Rita says: Buy it
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Kindle Paperwhite (2024, 12th Gen)
by Amazon
$159.99
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Rita's Full Review
I'll be honest with you — I put off getting an e-reader for years, convinced I'd miss my real books. I was wrong.
The Paperwhite's 7-inch screen is a real step up from older Kindles. The text looks sharp and paper-like, not glowy and harsh, and you can adjust the size from comfortable to very large without any fuss. The warm backlight is a nice touch too — it shifts the light to an amber tone at night so you're not blasting yourself with harsh white light before bed.
It's waterproof, which means you can read in the bath or by the pool without hovering nervously. The battery lasts weeks, not days, so it just sits there ready for you. And it's noticeably faster than older models at turning pages.
The only catch is you're buying into Amazon's world — books from their store, which is enormous and often cheaper than buying physical copies.
Perfect for anyone who loves reading but struggles with small print. Not for people who prefer a proper bookshelf.
What Rita liked
- You can make the text as large as you need — no squinting, no struggling with small print
- The glare-free screen looks just like paper, even in bright sunlight outdoors
- Waterproof and durable — you can read by the pool or in the bath without worrying
- Battery lasts weeks on a single charge — not something you'll need to think about daily
What could be better
- You're tied to Amazon's bookstore — library borrowing works but takes a little setup
- No color display — it's black and white, so not ideal for magazines or picture books
- Small screen size means it's not a replacement for a tablet if you want apps or video
Key Specifications
| 7-inch glare-free display, 300 ppi (pixels per inch — that's the sharpness measure, and this is very sharp) | |
| Adjustable warm front light with 25 brightness settings | |
| IPX8 waterproof rating — survives up to 2 meters of water for 60 minutes | |
| Up to 13 weeks of battery life; 16GB storage (holds thousands of books) | |
| USB-C charging; Wi-Fi; Bluetooth for Audible audiobooks; 7.0 oz weight |