I love to read, I have hundreds of books (mostly hardbacks) lining the bookshelves in different rooms of my home. But when I am out and about or travelling I don’t want to be carrying lots of books around (especially as most of the time I have more than one on the go). That makes my Kindle eBook reader invaluable, a pocket-sized device that holds thousands of books – a whole library right there in my pocket! Whilst I prefer real paper versions of books and they will always be my first choice when buying a new book, I wouldn’t be without my Kindle and have just upgraded from the Kindle Paperwhite (7th Generation) to the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (11th Generation).
For those that don’t know, a Kindle is an handheld electronic tablet-like device for reading digital books. You can purchase digital books from Amazon or borrow them from your local library and download them to your Kindle within seconds.
The most noticeable upgrade over my old Kindle Paperwhite is the slightly larger glare-free screen; the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition has a 6.8” screen as opposed to a 6” screen on my old Kindle. It also features 17 front light LEDs with adjustable warm light and the added bonus of auto-adjusting light sensors, making it perfect for reading day or night and reducing strain on the eyes. More screen real estate for your reading pleasure. And despite the bigger screen, it still fits in my pocket so that I can take it everywhere with me.
Apart from the larger screen and auto-adjusting light sensors, it also comes with 32GB of storage space, double that of my Kindle Paperwhite, storage for thousands of books! It supports wireless charging (although you do have to buy a wireless charger separately) and you can still use a USB-C cable should you need it (I purchased the wireless charger which also makes an excellent desk reading stand). And for those of you that like to read in the bath, on the beach or by the pool (or even in the pool) it’s also IPX8 rated which means it is waterproof / water resistant, protecting against accidental immersion in up to two metres of fresh water for up to 60 minutes, and up to 0.25 metres of seawater for up to 3 minutes (read more about its waterproofing features here).
The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition measures (H)17.4cm x (W)12.5cm x (D)0.81cm with a flush-front screen with thinner borders and weighs approx. 207g (less than an average paperback book). It is available in different colour options; Black, Denim and Agave Green. It supports WiFi; 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz networks with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication or Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS). Does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks. WiFi is required to download books, not required to read.
Charging is via the supplied USB-C cable from a USB port on your laptop or a power adapter (a power adapter is not supplied). Charging takes approximately 5 hours from a computer via USB cable or fully charges in less than 2.5 hours with a 9 W USB power adaptor. If you purchase a Made for Amazon compatible 10w wireless charger it fully charges in less than 3.5 hours. A single charge lasts up to 10 weeks, based on half an hour of reading a day with wireless off and the light setting at 13. Battery life will vary based on light settings and wireless usage. Audible audiobook streaming over Bluetooth will reduce battery life.
Text size is adjustable, so every book is easy comfortable reading. And for those that prefer to listen rather than reading, it supports audio books and can be paired with Bluetooth speakers or headphones.
Overall, I have always loved my Kindles, whatever incarnation I have had at the time, but I do love the Signature Edition. I love the bigger screen with smaller borders and the fact that I can still fit it in my pocket (if I couldn’t fit it in my pocket I would just use my tablet, although that is a lot heavier and obviously not as good battery life).
While I love the bigger screen, auto-adjusting light, wireless charging and waterproof features I also find it a lot faster to use, the pages turn faster and smoother, which is a welcome change.
The price is a lot higher than the standard Kindle Paperwhite but the faster speed, bigger screen and wireless charging make it worthwhile for me (plus there is the added cost of the wireless charger).
While I doubt that I will ever stop buying printed books, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition e-reader is an excellent digital device that will delight book lovers. It is easy to read day or night and the light automatically adjusts for the best reading experience (you can turn this function off if you prefer your own settings). It weighs less than a paperback so is easy to hold and read, with adjustable text size, and is a good size to always have in your pocket or bag so that you can read wherever you are.
At £179.99 plus another £29.99 for the wireless charger (and then extra for a case if required) it is a big expense (you can trade in your old Kindle and save 20%), but if you read a lot I think that it an excellent investment, especially as you can carry around more books than you small local library stocks, you will always have something to read.
I just wish when buying a hardback book the digital version would come with it for free (or a minimal free of £1 so that I read books at home and still continue reading with the Kindle when out and about or on the bus, tram and train.
If you love reading, you will just love the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. It’s small enough to fit in your pocket with a large screen, is fast to use, it can be read anywhere, in any light and is even waterproof.
Happy reading.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £179.99
Available to buy from Amazon here.