The bigger, glare-free display and upgraded lighting system make the Kindle Paperwhite 11th Gen a joy to use, and it can put any high-end OLED smartphone display to shame. If you have mostly been reading books on devices with backlit screens, you'll be surprised at how much more comfortable an E Ink display can be for reading.

It's certainly something you have to experience yourself to see the appeal.Īn E Ink display is the closest you can get to the feeling of reading on real paper. And I don't think I have ever read a whole book on my phone or laptop since I got my first Paperwhite in 2018.

But then I had the chance to play with a Kindle at a store, and I realized what I was missing out on. Like many users, I used to read primarily on my smartphone and PC, as investing in a dedicated device that's of no use besides reading didn't sound appealing. More importantly, LEDs on the Paperwhite 11th Gen have a pleasant mellow tone that I found much easier on the eyes than the cool hue produced by my older Paperwhite, which felt a bit harsh at bedtime. The transition between brightness levels is also smoother on the latest model. The light distribution was uneven on the previous model, with some spots appearing much brighter than others. When you have more LEDs, you get a better and more consistent brightness.Ĭomparing the Paperwhite 11th and 10th-generation models side by side, I found the newer version has a more evenly diffused light, giving the display a pleasant and natural look. The light is then reflected by the E Ink particles. Instead, they derive their illumination from a series of LEDs around the display's edges that are directed back towards the screen, shining light onto the surface of the display. Unlike smartphones and laptops, which use backlit displays, E Ink displays aren't self-illuminating. On paper, the Paperwhite 11th Gen offers 10% more brightness than the previous model, which might sound underwhelming considering it has 17 LEDs. The Paperwhite 11th Gen has a more evenly diffused light, giving the display a pleasant and natural look.

Used kindle paperwhite