Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition Review - Not Worth It.
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- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- Today, we do a review of the new 2021 Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. We talk about all the key features that make this device better than the regular Kindle Paperwhite, and I also explain why I think it's NOT worth the upgrade.
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My Kindle Paperwhite Review: • NEW Kindle Paperwhite ...
Kindle Storage Capacity video: • Will Your Kindle Run O...
0:00 Video Starts
0:46 Pricing
1:01 Advertisements
1:57 Storage Capacity
3:11 Ambient Light Sensor
3:51 Wireless Charging
6:27 My Final Thoughts
Disclosure: Some links in the description may be affiliate links, which earn me a commission for qualifying purchases. I'm also a participant in the Amazon Associates program. To learn more, you can read my affiliate transparency disclaimer here: go.maneetpaul.com/affiliate-d...
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While I agree the added features aren’t needed, the “nice to haves” are worth considering being ereaders can last a very long time. My paperwhite 2 was still fully working after 7 years of use before I traded it in for the signature. I finally upgraded for the warm light, but given the option to help stop me fidgeting with the brightness and being I was already planning on removing the ads the extra $30 was reasonable.
In Canada we don't have the ads, so the extra $50 was too hard to justify for me.
One of the biggest considerations for purchasing the SE for me was the storage space for someone that enjoys reading manga/comics as well as novels. 8gb is probably more than you'll ever need if you read solely novels but gets used up quite quickly with graphic novels. This is why the 32gb storage has been available much longer in the Japanese market as the Paperwhite "Manga Edition".
Just another consideration I'd like to point out if someone is deciding and enjoys graphic novels, which I will add read excellently on the Paperwhite. Maybe it would be worth doing a review on using a Kindle for graphic novels as there is specific functionality and operations specifically for this purpose that you have not yet touched on in any of your videos.
I maxed out the 8 gig with my manga 😭 got the SE on prime day the day before yesterday for $125
Fully agreed with your take mate. Got myself the regular Kindle Paperwhite for €125. So far really happy with it. The speed, the light uniformity and the overal comfort of the device are amazing!
I checked when I ordered the standard 8 gig model today and it was on March 4th of this year. It’s been a fantastic device and have had zero issues.
You are correct sir that the estimated 5.97 Gig that shows remaining in the device storage screen has been more than enough. Ive read 27 books since that date and it shows 5.96 available.
So yeah! Didn’t need to spend the extra $50.00 for the signature. I can buy more ebooks for that money.
Thanks for a great video.
I agree. I chose to get the regular new Kindle Paperwhite with the ads instead of the Signature edition. The ads don’t really bother me too much as they appear on the Lock Screen and with the new upgraded screen layout, you can avoid seeing them completely if you switch to the Library tab which is where I keep it. All the other added features in the Signature edition are unnecessary and I knew I didn’t need them. I love the new Paperwhite it’s a keeper.
Hey dude , love your reviews! Just ordered a kindle paperwhite 2021 edition ( we only have the non add edition and the signature edition for it in India ) . Very excited to finally upgrade from the 2015 kindle paperwhite :)
Nice!! Enjoy it! Thank you for watching 🙌🏽
Ordered the 2021 basic 8Gb model with ads removed but I have to wait a few weeks before delivery here in the UK. It must be selling well for Christmas! Thanks for the great reviews!
I just ordered the one with ads, then instantly paid to remove them when it arrived the next day. Saved me waiting weeks and the result was *exactly* the same, and the price was the same too.
I own the Signature edition and the regular Kindle PW 11th Gen. I must confess, I thought I didn’t mind advertising until I see the difference. Not only can I have my book cover on the sleep screen, but the little known reality is that with sponsored ads, every time I turn on the Kindle, the ad page is there and I must swipe to get rid of it and there’s even a tiny lag beyond just the swipe! With no sponsored ads, I turn on the Kindle and instantly go to my prior page of reading. Over the course of a couple years of using the Kindle, this little nuisance easily makes me want no sponsored ads from here on out.
That little swipe to unlock page is super annoying. It's worth removing the sponsored offers just for this purpose. Totally agree!
Got my first kindle (Kindle Basic with front light) a few days ago and can't be happier. I know people have different needs but my sole purpose of buying a kindle was to read at night with ease (not to mention the convenience) and the 8GB of this basic kindle serves it very well. As it's the first time ever for me reading on an e-ink display, I barely notice the lower pixel density of the display. Of course I thought about considering the paperwhite because of the waterproofing, warm light and higher resolution display. But as a student who's on a budget and just wants to read books, I think I made the right choice. Got it for just under 50$ on black friday sale. I feel like they could've just added the warm filter to the basic Kindle but they didn't just to keep it as a selling point for the paperwhite.
