Best for Most
We think most people will like the newest Paperwhites the best. The step-up, waterproof e-reader went from one to three models, and they rival the more expensive Oasis. We tried the Signature Edition (8/10, WIRED Recommends), but all three have bigger, 6.8-inch screens with smaller bezels. The screens are brighter overall at their max and have adjustable warm lighting, but only the Signature can auto-adjust that brightness to your surroundings—we think that should be standard across all models. Its faster page-turn rate means there’s no delay while you read.
The Signature has 32 gigabytes of storage and the Standard has 8 gigs. That’s a big difference, but you can still read and store a lot of books with 8 gigabytes (around 5,000). If you mostly listen to audiobooks, you may want to go for the Signature, since those tend to take up more room. Still, if you want to save some cash, just clean out your backlog; you can remove a book from your device without deleting it entirely from your Amazon account. The 2021 Paperwhites all have USB-C charging, but the Signature supports wireless charging. Read more about the Kid’s Paperwhite below.
A Basic Option
If you want a basic ebook reader, this has all the essentials (8/10, WIRED Recommends) and is usually quite affordable. It hasn’t been updated since 2019, however, and we wonder if a new one is coming soon.
This base Kindle has an adequate 6-inch E Ink capacitive touchscreen for reading, and it lights up so you can read in the dark. If you can spend $20 more, you should opt for no ads on the home screen. It can also stream Audible audiobooks to headphones via Bluetooth, but storage is limited to 8 gigabytes (about 8,000 megabytes). For reference, an hour of audio will take up about 30 megabytes, so it can fit dozens of audiobooks. (You can delete audiobooks when you’re done to clear space.) It gets about three to six weeks of battery life, depending on how much you read.
Frivolously Awesome
There’s no practical reason to buy a $270 ebook reader. (You can save $20 if you agree to have ads, but at this price, you don’t want them.) The Oasis costs the same as three standard Kindles—but it’s an absolute joy to use. Many of the Oasis’ features now show up in the new Paperwhites, like adjustable warm lighting and a faster processor. At 7 inches, the touchscreen is now only slightly bigger than the new Paperwhites. However, it still has the sleek aluminum design with a ridge on one edge and physical buttons to turn the pages. These make it ideal for one-handed reading. The light-up display also looks a little more natural and automatically adjusts the brightness.
If you’re investing in a Kindle this expensive, you may also want the premium leather cover to complete that luxe feel. On the downside, it’s too large to fit in many pockets. If your library includes a ton of audiobooks, you’ll want the 32-gigabyte option, which is $30 more.
Source: https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-kindle/
