Evaluation Date: October 2024 – Evaluation unit bought from Amazon
Overview
The most recent Kindle Paperwhite was launched on October sixteenth, 2024. It’s the sixth Paperwhite mannequin that Amazon has launched since 2012, and it’s thought-about a twelfth era Kindle.
The final Paperwhite, the Paperwhite 5, launched lots of modifications from the earlier mannequin, however they solely modified a couple of particulars with the Paperwhite 6, largely the display.
The primary distinction with this new Paperwhite is it makes use of a 7″ E Ink display now as a substitute of a 6.8″ display, and the distinction has been improved—the black ink is darker (see comparability). The frontlight seems a bit nicer too, and helps the textual content stand out extra as a substitute of wanting light and washed out.
The brand new Paperwhite can be sooner than the earlier mannequin, however not by a lot, and it has a barely revised design with extra rounded corners (the show has rounded corners now too).
Amazon added some new coloration decisions for this mannequin. It is available in black like normal, however there’s additionally a inexperienced jade coloration and a pink raspberry coloration, and all three coloration decisions are the identical for the upgraded Signature Version mannequin, besides the Signature Version colours have a metallic end, even the black coloration.
The retail value of the twelfth gen Kindle Paperwhite is $159.99 for the common model with adverts and it’s $179.99 with out adverts (Amazon doesn’t take away adverts free of charge anymore so hold that in thoughts). The upgraded Signature Version sells for $199.99, and it’s ad-free by default.
Amazon can be promoting a Kindle Paperwhite Youngsters Version bundle for the twelfth era mannequin. It’s the very same Kindle; it simply comes with a canopy (there are three completely different designs), an upgraded 2-year guarantee, and a 1-year subscription to Amazon Youngsters+. It sells for $179.99, besides the Diary of a Wimpy Child model is $189.99. These don’t present adverts when utilizing children mode, however they do when utilizing common mode except you pay Amazon the $20 payment to take away them.
Paperwhite 6 Fast Evaluation
Execs
- The improved distinction declare is true—the display actually does look higher, with darker blacks than earlier than, which helps the textual content stand out higher.
- The frontlight has a clearer look to it now; it doesn’t wash out the textual content as a lot because it used to.
- The brand new Paperwhite is a little bit sooner and extra responsive than earlier Kindles.
Cons
- The flush entrance layer remains to be a fingerprint magnet, and the rubber materials on the again reveals smudges and marks simply as nicely, so it all the time seems type of gross and soiled.
- The ability button stands out on the decrease edge and is simple to by accident press.
- Amazon has eliminated the Obtain and Switch Possibility from newer Kindles.
Verdict
The Kindle Paperwhite 6 is one other a kind of fashions the place Amazon barely modified something from the earlier mannequin, however the one factor they did change, the display, does enhance the studying expertise fairly a bit.
Somebody requested if the display on the brand new Paperwhite can lastly match the Kindle Voyage’s display from 10 years in the past, and that is what I stated: “It’s gotten to the purpose the place they’re so shut that I truly desire studying on the brand new Paperwhite now as a result of the frontlight is best and the display response is quicker. I nonetheless suppose the Voyage has a slight edge in readability with the micro-etched glass display, and the background coloration could be a tad lighter, however the ink darkness is absolutely shut and it would truly be a little bit darker on the Paperwhite. When utilizing the Paperwhite in decrease lighting the textual content appears to face out extra when utilizing the frontlight.”
I all the time thought the Paperwhite was an excellent mid-level mannequin, however I all the time prefered utilizing the Kindle Voyage or the Kindle Oasis as a substitute. I’m nonetheless going to make use of the Kindle Voyage for studying on the go as a result of the smaller dimension makes it extra transportable, however at this level I’d quite use the brand new Paperwhite when studying at house as a result of it has a greater frontlight and the distinction is shut sufficient to the Voyage that it not bothers me.
I do want the Signature Version mannequin had extra worthwhile upgrades, like a micro-etched glass display and web page sensor buttons just like the Voyage had, as a substitute of extra cupboard space that’s by no means going to get used, and having wi-fi charging on a tool that solely must be charged as soon as each month or two doesn’t actually make any sensible sense. However all issues thought-about, I believe the Paperwhite 6 is a worthy improve for the brand new display alone.
