Kindle Paperwhite (10th Gen): Readers’ requirement
Amazon’s Kindle has undoubtedly become the go-to e-book reader in recent times and no other brand comes close to disputing that title anytime soon. The best aspect of the Kindle is that you can read anywhere on it- with or without external light. However, the base version which is the most affordable one available at Rs. 5,999 in India, comes without a front light, meaning that just like a real book, you can’t use it to read in dark rooms without a light, as the screen doesn’t light up. The Kindle 10th Generation fixes this problem and comes with back lighting and is priced at Rs. 7,999 which is pretty affordable.
The Kindle 10th Gen weighs 174grams and measures 8.7mm in width. A slight disappointment comes with the fact that in India the Kindle (10th Gen) does not ship with support for Audible, the Amazon-owned store for audiobooks, as it does in the US. However, that is only a minor setback and not very crucial to the overall advantages of the device.
The Kindle (10th Gen) has a storage of 4GB with around 2.5GB of free space available. The screen resolution is a bit low at a pixel density of 167ppi, compared to the more expensive Kindle ebook readers. It has a basic design with a 6-inch e-ink display with generous bezels on all sides of the screen which is convenient as most of us often want to grip the device with one hand, especially while reading in bed or lying down on the couch. With a one-handed grip your thumb can easily rest on the bezel and you can quickly tap the screen to flip over to the next page. The device’s power button is located at the base of the body downward accompanied by a Micro-USB port for charging. The Kindle (10th Gen) is available in its two signature black and white colour variants. For better maintenance it is best to use a cover for the device to avoid getting the finish dirty with frequent use.
In the software and ecosystem area, the Kindle software and ecosystem is basically the same as it has always been with no major changes. The home screen for the device shows an array of your library, reading lists (via Goodreads, the Amazon-owned social network for books), and recommendations from the Kindle Store, which can also be disabled in the settings to just show your library instead. There is a plus with the introduction of Prime Reading that gives you access to a number of free books if you have an Amazon Prime subscription and merge it in the account. This is another added bonus because there are already a lot of books available for free and under Rs. 100 in the Kindle store. You will get classics like Pride and Prejudice, Anna Karenina, A Tale of Two Cities, and a lot many others for free in the store. There are books under Rs. 100 and the newest releases are also significantly discounted on the Kindle, which makes the ecosystem on pricing very accessible.
In battery performance, the Kindle (10th Gen) performs pretty well and goes up to a week on a single charge with at least two to three hours of reading, sometimes more, everyday with some purchases from the store as well. This is decently above-average and impressive. Additionally, if you use the Kindle (10th Gen) for an hour each day, it won’t need to be charged for more than once every fortnight.
