Kindle Oasis vs Kindle Paperwhite

2023. Kindle Paperwhite gets new Kindle Scribe features



Amazon has rolled out a fresh firmware update, labeled as version 5.16.2.1, for the 7th generation Kindle, 11th generation Kindle Paperwhite and the Signature edition. To obtain and install the update, users can navigate to the settings menu and check for available updates. In case the update is not yet accessible in a particular region, it is expected to be released within the next few weeks. The update incorporates a range of Kindle Scribe features, including drawing, notebook management and sticky notes. However, these features are presently disabled and non-functional. This deliberate decision by Amazon enables them to maintain a unified code base for both their e-readers and the Kindle Scribe. Consequently, whenever an update is released for one model, it can be applied to all of them simultaneously.


2023. Amazon releases new colors and covers for the Kindle Paperwhite



Amazon has just introduced two new colors for the Kindle Paperwhite: Denim and Agave Green. These new shades will be available for both the 16GB Kindle Paperwhite and the 32GB Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. Alongside the new color options, Amazon is also launching an Agave Green leather and fabric cover to complement the Agave Green device. You might remember that Amazon unveiled a 16GB Kindle Paperwhite — in addition to the existing 8GB version — last fall, providing customers with the option of more storage so they can carry even more books while on the go. Building on this, the Kindle team aimed to add some vibrant colors to a customer favorite.


2022. Kindle Paperwhite is now available with 16GB of storage



Amazon has introduced the option to get a standard Kindle Paperwhite with 16GB of storage, available with or without advertisements. Priced at $149, the 16GB Kindle Paperwhite costs $10 more than the 8GB model. Amazon has previously increased storage on Kindles without raising the price, so this seems like a tactic to charge an additional $10 for a Paperwhite with extra storage that most users might not require. Interestingly, the new basic Kindle, now featuring 16GB of storage, is priced at just $99. It appears somewhat absurd for Amazon to offer a “upgraded” Paperwhite model with only 8GB of storage for $139, making the addition of a 16GB option more understandable.


2021. Amazon launches Kindle Paperwhite for kids



Amazon has introduced the Kindle Paperwhite Kids. It is essentially the same as the standard Kindle Paperwhite but with software enhancements designed to make it more suitable for children. A significant advantage of the latest generation Kindle Paperwhite Kids is its IPx8 rating, which Amazon claims makes the new Paperwhite resistant to accidental water exposure—an important feature for a device intended for kids. The e-reader also includes Vocabulary Builder and Word Wise, which can be useful tools for children to improve their English language skills. Additionally, it supports the Open Dyslexic font, which is preferred by many individuals with dyslexia. The Paperwhite Kids comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, providing access to over a thousand eBooks and Audible audiobooks for children.


2020. Amazon issues new update for Kindle Paperwhite 3



Amazon has finally upgraded the Kindle Paperwhite 3 with all the new features it previously lacked. The model hadn't received a firmware update since December and was widely rumored to be discontinued. One of the new enhancements is an improved search experience, making it easier to navigate your search results within the book without losing your place. To use it, simply search for a term in your book and tap on a search result. They have also refreshed the Page Flip feature, which now displays recently read pages as dots on the progress bar, including your most recent page read from another device. If you have a FreeTime Unlimited subscription, children will see a new layout, enhanced search, book details and Audible support. In supported regions, kids with access to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited will see rows of recommended eBook and Audible content that are suitable for their age.


2020. Amazon has ended support for the Kindle Paperwhite 3



Amazon has discontinued support for the Kindle Paperwhite 3 and the e-reader will not receive any further firmware updates. The only exception would be if Amazon updates their Kindle Whispersync program and Kindle Store with a new version of TLS. The 7th generation Kindle Paperwhite 3 was one of Amazon’s most successful e-readers. It was released in 2015 and was heavily promoted for four years before being succeeded by the Kindle Paperwhite 4 in late 2018. The last firmware update for the PP3 was in 2019 and it is currently running version 5.12.2, while all the other modern Kindles are on version 5.13.1.


