Review: Kindle Paperwhite 2015

In the last few weeks we had the opportunity to test the new Kindle Paperwhite da Amazon. Few years ago we already tested the device, but it was the previous model. This new model's main differential is the screen with higher resolution, in addition to the lighting system which is now completely turned off at the lowest level. This new model also has a new text font created specifically for reading on digital devices, called bookerly. The version that was sent to us for evaluation has free 3G connection, allowing you to access your files in the cloud or make new purchases even when you are away from a Wifi connection.

who looks at a Kindle for the first time without knowing for sure what it is, you may be surprised by the very protruding edges of product. Something unusual, and even little desired, in current smartphones and tablets, but this area is fundamental for the use of the device. This feature allows it to be used comfortably while reading, without touching the screen, which would cause page switching. For those who read on public transport, this behavior is fundamental, as we hold the e-reader with only one hand, the other being busy holding us.

The back has a slightly rubbery texture giving more firmness when holding the device. THE size and weight They are very comfortable, even after almost an hour of reading standing up. I say this because my main reading moment is riding the subway, when I go to and from work. I stand almost the entire way and certainly reading the single physical volume of Lord of the Rings would be more uncomfortable than the digital version.

Amazon has developed for this new line of devices a new font called bookerly. This new font was created to provide readers with a more enjoyable reading experience. It shows an improvement in placement and spacing of characters, in addition to hyphenation have been more refined. Even when the font size is changed, the loss is minimal due to the design of the letters that was always thought of to make reading pleasant.

The previous version of Paperwhite was equipped with a screen. 212ppi of resolution, while the 2015 version has 300ppi with 1440 1080 pixels x on a screen of the same size, 6 inches. This is my first time using an e-reader for a long time, and all the previous opportunities I've had to take a quick look at these devices, the pixelated lettering has always made me uncomfortable. I confess that the first thing that surprised me when I turned on the new Kindle it was the great resolution of the letters and images on the screen. You really have the same feeling as a printed book page. Now all that's left is for him to release the scent when we open an item on our virtual shelf to have the feeling of having a physical book in our hands.

A detail that makes a big difference and demonstrates the company's real concern with consumer comfort is that when purchasing a Kindle the user already receives the equipment pre-registered with your account Amazon, without the need for large configurations for the first use.

The company also provides a service called whisper sync which is a cloud backup of all titles purchased in the store. The list of favorites, annotations and the last page read of each book are still saved in the cloud. With this it is possible to continue reading on any device that is configured with the same account.

Something that I found a little strange is the question of screen orientation. The system even allows you to change the orientation to landscape, making line and paragraph breaks more pleasant, but when you leave the book, the orientation returns to portrait. This is because the orientation change only takes effect when the book is open and not for the use of the rest of the system. It's not a bad thing, but after spending several hours manipulating it in landscape it was strange not being able to browse the shelf and the store in the same orientation.

In my other experiences with e-readers, I also didn't like the way the screen behaved when turning pages and opening books. Some models take a few seconds between touching the screen and completely loading the new page, but in this new model of equipment from AmazonThis exchange is very fast. It's not instantaneous yet, but it happens pretty much in the time it takes to move your eyes to the top of the page. Most likely the reason for this improvement in performance is the increase in RAM memory, which went from 256MB all with 512MB. The processor remains the same with 1GHz.

Internal memory is another item that has been improved over the previous version. The storage went from 2GB (about 1,25GB usable) for 4GB (about 3GB usable). With that I would say that it is possible to load books in the internal memory for you to read for more than a decade. Thinking about that, I do not see great cost benefit in the 3G connection. Having access to wifi once to load your library, it is possible to be disconnected for a long time and still have a vast amount of material to consume.

A battery life it's an interesting point. THE Kindle is famous for its battery life that only asks for a new charge after several days of use. Knowing this fame, I was quite disappointed in first days of use, because I needed to recharge it just two days after making the first full charge, this with only a few hours of effective use. It was then that I realized that the device has a 3G connection. I activated the airplane mode and then I could check the so famous battery life that after two weeks using around 2 hours a day, I still had the half load. The problem is that there is no way to disable only 3G and keep Wifi on, or activate airplane mode and disable all connections or keep everything active.

