Ameya DalviMar 11, 2023 13:05:57 IST
Price: Rs 9,999
It’s been nearly 15 years for the reason that first Kindle was launched. The gadget is at present in its Eleventh technology. But ever since Amazon launched the primary Kindle Paperwhite, that has been a tool of selection for many who might afford it. It was a no brainer because the Paperwhite had much better options and readability compared to the essential Kindle mannequin.
With the launch of the most recent Kindle (non-Paperwhite), the selection between the 2 might not be as simple because it borrows plenty of goodness from its extra elite cousin. We received to strive our hand on the All-new Kindle (as Amazon likes to name it) for the previous few weeks, and right here’s what’s good and not-so-good about it.
What we appreciated in regards to the All-new Kindle:
Extremely gentle and feels nice in hand
The firm claims that this Eleventh-gen All-new Kindle is essentially the most compact and lightest up to now, and we received’t disagree. The gadget does really feel extremely gentle in hand and weighs simply 158 grams. To put issues in perspective, that’s lighter than most smartphones as of late. Holding it in a single hand for lengthy doesn’t trigger fatigue. And its compact dimension makes it straightforward to slide it in a bag. It could match into some pants pockets too however I wouldn’t suggest doing that.
The high and aspect bezels are slimmer than earlier than and nearly the identical dimension as the most recent Paperwhite. However, not like the Paperwhite’s, they don’t merge seamlessly into the display screen and are noticeably raised. There is a solitary bodily button alongside the underside edge to activate the gadget or put it in standby. There are not any audio system right here however one can join Bluetooth earphones or audio system to eat content material from Audible.
Far higher show than its predecessors
This is by far the largest enchancment on this new Kindle. The older base Kindle screens used to have 167 PPI pixel density that made the textual content a tad tough across the edges. Amazon has bumped up the pixel density on this one to 300 PPI which is similar as that of the Paperwhite. The display screen dimension remains to be 6-inch (vs 6.8-inch on the Paperwhite), however it’s a lot sharper than earlier than, be it textual content or e book covers.
Even textual content in smaller fonts seems clear on this Kindle, and you’ll be happy to drop the font dimension to suit extra textual content per web page with out worrying about readability getting adversely affected. Things are nice beneath direct daylight too, and also you additionally get adjustable entrance lighting that permits you to use this Kindle even in a darkish room. Speaking of darkish, there’s extra which brings me to my subsequent level.
Dark mode is a superb addition
While the brand new Kindle can be utilized in pitch darkish, it’s not essentially the most comfy expertise for others within the room. Say you wish to learn in mattress, the display screen glow is usually a distraction for the individual subsequent to you. That’s the place Dark mode is available in, which turns the display screen black and the textual content white, thus offering a a lot soothing studying expertise even for the individual utilizing this Kindle. This is a superb addition and may merely be activated by knocking down the highest menu.
16 GB inside storage
It is not only the pixel density that Amazon has bumped up within the new Kindle. The storage has doubled up too from 8 GB to 16 GB. Frankly, even 8 GB was ok provided that the dimensions of most ebooks is simply an MB or two at most. And 16 GB (13.2 GB out there) will allow you to retailer 1000’s of ebooks on this gadget. Imagine the load of some thousand books being simply 158 grams. Don’t we love know-how?
Improved battery backup and USB-C port for charging
The battery backup has additionally seen a very good 50% enchancment over its predecessor. The firm claims a battery lifetime of 6 weeks for the brand new Kindle; the catch being – at half-hour of day by day studying. The battery life will fluctuate relying in your utilization. At somewhat over an hour of day by day studying, it simply lasted over a fortnight for me, which is completely tremendous given that you will want to cost this gadget solely twice a month at most.
It lasts that for much longer should you don’t use it in any respect for every week or so. The standby time is nice right here with hardly any battery drain when not in use. Another notable enchancment is the presence of a USB-C port, which took a few generations too lengthy to reach, however it’s lastly right here. A normal 10 Watts USB-C charger takes about 4 hours to cost this Kindle absolutely.
What we didn’t like in regards to the All-new Kindle:
Most of the cons listed below are a results of us being spoiled by the Kindle Paperwhite. While we’re absolutely conscious that there must be clear differentiators between these two gadgets to justify their particular person existence, there are specific parts that would have been added to the bottom mannequin too.
No ingress safety
This is one function of the Paperwhite I’d have definitely appreciated to see within the fundamental Kindle. While the extra premium gadget has a correct IPX8 water immersion resistance, an IPX5 splash resistance would have additionally sufficed for this mannequin. An e-book reader isn’t one thing one makes use of solely indoors. So a little bit of safety from the weather outside would have been useful. Something for Amazon to think about for the Twelfth-gen Kindle.
Adjustable heat gentle would have been good to have
Yes, now we’re pushing it. But the nice and cozy gentle function makes the Paperwhite far more simpler on the eyes along with the extra even entrance lighting due to the 17 LEDs. While there’s nothing manifestly incorrect in regards to the All-new Kindle’s readability, the display screen feels a bit chilly as compared, particularly in a dimly lit atmosphere, and a contact of heat would have been nicer, if not an adjustable heat gentle.
No SIM slot for knowledge connectivity on the go
The base Kindle solely operates over WiFi, and there’s no choice for knowledge connectivity because it doesn’t have a SIM or an e-SIM choice. So in case you are exterior the WiFi zone, you can’t purchase or obtain ebooks on the transfer. Of course, one can arrange a hotspot on their smartphone and do the needful, however a separate 4G/5G variant for many who care wouldn’t have been a nasty thought.
Price and verdict:
The All-new Kindle (Eleventh Gen) might be bought for Rs 9,999 with a one 12 months guarantee on Amazon India. You get to decide on between black and denim blue color choices. This new Kindle is not only essentially the most compact and lightest Kindle ever, additionally it is the perfect base mannequin up to now. It additionally boasts of a handful of helpful options that have been solely out there on the Paperwhite beforehand like a 300 PPI show and entrance lighting.
Add to {that a} responsive UI, 16 GB storage, higher battery backup and the brand new Dark mode, and the All-new Kindle makes a powerful case for itself over the Paperwhite, given the Rs 5,000 distinction between the 2. Of course, the Paperwhite stays the superior e-book reader, however the hole between the 2 gadgets from the identical technology has by no means been so slim earlier than.
