Back when I first purchased my first Kindle, I was so baffled by the differences between the e-readers in Amazon’s Kindle range. There were the Paperwhite and the Basic, and urgh! They all differentiated in price, size, and storage.
After much research, I finally ordered a Kindle Paperwhite, a decision I haven’t regretted ever since. To save you the trouble I went through, I decided to make this guide to help you choose which model best suits your reading needs.
But first, let’s roll over five facts that make a Kindle device a delight as it is.
Why is Kindle so Awesome?
1 You can still flip through books while saving your place.
2 The sharp and dark texts provided by the e-ink technology make sure you enjoy texts that read just like on a printed page.
3 It’s now easy to export notes and highlights from a Kindle book to your e-mail, so you can always have them on hand for reference.
4 A Kindle is lighter than a paperback making it comfortable to hold in one hand for those times when you can’t put the book down.
5 By design, Kindle is purpose-built for reading and creates a sanctuary so you can lose yourself in a book without distractions from social media, emails, and text messages.
If you’re still skeptical about whether or not you need a Kindle, take a moment to read this piece on why every ebook fan needs a Kindle.
Now, let’s go into details about the Kindle Oasis, Kindle Voyage, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle Basic.
Kindle Oasis: The Luxury Option
Being Amazon’s greatest offering in the Kindle line of e-readers, the Kindle Oasis is designed to be portable and lightweight, which is perfect to take anywhere you want to read. This ergonomic design shifts the center of gravity to your palm like the spine of a book.
The dedicated page turn buttons make page turning easier whether you choose to read with your left or right hand. Kindle Oasis tapers to an ultra-thin 3.4mm display and larger storage capacity. Combined with adaptive front light, reading on the Kindle Oasis is now more comfortable than ever.
The biggest feature of the Kindle Oasis is its battery-recharging leather cover. Not only is the leather cover fancy and grand, but when combined with the Kindle Oasis’s new hibernation mode, you can get months of battery life on one charge.
However, all those fancy features plus the waterproof specialty add up for a pump in price. So, unless money is not a problem to you or you would like to use the recharging leather cover in case you were stranded on an island for weeks, I would not opt for this Kindle Oasis.
Kindle Voyage: A Little Bit of This and That
That brings us to the next in the Amazon Kindle line: the Kindle Voyage. The Kindle Voyage was Amazon’s top-shelf Kindle model up until the Kindle Oasis was released in early 2016.
It’s technically the second thinnest and lightest Kindle thanks to its thickness of 0.30 inches and its weight of 0.41 pounds. Like the Kindle Oasis, the Kindle Voyage comes with a touchscreen, high-resolution 300 PPI 6-inch display, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, and a built-in system of LED lights for dark reading.
If you’re familiar with Lotteria or KFC, you may have noticed their marketing strategy. What they do is introducing two burgers which are quite similar in ingredients but one is slightly bigger than the other, and you just need to pay a dollar extra for the big one. Who wouldn’t go for that option, right?
The Kindle Oasis and Kindle Voyage situation is the same way. Kindle Voyage acts like bait to push you to purchase a more expensive Kindle Oasis even though the two are not that much different.
Kindle Paperwhite: A Versatile Choice
The Kindle Paperwhite is without a doubt the most popular Kindle model. With twice as many pixels as the previous generation, Kindle Paperwhite has an improved high-resolution 300 PPI display for crisp, laser-quality text.
Kindle Paperwhite also offers Bookerly, an exclusive font crafted from the ground up for reading on digital screens. It’s so much better than the basic model, yet only costs marginally more.
If you’re thinking of buying your first Kindle, you cannot go wrong with a Kindle Paperwhite. It’s good for portability and long-term reading. It doesn’t skimp on any fundamental features and costs significantly less than the above models.
Kindle Basic: Best for the Price Conscious
The Kindle Basic obviously meant as an entry-level device for those who want to try e-ink technology without investing too much. It weighs 0.35 pounds, which makes it the lightest and the best of all Kindle devices for longer reading sessions where your arms are prone to wearing out.
It sure lacks some of the functionality of the pricier models, but still includes some interesting features. Even though I won’t recommend this Kindle Basic, you can still go with it if you’re really itching for an e-reader but absolutely can’t spare the dollars.
Compare Kindle E-readers
Below is a detailed breakdown of each Kindle to help you understand better whether the model you’re about to buy actually suits your reading needs.
| Kindle Oasis | Kindle Paperwhite | Kindle Basic | |
| Price | $249.99 | $129.99 | $79.99 |
| Screen size | 7 inches | 6 inches | 6 inches |
| Waterproof | ✓ | X | X |
| Resolution | 300 PPI | 300 PPI | 167 PPI |
| Battery life | 6 weeks | 6 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Storage | 8 GB or 32 GB | 8 GB or 32 GB | 4 GB |
| Built-in Light | 12 LEDs Light sensor | 5 LEDs | X |
| Page Turns | Touchscreen Buttons | Touchscreen | Touchscreen |
| Colors | Graphite Champagne Gold Aluminum back | Black | Black White |
| Weight | 194 g | 191 g | 161 g |
Read More Books with Kindle
I’ve been using Kindle for almost four years now and thanks to it, I’ve read and learned a lot more than I expected. Choosing what Kindle to buy may be quite difficult at first as there are many aspects to concern. However, once you hold a Kindle in your hand, you’ll feel that everything will be worth it.
Happy reading!