Why You Should Buy Kindle Paperwhite 2020 Review: Slimline and Waterproof At a Price You’ll Love

Kindle All-New PaperWhite
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Yes, you should buy a kindle. Get the All-New Paperwhite with no ads. It’s purely amazing! You’ll thank me later.

Updated: 18/1/2020

Amazon has given its legendary Paperwhite yet another facelift while keeping the price the same.

The all-new Kindle Paperwhite has a baseline 8GB model and a beefier 32GB version.

If you’re happy to run with leaner storage, read on to see what’s new beyond the waterproofing with all-new Kindle Paperwhite.

We’ll refer you to our detailed review of the previous iteration of Paperwhite rather than repeat what we’ve already explored concerning core functionality.

Instead, today we’ll look at how all-new Kindle Paperwhite has evolved and why it remains a valid choice in 2020.

Before we look at the improvements in more detail, here’s a glance of where this new Paperwhite stands and fall

What We Like

  • IPX8 meaning new Paperwhite is fully waterproof and capable of withstanding an hour of submersion in 2m of fresh water so it should survive a tumble in the bath or a splash from the shower
  • Thinnest and lightest Paperwhite measuring up at 6 ½ x 4 ½ x 1/3 inches and weighing just over 6 ounces
  • Uprated storage available with standard 8GB or bumper 32GB so choose the best fit for your needs
  • Use Bluetooth-enabled headphones or speakers to listen to books on Audible
  • Single charge of the battery will give you weeks of reading pleasure before you run out of juice
  • Taking props from the old Voyage, Paperwhite’s screen is now fully flush with a single sheet of glass
  • New Paperwhite benefits from software changes including a revamped home page promoting easier navigation
  • 6-inch 300ppi display now has 5 LED backlights for an improved experience when reading at night
  • Adjustable front light helps to read in bright glare
  • Still comes in at the same keen price as the previous iteration so outstanding value considering such improved functionality and aesthetics

What We Don’t Like

  • No physical page-turn buttons or touchpads
  • You can’t charge using USB-C
  • Although in some sense Paperwhite is more of the same, why change a winning recipe?

As you can see, all-new Paperwhite has an enormous array of benefits with very little by the way of meaningful drawbacks. As long as you’re happy with that absence of physical buttons and USB-C, you’ve got all you could ask for in an e-reader and more besides.

We’ll break down now why it makes sense to invest in this uprated Paperwhite if you’re thinking of treating yourself to an e-reader or popping one on your Christmas list.

5 Reasons to Buy All-New Kindle Paperwhite

1) Waterproof at Last

While several articles heralding the arrival of new Paperwhite incorrectly stated it would be water resistant, Amazon has gone the whole hog with all-new Paperwhite now fully waterproof with an IPX8 rating to prove it.

While it’s claimed that Paperwhite can remain fully submersed in fresh water for a full 60 minutes, we certainly wouldn’t recommend it! What this means in real terms is you’ll finally be able to relax completely if you’re reading in the bath or by the pool. There’s nothing worse than edging to the close of a mystery novel with your attention diverted by worries about your Kindle taking an accidental tumble.

Since reading by the pool and in the bath is such a common way of relaxing, this waterproofed e-reader gives you complete peace of mind without needing to pay more for the privilege.

All-new Paperwhite is now the only Kindle aside from Oasis with that coveted IPX8 rating.

2) Screen Redesign

Kindle Paperwhite entered its 2nd generation way back in 2013, and was overhauled in 2015 with all-new Paperwhite, also known as Paperwhite 3.

With this iteration of Paperwhite, you’ll get a winning mixture of the uprated 2015 screen along with a dose of Voyage injected, a model that’s now sadly slipped into oblivion having vanished without trace from the manufacturer’s website.

Screen size remains the same at 6 inches while resolution hops from 212ppi to 300ppi resolution. Uprated LEDs make reading at night even easier.

If you want to read in bright sunlight, the adjustable front light helps you do so without squinting or straining your eyes.

The flush-front design gives a sleek all-glass appearance and brings Paperwhite kicking toward a new decade almost a millimeter thinner while looking better than ever before.

3) Storage Boost

Even on Paperwhite 3, internal storage was limited to 4GB. While books files aren’t particularly large, that’s still not too much space to work with.

Paperwhite now has baseline storage doubled at 8GB. Harking back to the Japanese special edition of Paperwhite 3 packing a whopping 32GB of storage space, a bulkier Paperwhite is slated to drop shortly before or after Christmas. We’ll update this article to reflect the announcement of any firm launch date.

Even if you settle for the entry-level model, this small enhancement alone is enough to help you accumulate a bigger library rather than constantly deleting books and obsessing about storage.

4) Improved Personalization

Along with that welcome update to the home page, Amazon has also injected a little more ability to customize your Paperwhite with this waterproof model.

You’ll be able to save multiple settings so everyone in the family can stick with the fonts and brightness levels that work for them.

You can also enjoy reports showing you how much or little you’ve been reading over the previous week. This can be a useful tool if you’re encouraging your kids to read more and spend less time on the PlayStation.

These subtle touches are not exactly ground-breaking but they demonstrate how Amazon consistently chisels away at a product and makes those small but valuable tweaks that turn a great model into an unbeatable one.

5) Listen To Your Favorite Books With Audible

All-new Paperwhite comes Bluetooth-enabled and boasts full Audible functionality.

Listening to audio books is not necessarily a replacement for reading but it can be a convenient alternative. Whether you’ve got time to kill on your daily commute or you want some inspiration when you’re jogging or working out, fire up your Audible books and get even more mileage out of Paperwhite than ever before.

You’ll get a free trial and a couple of audiobooks thrown in with all-new Paperwhite so why not give it a go and see what you’ve been missing?

Overall Verdict

Amazon has again delivered in fine style with this comprehensive overhaul of a classic. All the best parts of Paperwhite remain with a sprinkling of welcome new features coming at no extra cost so you really can’t lose.

If you’re happy with 8GB of storage, you could be reading on your new Paperwhite in as little as 3 weeks from now so what are you waiting for?

Kindle Paperwhite is available for pre-order here.

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