Kindle Paperwhite and Paperwhite Signature Edition, Amazon's e-readers get a makeover

Kindle Paperwhite and Paperwhite Signature Edition

The rumors leaked in recent days were not wrong: Amazon has officially renewed its range of e-book readers with e-Ink displays today. Welcome the brand new Kindle Paperwhite and Paperwhite Signature Edition, two devices that are renewed in look and functionality.

Amazon has announced the arrival of the new Kindle Paperwhite and its Signature Edition, two very similar products among them in most of the technical characteristics. These are two e-book readers with anti-glare and backlit e-Ink displays, from the diagonal that finally grows up to 6.8 "compared to the 6" of the models that preceded them.

The frames that surround the display have been reduced to 10.2mm, which has allowed the company to keep the total dimensions of the two new products almost unchanged. The adjustable backlight has been increased by 10% to reduce eye strain when reading in the dark.

One of the strengths of the new Kindle Paperwhite is the longer battery life, which Amazon says can now reach the 10 weeks on a single refill. If necessary, the battery can be recharged in about 2 and a half hours via the USB Type-C port on the underside.

Both devices are now certified against the ingress of water according to the IPX8 standard , for greater reading tranquility in any situation.

Another point on which the brand has focused its attention is the speed of use of e-books. The page change is now 20% faster, while the user interface has been completely redesigned. It will finally be possible to pair the new Kindles to your Android or iOS device to manage settings, settings that with a future update will be accessible with a touch from anywhere on the e-reader screen.

The beloved Whispersync feature is back for synchronizing bookmarks and annotations on all Kindles in your possession, as well as the ability to install apps, view covers on the lock screen and the Word Wise function for definitions in English.

Kindle Paperwhite and Signature Edition: what are the differences?

To differentiate the two new Amazon e-book readers there are very few but useful additions to the technical sector. The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition takes internal memory from 8GB of the base model up to 32GB, and also supports wireless charging according to the Qi standard.

The backlight of the more expensive model is also able to adjust in temperature to suit to the surrounding environment, a function very similar to what Apple calls True Tone on its devices.

Pricing and availability

The Kindle Paperwhite 2021 edition with 8GB built-in memory is priced of 139.99 euros while Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition with 32GB internal memory is placed on the market at the price of 189.99 euros.

Both products have a black chassis and, for the moment, do not exist other chromatic variations. To personalize your Kindle, you can buy a colored protective cover at a price of 29.99 euros for the fabric version and 39.99 euros for the leather version.

The new Kindle Paperwhite are already available at pre - order on Amazon with shipments starting from October 27 for the classic model and from November 10 for the Signature Edition.

Kindle Oasis is still available on Amazon in both Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity versions, find all information about it on the dedicated page.

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Amazon announces new Kindle Paperwhite lineup with 6.8-inch screens, USB-C

The new Kindle Paperwhite is faster and has a larger screen than the old model.

It also inherits the 'warm light' feature from the Kindle Oasis.

Larger screen aside, the new Kindle Paperwhite looks similar to the old one.

Amazon

The Paperwhite Signature Edition looks almost exactly the same as the regular one, but you can see the cutout for the auto-brightness sensor at the top of the device above the screen.

Amazon

Look carefully at the bottom of this soggy Kindle and you can spy the e-reader's new USB-C port.

Amazon

Amazon is giving the Kindle Paperwhite its first major update since 2018, the company announced today. The new Paperwhite lineup includes two different hardware models, plus a separate Paperwhite Kids edition that comes with its own case, has ads turned off by default, and includes a one-year subscription to the Amazon Kids+ service and a two-year 'worry-free guarantee' warranty. The new Kindles can be preordered starting today and ship on October 27.

The basic Paperwhite is still probably the best combination of features and price. For $140 ($10 more than the last-generation version), you get a larger 6.8-inch screen with slimmer bezels than the old Paperwhite, plus a faster processor that delivers '20% faster page turns' than the old model. The number of LEDs used for the Paperwhite's front-light has increased from five to 17, which should make the lighting look smoother and more uniform. Like the Kindle Oasis, the new Paperwhite has a 'warm light' option that can make the Kindle's backlight warmer if you don't like the default bluish light.

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Amazon also promises improved battery life for the new Paperwhite, but when you do need to charge it, you can finally do it using a USB-C charger rather than the increasingly outdated micro-USB port on older Kindles. Like the previous Paperwhite, the new model has an IPx8 waterproofing rating, 8GB of storage, an antiglare coating, and buttonless bezels that sit flush with the device's screen.

The 2018 Paperwhite also came in a $160 32GB version with no other upgrades, but this year that model is being replaced by the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. At $190, the Signature Edition is more pricey, but it adds an auto-brightness sensor and Qi wireless charging, making it an interesting alternative to the $250 Kindle Oasis if you don't care about that model's more streamlined design and physical buttons.

The $160 Kindle Paperwhite Kids edition is a complement to the company's existing $110 Kindle Kids model—it's a slightly more expensive version of the regular $140 Paperwhite with no ads, extra accessories and subscriptions, and a two-year warranty. The hardware itself is nothing special, but it's a decent deal since normally removing the ads from a Kindle costs $20 by itself.

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Listing image by Amazon