★★★★★ 5
Impressive Product Overall
Digital Storage Capacity: 8 GB, Offer Type: Ad-Supported, Color: Black, Option: Without Kindle Unlimited, Digital Storage Capacity: 8 GB, Offer Type: Ad-Supported, Color: Black, Option: Without Kindle Unlimited
I bought the Kindle Paperwhite 2018 edition, 8 GB of storage with Special Offers for myself because up until I received it, I've been reading with the Kindle app on my Samsung Galaxy S9 phone instead. While the Kindle app on my phone was great, my eyes were really straining on the smaller screen and I'm a voracious reader. I was looking for something in a larger screen, but won't utilize the other feature and capabilities of a tablet, and beyond Kindle have no use for one at all. Overall, I'm highly impressed with this little Kindle device.
I want to start by mentioning the Special Offers, as in all the reviews I read and heard about the device, the Special Offers weren't more than a footnote. They aren't intrusive at all, it's just on the main screen and that's it. They don't interrupt reading at all, and the Kindle Paperwhite personalized my Special Offers based on my reading, Kindle browsing history, and purchases so a lot of the ads that come through are actually interesting to me and in fact one or two of the ads have made me drool enough to purchase whatever book they were trying to peddle. That is definitely a plus, and yet a terrible thing because I AM such a voracious reader and I know I'm going to be spending a lot more money on Kindle books but at least the majority of the ads are tailored to the type of books I enjoy reading. I'm definitely not complaining about the Special Offers, nor will I pay to have them removed when the next ad that is displayed on my Kindle's screen might be a book I might like. Some may find the ads annoying just because it's an ad, but I find it enjoyable and definitely not intrusive in the slightest.
The battery life - the Kindle came out of the box at 60% battery life and took virtually no time at all to charge to 100% on my phone's quick charger. I spent from 3 pm until almost 11 pm doing nothing but reading (when I said I'm a voracious reader, I meant it). My Kindle went from 100% battery to only 81% and from 11 pm until 8:30 am, only lost 2% battery. That is absolutely amazing to me and worth every penny I spent on the Kindle. I can't do that with my phone or a tablet; those batteries drain so quickly but this Kindle will last me all day long and still won't need to be charged at night. That's such a huge plus for a reader like me!
The light on the Kindle Paperwhite is amazing, and even in my dimly lit room I don't need to have it much above 5 or 6 on the brightness. Although my phone boasts an almost 6" screen, truly the Kindle screen is much larger and thus much easier to read especially with the matte finish. My eyes strain far less on the Kindle even with almost a solid 8 or more hours of nothing but reading. This Kindle screen isn't too large, but it's definitely not too small either, it's just right. It's almost like you have a physical book in your hand, as far as relative size goes, though a little larger than your common paperback.
I don't use Audible because I can't pay attention to a book when I'm listening to it being read to me, so the 8 GB of storage (more like close to 6 GB usable), holds plenty of books for me. I only have just a handful downloaded at any one point in time, but even the 10 or so books I have downloaded at once still doesn't take the storage space down anywhere near the 5 GB mark. So 8 GB is more than plenty for just regular printed books if you're like me and suddenly develop a case of A.D.D. when it comes to audiobooks.
The speed of the device is just fine too. I won't say it's excellent compared to my Galaxy S9, but that's apples and oranges. For an e-reader the speed is great. There is just a little lag, but not enough to become anything beyond just barely noticeable. It's not annoying at all. It takes maybe a second or so to respond. When turning the page, even reading at a quick pace I'm able to keep up with the story on the next page from where it left off without interruption.
The overall build quality is excellent. It is light weight and thinner than I expected. Yes it's plastic, but it doesn't feel cheaply made. It's comfortable to hold in one hand, or two if you like. The only thing I would change about the build is the power button - maybe I'm just used to them being on the right side of the device near the top... but the only thing I would change is the placement of the button.
Overall, I'm very satisfied and impressed with my purchase. This was an excellent buy, and my next Kindle purchase is going to be one for a couple other people in my life who read just as voraciously as I do.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2019