I like my signature, but if you are on a budget then the baseline is just as good. I like the wireless charging for the signature (less cords on my nightstand), I like that I can have my current book on the lockscreen.
I also love that I don’t have to adjust the light, that I have it set up to where it automatically adjusts at a certain time.
After 8 years, my Paperwhite 2 with 2GB still has plenty of space available, so to the regular version is more than enough. That being said, I 100% bought the SE 😁
It’s been awesome and the auto brightness works great for me. I’m right in the middle of The Expanse series. 👍
I’ve tried to charge the kindle with 3 different Qi chargers that stand up and I can say that the coils of the kindle are in the same spot as any phone. So it works perfectly with Qi charging. Also if you have an iPhone you actually need another charging cable for that, so that’s 2 different cables. With the Qi charger you can charge both
Couldn’t agree more. The regular 8GB Paperwhite is more than enough. The wireless charging and auto-brightness are beyond overrated. I couldn’t think of two features more useless for a kindle lol. And the extra storage is so unnecessary unless you plan on downloading a ton of audiobooks and graphic novels which lets be honest, Kindles aren’t the device you’d ideally want those on anyways.
The auto brightness is especially annoying. When you go into the sun, it incrrases the brightness. As if Amazon didn't know e-ink is designed to use natural light to its advantage.
@@NHO12209 exactly! And how hard it is really to adjust the brightness manually?! Lol humans can be lazy as hell.
@@NHO12209 You are wrong here and you can try it yourself. The front light is what makes the Kindle AMAZING in the sun light.
The extra storage would have been worth it if Amazon made the device compatible with immersion reading
The auto brightness is underated actually... it works great for me... also I think the signature is 20% faster... with bigger storage and the wireless charging, it is superior and the marketing strategy is on point... you even get ads free... for me is worth it
My Wife bought me a refurbished 2018 PW 4 with 32 Gig of space earlier this summer as an anniversary gift. I am complexly thrilled to have this kindle model as a gift and it works perfectly. I’ve read all about the PW 5 and PW 5 signature edition. I do appreciate this video describing the differences and in my opinion pointing out that for a high Majority of E-Book readers like me the standard edition is the better choice.
Save your $40.00 and buy more books or get Kindle unlimited for another 4 months. I’d think you’d get a better value for your money. He’s right about the storage needs. I had a PW 3 since 2017 and never came close to filling the 4 Gig of space it had. Now there’s 8 gig with about 6 Gig free which is plenty of space for just reading e-books. The only reason my PW4 has 32 gig is it was the refurbished model that was available at the time.
Whatever model you have it’s great to be a kindle owner!!!
Got the new kindle for 105 with the warmlight! I'm sooo happy 😊 it's huge for my little hands and I love that you can schedule the warm light to automatically turn on at night
Nice!! Enjoy your new Kindle! That warm light feature is game changing!
I was hesitant to get paperwhite but now i will def get it, THANK U!
This was so helpful thank you
I’ve had my Signature Edition for about two weeks. Thoroughly enjoying it. I’ve read three books and at 51% battery.
I almost always buy the top of the line model. The extra $50 isn’t a lot to me, but I can understand how it could make a difference to some users. I have the wireless charger but I have only used it once the first day out of the box.
Totally understand that. If money isn't an issue, then paying a little extra isn't a big deal. Glad to hear you're enjoying it!
@@Maneetpaul You should know that wireless charging is wasteful and a useless technology. It's only there to fool the gullible.
I nearly got the Signature Edition until I realized that it doesn't support immersion reading. The ability to listen to audiobooks while reading would have been worth the upgraded storage, but since I'll have to use another device to listen and read anyway, I decided to save the money and get the regular Paperwhite
I bought a Clara HD for Christmas as a backup reader while they were on sale, deciding to hold off for another year to see if Amazon releases a reasonably priced cover, and stops gouging us with ad removal. I'm betting I'll get to keep hoping my old 7th gen paperwhite just keeps chugging along though.
I "downgraded" from Oasis to the normal Paperwhite, asked nicely for a removal of the Ads in support chat and I couldn't be happier! I do not need wireless charging, automatic brightness pisses me off and I don't plan to fill it with gigabytes of Audiobooks :D
Just traded my 2014 Paperwhite in for the Signature. The main reason I went with Signature over regular PW is the shipping time was 7-9 weeks for the regular and that's just too long. I look forward to the upgraded ppi and software support again but hey 8.5 years with one device isn't bad.