2020. You can now delete Kindle Books directly from Kindle



Until now, the only way to delete an ebook from your Kindle e-reader was to log in to your account via the Amazon website and remove the book there. With the 5.12.5 firmware update, you can now completely delete an ebook from your entire Amazon account directly on the Kindle. Simply go to My Library, find the title you want to remove and press and hold the cover art for two seconds. This will prompt a confirmation window asking you to confirm the deletion process. Once the removal is complete, the book will be entirely gone from your Amazon account and the title will no longer appear in the cloud section. If you accidentally delete the wrong book, you will need to purchase it again.


2020. Kindle ereaders get new font menu system



Amazon has released a new firmware update (5.12.4) with a revamped Aa menu for all recent Kindles. It provides users with increased flexibility and control over their reading experience. Essentially, Amazon has reorganized the menu and combined some of the additional settings into one section, eliminating the need to navigate through various menus or sub-menus. When you access the Aa menu on the Kindle now, you'll find several sections: Themes, Font, Layout and more. The first section, called Themes, allows you to create custom themes or choose from several presets like Standard, Compact and Large. The Font menu includes a dropdown for selecting fonts, with slider bars to adjust the font's boldness or size. With fewer font options on the screen, more text is visible in the book you're reading, which helps you see how the font settings look as you adjust them.


2019. Kindle update makes page turn speed faster



Amazon has released a new firmware update for the majority of their Kindle e-Ink e-readers, including the Oasis 2, Paperwhite 4 and Voyage. Version 5.10.3 claims to enhance performance issues, though it doesn't specify precisely what that entails. In my experience, this update significantly improves page turn speed with swipes or taps, which should be beneficial for avid ebook readers. Additionally, ebooks now open more quickly. This update is expected to be delivered over Wi-Fi in the coming days.


2019. Amazon heavily discounts the Kindle Paperwhite 4



Amazon has recently reduced the price of the Kindle Paperwhite 4 by $30. You can buy the basic 8GB model for $99 and the 32GB Wi-Fi version for $129. If you're looking for an e-reader with 4G/LTE connectivity, Amazon has slashed the price of this variant by $40, making it available for $209. This offer is exclusively for US customers. The Kindle Paperwhite 4 is water-resistant and features access to the Audible audiobook store. You can listen to audiobooks using wireless headphones or a portable speaker. The display is completely flush with the bezel, making it easier to turn pages using swipes and gestures.


2018. The new Kindle Paperwhite is thinner and waterproof



Kindle Paperwhite has received several upgrades that will provide users with a more premium experience while maintaining the device’s starting price at $130. Waterproofing is the most notable among the upgrades. The reader features an IPX8 rating, meaning it can be submerged in two meters of water for up to an hour. Like the Oasis before it, this model has a flush front, unlike the raised bezels found on older, less expensive models. This design change gives the device a more premium feel and should help prevent water from penetrating its circuits. It also contributes to making this the thinnest and lightest Paperwhite yet. Another significant update is the increase from four LEDs to five. While it may seem minor, this enhancement helps maintain more uniform front lighting across the board, compared to the more uneven lighting of previous models.


2018. Kindle adds new search features



Amazon has rolled out a new firmware update for all Kindles released in the past five years. The in-book search now includes results from your notes and highlights and a clock is now displayed at the top of the screen while you’re reading. You can turn it off in the settings menu. Update 5.9.4 should be distributed to all Kindles in the next few days and will automatically install when the device is in sleep mode. You will likely see a restart the next time you use it, along with a notification window that informs you of the new updates.


2017. Amazon's Kindle Oasis gets big and waterproof



Amazon is revamping its flagship e-reader Kindle Oasis in a dramatic fashion. It is Amazon’s largest Kindle e-reader to date, featuring a 7-inch display. It’s also the company's first waterproof model. It’s remarkably, almost paper-thin on one side (0.13 inches) and then expands significantly to a third of an inch on the other side to house the battery. Amazon has also boosted the number of over-the-screen LED lights to 12 (up from 10) for more even illumination. Another major update is the integration of the Audible audiobook service. Although Amazon owns Audible, it had never been included in the Kindle before. Now, you can browse and purchase Audible books directly on the device. Additionally, the starting price of the Kindle Oasis is now $249 with 8 GB of storage.


