Should I buy a Kindle Oasis?

[skaertus]

I am currently using my Kindle Paperwhite (2nd gen) which I bought back in 2014 as my main e-reader. To be honest, I like the convenience of my iPhone X to read while on the go, without having to carry another device (the Kindle) around. I also appreciate the size and the sharpness of the screen in my 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

The main reason why I am using the Kindle is that it uses an e-ink display, which is easier on the eyes. I already spend a lot of time looking at the bright screens of cell phones and computers and TVs. I feel that I should either use regular books or e-ink devices to save my eyes a little bit.

The Kindle Paperwhite is OK, but not really great. It is small and has a long battery life. But I have basically three problems with it, which I would like to address:

1. I feel that 6-inch screen is too small. A regular book has pages which are usually much larger than that. I think the screen is cramped, and I use small fonts so I can look at more text at any given time.
2. The screen is too monochromatic. Yes, it is black and white, as it is supposed to be. But the white is not really paper-white; it is perhaps too bright, much brighter than regular books.
3. The pages are slow to turn. This is OK for reading one page after the other, but it is not very good when I need to go back or forth several pages, skimming for information, for instance, or trying to recall something I read on the past.

Somehow, reading on a real book feels better. The book has larger pages, which are not too bright white. So I am thinking of whether a Kindle Oasis would address these issues. I feel it is expensive for an e-reader, but it might be worth a shot.

The screen of the Kindle Oasis is larger at 7-inch; not by a lot, but still more than 30% larger. I wonder whether that would make a significant difference.

Also, I wonder whether the new Kindle Oasis which allows for adjusting color temperature could soften the discomfort of a screen too white. Although there is now color e-ink, there seem to be no signs of the release of a colorful Kindle.

Finally, I wonder whether a new Kindle would be significantly faster than the model I currently own (which was, after all, released in 2013.

So, I wonder whether I should buy a new Kindle Oasis, now that it has been released, or if it is not worth it.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

To me, this comes down to how much you prefer the e ink display for reading books over an iPad type display, even though you have a paperwhite. I am a huge reader, initially would only read real book until the first iPad, I got hooked on the availability of books, but reading for hours hurt my eyes, so switched to a kindle for books. I use my iPad all of the time, but read books on the Oasis, and the new one recently.

As for your questions, 1) The increase in screen size made a huge difference for me, probably the best change in a kindle since the early ones, I think it is a huge improvement. 2) The new Kindle Oasis screen is more true to life, but that means its more yellow then before, I think it is certainly an improvement, but it is not huge. The previous screen never bothered me reading for hours, this one maybe helps me sleep better, but could just be me. 3) I don't really remember speed of page changes, but has never been great and still isn't great, but not really something I notice anymore either, probably faster than 2013 model, but I am not sure.

Really up to your preferences, it is probably over priced, I think it is worth it as an avid reader, but I understand why it probably isn't either.

 

[skaertus]

To me, this comes down to how much you prefer the e ink display for reading books over an iPad type display, even though you have a paperwhite. I am a huge reader, initially would only read real book until the first iPad, I got hooked on the availability of books, but reading for hours hurt my eyes, so switched to a kindle for books. I use my iPad all of the time, but read books on the Oasis, and the new one recently.

As for your questions, 1) The increase in screen size made a huge difference for me, probably the best change in a kindle since the early ones, I think it is a huge improvement. 2) The new Kindle Oasis screen is more true to life, but that means its more yellow then before, I think it is certainly an improvement, but it is not huge. The previous screen never bothered me reading for hours, this one maybe helps me sleep better, but could just be me. 3) I don't really remember speed of page changes, but has never been great and still isn't great, but not really something I notice anymore either, probably faster than 2013 model, but I am not sure.

Really up to your preferences, it is probably over priced, I think it is worth it as an avid reader, but I understand why it probably isn't either.

Thank you for your input. I am more inclined to buying one after this. As much as I like the iPad and the iPhone, I use the Kindle to not hurt my eyes. I also think the Kindle has the most comprehensive library in the e-book market (I could go for a Kobo instead, but the odds are that Kindle is so widespread that it carries the lowest risk of me and a library of e-books ever getting locked in a device that stops being produced).

Does the larger screen help reading PDF files? The 6-inch screen of my Kindle Paperwhite is too small for reading PDFs, as their text cannot be adjusted in size.

What about the battery life? I heard it is much shorter than the other models. It does not have to be stellar and last for several weeks with intense use, as I intend to use it mostly at home, but I would like a battery that would last much longer than an iPad.

Do the physical buttons help to navigate? The touchscreen in the Kindle Paperwhite is not exactly precise and is sometimes annoying. I end up turning pages when I want to bring down the menu, and I constantly bring down the menu while attempting to turn pages, for instance.

Any other shortcomings? Is it good to hold with one or two hands? Would you recommend buying a case for it, or it just gets in the way without adding much benefit?

Thanks for the help.

 

[koigirl]

Please give a full review if you buy one. I too am considering replacing my older Paperwhite and going with the Oasis as well. My main concern is battery life as opposed to the Paperwhite.

 

[skaertus]

Please give a full review if you buy one. I too am considering replacing my older Paperwhite and going with the Oasis as well. My main concern is battery life as opposed to the Paperwhite.

I will. I have not ordered it yet, but I will probably do so.

 

[skaertus]

Please give a full review if you buy one. I too am considering replacing my older Paperwhite and going with the Oasis as well. My main concern is battery life as opposed to the Paperwhite.