I got the kids edition because it was on sale. But as a manga reader I really wanted the extra storage that the signature edition offers.
Sorry if this has been covered by your detailed PW 5 signature edition video, but I've heard that the signature model doesn't have a dictionary preinstalled in it. And also there is no back 'button'. Can you confirm this?
I have not finished watching all your videos yet so this may have been asked. Do you know of a way to get previously purchased audio/ebooks not purchased from Amazon on the kindle PW?
kobo aura one also has ambient light sensor and warm light for night reading.
SE is totally worth it to me, the wireless charging is nice, even on a device like the kindle that doesn't need to be charged to often.
Can you please demonstrate exactly how audio books sound and function on the signature?
I bought the Kindle signature edition last week from amazon for the same price as the standard kindle so I'm really happy with that
The Signature Edition is my very first Kindle, and I don’t mind at all the extra 50$ price tag.
The wireless charging is useful to me considering I have a wireless charger on my night stand. I don’t want to be bothered adjusting the brightness every so often. I feel like the lock screen ads would be annoying (especially if they are tailored to things I read, which would be primarily romance books…I don’t want pictures of half naked people on my lock screen thanks 😂)
I absolutely love having a Kindle and I am probably not gonna go back to physical books, atleast until I get an apartment and have more shelf space! Being able to read in the dark is enough of a reason for me to prefer Kindle over physical books 😬😌
Exactly try paying 50 to any other company for 4x the storage upgrade.That alone is worth it. plus 20 dollars taken off for no ads. It is like 30 dollars to go from 8 to 32 gb of storage. Is it needed no but try going from a 256gb iPhone to 512 or even 1TB it is not going to be a 20-50 dollar increase. My point is for a few extra dollars you are getting way more than you would with any other company
It's actually a $30 difference. 8gb model you have to pay $20 for the ads to be removed if Amazon won't do it for free. $30 different for Qi wireless charging and auto brightness is worth it and more memory.
What if the difference is 10 usd like now on prime day? Also, does the signature bring usb c or is only wireless?
Can you do a video comparing the new covers such as the cork, fabric & leather cover and which one you think is the best? Thank you!
Coming next week!
I also would like to see this video glad to see it is in the works.
you just saved me $30! thanks! also, great video and thanks for the time stamps!
Glad it helped! Thanks for watching, Geffry!
No ads. Good. 32GB just gives me peace of mind about space. I already have 1200 books waiting to be loaded not including all the PDFs.
Hi robert
I buy the regular one ☺️ I nicely ask for the ads removed and they charge me 22$ but then received an email saying that they are gonna remove the charge since I’m a valuable costumer!!! Yay 😃 thanks Amazon 🥰
I have gone from the Voyage to the new paperwhite, I find the Voyage has better ergonomics, lighter to hold and the page turn buttons are really wonderful. The paperwhite has reduced bezels, whilst great on the news macbook pro they are not great at all on the paperwhite as half my thumb is on the screen. This new paperwhite is very badly designed, even the power button is in the wrong place. I would like Amazon to go back to the Voyage and simply release an updated version of that for us please. That was perfection right there. The size of the screen doesn't matter when you have page turn buttons as with a squeeze of your rested thumb you can simply change the page, that requires no effort.
I just got the 16gb paperwhite this week and am loving it. Previously was reading my ebooks on my phone or iPad. I did debate getting the signature edition but honestly the only big difference was the wireless charging and auto adjusting screen. I don’t need the auto adjusting and I don’t have a wireless charger. Everything uses usb-c anyway so everything shares the same charger. I’ve actually not even charged the kindle yet now that I think about it 😅. I don’t plan on storing thousands of books at a time on my kindle either so storage isn’t an issue. Only got the 16gb because I wanted the agave green color 😂. I got mine on prime 2 day this past week without adds and the matching case for it for still less than the price of the signature edition.
Hey Bro, Does kindle require a case? I have ordered PPW based on your review and it is my first kindle. Wondering whether I should order a case before I receive the kindle (I use my phone without case and tab with case :| ).
