Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen has made its debut in India, priced at Rs 16,999. With a larger display, enhanced performance, and thoughtful features, the new Amazon Kindle features subtle upgrades which aims to elevate the e-reading experience. I spent some time with the device to see how it stacks up. While a full review is a few days away, here are my initial thoughts on the new Kindle, which is now on sale on Amazon India.
Table of Contents
Setting up
Setting up the Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen is pretty simple. While you can use the on-screen instructions to set up the device, doing so via your phone is a faster and easier process. You need to open the Kindle app on your phone and enable the ‘Amazon Device Simple Setup’. Ensure Bluetooth and location is services are enabled on your phone and click ‘Set up with your phone’ on the Kindle device. Follow the instructions and you’ll find yourself logged in to your Amazon account in no time.
Design and display
The first thing you’ll notice after setting up the Kindle is the new 7-inch display – the largest ever on a Paperwhite. Despite the size increase, the device remains slim and lightweight, making it comfortable to hold for extended reading sessions. I try to get most of my reading done during my metro rides to and from office, and was able to hold the Kindle with one hand throughout the duration of my trip with ease.
The narrower bezels contribute to a more immersive experience, and the high-contrast screen ensures crisp text and images. As far as the rest of the design is concerned, it’s as minimalistic as ever with just a single button at the bottom to switch on or switch off the display.
Performance
Under the hood, the dual-core processor delivers a noticeable boost in speed. Page turns are 25% faster, Amazon claims. Navigating through the library or Kindle Store feels more responsive, although it isn’t the smoothest and you can still feel some lag when scrolling through the UI, adjusting the brightness, highlighting a line, and so on. While performance upgrade should enhance the overall user experience, I’ll have more to share on how the Kindle performs over time in my full review.
Features
The adjustable warm light and dark mode options allow for comfortable reading in various lighting conditions. The device boasts an impressive battery life of up to 12 weeks on full charge. I’ll have more to say about the new Kindle’s battery life in my full review, after spending a few more days reading in various scenarios. With 16GB of storage, there’s ample space for a vast collection of eBooks.
Additional features like waterproofing add versatility, allowing you to read by the pool or in the bath without worrying about getting water on the device and damaging it. Accessibility options, including the VoiceView screen reader and dyslexia-friendly fonts, demonstrate Amazon’s commitment to inclusivity. You can also set the cover of the book you’re reading as the lock screen display, which is pretty neat.
Final thoughts
The Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen presents a compelling package for serious readers. Its larger display, enhanced performance, and reader-centric features could make it a worthy upgrade. The Kindle Paperwhite is now available in India from Rs 16,999 in Black via Amazon. You can also purchase covers for the new Kindle in Black, Marine Green, and Tulip Pink colours at Rs 1,999. While we’ll delve deeper in our full review, initial impressions suggest that Amazon has delivered a device that caters well to the needs of modern readers.
Stay tuned for my full review, where I’ll explore the Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen’s capabilities in greater detail.
