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

I've had my paperwhite for about a month now, so I guess it's as good of time as any to properly review it. This is my first paperwhite. I got a b&n Nook Color back in 2010 for Christmas, which has served me really well over the years. However, it reached the point recently where it wouldn't hold a charge and so I found myself in the market for a new e-reader. I was drawn to the paperwhite because it was waterproof and would hold a long charge. I was a little leery about the black-and-white only nature of the paperwhite, especially as my previous ereader was in color, but so far it hasn't been an issue. I used to read comics on my Nook but haven't read digital comics in a few years, preferring print. This might be something someone who does read books with illustrations would want to take into consideration. I really appreciate the long battery life of the paperwhite. I've had it for about a month and have only had to charge it once (and it had only gotten down to about 48% so I probably could have pushed it further than I did). I've been able to read several books with the battery barely being effected. The biggest draw on battery life seems to be using the store or trying to use the rudimentary Web browser. I've been very impressed by the light, too. My Nook was impossible to read on in some lights, which hasn't been an issue at all with the paperwhite. I usually have the brightness adjusted to about the halfway point for casual reading, and brighten the screen if necessary. The brightest option COULD be a little brighter, but that's nitpicky. The device itself is VERY lightweight and portable. I have dvd cases that weigh more. My phone certainly weighs more. It's not too big or bulky to hold; I can easily hold it with just one hand. The only draw back I've really noticed is that the touchscreen is a little sensitive. Sometimes when I'm trying to scroll through my library, I end up selecting a title I wasn't trying to open. Other times, I might scroll through several pages by accidently hitting my thumb on the screen when holding the device. Buy this is a very minor inconvenience. Also, I bought the option with "special offers". They in no way to impede my reading experience. The ads show up on the main screen when the device is not in use, or in a small banner along the bottom of the "home" menu. That's it. No ads popping up during your reading.

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.