Hey Praveen! Congrats on ordering your new Kindle!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I would recommend getting a simple case, yes. It makes holding the device a bit more "grippy" and also hides the fingerprints on the back. I have a video about cases here: czcams.com/video/33rurNjqJwU/video.html
Got the signature edition, since it´s my first Kindle, I got it for the extra memory, only got the ad-free version in Mexico. No audible support here either... which really sucks.
PW5 Kids edition is the best variant. 2 year warranty and No ads and comes with a case.
Does the new Paperwhite support 5 GHz WiFi? Thanks!
Black Friday sale on kindles Right now I jumped on the signature edition for 129
I mean, I don't know. I think it depends on the person. I'm not looking for a new Kindle right now but if I were I'd at least consider this signiture edition. I tend to fiddle with the brightness quite a lot so it would be nice to have autobrightness assuming it works well. Having no ads is also nice and I would probably pay the $20 to have them removed at some point anyway. Wireless charging is by no means essential but it's nice to have as an alternative. I already have a wireless charging pad for my phone which should work fine with a larger device. I could have one device plugged in via calbe and the other sitting on the wireless charging pad. The 32GB of storage would be totally overkill for me though.
There was a one day sale of the PW 2021 Kids edition on Friday for $109.00. It’s the standard edition same hardware just with a kids Home Screen that you can turn off. I bought that kindle and plan to remove e the kid Home Screen.
Anyways I commented about 3 months ago that my PW 4 was the 32gig model I could never fill. I’ve had that kindle coming up on a year. I don’t have audiobooks, manga, or comics on my kindle. Once I buy a book I keep it on the kindle all the time. After a year I still have used less than 300 megabytes, that’s 1/3 of 1 Gig. the kindle shows I have 26.9 Gigs of free space. So yea dropping down to 8 gigs with about 6 free to start will be plenty on the 2021 version.
The rest of the features of the signature that includes ambient light and wireless charging are “meh” for me. The kids edition doesn’t even come with Ads to start with so that’s a nice bonus.
I agree with Maneetpaul that the extra 50 just isn’t worth it. Even with ads you just have to swipe once to get rid of them on your Lock Screen. I don’t mind that myself and never took them off the 2018 PW 4 I have.
Save the $50.00 and buy more ebooks or use it to try a streaming service for 4 months like peacock, or paramount +. I just picked two random channels as an example.
Thanks Maneetpaul for a great video!!! Helped me with my decision to stick to the standard edition.
The Kids edition is a great choice! I ended up making a whole video about it. So glad you're enjoying your Kindle, and thanks for sharing your experience!!
I was torn between the two, but the new Paperwhite went on sale for $104 on Black Friday (but not the Signature edition). My decision was made.
Signature edition went on sale for $150 at Best buy.
$104 for regular edition but you have to pay $20 to remove ads. So pretty close
I wonder how the auto brightness works considering the kindle is best readable at bright environments. Is it the opposite of smartphones, dimming at bright ambients?
I never thought about that. Yes you’re right. It’s the opposite of smartphones and normal tablets. My Kindle always dims in bright environment and only lights up when it gets dark
I was told by the seller that the SE can give a dimmer warm light effect in a dark room compared to the non-SE Kindle (which also as warm light function). I am looking for one that’s really dim in a dark room. Is what I was told true?
I would like to know ALSO
I just found a mint condition signature edition with a leather case for $100 on facebook marketplace. Got extremely lucky.
I have the Oasis and just bought my wife the new Paper White on Cyber Monday for $105!!
Watching this as I just bought the signature model lol. But Lucky me, I bought it during prime day so I only paid 134! That’s less than the original price of the 8GB paper white
Got the 32gb version I love it I always download all my kindle books
well, I bought the signature edition bc he has a discount now and it costs like paperwhite
I went and got the signature and love it. The charging dock I keep by my bed so I always know where it is.
The main reason I got it was the screen and the storage size. It holds my 50 audio, 820 books, 35 manga and 91 newspapers and still has 12 gig to expand.
I’ve pretty much retired my Kobo Sage for this reader.
Great reviews and thanks!
When you add all the features, it seems a good deal to get.
Audio books takes much more storage.
If you plan to have half Audio and half text, the storage is helpful.
That plus the add free is enough for me.
The auto-adjustment is a perk.
The wireless charging is usless for me
I have noticed a lot of people like to listen to audiobooks and read at the same time. This is something I'll need to try myself. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
@@Maneetpaul Really? In Kindle or Kindle app on android/ios Phone? 🤯🤯🤯
@@arvi8843 it works great on the kindle app with android.
Not sure if it works the same on Kindle but if not, that is a big miss for Kindle.
