Ameya DalviJul 18, 2022 16:14:57 IST
Amazon India’s Prime Day sale is less than a week away, and there are going to be discounts galore on a wide range of products. You already know that, nor am I here to talk about the sale. But there is one product specifically that I am keeping an eye on – the new Kindle Paperwhite – from the 11th generation of Kindles to be specific. We often field a lot of queries about whether it is better to buy that over a regular Kindle or should one buy a generation old Paperwhite for less or simply if it is worth its asking price.
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Today, we intend to sum up all those queries and more into this concise piece and tell you if and why you should consider buying the new Kindle Paperwhite in the upcoming Prime Day sale. If the reasons appeal to you, go ahead and buy one. There are few better pleasures in life on a rainy day than to chill with a hot beverage and a good book/ebook.
IPX8 water resistant
Speaking of a rainy day, the Kindle Paperwhite has an IPX8 rating for water resistance. So you can comfortably choose to sit in your balcony or close to a window without worrying about a few drops of rain ruining your precious ebook reader. In fact, it has far better fluid resistance than that, but let’s not get too adventurous.
Bigger screen, slimmer bezels
Amazon has trimmed down the top and side bezels significantly making the new Paperwhite look a lot sleeker, and yet equally comfortable to hold. Even better, the screen size has increased from 6 inches to 6.8 inches that leads to better readability and more content per page. And that’s just one of the differences from the last generation Paperwhite. In comparison to the basic Kindle from the current generation, the screen has a lot more advantages than just the size.
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For starters, the basic Kindle’s display has 167 PPI pixel density, while that of the Paperwhite has a significantly higher 300 PPI density which translates into much sharper text and images on screen. Another major difference is the front lighting. You only get 4 LEDs to light up the former’s screen, and that count goes up to 17 on the latter along with an adjustable warm light. As a result, the page lighting is a lot more uniform and easy on the eyes even when reading in pitch dark.
Faster processor, smoother UI, dual band WiFi
The latest Paperwhite employs a faster processor, courtesy of which, the page transitions and the user interface feel smoother. The UI hasn’t changed drastically, so if you have used a Kindle before, there is no new learning curve to adapt to this new device. But the interface does feel more nimble, probably because of the faster processor.
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I believe the Dark mode was present on the earlier Paperwhite too but now you also get to adjust the screen warmth, which comes in handy especially when reading at night before you go to sleep. You also get dual-band WiFi here with support for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, which is great to have. There is no SIM slot on this device, and hence, no provision to use a data network.
Far better battery backup, USB-C charging port
The battery backup has jumped to 10 weeks on the new Kindle Paperwhite, which is more than double of its predecessor’s. But hold your horses as that figure comes with a rider. You can get 10 weeks out of it if you switch off WiFi and use the Kindle only for half an hour a day. The actual battery life is totally dependent on the quantum of usage. But realistically speaking, using it for a little over an hour a day keeps it going for a full month.
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The standby time is even better with hardly any battery drain if you do not use it for a week. It takes about two and a half hours to charge it fully with a standard USB-C charger. Yes, you read that right; no, not the charging time but ‘USB-C’. Amazon has finally graced the Kindle with a USB-C port, something long overdue. The standard edition of the Paperwhite still doesn’t support wireless charging. That feature is reserved for the Signature edition which is Rs 4,000 more expensive.
Finally, a significant discount!
One of the major deterrents for buying this ebook reader has been its price. The latest Kindle Paperwhite is priced at Rs 13,999. For the better or worse, the previous generation Paperwhite isn’t available anymore, or rather I haven’t spotted it on Amazon India for months now. But worry not! The new Paperwhite is expected to drop close to Rs 11,000 in the upcoming Prime Day sale, and that too before any credit card discounts or cashback.
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If my memory serves me right, that would be the largest discount on this product in India since its launch. With the right credit cards, you can even get your hands on it for under 10K. Given its features and benefits, it would be hard not to recommend it for that price. If you have been eyeing the new Paperwhite for a while, this Prime Day would be a good time to pull the trigger.
