what are the major changes between the Paperwhite 2015 vs Paperwhite 2021?

[notareader69]

I'm looking to upgrade, and money's not an issue, but I just want to make sure the features will be worth it to me. It seems that the screen is a tad bigger on the 2021 paper white, which results in more lines of text. Also, the battery lasts longer and the warmth of the screen can be adjusted. And it also has USB-C charging and has better wifi connectivity. Anything else that might be noteworthy?

And for those who have both the Paperwhite 2015 and the Paperwhite 2021, which device do you enjoy using more? Thank you!

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by notareader69

It seems that the screen is a tad bigger on the 2021 paper white, which results in more lines of text. Also, the battery lasts longer and the warmth of the screen can be adjusted. And it also has USB-C charging and has better wifi connectivity. Anything else that might be noteworthy?

One other difference is a new processor that makes the new Paperwhite notably faster. Check reviews/comparisons on YouTube.

In addition to the Paperwhite, there's the Paperwhite Special Edition. With the Special Edition, you get all those same new features plus:

1. No ads, though you can also remove the ads from the regular Paperwhite
2. 32GB of storage, regular Paperwhite has 8GB
3. Ambient light sensor to automatically adjust the frontlight based on lighting conditions
4. Wireless charging

In the US, there's a $50 difference between the regular and Special Edition. If you factor in ad removal, the difference is $30.

To my mind, the SE doesn't offer enough difference to make it worth the extra dough. But your mileage may vary, as they say.

[Strether]

It has 17 LEDs, which is a lot more than any previous Paperwhite. And it has a feature which mimics a page turn of a book when you change pages, which I like, but which you can turn off if you don't.

That long-life battery, though, is wonderful. Haven't read on any of my other e-readers since I bought the new Paperwhite.

Jim

[tomsem]

The hardware differences:
- larger and newer generation display (improved clarity)
- more LEDs, including warm lights
- faster processor
- USB-C charging/data port
- supports 5GHz WiFi
- (optional with Special Edition) wireless charging and ambient light sensor

For me the increased speed was the most welcome of these features, followed closely by more capacious display and improved contrast (I don’t think I can go back to a 6” screen). I like the ‘animated’ page turns (more like a vertical wipe). Wireless charging is nice to have; I wish all my devices supported it. So far I have not taken to the warm light, I guess it is okay but I prefer normal white or dark mode.

[notareader69]

Thank you so much, ZodWallop, Strether, and tomsem!

[notareader69]

Do you guys find that the newer 2021 paper white has more screen glare than the 2015 paper white? I went into a store today to check out the new version and it seems there's more of a glare with the screen, but I am unsure if that's just me. Thanks again!

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by notareader69

Do you guys find that the newer 2021 paper white has more screen glare than the 2015 paper white? I went into a store today to check out the new version and it seems there's more of a glare with the screen, but I am unsure if that's just me. Thanks again!

As it has a flush screen, there's probably a bit more glare.

[moshano]

Originally Posted by notareader69

Do you guys find that the newer 2021 paper white has more screen glare than the 2015 paper white? I went into a store today to check out the new version and it seems there's more of a glare with the screen, but I am unsure if that's just me. Thanks again!

Definitely (own both versions). Other than that, an outstanding device.

[Derek87]

trying to to overly repeat what has already been said but i took delivery on the SE yesterday so these are only initial impressions:

- i like the extra screen real estate compared to my 2015 PW
- i don't think the clarity is appreciably better in the newer model
- the backlight, however, is much more uniform than any of the other Kindles i've tried including a first generation Oasis 2 which i returned due to not liking the weight distribution for how i read (in bed on my back and holding the kindle above my head). i also should note that i read in the dark, so some of the light uniformity issues i've experienced with different models are more pronounced when backlight settings are low. my 2021 SE is very close to perfect. it isn't clear to me where they positioned the backlights which is a change from the PW3,PW4,Voyage, Oasis 1, Oasis 2 (i've only tried first gen) that i've tried out in my typical use conditions.
- i like the temperature adjustment. i don't put it to full on yellow, but it's to have a warmer paper hue in the dark. that's one thing i did like about the Oasis 2 that i ultimately returned. it had a nice warm hue (even without temperature adjustment) that was easy on the eyes.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by notareader69

Do you guys find that the newer 2021 paper white has more screen glare than the 2015 paper white? I went into a store today to check out the new version and it seems there's more of a glare with the screen, but I am unsure if that's just me. Thanks again!

Store lighting is probably not going to be representative of your reading environment generally, as they have light sources everywhere. It’s worst case scenario. Whatever glare there is, it has not been any sort of issue for me, any more than on any previous Kindle.

Flush screen does not automatically mean ‘more glare’. It comes down to the specific materials used and what sort of anti-glare measures they have implemented: if you make the surface diffuse reflected light too much, it affects the clarity of the display. But too little diffusion, and it becomes a mirror: the last thing you want to see reflected is your own face.

The 2017 Paperwhite probably had too much diffusion. The 2021 Paperwhite seems to have a little less, which combined with a higher contrast display panel, has made it noticeably better.