@@Maneetpaul I enjoy reading and having the audio book at the same time but my main use for it is going from book to audio and back.
For example, I start to read and get hungry, so I switch to audio to cook, them back to reading while i eat, then back to audio while i do the dishes, and back to the book when done.
It keeps track of my place to make it fairly seemless.
My other great use for audio is on the road.
Any long drive feels half as long when listening to a good book.
@@michaelreed649 Thank you. I just ordered my first kindle since reading via phone's kindle app is straining my eyes. I would like to apply what you're doing of ebook + audio 🤣.
If, like me, you can't stand the ads, the delta is only $30. So go signature.
I personally don't agree with your statement about people charging their kindle every few weeks. Amazon's numbers are based on a paltry thirty minute read per day. Your average kindle reader isn't going to read for just 30 minutes a day, especially if you have, say a train commute daily. I, read on average 3-3/12 hours daily. I charge my kindle weekly. I agree that the Signature is over-priced for what it has extra. Looking forward to unwrapping my new kindle paperwhite Christmas morning.
I agree. I couldn't justify the cost. Who cares about wireless charging too when it requires an extra accessory and I can't use my existing wireless chargers? Plus you only need to charge it like once a month so.... what's the bother?
Thank you. Now I know it's ok for me to buy a normal edition and save some bucks.
Agreed. Wireless charging is completely unnecessary and actually kinda stupid.
1. I've NEVER had a Kindle battery last for WEEKS, A week, maybe, nut nor WEEKS.
2. You know there are these AMAZING things called charging pads. They are flat disc's that will charge ANYTHING that charges wireless.
3. I FULLY AGREE that 32GB is really more than you'll ever need unless you have a LIBRARY of audiobooks, or a HUGE amount of ebooks, which, unless you are ridiculously rich or don't actually pay for a d collect ebooks.
4. If you have a full-functional Kindle of any sort that you love, upgrading to this is just silly.
5. I HONESTLY considered it. The ONLY REAL features are the USB C and warm light features.
Sounds worth to me
Not worth the increase in price. Doesn't add anything beyond a few perks you can live without.
Defect from the amoazon stable?
A very important thing that you didn't mention, and on the basis of which I can say that the designer or originator of the light sensor was/is a moron, ignorant, and I'm even more irritated by the fact of paying people for such a fucked up job. As far as I know (or maybe I'm an idiot) in sunny weather the phone screen is poorly visible, the sensor turns up the lighting to the maximum to improve visibility - understandable. However, the ereader screen works completely differently, it is clearly visible in full lighting. When we move to a dark room, the sensor should work and brighten the reader so that we can read (unlike the phone where the sensor reduces the light intensity). Logical, but not for everyone. I can be an idiot, a moron or whatever. I'll take it on board. I bought the 32gb version because I don't like being restricted. The light sensor is such a forced addition, but if there is something, I require it to work sensibly, as intended. I understand that if I go out with the reader into the yard, it still needs to light up because it can't be seen on this type of screen?
Have nice day :)
$189-$139 = $50 not $40
You paid $20 extra for the ad-free version and an extra $20 over the standard cover for the cork cover. Your actions argue against the main point of your review. Why not just get the standard cover and pay $10 extra for the Signature version?
I bought all the items because I make CZcams videos about them!
@@Maneetpaul With the choices that you showed us you like, it’s only $10 more for the signature with a regular cover. At $10 more, I am definitely getting the Signature.
@@johnmanley4528 I'm a little confused on how you're coming to that number. A baseline Kindle PW costs $139, plus $20 to remove ads, you're now at $159. That's still $30 cheaper than the SE (that starts at $189). Buying a cover does cost $30 more, but you would need to get that for the SE too, so the price difference is still $30.
@@johnmanley4528 I'm a little confused on how you're coming to that number. A baseline Kindle PW costs $139, plus $20 to remove ads, you're now at $159. That's still $30 cheaper than the SE (that starts at $189). Buying a cover does cost $30 more, but you would need to get that for the SE too, so the price difference is still $30.
@@Maneetpaul What you have showed us that you like is the baseline PW + $20 to remove ads and the cork cover, which is $50 vs the standard $30 fabric cover. The cork cover is nice, but I would pay $10 more, get the standard cover and the SE. Your argument for the baseline model is not all that persuasive based on your own choices.
You are wrong. Definitely worth it. And also wireless charging is a neat addition to it.
I was hesitant to get paperwhite but now i will def get it, THANK U!