Even in airplane mode you can look up the meaning of entries in the dictionary. For this to be possible, it is necessary to install one of the several dictionaries available. Some are free and just download to the equipment, others need to be purchased. This is an item that depends a lot on the needs and preferences of each reader. For casual reading, the free Priberam dictionary is quite satisfactory. But consultations to the articles of the Wikipedia, for example, require a connection to be active.

As with the previous version, the use of the 3G network is free of charge, but the device only makes access to the Amazon, in addition to consultations with Wikipedia and sharing on social networks. Signal coverage in Brazil significantly improved in recent years, but mostly the connection is EDGE only. 3G support is limited more to large urban centers. But if you travel a lot, in Europe and the US 3G coverage is almost complete.

A Amazon declares to have best ebook store in the world, with more than 2,5 million of books available for Kindle, being more than 50 thousand in Portuguese. It really is possible to find almost any title searched for, but it is a pity that this is not reflected in the Kindle Unlimited subscription service, launched about a year ago in Brazil. This is a service that allows the customer to have free access to up to 10 ebooks simultaneously paying R$19,90 per month, the first month being free. I did the service subscription I confess that I was quite disappointed. My English level is not very advanced and therefore I don't feel comfortable reading an entire book in English. It so happens that practically none of the books in the mainstream are available to subscribers even if they exist in digital form in the store.

As an example I looked for books by the following authors: JRR Martin, JK Rolling, Isaac Asimov, Carl Sagan, George Orwell, Stephen King e Augusto Cury. No ebook in Portuguese of these authors is available to subscribers of the reading service, even if the ebook in Portuguese of some of them is available for sale in the store. In English the catalog is much more complete and practically all my searches have had a satisfactory result. So, if you don't read in English, the service can end up disappointing you a lot. I recommend signing up with the first month free to test and after that period check if the service can really meet your reading needs.

To purchase the ebooks directly from the Amazon, the catalog really serves readers in Portuguese very well, despite the store having an infinity of titles with very affordable prices, below BRL 10,00, some titles have prices that still seem a little strange to me. I really have a hard time understanding why the digital version is more expensive than the printed version of the same book.

The interesting thing is that the reader is not obliged to purchase the books at the Kindle. any ebook can be moved into the device without any problems. To do this, just plug it into your computer's USB and drag the files into the “documents” folder. The main restriction in this case is for files in EPUB format that are not recognized by the system. Recommended formats are MOBI, AZW, and AZW3, which are Amazon's proprietary formats, as well as TXT, PDF and PRC naturally; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP. If you have an EPUB and want to read it, you need to convert it to one of the accepted formats. I did tests converting to MOBI and AZW3 and I didn't notice any problems in reading.

The product is available in Brazil at 4 versions. All have a screen 6 inches touch-sensitive and anti-reflective, in addition to having wifi connection. The version simpler Weighs 191g e no screen lighting, with a resolution of 167ppi, which can be purchased by R$219,00. The other models have backlit fabric with resolution of 300ppi. O intermediary called PaperWhite, which has been tested by us, has two prices: only with wifi connection he weighs 206g and leaves for R$479,00, already with 3G connection the weight passes to 215g and the price for R$699,00. The most complete brother of the family called Voyage, is also the lightest with 180g, and has as a differential a system of automatic lighting adjustment, which adapts according to the environment, in addition to relying on pagepress. This feature allow turn the page effortlessly, lightly pressing the side strips of the equipment. Due to these differences, it has a cost of R$899,00

My general evaluation about the product is very positive, mainly because of the hardware. I didn't like the store very much, because of the lack of titles in Portuguese in the subscription service Kindle unlimited and the prices a little high in the sale of ebooks. Even so, I would highly recommend purchasing the product for the quality of the equipment itself. I intend to buy one of these in the next few weeks, and regarding digital books, I will buy them in stores where I can find the best prices and, if necessary, convert them into a compatible format for reading. Unfortunately this one came only as a loan and I will need to return it in a few days….

If you already have a Kindle, leave a comment below with your impressions of the device and if you don't have one yet, let us know what you think of it.