The Kindle Paperwhite is ready for the bath
The upgraded e-reader is lighter, has more storage and comes with six months of Kindle Unlimited.
Sometimes you just want to read a book. Or maybe all the books. That's the promise of the Kindle line. Access to thousands of books in a form factor that's mobile and won't distract you with a litany of notifications about the world being on fire or that someone liked your photo of last night's poke.
The updated Paperwhite from Amazon starting at $129 does all that while its features move closer to the more expensive and robust Kindle Oasis.
The new Paperwhite (available for order now and shipping on November 7th) is waterproof, has a higher resolution screen (300ppi) and supports Audible audiobooks via Bluetooth headphones. So you can now listen to your audiobooks, then when you have time to actually read, Amazon's Whispersync will drop you in the book right where the audiobook left off on the same device.
The Paperwhite's six-inch display is now flush with the rest of the front of the device and the company has expanded brightness range up to 10-percent brighter at the top end for those extra sunny days. The new design is 8.18mm thick and weighs 182g.
The 8GB version will set you back $129.99 while the insanely large 32GB Paperwhite will cost you $159.99. You probably need all that extra room for the audio files you'll get from Audible. For the voracious reader that needs instant access to new books even when WiFi is unavailable, the 32GB Paperwhite with a free cellular connection is $249.99.
In addition to new reading hardware, Amazon announced that it is updating the Kindle home screen with more recommendations, data about your reading habits and tips on how to get the most out of your Kindle. The company is also introducing "reading settings."
The new feature can be used to create reading profiles that have user-specified fonts, boldness levels and orientation settings. Readers will be able to create up to five of these profiles. One scenario Amazon floated is someone that reads while on the treadmill, they could have a profile that has a large font making it easier to read while working out. Then when that person just wants to read on the couch, they can revert to a casual reading profile.
Amazon says the update will arrive over-the-air in the next few weeks to Kindle Paperwhites from 2013 and newer devices. So even if you don't get a fancy new Paperwhite that can survive a dip in the bathtub or pool (or maybe you like reading in the shower. No judgment here), you can still enjoy some cool new features while reading.
