In terms of bang for your buck, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite reigns supreme as the flat-out best Kindle. Not only is its display still a crisp 300-ppi panel supported by solid backlighting, but it also offers waterproof (IPX8-rated) protection and 8GB of storage.
The second generation Kindle Voyage 2 is looking likely to be released sometime in 2020. The Voyage used to be the flagship Kindle e-reader, until the Oasis. The Oasis was the most expensive Kindle you could buy and it relegated the Voyage in obscurity.
In our mind, there's only one winner: the Amazon Kindle. The Barnes & Noble Nook has some nice touches, but the Amazon Kindle is faster, easier to use, and has access to a larger store. The three different Kindle models also mean there's a device out there for everyone.
Update: Since this review was first written, Amazon has discontinued the Voyage, replacing it with the Kindle Oasis, which offers ebook fans an even more highbrow reading experience. The current Kindle Oasis (it's the second generation Oasis) is a truly awesome e-reader.
Amazon quietly phased out the Kindle Voyage over the summer. First it started disappearing from Amazon's international websites, and then around the end of July they stopped selling it new in the US from Amazon.com. Now it's only available used and refurbished, and occasionally new when they find a few laying around.
These are the best Kindles and e-readers you can buy based on our testing. Still, readers have a few choices. The best Kindle overall is the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. It costs $130, has a sharp 6-inch, 300-ppi backlit display, 8GB of storage, and can withstand a dunk in the water.
- The best Kindle for most readers. Amazon All-new Kindle Paperwhite with Special Offers. Read PCWorld's review. $129.99.
- The best waterproof Kindle. Amazon All-new Kindle Paperwhite with Special Offers. Read PCWorld's review. $129.99.
- The luxury Kindle. All-new Kindle Oasis. Read PCWorld's review. $249.99.
Amazon's Kindle Voyage is the best e-reader yet — but it's not worth $199 (review) Unlike tablets, it's a device devoted entirely to reading. And it offers a higher-quality screen than Amazon's $119 Kindle Paperwhite and $79 Kindle, which comes closer than ever to mimicking actual ink on paper.
Kindle Paperwhite (First generation)
The first-generation Kindle Paperwhite was announced on September 6, 2012, and released on October 1.Fortunately for Kindle owners, they can still use their device in spite of Amazon. So long as a device is registered, it can still read ebooks bought in the Kindle store. Owners of older Kindles can use their PC to download ebooks from the Amazon website, and then transfer those ebooks to the older Kindle.
Amazon.com: free kindle books. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books.
Trade-in eligible Kindle devices will be reviewed in accordance with the Amazon Trade-In Program Terms & Conditions and any applicable Electronics Condition Criteria. You will be eligible for an Amazon.com Gift Card and the discount towards a new qualifying Kindle only if your trade-in item is accepted.
The Kindle Paperwhite can read PDF documents natively — in other words, without converting them. The Kindle Paperwhite handles PDF documents differently from how it handles text in the usual Kindle format: PDF documents are displayed with the text and graphics laid out exactly as in the original PDF document.
Yes, all three generations of the paperwhite have been exactly the same size with the same button layout. Useful for cases as any paperwhite case fits all paperwhites, past and present. The 6 inch measurement refers to screen size only, measured on the diagonal from one corner to the opposite corner.
Amazon charges $0.15 per megabyte (MB)—the file size of your Kindle eBook—for each book sold priced between $2.99 and $9.99.
In my mind, it's totally worth it. The battery lasts forever, the screen has an adjustable backlight for night reading, it's much easier to carry around than carrying 2 or 3 books, plus you can put tons on it. You can rent 10 books at a time from kindle unlimited but you can take as long as you want to read them.
The Kindle Voyage is now discontinued. The Amazon Kindle Voyage looks to be officially discontinued. The Amazon Kindle Voyage originally came out in 2014 and used to be Amazon's most expensive flagship e-reader, but it eventually lost its relevance when the Kindle Oasis was released.
The best Kindle overall is the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. It costs $130, has a sharp 6-inch, 300-ppi backlit display, 8GB of storage, and can withstand a dunk in the water.
Audible will soon be available on all Kindle e-Readers. The Voyage and Paperwhite both have Bluetooth chips and are compatible with the Kindle Audio Adapter, which is a small device that plugs into the USB port and has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The Kindle Voyage is now discontinued. The Amazon Kindle Voyage looks to be officially discontinued. The Amazon Kindle Voyage originally came out in 2014 and used to be Amazon's most expensive flagship e-reader, but it eventually lost its relevance when the Kindle Oasis was released.
Amazon quietly phased out the Kindle Voyage over the summer. First it started disappearing from Amazon's international websites, and then around the end of July they stopped selling it new in the US from Amazon.com. Now it's only available used and refurbished, and occasionally new when they find a few laying around.
The second generation Kindle Voyage 2 is looking likely to be released sometime in 2020. The Voyage used to be the flagship Kindle e-reader, until the Oasis. The Oasis was the most expensive Kindle you could buy and it relegated the Voyage in obscurity.
For a start, the Oasis has a bigger, 7-inch screen, while the Paperwhite has a 6-inch display. While both devices use LEDs to light up the screen, the Oasis also boasts more LEDs than the Paperwhite (12 to 5), so it offers more levels of lighting and better uniformity.
A 'Worth It' Upgrade
The 2018 Kindle Paperwhite is an upgrade you should consider. For a couple extra Jacksons, it opens up the joys of reading in the pool, beach, and bathtub without fear. The display is flush, and the device is rated IPX8, meaning it can sit in 2 meters of water for two hours.Amazon quietly phased out the Kindle Voyage over the summer. First it started disappearing from Amazon's international websites, and then around the end of July they stopped selling it new in the US from Amazon.com. Now it's only available used and refurbished, and occasionally new when they find a few laying around.
Form factor is the most obvious difference between these two pricey ereaders. The Kindle Voyage has a traditional centered screen with a button on each side, while the Kindle Oasis has a deliberately offset screen with two buttons on one side only – which is notably thicker to better hold one-handed.
Here are the best ereaders and Kindles:
- Best ereader overall: Kindle Oasis.
- Best 8-inch ereader: Kobo Forma.
- Best waterproof ereader: Kobo Libra H2O.
- Best waterproof mid-range Kindle: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite.
- Best budget Kindle: Amazon Kindle.
- Best budget ereader: Kobo Clara HD.
The latest Amazon Kindle was released in April 2019, and you can buy it directly from the website now as well as a variety of third-party retailers around the world. As for the price, it starts at £69.99 / $89.99 / AU$139 for the basic model.
It has twice as much storage space and it's waterproof, and they added Bluetooth to connect headphones and speakers to listen to Audible audiobooks. But when it comes to the core reading experience the Kindle Voyage is still undoubtedly the superior Kindle.
