Choosing between basic Kindle and Paperwhite

[Deeplylemoncrazy]

My old Kindle has finally died after many years and I'm looking to replace it but I can't decide between the basic model (currently £59.99) or the Paperwhite (£109.99) on Amazon.

I can see there are some differences such as the Paperwhite has a light for reading in the dark and there is also the option of 3G which is more expensive and I don't think I would need that personally.

My friend has recently bought a Paperwhite and she tells me that she is having trouble putting her books into Collections although she can access all the books (some are kept on the Cloud I believe?).

I used my old Kindle mainly on holiday so the ability to read it in bright sunlight is probably the most important feature for me. I also loved the push-button page turner which I know is not a feature of either of these models.

I can see there is a difference noted on the screen resolution but I'm just wondering if anyone has actually seen or used both types and can give me a good reason to justify the extra £50?

I had the same dilemma a few weeks ago when my old kindle died.
In the end during my period of indecision paperwhite had £50 off code so was £59.99. Maybe wait?
Agree with your friend. I haven't found it hugely intuitive to use but not needing a light at bedtime - massive bonus for me.

I too was in your position and opted for the basic. Light and extra connectivity were no great essentials for me. Does what I need it to do, though the updated interface and touch screen took some getting used to.

I went for the paperwhite when my original one died after quite a few years but because I wanted to be able to read in bed without a light on.

That's the only bonus for me really other than that it's no better than my old one.

I'd definitely go for the Paperwhite.

Your friend must be doing something wrong because all my books are on mine in their relevant collections.

I'd hang off buying one til next week. 16 July is Prime Day they might be reduced for it

I had the same dilemma a month ago. I decided to go for a Paperwhite so I can read it in the dark.

It immediately synched and downloaded all my books from my old kindle to my new one, its battery lasts for ages, and I love it.

The only tricky thing is getting used to hitting the screen to turn a page instead of the handy button on the side of the kindle.

The collections have an extra annoying step if you use it offline of confirming that you don't care about synchronising. (I expect that is an OS change that would be common to any newer Kindle.) But otherwise the light is very useful.

There are always lots of second hand Kindles on eBay.
But if you have to buy new, Prime Day is coming up on the 16th so you will probably be able to get a discount on a new one then.

Paperwhite for me because I love reading in the dark.
I got a reconditioned one from Amazon for a good discount.

I had the keyboard kindle and upgraded to a paper white a couple of years ago. The light feature is brilliant for reading in bed and on dark planes/coaches. You can also adjust the light so it's easier to read in bright sunlight. It's well worth it.

Basic as saw no need for the light as always use a bedside lamp.

Thanks everyone for your very quick replies.

I think I'll hang on till the 16th and see if Amazon include it in its offers.

I upgraded from Kindle touch to paperwhite. I love being able to read under covers/when camping etc. The light can be completely turned off if you want so it's the same as an old Kindle in daylight. I've had no issues with it. I did pay an extra ten pounds to remove the advertising on the home screen as I really like the black and white images. The battery is good. I only use wi-fi to download new books then turn it off again.

I am currently having the same dilemma and have spent ages dithering over which one to get

However I saw today amazon had an early prime day offer for money off refurbished paperwhites I think it was £35.00 off the usual £99.00

Also there was a discount code for the new paperwhites KINDLE40 not sure if it’s still working but might be worth a try!

My dh night me a paperwhite so I would stop waking him by turning on the light to read when we were on holidays early in the morning as I'm always awake before him

If you wait until Prime day (and you have Prime) it will almost definitely be discounted.

I have a paperwhite and actually the light is fantastic for reading in low light. It's not a backlight (like a phone) so it doesn't keep you awake artificially either.

I had a basic kindle which died. I opted for the paperwhite, partly because I wanted the light and partly because it was touch screen. The old kindle I had wasn’t touch screen so typing in wifi code, or searching for a book in the store etc was a PITA. I think the basic models now are touch screen, so I guess it’s down to whether or not you want a light! I personally find it really useful for reading in bed when DP is asleep or there is a powercut etc.

Ooh is there a way to get the images rather than the advertising? That does bother me slightly about it. I never had a normal kindle but we used to sell them in a shop I worked in and I always liked this. I was a bit disappointed to find that my paperwhite has adverts instead. Is it a one off payment?

I also find that the battery seems to last less long on the paperwhite, which is a bit annoying, but still lasts loads longer than my phone.

Whether the light is on or off you can read on the Paperwhite in bright sunlight because it still uses e-ink rather than any kind of LCD or LED display.

I've just bought a Paperwhite as I had the £50 off code. It's arriving tomorrow and I'm hoping it's worth the hype

Bertie yes it’s a one-off payment of £10.

Oh that's annoying. I've just looked up how to do it and you can't do it with gift cards, only one-click. I can only put credit onto my amazon account with gift cards because I don't have a UK bank account any more.

Are the adverts a recent thing? Mine doesn't have adverts, but I don't recall having the choice of paying £10 extra to get rid of them. I did get mine from Tesco though a few years back so either Tesco stock the advert free ones, or it wasn't a thing back then.

I know the ads were already around in 2012. I've never seen Kindle adverts either and I got mine second hand.

I'm dyslexic so prefer to read on a n old style kindle (I have 4).

Adverts are more recent. They don't actually bother me because they are only there until you switch on to read.

I got my paperwight, with case, on eBay pretty cheaply. There are tons on there.