Amazon’s updated Kindle collection boasts both an upgraded Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite – but what’s the difference between the two popular e-readers?
While the Paperwhite was once an all-around upgrade on the regular Kindle, the playing field has been levelled in recent years.
The Kindle Paperwhite still offers a more extensive, paperwhite E Ink screen and additional benefits like longer battery life, but core elements, like a 300ppi pixel density and the inclusion of a backlit screen, are consistent among the two.
To help you decide which is the best Kindle for your needs, here’s how the Kindle Paperwhite (2024) compares to the Kindle (2024).
Pricing & availability
The Kindle (2024) is comfortably more affordable than its premium sibling, starting at £94.99/$94.99 for a version with ads, or £10/$10 more without any ads. It’s available on Amazon right now.
The Kindle Paperwhite (2024), on the other hand, starts at £159.99/$159.99 with ads, and much like the regular Kindle, it’s an additional £10/$10 if you want an ad-free version. It too is available to buy on Amazon right now.
The Kindle (2024) is more portable
The Kindle Paperwhite may have a slightly larger 7-inch canvas than the regular Kindle’s 6-inch alternative, but that means that the latter is way more portable, with a smaller screen that’ll easily fit into most bags and possibly even some pockets.
It’s not just because it has a slightly smaller footprint either; at 158g, it’s also 53g lighter than the 211g Kindle Paperwhite.
That said, the Kindle Paperweight is a smidge thinner than the Kindle, measuring 7.8mm and 8mm respectively, though we double that’d be a big enough difference to have much of a knock-on effect in day-to-day use.
The Kindle Paperwhite (2024) has more advanced display tech
As hinted at by the name, the big difference between the Kindle Paperwhite and the regular Kindle is the display tech. While the standard Kindle uses a greyscale E Ink screen, the Kindle Paperwhite has a white E Ink screen, with the latter bringing the reading experience even closer to its real-world equivalent.
It has a brilliantly white screen for reading Kindle books and additional benefits like a warm reading mode designed for late-night reading, reducing the blue light generated by the backlight. Judging by previous iterations of Kindle Paperwhite, it’s certainly a little more natural and easier on the eyes than the regular Kindle’s greyscale alternative.
However, unlike early versions of the Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite, the two now share many of the same technologies, including the same 300ppi pixel density, 16GB of storage, and even a built-in front light for nighttime reading. Even the latest updates, like a 25% brighter screen and faster page-turning, are shared among the two e-readers.
It really does boil down to the E Ink screen tech – and a couple of other unrelated features we’ll come to shortly.
The Kindle Paperwhite (2024) has better battery life
With a larger 7-inch screen leading to a larger chassis, the Kindle Paperwhite can squeeze in a larger battery than the 6-inch Kindle. That means the Kindle Paperwhite can last up to 12 weeks on a single charge even with a slightly larger screen to power.
The standard Kindle, on the other hand, has up to six weeks of battery on a single charge. That’s not an insignificant difference between the two, essentially meaning you’ll have to charge the regular Kindle twice for every single charge of the Kindle Paperwhite – though both will easily outlast regular tech like tablets.
If you often reach for your e-reader only to find that its battery is completely flat, the Paperwhite’s boosted battery life might appeal to you.
The Kindle Paperwhite (2024) is waterproof
Lastly, the Kindle Paperwhite offers IPX8 water resistance, which means that it can withstand a few splashes and be submerged in up to 1.5m of water for up to half an hour.
It’s unlikely that anyone will intentionally take their Kindle Paperwhite for a swim, but it does provide added peace of mind for those who like to read at the beach or by a pool.
The regular Kindle, for comparison, offers no kind of water resistance at all, leaving it vulnerable to even slight splashes of water.
Early Verdict
The core Kindle experience – downloading thousands of books from the Kindle store for on-the-go reading – is consistent among the two. However, the additional features, like choosing between a white and greyscale E Ink screen, and water resistance, will sway your buying decision one way or the other.
The Kindle Paperwhite looks to be the more capable of the two, with its paperwhite E Ink screen, longer battery life, larger screen and water resistance, but it’s also comfortably more expensive than the regular Kindle.
Whether these additional features are worth it will likely depend on your specific scenario, but we’ll reserve our final thoughts for once we’ve thoroughly tested both of Amazon’s latest Kindles.
