Amazon wasn’t too creative in naming their latest Kindle the “All-New Kindle“, but we’ll overlook that for the low-price (currently under $100, at $90) and front-facing light. This new ebook ereader is a great budget buy, shaving about a third off the cost of the Paperwhite.
Comparing All-New with Paperwhite
These are the most similar in the Kindle line-up, in terms of size and features, so we’ll focus on comparing this latest entry with the current Paperwhite (Related – Review of Paperwhite, Nook).
You get the same 6-inch glare-free screen as the best selling Paperwhite, which is still only 1-inch smaller than the Oasis ($250).
However, the resolution is nearly half at 167 pixels-per-inch (ppi) versus 300 ppi for the Paperwhite. But this is still plenty good for reading text, keeping the lettering nicely crisp.
The on-board memory is also halved, at 4GB compared with 8GB for the entry-level Paperwhite. There is no upgrade option, unlike the Paperwhite that can be purchased with 32GB. Not too worry though, 4GB is still plenty large enough to hold thousands of titles.
The front light is nearly identical with 4 LEDs for the “All-New”, compared with 5 LEDs for the Paperwhite (the Oasis gets you a spectacular 12 LEDs).
Kevin Keith, vice president of Amazon Devices says, “Customers consistently tell us how much they appreciate having a front light on Kindle devices so they can read in any environment—from a sunny patio to their bed at night … The team worked hard to bring this customer-favorite feature to our most affordable device, and we’re excited to introduce the all-new Kindle — the first Kindle under $100 with a built-in adjustable front light.”
Everything so far is really great, but there is one minor difference which may be an issue for some folks. This latest device downloads content as “Wi-Fi only” compared with the option of “Wi-Fi + Free Cellular Connectivity” for the other Kindles.
We understand why Amazon took this cost-savings approach (since it eliminates some pricey electronics) as less that 5% of the users are really taking advantage of the Cellular downloads.
In terms of size and shape – most people would be hard pressed at first glance to pick out the All-New from the Paperwhite. With the new entry, you’ll get rounded corners with an option for a white case (along with the standard black bezel). Otherwise, it looks nearly the same as the Paperwhite.
But it is different enough that you can’t interchange any cases you have from the older devices.
Spec wise, it measures 6.3” x 4.5” x 0.34” and weighs in at 6.1 ounces.
Paperwhite is just slightly wider at 6.3″ x 5.6″ x 0.32″, and a few paperclips heavier (6.8 ounces).
The only complaint that we might have is this model isn’t water-proofed like it’s more expensive options. For example, the Paperwhite is IPX8 rated to protect against accidental immersion in up to two meters of fresh water for up to 60 minutes.
Final Thoughts
Amazon is hoping to make a new purchase easier for pre-existing Kindle users — you can send in your old device and get an Amazon gift card, depending on how much your old Kindle is worth, plus a 25-percent discount on the new device.
But after the promotion period ends, we’d prefer the Paperwhite for the added features. You can decide if the list-price $90 versus $130 makes sense for how you use an ereader.
Here are the links to get more information and order:
“All-New Kindle” , $90
Paperwhite Kindle, $130
Oasis, $250
No matter which you choose, you’ll have access to Amazon’s extensive library of ebooks, and being able to read free books from you local library.
Readers, which e-reader do you currently own? Please share in the comments below….