Tech

Amazon's all-new, waterproof Kindle Paperwhite

Thinner, lighter, twice the storage, and now it's even waterproof.

Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Senior Contributing Editor Oct. 16, 2018 at 8:07 a.m. PT

Amazon's all-new, waterproof Kindle Paperwhite

For those of us who still prefer reading on books on a device that has a glare-free display, Amazon has updated its Kindle Paperwhite ebook reader.

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The "all-new Kindle Paperwhite" (Amazon's name for it, not mine) is a significant upgrade over the previous-generation Paperwhite.

The new upgrades include:

Sleek, modern design : The all-new Kindle Paperwhite now features a flush-front design and a back made of soft, grippable material. It is also the thinnest and lightest Kindle Paperwhite to date.
Improved display: The six-inch, high resolution 300 ppi display designed to reproduce crisp, laser-quality text that reads like real paper includes five LEDs and an adjustable front light for a uniform, glare-free display designed to work under all conditions, including even direct sunlight.
Waterproof: The all-new Kindle Paperwhite IPX8 rated to protect against immersion in up to two meters of fresh water for up to 60 minutes. According to Amazon it "is designed to withstand accidental drops in the bathtub, hot tub, pool, and ocean."
Twice the storage : The base storage now starts at 8 GB, twice what the previous generation Paperwhite offered. There is also a 32GB version on offer for an extra $30.
Built-in Bluetooth : Listen to Audible content on Bluetooth devices such as speakers or headphones.

"Customers love the Kindle Paperwhite, and we're excited to bring premium features--like a thinner and lighter flush-front design, additional storage, waterproofing, and Audible--to our most popular Kindle," said Kevin Keith, Vice President, Amazon Devices. "We've also included six months of Kindle Unlimited for free so you can enjoy even more great content, including books, audiobooks, comics, and magazines. With the all-new Kindle Paperwhite, it's never been easier to get lost in a story no matter where you go."

The all-new Kindle Paperwhite is available for pre-order for $129.99 for the 8GB version and ships November 7. The 32GB version is priced at $159.99, while the 32 GB with free cellular connectivity is $249.99.

For a limited time customers will also get six months of Kindle Unlimited for free, a $60 value.