In some ways, this review will be quite challenging.
Today I'm featuring a device that has been upgraded... but not much. In saying that, it was already pretty great device. The trick will be figuring out if it's been made much greater.
In other ways, this will be an easy review... because I've pretty much already done it once before.
So I'm going to cheat.
For today's Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (12th generation) review, I'm going to go through the features I outlined in my previous review of the 11th generation - from December 2021.
Let's start where I started then; with the screen itself. This is a genuine upgrade. Not only have we gone to a full 7-inch display, up from 6.8-inches but the contrast ratio is Kindle's best yet, meaning the black bits are blacker than ever. Great news for people like me who prefer to use dark mode.
Just as before, there's still an auto-sensing front light so you can carry on reading in the dark. Conversely, the screen is still also anti-glare, which is essential for when you're reading out in the sun.
Although Amazon claims there's a much more powerful processor, promising 25% faster page turns, this isn't something I've particularly noticed or been able to verify. To be honest, the pages on the previous generation turned plenty fast enough for me.
Oddly, there's been no storage increase. You still get 32GB which doesn't sound like much in smartphone terms but given your average eBook is only about 2 or 3 MB, you're unlikely to use it up any time soon.
Like the Gen 11, the Gen 12 Signature Edition can charge via both USB-C and wirelessly - although, if you don't opt for the bespoke Kindle charging stand, it can be a bit fiddly getting your charger in exactly the right place.
Apparently, there's been a significant increase in battery-life but I have no idea how to test this. Amazon says you should get around twelve weeks use on a full charge. Does that mean 30 minutes reading a day? Or four hours? See what I mean? Rest assured, the battery lasts a very long time indeed.
And yes, this Kindle is also waterproof, making it your ideal beach or poolside companion.
That's one of my greatest arguments for using an eReader instead of traditional books by the way... Ever dropped a book in the pool? Good luck reading it after that.
The easiest way to download books to the device is still via the Kindle Store, although these days there's a very simple-to-use desktop app called Send-To-Kindle. You can use this to drag any document or book onto your device. There's even a web-based version, so it couldn't be easier.
Seriously guys, by this stage I hope I'm not still having to convince you eBooks are so much better than old, heavy, (potentially soggy) "traditional" books. Think about what I just said. As long as you have Wi-Fi, you have access to just about every book ever written. Finish one of a trilogy, start the next one right away. All the while taking up almost zero space in your luggage.
Admittedly, the minor improvements I've outlined here are not really enough to justify upgrading if you're already using the 11th Generation Paperwhite Signature edition. But if you have a lesser device or even worse, no eReader at all, then this is about as good as it gets.
For those of you into graphic novels and Manga, Kindle now offers the Colorsoft - Amazon's first colour Kindle - although I'm yet to try it so can't recommend it with any authority. The entry-level Kindle has also been updated this year, as has the Scribe - the Kindle you can write on.
But for me, the Paperwhite Signature Edition has been the only eReader I ever needed - until now. Now the Paperwhite Signature Edition is STILL the only eReader I ever needed, just a bit bigger, a bit faster, with a slightly nicer screen and a much better battery.
Oh... and if you're after a case for it, there's a lovely leather one I can recommend. When I first took it out of the box I was impressed by how genuine the "leather" felt. I then tried to discover exactly what it was made of, because it really did feel like leather. Eventually, after squinting at the fine-print on the side of the box, I discovered it was in fact, 100% leather. Like, for real.
I then proceeded to accidentally scratch the cover somehow. Multiple times, really scuffing it up. At first I thought, "Damn, that looked so cool." But after a week or two of daily abuse, I look at the well-and-truly worn-in leather and think, "Damn, that looks cool."
See? Just because Kindles are a new way of reading, doesn't mean they can't still be vintage.
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