paperwhite costs The bottom line is that, unless you really want the larger display of the Oasis (and it is nice, although it also makes the device a bit heavier and more bulky to hold), or really want the page turn buttons, then this new Paperwhite really provides everything most people want in their Kindle. Which is why it has been Amazon’s best seller, and I’m sure that this new version will continue the same. I’ve been a Kindle user since purchasing one of the first Paperwhite models in 2012. I spend some time reading every day. When e-readers, including the Kindle, first appeared, I wasn’t interested. I couldn’t imagine that reading with an electronic device would be as satisfying as holding a ‘real’ book in my hands was. Then, when the first lighted Kindle was introduced, I decided to give it a try. These days I find that I seldom buy or read ‘real’ books. It’s so convenient to be able to have a library of books in your hand, and the lighted Kindle is so much nicer for reading in bed than regular books. My favorite Kindles have been my Voyage (largely because the ‘Origami’ case makes it the most convenient to use when reading at a table or desk), and the new Oasis for reading in the evenings in bed. I’m going to give this new Paperwhite a try because I think that the lighter weight will make it even more comfortable to carry and use.

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.

Update 7/16/20. I love this Kindle Paperwhite. I haven't borrowed a real book since I got it. I am downloading books from the library as well as Amazon. Kindle will load download from your library through overdrive, which our library uses. The charge that I talked about in the original review was explained to me by customer service, that the battery doesn't drain while not being used like some electronics do. Therefore, let's say you read an hour one day; 6 days later you opened it; it'll still be at about the same charge. It's very functional; has different fonts different sized print options, and you can use with whispersync for audio although I have not used that feature yet. And you just go to your library or to Amazon and look for books that are Kindle and audible. Very happy with this product; recommended highly. very slim and I bought a really nice envelope case offered by Amazon that is very classy looking and protects the reader. Okay, so here's the deal. It says in the description that the 'charge lasts for weeks' on this e Kindle reader. that indicates to me that I might not even have to take the charger if I was only going to be gone a week or two. They don't say that it lasts for weeks ONLY IF IT IS IDLE. If you are using it, it's going to discharge like every other electronic device that you use. Now maybe technical people are aware of that idle thing. But I wasn't. So I thought that it stayed charged a lot longer during use. I would not have bought an e-reader if I wanted it to sit idle week after week just so the battery would stay charged. To me, they should be much more clear about what they mean about battery charge lasting for weeks. That said, it's a slick little device. It's very light; very thin, and easy to hold for periods of time, unlike the old Kindle which carried a bit of weight with it. It is absolutely glare-free. That is the wonderful thing about it. I can sit outside in the bright sunlight and still read it. The other thing to note is that this is simply a reader. You're not going to be able to access Pinterest or Facebook or anything like that on this device. But if you just need something to read/listen to your books on, and don't care that the battery discharges just like every other battery in every other electronic device you have, this is the ticket.