Review of the new Kindle Paperwhite

Why did I want to upgrade?

I received the Paperwhite 3 as a birthday gift three years ago. I had to have it replaced shortly after receiving it because of a screen issue, my replacement also was not perfect. Regardless, I grew to love everything about ereading because of my Kindle.

I have taken my Kindle everywhere with me. Trips, work, the beach, hiking, appointments, car rides–you get the idea. I have kept it in a simple purple case I found at Best Buy, which has been the perfect layer of production against dust, dirt, sand, and pug hair.

Over the last year, Kindle Paperwhite 3 has started to show signs of wear. The battery life went from lasting over a month to two weeks. Downloading books, editing my library, brightness levels, and tapping through the Kindle Store quickly drained the battery. I like the brightness at 13 but settled for the brightness at 6, which helped the battery life. Time between use also seemed to drain the battery, so I spend more time looking for the charger than I did using my Kindle. The latest update was the nail in the coffin. Everything slowed down.

I was thrilled to get a new Kindle. I was more impressed to know that Amazon will give you a gift card credited to your account and 20% coupon for a new Kindle credited to your account if you trade in your old devices. Read more about their conditions here.

Sadly, when I clicked through the process, my Kindle Paperwhite 3 was worth $5.00 😦

Thoughts on the new Kindle paperwhite (2021)

Out of the box the the New Kindle Paperwhite was easy to set up and had 55% battery. I logged into my Amazon account, then was prompted on a quick tour of how to use the Kindle. All of my ebooks and audiobooks loaded within sections. It could not have been easier.

Pros

• Easy set up, if you have an Amazon account.
• Response time is impressively fast!
• Kindle feels light. Since it has a slimmer design than my older Kindle it feels balanced in my hands. Making one hand reading easier.
• Battery life, so far, is what I expect out of a Kindle. Awesome. I haven’t charged it since opening and have downloaded books, read a few hours, and played with the setting.
• The flush screen adds a chic reading experience I did not know I needed. The bigger screen adds to the fun as well. Because of these difference reading in landscape mode is more enjoyable.
• Warm light feature is a nice upgrade. You can schedule the warmth to increase at a certain time, similar to the dayshift setting on the iPhone. I scheduled the warmth feature around sunset, mirroring my phone settings.
• Dark mode is easily one of my favorite features. You can use dark mode and warm light at the same time.
• Slimmer design allows the Kindle to fit better in purse pockets.
• Syncs with Audible subscription, if you have one, and displays Audible audiobooks in your library. This is really cool to see my audiobooks and ebooks in one place. Audiobooks can be played through blutooth headphone or speakers from the Kindle.
• An offer for a discounted membership with Kindle Unlimited (I did not use).
• Quick charge!
• Fits in most of my purse inner zip pockets, which was super nice while I was waiting for my case to come in.

Cons

• Price.
• The Kindle did not come with a charge cord or charging box, which is slightly annoying.
• Limited to black
• I love the screen, I have concerns it may scratch or damage easily.
• Ad version. This annoyance bothers me that it is even something we have to pick from. I don’t hate the ads, but I do not like them either.
• Able to play Audible books if paired with Blutooth headphones or speaker, cool feature but seems silly to me if you have a phone or any other device to use to listen to Audible. I know this feature will be useful for some users, but personally doesn’t add much to my Kindle experience.
• The material that the Kindle is made of collects finger prints and smudges. This is not a hassle, but a change from my older Kindle.
• Cases offered are not cute and do not have great reviews. I settled for the black fabric case.

Overall the Paperwhite (2021) is worth the upgrade if you have an older Kindle model. The new features like the flush screen and warm light are nice and easy on the eyes, making this Kindle luxurious. This is possibly the best version of the Kindle right now. The screen alone make the Kindle worth buying and the amazing battery life. I am not sure if you can buy this model in stores, but they are available on the Amazon website.

If you are feeling extra fancy, consider the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, which offers wireless charging and has 32 gb. Perfect for someone who plans to use the audiobook feature.