It has the same 6in screen with the same 800×600 resolution, equating to 167 pixels per inch. That’s low by today’s standards but on a 16-level greyscale E-Ink screen, it really doesn’t need to be much higher. Sure, characters are sharper on the 212ppi Paperwhite (and even crisper on the brand-new 300ppi Voyage) but it isn’t going to prevent you enjoying a good novel. What’s changed is an even faster processor which speeds up page turns. They’re fast enough now that you don’t really notice the page refreshing – it’s certainly a world away from those early E-Ink screens that would take a second or so to refresh the image. The touchscreen element is as responsive as you’d expect from a modern tablet, and you can use gestures such as swiping to ‘unlock’ the Kindle (necessary to remove the lock-screen adverts unless you’ve paid the extra £10 to remove them), and scrolling through menus or web pages. Anyone thinking of upgrading from a non-touchscreen Kindle will appreciate just how easy it is to type in search queries when looking for a new book in the Kindle store – or simply searching the on-device library. The same goes for typing in Wi-Fi passwords and making notes. You can tap away as fast as you like, and the Kindle will keep up. Kindle Unlimited is a subscription service which costs £8 per month. It’s akin to Netflix – you subscribe on a monthly basis and get access to a vast catalogue of books while your subscription is active. As well as ebooks, the subscription includes audiobooks. The problem is that this Kindle doesn’t have a speaker or a headphone socket (like the old Kindle Touch), so you’ll need another device such as a tablet or laptop to benefit from the audiobooks. The battery lasts for weeks if you read for short periods each day, making it much better than a tablet if you only want to read books, and charges in roughly four hours from a laptop or PC’s USB port. It’s a little unfair to compare an eReader with a tablet because they are two completely different beasts. A tablet is a multipurpose entertainment device whereas the Kindle is dedicated to reading. And if you’re an avid reader, you’ll prefer the zero-glare screen and long battery life. There’s more competition on hardware these days, though, so if you want a eReader with a lit screen – arguably the only important feature missing from the Kindle – you you should look to buy a second-hand Kindle Paperwhite for around £60. Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.
