Until now, I continue to believe that the Amazon Kindle is simply the best. While we usually do not tend to consciously compare such products, Kindle, in my opinion, is without an iota of doubt the best for e-book readers.
The Kindle series comprises an entry-level Kindle dubbed the Kindle PaperWhite, and the Kindle Oasis, which is also touted as the flagship benchmark in this popular lineup.
Without prior notice, Amazon updated the Kindle Oasis a few months ago. I was finally able to catch a glimpse of this flagship e-book reader device in Beijing. Just a month after that, I am ready to review the upgraded e-book reader on various parameters.
Let’s review the parameters of the new Kindle Oasis:
Size: 159mm * 141mm * 3.4mm (the thickest part 8.3mm)
Screen: A new generation of 7-inch electronic ink screen, 300ppi, 16 grayscale
Storage: 8GB / 32GB
Weight: 188 grams
Battery life: Read half an hour every day, turn off wireless, brightness Up to 13 weeks of battery life.
The fastest step to showcasing the new Kindle is to adjust the color temperature.
The first change that grabbed my attention is the reading light. If you were to show your friend or colleague what the new Kindle Oasis can do without wasting a lot of time, all you need to do is to simply turn the 13 warm light reading lights on. The warm color of the eyes represents it in the best possible way.
The eye protection propaganda has been doing the rounds both online, as well as offline for over ten years. Unlike previously launched models that emitted only white light, the latest e-book readers include warm light to changeable temperature.
The new Kindle Oasis comes with 24 levels of color temperature, coupled with a blend of 12 white LEDs and 13 warm LEDs. What is the big idea behind having 25 lights? Well, the new Kindle Paperwhite features just five LED lights, and Oasis has five times.
As someone who fancies reading in an all-white environment, this seems to be a pure state. It is worth noting that when you adjust the color temperature, you’d notice that the warm light at a low level is surprisingly subtle.
On the downside, you are likely to feel little unevenness when you see carefully. As you increase the color temperature, the warm light gets brighter, but the color temperature becomes unbalanced. This irregularity will eventually fade out.
While for me, personally, the color temperature even halfway to the night feels uncomfortable; however, someone who prefers a warm screen will surely like it as it resembles an old book feeling under warm light. Regrettably, due to natural light, the effect is invisible even indoors during the day unless you turn the warm light to maximum. When the sun sets, you can re-adjust the color temperature for a better viewing experience.
You can set warm light to turn on automatically when the sun sets, or any other specific time. Based on your location information (derived using network location), Oasis will determine the time the sun rises and sets. Much to my chagrin, when I turned the automatic brightness adjustment on, the position and light did not change. Interestingly, you have the option to optimize the backlight even when it is turned off.
Just like its predecessor, the new model sports a 7-inch E-Ink ink screen with 300 PPI (pixels per inch). Thanks to the high PPI, when I reduced the font size, the screen was still quite easy to read. Aside from reading, the UI interface will have more information density as compared to other readers like the PaperWhite. Hardly anything has changed compared to old models.
The screen hasn’t just undergone a radical overhaul in terms of appearance. The new Kindle Oasis features a newfangled E-Ink ink screen. The page refresh rate is 20 percent faster than previously launched models, thanks to the refresh rate of the ink screen.
The sophisticated yet similar body design
If you need to make a product that doesn’t boast an impressive array of features and top-end specifications highly appealing, just make it elegant and beautiful.
Both, Apple Watch Series 4 and iPad Pro 11 aren’t feature-rich devices, nor do they offer something to shout about in terms of functionality. Nevertheless, it is still hard for many consumers to refrain from buying these products. Kindle Oasis falls into the same category.
While the market is brimming with a slew of more advanced e-book readers, consumers are still likely to go for the Kindle Oasis, thanks to its eye-catching aesthetics. It continues to garner popularity among e-book readers since 2017.
While you can disagree that Kindle has enabled you to read more books, you simply can’t deny that it looks stunning. It will be hardly surprising if people dump PaperWhite and decide to shell out extra money on the Kindle Oasis just because of its awe-inspiring design.
Nevertheless, the new model retains the previous generation’s integrated metal body design. Moreover, unlike the bulkier older model that weighed in at 194g, the new version is theoretically lighter, weighing in at just 188g, which is exactly how much the iPhone 7 Plus weighs.
If you don’t plan to hold it for a longer period, this weight is still manageable. The physical page-turning button is quite unconventional for e-book readers; however, once you get used to it, you might not prefer clicking on the screen as it might affect your overall reading experience.
The panel in the page-turning section is too smooth, in my opinion. As a result, sweat usually remains there and you need to ensure you clean it, again and again, to avoid dust from settling on it. The texture of the one-piece metal body is relatively different than that of plastic and skin-like materials. It won’t be easy to use it as a “skin-skinned” Kindle version of Kindle PaperWhite 4. It is highly recommended that you use a protective case to use it more confidently.
Waterproof, and no change in interface and network
After the PaperWhite 4 was designed to be able to withstand accidental splashes of water, waterproofing has been made available for the Kindle Oasis series as well. Keeping in line with that, the new series supports IPX8 waterproof. In other words, you can carry it to the pool with you, sip cold soda, and read your favorite book without worrying about damaging it due to unforeseen spatters.
But I still don’t recommend that you let it be drained with water all day long. After all, “waterproof splashing is not handcuffed” is also the experience of all the waterproofing equipment. You don’t often want to take a bath or at the beach. Use it when you need it because the screen will appear random and chaotic after the water is splashed. More water resistance is just a strategy used for peace of mind.
As far as the battery life is concerned, the Kindle Oasis is “reading for half an hour every day, turning off the wireless, and running for 13 weeks under the brightness level,” according to the official description of the product. This description seems to be quite similar to the description of the previous generation, which suggests there is no change. With mild use, it should work for about a month.
Despite introducing the beautifully designed Kindle Oasis, it looks like Amazon isn’t taking this e-reader segment quite seriously, given that it has opted to keep the design same. Even the 20-year Micro-USB interface hasn’t yet been replaced with a USB-C.
The aforesaid shortcomings stop the Oasis from becoming a better reader. The battery life isn’t something to shout about either, and it doesn’t offer enough power to justify the series. As if that weren’t enough, it is still unable to connect 5G WiFi. Since I use 2.4G and 5G WiFi dual-open, I was able to access the huge bookstore behind Amazon Mall.
The most preferred way to read nowadays is with e-books. Whether or not Kindle is an ideal e-book is not important as reading e-books is becoming a part of our fast-paced lives. Aside from enhancing people’s knowledge, e-book reading is also increasing their possessiveness.
I do not fancy reading an e-book using the Kindle. The iPad Pro allows me to access the MS Paint and MS Office anywhere, and I don’t think the Apple Watch Series 4 can replace that for me. Nevertheless, I think they are all good.
While choosing Kindle PaperWhite 4 is a good idea, many consumers buy other readers simply for their appealing design.
Source: iFanr.com
