Amazon has launched a new version of the Kindle Paperwhite that has the same higher-resolution screen as the Kindle Voyage, but at a lower price. It has a 6-inch display with a high pixel density of 300 ppi, bringing it up to par with the Voyage and rivals from Kobo.
However, the Paperwhite display isn’t exactly the same as the Voyage. While both are similar in terms of sharpness, the Voyage’s screen is brighter, and has more contrast. Even with a higher-resolution display, the Paperwhite manages an excellent battery life of six weeks (With 30 minutes of reading per day at light setting 10 and wireless off). According to a press release, Amazon has also improved the font-rendering engine, and has built a font from the ground up for Kindles. The Paperwhite is launching with this new font, while other Kindles will soon get a software update enabling the new font.
The font-rendering engine now introduces hyphenation, adjusting space between words to have the most words on a page while not compromising on reading experience. The new engine is focused around improving comprehension while helping you read, and it does this by reducing white space and enunciating the fonts. The engine dynamically adjusts, so you get a comfortable and fast reading experience across all font-sizes.
The new software enables eBooks to look more like their physical counterparts, i.e the layout is not messed up in the transition from physical to digital. Authors can now get their eBooks to look exactly as they intended, and these customizations also dynamically adjust based on font-size.
The new Kindle Paperwhite can be preordered now, and is launching on June 30. The Paperwhite will launch on the same date in India as well as the US, and it shows just how much importance Amazon is giving to the Indian eCommerce Industry, which has been experiencing rapid growth over the last few years.
Finally, the Paperwhite is a boon for budget-minded readers, who earlier had to splurge over Rs. 16,000 for a higher-resolution screen. But now, they get a sharper screen at the same low price: Rs. 10,990.