Assessment: Amazon’s 2024 Kindle Paperwhite makes the perfect e-reader a bit of higher
A quick Kindle?
From left to proper: 2024 Paperwhite, 2021 Paperwhite, and 2018 Paperwhite. Word not simply the rise in display measurement, but in addition how the display corners get a bit of extra rounded with every launch.
Credit score:
Andrew Cunningham
I do not need to oversell how briskly the brand new Kindle is, as a result of it is nonetheless not like an E-Ink display can actually compete with an LCD or OLED panel for smoothness of animations or UI responsiveness. However even in comparison with the 2021 Paperwhite, tapping buttons, opening menus, opening books, and turning pages feels significantly snappier—not fairly instantaneous, however with out the unexplained pauses and hesitation that longtime Kindle homeowners shall be accustomed to. For many who kind out notes of their books, even the onscreen keyboard feels fluid and responsive.
In comparison with the 2018 Paperwhite (once more, the primary waterproofed mannequin, and the final one with a 6-inch display and micro USB port), the distinction is evening and day. Whereas it nonetheless feels mainly fantastic for studying books, I discover that the older Kindle can typically pause for therefore lengthy when opening menus or switching between issues that I ponder if it is nonetheless working or whether or not it’s very locked up and frozen.
“Kindle benchmarks” aren’t actually a factor, however I tried to quantify the efficiency enhancements by working some outdated browser benchmarks utilizing the Kindle’s restricted built-in net browser and Google’s historic Octane 2.0 take a look at—the 2018, 2021, and 2024 Kindles are all working the identical software program replace right here (5.17.0), so this needs to be a fairly good apples-to-apples comparability of single-core processor pace.
The brand new Kindle is definitely method quicker than older fashions.
Credit score:
Andrew Cunningham
The 2021 Kindle was roughly 30 % quicker than the 2018 Kindle. The brand new Paperwhite is almost twice as quick because the 2021 Paperwhite, and effectively over twice as quick because the 2018 Paperwhite. That alone is sufficient to clarify the tangible distinction in responsiveness between the gadgets.
Turning to the brand new Paperwhite’s different enhancements: in contrast facet by facet, the brand new display is appreciably larger, extra noticeably so than the 0.2-inch measurement distinction may counsel. And it does not make the Paperwhite a lot bigger, although it is a tiny bit taller in a method that may wreck compatibility with current circumstances. However you solely actually admire the improve in case you’re coming from one of many older 6-inch Kindles.
