The latest Kindle Paperwhite is still available for its best price yet at Amazon and elsewhere | Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge
Despite the arrival of Amazon’s latest entry-level Kindle, the Kindle Paperwhite remains one of the best e-readers on the market. Currently, you can still find the ad-supported model of the 8GB Kindle Paperwhite discounted to $94.99 at Amazon (normally $139.99). The ad-free model is also available for $114.99 through Amazon instead of $159.99. If you’re doing your shopping elsewhere, you can find the ad-supported model discounted to $94.99 at Best Buy, and Target as well. While 8GB can still hold roughly 2,000 individual pieces of literature, if you’re planning on using your Paperwhite to listen to audiobooks, there are also substantial discounts on the 16GB model, lowering the price of the $149.99 ad-supported model to $99.99, and the ad-free version to $119.99 (normally $169.99).
While the continued lack of physical buttons is a bit irksome, the latest model of the Paperwhite still includes a number of subtle but welcome improvements. The 300ppi, 6.8-inch E ink display on the Paperwhite now has an adjustable color temperature to reduce eye strain, can last for months on a single charge, and has finally adopted the USB-C charging standard, allowing it to top off its battery faster than before. Just like previous models of the Paperwhite, the 2021 version still has an IPX8 waterproof rating, so you won’t have to abandon your bathtime buddy on dry land.
The Paperwhite does have support for a number of eBook files, including EPUB, PDF, and MOBI, but still lacks an intuitive way to access free book-lending services like OverDrive or Libby. While you can get your books somewhere else, it’s clear that the Paperwhite wants you to shop at Amazon’s ebook store.