Kindle Paperwhite 6 Video Evaluation
The Display
The primary 4 generations of Kindle Paperwhites all had 6″ E Ink screens. Then they moved as much as a 6.8″ display on the final mannequin, and now the Paperwhite 6 has a 7″ E Ink display just like the discontinued Kindle Oasis had.
The display dimension distinction going from 6.8″ to 7″ is just about unnoticeable (you may get an additional line or two on the backside of the web page), however the one factor that’s noticeable is the distinction distinction.
The Paperwhite 6 is utilizing a more recent E Ink display with improved distinction, which interprets to the black ink being darker than earlier than. It helps the textual content stand out extra, and darkish pictures and covers have a deeper black high quality to them now. And the black background is noticeably darker when utilizing Darkish Mode.
The Paperwhite 6 nonetheless has a plastic-based flush entrance layer just like the earlier two variations, and it’s nonetheless probably the most fingerprint and smudge-prone display that I’ve ever encountered on an ereader. I don’t know why Amazon nonetheless chooses to make use of it, however it’s a must to get used to cleansing it on a regular basis, or take care of studying by way of a cloud of fingerprints. The rubbery materials on the again all the time seems marked-up as nicely, and the smudges don’t actually wipe away from it.
The Design
The general design of the Paperwhite 6 is sort of an identical to the Paperwhite 5. Each really feel precisely the identical in-hand. The corners are barely extra rounded on the brand new Paperwhite, and it’s a bit thinner, however not by sufficient to be noticeable. The general dimension is barely bigger, about 3mm wider and 2mm taller, and it’s about 6 grams heavier. It’s simply sufficient of a dimension distinction in order that eleventh gen covers received’t match.
Pace Enhance
Amazon claims the brand new Paperwhite is the quickest Kindle ever, and whereas that’s technically true, it’s not sooner by a lot.
They declare that web page turns are 25% sooner, and that appeared true sufficient at first in comparison with the Paperwhite 5, however then Amazon launched a software program replace, model 5.17.1, and now the web page flip pace appears the identical on the Paperwhite 5 and 6.
The brand new Paperwhite is a little bit sooner when navigating menus, opening pop-up home windows, and stuff like that, but it surely’s not an enormous distinction in any respect. The pace enchancment is good, but it surely’s not sufficient of a purpose to improve, except you’re coming from a a lot older and slower mannequin (the pace distinction is fairly important in comparison with the Kindle Voyage from 10 years in the past, as an illustration).
Software program
Normally when Amazon releases a brand new Kindle, they promote some new software program options, however this time round they didn’t change something with the software program.
The one distinction is the new Paperwhite makes use of MTP now as a substitute of USB mass storage when connecting it to a pc to switch information. Home windows customers received’t have any issues with this, however Mac customers must use third-party software program to work with MTP, one thing like OpenMTP or Macdroid.
Extra Kindle Paperwhite 6 Evaluations
Kindle Paperwhite 6 Comparability Video – twelfth Gen vs eleventh Gen
Kindle Paperwhite vs Kindle Comparability Evaluation – 2024 Version
Kindle Paperwhite twelfth Era Specs
- 7″ E Ink display.
- Frontlight with coloration temperature management.
- 16GB or 32GB inside storage.
- Waterproof: IPX8 rated: examined to resist immersion in 2 meters of recent water for 60 minutes.
- WiFi: Helps 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz networks.
- Bluetooth for audiobooks and VoiceView display reader.
- USB-C port, charging cable included.
- Battery Life Estimate: as much as 12 weeks.
- Supported codecs: Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), KFX, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; PDF, DOCX, DOC, HTML, EPUB, TXT, RTF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP by way of conversion; Audible audio format (AAX).
- Dimensions: 127.6 x 176.7 x 7.8 mm.
- Weight: 211 grams (214 grams SE).
- Value: $159-$199 at Amazon
Signature Version Upgrades
- Wi-fi charging (charger bought individually).
- Auto-brightness sensor.
- 32GB inside storage.
- No screensaver adverts.
- Colours have a metallic end.
