Summary
- The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) offers a phenomenal 12-week battery life.
- It includes numerous premium features like IPX8 waterproofing.
- The device is lightweight even with a large 7 inch screen.
The 2024 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is the most premium standard black and white Kindle, with features like IPX8 waterproofing, 12-week battery life, wireless charging, and dynamic front lighting. However, these premium features come at a high cost compared to other models and, in most cases, change little regarding your reading experience on the device.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024)
The 2024 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is the most premium of the standard black and white Kindle options. Features include a large 7″ screen, IPX8 waterproofing, a 12-week battery life, wireless charging, and dynamic front lighting. While the experience on this device is phenomenal, an E-reader is still an E-reader, and most premium features are largely unnecessary.
- Phenomenal 12-week battery life
- Numerous premium features like IPX8 waterproofing
- Device is lightweight even with a large 7″ screen
- Adaptable front lighting removes need to manually change brightness
- Extremely responsive screen for an E-reader with low/no ghosting
- Most premium features are unnecessary for an E-reader
- Options for colors aren’t the best
- Many meaningful specs like PPI and brightness are the same as the standard $109 Kindle
Price and Availability
The 2024 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition costs $199.99 and comes in three colors, including metallic black, metallic jade, and metallic raspberry. It is available from Amazon and Best Buy.
Setup Is Quick and Easy
Aside from annoying yet expected popup ads for Kindle Unlimited and Audible during setup, I could start reading on this Kindle quickly and easily. I unlocked the Kindle, selected a language, and then continued setting up the device in the Kindle App on my phone. All in all, it only took me two minutes to complete basic setup procedures for this Kindle, which was hastened by having done this process before on my own Kindles in the past.
I’m Not a Fan of Its Colors or Finish
My review model is the black option, but the alternative colors are jade and raspberry, bold shades of green and magenta, respectively. I find these colors to be overly loud for a device like a premium E-reader, and I find the black shade to be lackluster, too.
The standard 2024 Kindle has a much nicer alternate color in its pastel matcha green. While bright, bold colors are coming back into fashion, more subtle implementation may be better on future Kindle models. Similarly, the device’s back and bevels are a magnet for dust and fingerprints, both on the front and back, which is typical but annoying.
The Paperwhite Features a Large, Bright Display
Compared to any Kindle I’ve owned or reviewed before, my first thought was about how huge the Paperwhite is with its 7-inch display. Upon first holding the device, I worried that it would be slightly too large to comfortably hold for an extended period of time. Thankfully, due to its lightweight, these fears were unwarranted. The screen also has next to no glare, and while the bezels and back attract dust and fingerprints, the screen itself is quite resistant.
For comparison, it’s almost the same width as an iPad Mini, albeit with a shorter length, lighter weight, and significantly less maximum brightness. Even if an iPad Mini supports E-reader functionalities such as through Apple Books and the Kindle App, it will never match the battery life of a Kindle.
Battery Life Is Phenomenally Good
Because this Kindle is larger than the standard model, the battery is also larger. According to Amazon, this Kindle can last up to 12 weeks on a single charge. While this claim is a bit misleading, if you use a brightness level of 13 and read 30 minutes a day, this is double the battery life of the standard 2024 Kindle.
No matter the claims or specifics of battery, you will rarely need to charge this device, even as an avid reader.
The Paperwhite Offers Several Premium Features
In addition to the large screen and extended battery life, the Signature Edition offers numerous features to warrant its $90 premium over the standard Kindle and a few perks over the regular Paperwhite.
First, regarding features the Paperwhite and Paperwhite Signature Edition both share, the device is waterproof with an IPX8 rating that allegedly allows full, safe submersion underwater. Both options also provide an adjustable warm light, which can decrease eye strain when reading for extended durations or at night. They also feature a flush front design, meaning no dip between the screen and the bezel surrounding it. The large, 7-inch screen has little to no ghosting on page turns compared to older models.
As for features exclusive to the Signature Edition, it includes a sensor to adjust front-lighting brightness, allowing for dynamically adjusting brightness throughout the day. The colors in the Signature Edition are the same shades as the Paperwhite, but they have a metallic finish on them, too. In addition, it supports wireless charging via a separately purchased dock, ideal for a bedside location.
Last, the Paperwhite Signature Edition offers 32 GB of storage and has no ad-supported option, while the standard Kindle and Paperwhite cap at 16 GB and offer discounts for using lock screen ads.
Only a Couple of Premium Features Are Actually Consequential
Of these premium features, some are unnecessary. Wireless charging is nice, but if one charge lasts 12 weeks, it’s inconsequential with how infrequently charging becomes necessary. Storage of 32 GB is also nice, but most people will never come close to approaching even 16 GB with books alone.
The most impactful features are the IPX8 waterproofing on all Kindle Paperwhite models and the sensor for dynamic front light brightness exclusive to the Signature Edition. These actually impact how someone might use the device, and I would recommend considering your needs in these areas most when considering a more premium Kindle.
Should You Buy the 2024 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite?
No matter the bells and whistles, a Kindle is still a Kindle. The Paperwhite Signature Edition offers significant, tangible benefits over the base model, but reading is reading, no matter the screen size or additional features. When the base $109 Kindle matches the up-to-$199 Paperwhite options in brightness, storage, and pixel density—with the most noticeable difference being screen size—they provide nearly identical reading experiences at very different prices.
Unless you need the larger screen, want slightly less lag on page turns, or require the safety of IPX8 waterproofing for bath, beach, or poolside reading, most people should stick to the base model of Kindle. The Paperwhite is a fantastic E-reader, but E-readers don’t need the most fantastic specs in order to read on them.
I would not recommend this as someone’s first Kindle, but if you own a Kindle and find that features like waterproofing, ghosting on text, and dynamic front lighting might address limitations in your experience, I would absolutely urge you to get this superb E-reader. This is a fantastic device and certainly the best Kindle I’ve used, but I have no need for its premium features nor the desire to pay the requisite price.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024)
The 2024 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is the most premium of the standard black and white Kindle options. Features include a large 7″ screen, IPX8 waterproofing, a 12-week battery life, wireless charging, and dynamic front lighting. While the experience on this device is phenomenal, an E-reader is still an E-reader, and most premium features are largely unnecessary.
