Kindle Paperwhite Vs. Signature Edition: Should You Spend $140 Or $190?
The Kindle Paperwhite is an excellent e-reader for $140 — but is the upgraded Signature Edition worth an extra $50? Here’s a closer look at the two.
By Joe Maring
Published Jan 15, 2022
The current Kindle Paperwhite is one of the best e-reader values on the market, but when deciding to buy Amazon’s mid-tier Kindle, should you get the regular version or the pricier Signature Edition? In the past few years, Amazon’s matured its hardware offerings in really amazing ways. Today, Amazon makes Android tablets, smart speakers, fitness bands, wireless earbuds, and even personal robots. For a company that started out selling books online in the 1990s, it’s been a pretty dramatic shift to witness.
Before any of those gadgets mentioned above, Amazon got its hardware start with its Kindle e-readers. The first Kindle made its debut in 2007. It wasn’t the first e-reader ever released, but that original Kindle (and its numerous successors) quickly made Amazon a top player in the niche. In 2022, one of the best Kindles currently available is the Kindle Paperwhite. It has a compact design, capable features, and a tempting MSRP of just $140. Alongside it, however, is also the $190 Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. Both e-readers look virtually identical and share a lot of similar features — so what makes the Signature Edition worth the extra $50? Here’s a closer look.
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At their core, the regular Kindle Paperwhite and the Signature Edition are effectively the same. Both feature an ultra-lightweight design, a 6.8-inch touchscreen display, and an IPX8 rating that keeps the e-readers protected against fresh and seawater. Battery life is the same, too. Users of either Kindle can expect up to 10 weeks of use per charge. When the battery does eventually die, there’s a USB-C port for refueling. Furthermore, the software experience is identical whether someone buys the regular Kindle Paperwhite or the Signature Edition. Both Kindles support e-books, audiobooks, Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited subscription, free library rentals from Libby, and integrated access to Goodreads.
Why The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition Is Better
So what makes the Signature Edition worth the extra $50? It all comes down to a few small hardware improvements. For starters, it has more room for your virtual library. The regular Kindle Paperwhite is equipped with 8GB of storage, whereas the Signature Edition has 32GB. The 8GB in the normal Kindle Paperwhite is enough space for folks exclusively reading e-books. However, if you want to download multiple audiobooks at a time, the extra storage is probably reason enough to get the Signature Edition.
Another perk of the Paperwhite Signature Edition is its automatic light adjustment. Both models have 17 LEDs to change the brightness and temperature of the screen’s light. Where users of the normal Paperwhite have to make these changes manually, the Signature Edition has an ambient light sensor that does this automatically based on the room it’s in. And, last but not least, only the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition pairs its USB-C port with Qi wireless charging. If someone has a Qi charging pad or stand in their house, they can place the Signature Edition on top of it and charge its battery without plugging in any cables.
Ultimately, this decision comes down to one crucial thing: storage. There’s no way to expand the Paperwhite’s memory after buying it. If someone thinks there’s even a possibility they’ll go beyond the standard 8GB of room, spending an extra $50 for the Signature Edition is money well spent. The automatic light adjustment and wireless charging are nice perks to go along with it, but they aren’t nearly as critical as the quadrupled storage amount. Not everyone needs to make that upgrade (especially if they’re mostly using e-books instead of audiobooks), but it’s an important thing to consider before pulling the trigger.
Next: Amazon Echo Show 15 Review
Source: Amazon
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About The Author
Joe Maring
(1650 Articles Published)
Joe has been actively writing and talking about consumer tech since 2012. His biggest passion lies with smartphones, but he’s happy to talk your ear off about just about anything with a CPU. He lives in Kalamazoo, MI with his wife, two cats, and pit bull/boxer mix.