Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2018) Review: The Best Got Better

Nov 7, 2018
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i believe all of the previous Paperwhites used 4 LEDs, not 5. it remains to be seen as to whether this extra LED helps with uniformity issues and shadows. did you test the Paperwhite in complete darkness with a low brightness level (5-8)...this is where i have seen past Paperwhites (and even the first generation Oasis) struggle with light uniformity issues and "shadow cones" near the LED light sources.
 

henrytcasey

Senior Writer
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May 1, 2015
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Firstly: The 2012 Paperwhite used four, but I can’t find any record of how many the 2015 Paperwhite contained, though I was led to believe it had five. I am investigating this now, and will let you know if I find anything.

Secondly, I hadn’t tested it under those circumstances, and I will do so tonight. Our office doesn’t have any good spaces for this, but I can find a room at home to make completely black, and try that low-brightness setting and report back.
 
Nov 7, 2018
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thanks for your prompt reply. my 3rd gen paperhite i'm almost 100% certain has 4 lights. The Voyage, i think has 6, and my first generation Oasis has 10, while the 2nd generation has 12.

i would love to hear if they improved on the low light issues with the front lighting. i've long been disappointed on the unit-to-unit variation in quality from the units i've received (returned several) and compared against (friends). some can be quite good, and some are quite bad at least in the challenging situation for which i read (in bed with the light out and trying not to disturb my wife)
 

henrytcasey

Senior Writer
Herald
May 1, 2015
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Thank you again for your question. I've updated the review per my findings, which I'll explain here:

1. Yes, the 2015 Paperwhite had 4 LEDs, not 5.

2. In pitch-dark lighting, the 2018 Paperwhite's lighting, when set between 5 and 8 notches of backlighting, is more even, with no cones, than the 2015 Paperwhite's, at those same brightness settings.

3. Also, at 1 notch of brightness the 2018 Paperwhite's brightness is still even, and slightly brighter than the 2015 model at 5 notches.
 
Nov 7, 2018
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thanks for this helpful information. i'm hoping that your sample is representative of the majority of the Paperwhites out there. it would be nice to see that they have finally cracked this light uniformity issue.
 
May 6, 2019
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I replaced an old Kindle Paperwhite with the new 2018 Paperwhite just a few months ago. Everything was good at first, the screen great, but maybe the page turning, etc was a bit slower & less responsive. Not a big deal.
And at first the battery life was great, a charge would last me about a week with a lot of reading and charging was much faster! That has definitely changed: recently, with a green light to indicate a full charge, I get a low battery warning in 3 days with very little reading & no online shopping.
And sometimes I just cannot "turn" the page until I close & re-wake the Kindle! Other times I pick up my Paperwhite on the left side, and it backs up a page or two... :-(
The battery charge is worse than the old tired battery in the Kindle I replaced.
I noticed comments that the green indicator light might NOT be a reliable indicator for a full charge, so I will be checking that.
But this just does not seem acceptable!