Amazon: Kindle Voyage Review

My good friend Andrew is a lover of language. Discussing a reading material with him elevates the experience to another level. The one thing he always brings with him to wherever he goes (other than his intellectual vitality) is his Kindle, and I've always wanted one myself ever since I first saw him reading his. A month ago, Amazon released a new version of their renowned e-reader with improved display and added features, then named it Kindle Voyage. Now that Kindle's display resolution is higher than 300 ppi (the standard that Apple calls Retina Display), I decided that it's finally time for me to get a Kindle too. 

There is little to note about Kindle's hardware features. Because the device has a targeted purpose (reading), Amazon could focus on cutting down the price and increasing its battery life by lowering the hardware specifications. As written on the box, Kindle Voyage has only what is necessary to a good e-reader device: Wifi-connection (3G model is available) for downloading books, 4GB internal storage which can hold "thousands of books" according to Amazon, and a durable battery which lasts up to 6 weeks with a single charge. 

Their packaging is alright. It's neither impressive nor disappointing. Kindle comes packed in a cardboard box which definitely feels solid enough. On top of the box itself is a layer of reflective-printed paper on which Amazon included all the brag-worthy characteristics of their e-reader device.

Little do I care about reading "getting to know your [device]" materials (I'd rather explore myself), but they are included so here they are for your information. The paper illustrates locations and functions of various hardware keys, and terms of use. 

Here it is. The Kindle Voyage. When locked, the screen displays background images (they change each time you lock the device) which looks like a real printed book illustration. If you choose to buy the with-ad option, the lock screen will show you advertisements instead. The dots and lines to the sides are pressure-sensitive keys that are used to turn the pages, but the screen itself is a touch screen so you can choose to flip through pages using touch also. The bezels are thick enough for one to comfortably lay one's thumb on them while reading. 

The biggest change in the exterior design is on the rear side. Whereas the basic Kindle and Kindle Paper White models have a simplistic rear with just the "amazon" logo, Kindle Voyage has an interesting geometric design which resembles the design of stealth aircrafts. Though it sounds counter-intuitive, the rubber-like part of the rear is very prone to getting dirty with fingerprints, and it's harder than glass-like surfaces to wipe the fingerprints off. If you don't like seeing your device all dirty and messy with fingerprints, you better get your Kindle Voyage a case. 

Given that it boasts a 6 inch display, Kindle Voyage is remarkably light. Its size (162 mm x 115 mm x 7.6 mm) is not small, given that tablet PC manufacturers achieve much slimmer and smaller devices with the same screen size, but Kindle Voyage only weighs 180 grams. Even after reading for a few hours, my wrist didn't hurt. Amazon's prized Carta e-paper technology is also superlative. E-ink display uses electricity only when changing what is displayed, so as long as you're reading one page, you are not using up your Kindle's battery. I'm slightly disappointed that the display feels too smooth to feel like a paper, but the e-ink definitely is realistic enough to fool my eyes with. The advantages of carrying a thousand books in a 180 grams device definitely outweighs the disappointment though. Overall, reading on Kindle Voyage is very satisfying, and I don't think I'm going to get a new e-reader anytime soon. 

When the iPad was announced, the media expected the print industry to walk a downward path until its disappearance. Yet years after iPad went on sales, a significant number of readers choose to read off paper or paper-like display. I also share the opinion. I welcome the advancement of digital technology, but I also appreciate the familiar and natural experience of analog objects. Kindle, by using the digital technology to better create an analog experience, successfully creates a wonderful marriage between the two seemingly incompatible fields.