2016. Amazon released Kindle Paperwhite USB Audio Bundle



Amazon introduced a new USB audio package that enables Kindle e-Readers to provide audio cues when navigating menus and offers text-to-speech features for listening to e-books. VoiceView for Kindle, which utilizes Amazon’s natural language text-to-speech voices, also allows visually impaired users to read Kindle books. The USB audio adapter connects to headphones or speakers, enabling users to both listen to and navigate the interface, in addition to enjoying books. Currently, the new adapter is compatible only with the latest generation Kindle Paperwhite. Amazon indicates plans to expand compatibility to other models in the future, such as the Kindle Voyage and Kindle Oasis.


2016. Amazon unveils new Kindle Oasis



The new Amazon Kindle Oasis is the smallest and lightest Kindle to date and features a handle for gripping. It gets closer to the feel of a real book with a thickness of just 3.4 mm at its thinnest point and the new one-sided handle is designed to mimic holding the spine of a book while reading. The device includes two buttons for navigating pages forward and backward. It’s unusual to see buttons reintroduced after moving away from keyboards and buttons in previous generations. However, according to Amazon, users simply prefer buttons, so they are making a return. The WiFi version of the Oasis will be priced at $289 and the 3G version will be available for $359.


2015. New $119 Kindle Paperwhite will be easy on your eyes



Amazon has introduced a new $119 Kindle Paperwhite e-reader featuring a 6-inch 300ppi display and an updated font and book layout system, designed to make it simpler to dive into *The Martian* during summer break. The device will be released on June 30 and is available for pre-order now. The e-reader is essentially similar to the previous Paperwhite—a bright, nearly white glare-free screen within a simple black plastic frame—but this model boasts “twice as many pixels” as the earlier version and will deliver “laser-quality text.” Typography enthusiasts will be pleased as Amazon has developed a new typeface, Bookerly, which they claim enhances readability. Additionally, a new “typesetting engine” will improve book layouts even at larger font sizes.


2014. Kindle Update for e-readers lets enables sharing books with your family



Amazon introduces a new update to Kindle e-readers, bringing the latest e-reading features of the Kindle Voyage to older Kindle models. The new features include Family Library (allowing users with linked Amazon accounts to access books downloaded by family members), Word Wise (which automatically displays definitions for challenging words above them), Enhanced Search (now retrieving results from your library, Goodreads and the Kindle Store) and About This Book (providing details such as author biographies and additional titles in the series as you begin reading). The update will be available for the 2nd generation Paperwhite, Kindle Voyage and the latest entry-level Kindles.


2014. Kindle Paperwhite gets twice more internal storage



Amazon discreetly updated the Kindle Paperwhite 2nd generation hardware. The newest model is identical to the version released last year, except with doubled internal storage. The international product page for the Wi-Fi Kindle Paperwhite began displaying a banner earlier this summer directing to a “current version” product page. Kindle enthusiasts on the MobileRead forums have confirmed that the new page is for a 4GB Paperwhite, which was previously available only in Japan. Amazon notes that this isn’t a new product — it’s the same Paperwhite, but with increased storage.


2014. Amazon adds Goodreads integration to Kindle Paperwhite 1



Amazon is rolling out a software update for the first-gen Kindle Paperwhite that introduces Goodreads integration and other new features to the e-reader. The currently available Paperwhite, a second-generation model, already includes Goodreads support, which was added last November. The update also brings Kindle FreeTime, which curates books for children and allows parents to schedule reading time, Cloud Collections for organizing content and Page Flip for browsing through material without losing your spot. The Bookmarks, Highlights and Notes feature can now be accessed more swiftly. The update will be rolled out over the next few weeks to devices in the United States, Canada and Australia.


2013. Kindle Paperwhite will nudge kids to read more



After the software update for Kindle Fire tablets, Amazon announced an upgrade for the Kindle Paperwhite e-Ink e-readers. The most notable improvement is the goal-oriented feature designed to encourage children to read more. Parents can now motivate their kids by setting daily and long-term reading targets on the Kindle Paperwhite. Progress reports are accessible for parents and children can gain satisfaction by earning achievement awards based on their goals and reading progress. Additionally, like the Fire tablet, the Kindle Paperwhite now includes Goodreads integration. You can view what titles your Goodreads friends are currently reading and set a Goodreads rating after completing a book. You can even share excerpts to Goodreads directly from a book. Moreover, all your Amazon book purchases, whether print or digital, can now be imported into a Goodreads account.