I ordered one and it will be delivered tomorrow. I will give a review once I have it in my hands. Which Paperwhite do you have? Mine is the 2nd gen, which I bought in 2014.

Battery life should be some of a concern indeed. My Kindle Paperwhite has a 1,470 mAh battery, while the 3rd gen Oasis has only 1,130 mAh, with a larger screen with a higher resolution and more lights. The new Paperwhite has 1,500 mAh, so they could have easily put more battery in the Oasis.

My Kindle still has 39% of its battery left, and the last time I charged was last Wednesday. I understand that the battery should no longer be in its full capacity after five years, but it is still very good. If the Oasis has half of this, it should be OK. Not ideal, but I can live with that.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

I get about 3 weeks of battery life on my Oasis, so while it is not as long as previous Kindle's, it is still not a concern to me at all.

 

[koigirl]

I think mine is 3rd generation. It has such good battery life that it’s never ever an issue and I would just hate to pay so much more for something that needed charged every couple days so I will look forward to hearing about your experience. I think I would enjoy the physical buttons and the larger screen.

 

[skaertus]

I get about 3 weeks of battery life on my Oasis, so while it is not as long as previous Kindle's, it is still not a concern to me at all.

Thanks, that is helpful. I suppose you can get 3 weeks using the Oasis a lot? You mentioned you are an avid reader.

 

[skaertus]

I think mine is 3rd generation. It has such good battery life that it’s never ever an issue and I would just hate to pay so much more for something that needed charged every couple days so I will look forward to hearing about your experience. I think I would enjoy the physical buttons and the larger screen.

The 3rd gen Kindle Paperwhite has a 1,320 mAh battery, which is larger than the 1,130 mAh of the 3rd gen Oasis. By the numbers, I can imagine you will notice the difference, but I would not expect it to be huge. I will get the Kindle tomorrow, let’s see how well it goes.

 

[skaertus]

I think mine is 3rd generation. It has such good battery life that it’s never ever an issue and I would just hate to pay so much more for something that needed charged every couple days so I will look forward to hearing about your experience. I think I would enjoy the physical buttons and the larger screen.

My Kindle Oasis arrived and I have already spent some time with it. Here are my first impressions.

The first thing I noticed is the different form factor. I am more used to the Kindle Paperwhite, so it is a little strange to hold a Kindle with one of the sides larger than the other. I find myself turning it around every time (as I change hands in holding it). I prefer to hold the Kindle Paperwhite, but this may only be because I am still not used to the new one after only a few hours.

Then, we have the physical buttons. It is nicer to have physical buttons to touch instead of relying on touching the screen to turn the page (which can also be done on the Oasis). The problem here is that the buttons are not always on the side you want them to be. Sometimes, I want to turn the pages with the left hand, and sometimes with the right hand.

The second thing is that the screen is indeed larger. It is noticeable larger, which helps, especially if you reed books with tables and other graphic elements. Still, not a huge difference (it's 6" to 7", so you can figure).

The screen is also sharper, due to the higher resolution, which is also noticeable. However, this is not a big deal. The Kindle Oasis has 300 dpi and my Paperwhite has 212 dpi, and both look good.

The speed in turning pages or redrawing elements in the page seems to be equal or at least very similar to my Paperwhite. No real, significant improvement in this department.

One of the selling points is that you can regulate the warmth of the screen. It looks more natural and paper-like, but it is very subtle. However, subtle as it is, I think it begins to make some difference after reading for some time. Also, the backlight seems evener; not a huge difference as well, despite the Oasis having so much more lights.

Battery life seems to be the weakest spot. After a few hours today, the battery is down around 15%. I do not know if the battery life will improve, but if it goes like this, you could expect the battery to last less than a week (or even a couple of days) if you use it a lot.

And, of course, there is the fact that the Kindle Oasis is made of more premium materials: aluminum in the back and glass in the screen, as opposed to plastic in the Paperwhite. It does not really make any difference to me; I like the feel of the Paperwhite plastic and would not bother having it.

Together with the Kindle, I ordered a Premium Leather Cover. It is nice, and has a soft touch. I have not tested the other covers; this one is not very premium, but it is alright and should do better than the others.

Now, is it worth it? To tell the truth, I still do not know. There are some positives, especially the larger and warmer screen and the physical buttons. And there are the negatives, which are the awkward form factor, the poorer battery life, and the price.

 

[koigirl]

Those were definitely my three reservations so I will be interested to see what you decide after living with it a few days. Thanks for the initial review.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

Good writeup, interested to hear how it goes for you. I read an hour or so at least a night and get 3 weeks from mine.

 

[skaertus]

Those were definitely my three reservations so I will be interested to see what you decide after living with it a few days. Thanks for the initial review.

After a few days, I can say that the Kindle Oasis is a very nice device. It is very good for reading in bed before sleeping. It is easy on the eyes, and the warmth of the screen really helps here. After using the Oasis for a few days, it would be hard to go back to the Paperwhite. I really enjoy the bigger and better screen and the color-adjustable light.

The buttons are also very good to use, although I would still prefer them to be on both sides of the device.

The soft touch of the Oasis also helps in making it a comfortable experience.

As for the battery, it really seems to drain faster than the Paperwhite, but I can live with that. It is still much, much better than the battery on my iPad Pro and my iPhone.

 

[skaertus]

Good writeup, interested to hear how it goes for you. I read an hour or so at least a night and get 3 weeks from mine.

As for battery, I charged my Oasis this night and now it is at 100%. Let’s see how it holds up.

 

[skaertus]

Battery life is at 21% now. It is nowhere near the battery in the Paperwhite.