Kindle Paperwhite

Long-term owners

I replaced the battery after using the kindle Paperwhite for 7+ years. And now its battery life is as good as the new one's.

May 2026 · comment

the 10 year old one works extremely well with the right software

Jul 2026 · comment

What hackers pick instead

• Kobo e-readerAn open, hackable e-reader that needs no account, sideloads EPUBs via USB or Calibre and borrows library books free, though some report sluggish firmware and flaky non-Kobo EPUB handling.154recommend
• Onyx Boox e-readerPeople like its near-paper e-ink screen, pen support, and full Android that runs any app. Critics most often cite weak vendor support and GPL source-release concerns.48recommend
• Kobo ClaraRecommended for its readable screen, small size, long battery life, and open software that runs KOReader well. Critics say page turns are slow and it has no page-turn buttons.38recommend
• Kobo Libra ColorPeople recommend it for its reading experience, physical buttons and open software access. The most common caveat is a dark colour screen that needs the front light.26recommend
• Kindle OasisFans praise its physical page-turn buttons, ergonomic shape and build, and say no newer Kindle matches it. Common caveats: aging software and no physical buttons on newer models.23recommend

Every quote

The 40 most detailed of 63 comments. Each links to the original.

1. I replaced the battery after using the kindle Paperwhite for 7+ years. And now its battery life is as good as the new one's.

   Recommends · May 2026 · in “Kindle loyalists scramble as Amazon turns page on old e-readers”

2. This is a really unfortunate move by Amazon. My next e-reader will be one that I own (instead of just rent).

   Mixed · Apr 2026 · in “Amazon is discontinuing Kindle for PC on June 30th”

3. the battery life on these things as a dashboard is insane, barely need to charge it

   Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Kindle to end store downloads and registering for 1st-5th gen kindles in May”

4. My gen1 paperwhite, like the iphone, is still too bright at its lowest setting.

   Mixed · Jan 2026 · in “There Is No Comfortable Reading Position”

5. Both my Kindle Touch and my Kindle Paperwhite gen1 are still completely fine.

   Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Amazon is discontinuing Kindle for PC on June 30th”

6. made leaps and bounds progress when given a paperwhite with dyslexic font

   Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Do dyslexia fonts work? (2022)”

7. My Kindle Paperwhite and Scribe Coloursoft go weeks between charges.

   Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Freeink: Open Ecosystem for E-Readers”

8. I can read several entire books on a charge easily. It lasts months.

   Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Got an Old Kindle? It Might Not Work Anymore”

9. my Kindle Paperwhite 10th gen now lasts about 5-6 days on a charge

   Recommends · Feb 2026 · in “Hacking an old Kindle to display bus arrival times”

10. the 10 year old one works extremely well with the right software

    Mixed · Jul 2026 · in “More Tailscale tricks for your jailbroken Kindle”

11. the only device that comes close to the magic of a physical book

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you”

12. still holding up fine though the battery is noticeably degraded

    Mixed · Apr 2026 · in “Got an Old Kindle? It Might Not Work Anymore”

13. my Paperwhite only lasts a couple of days between charges

    Mixed · May 2026 · in “Kindle loyalists scramble as Amazon turns page on old e-readers”

14. running beautifully and with more customization than ever

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you”

15. the Kindle is definitely superior for feel and visuals

    Mixed · Dec 2025 · in “Amazon will allow ePub and PDF downloads for DRM-free eBooks”

16. Kindles are e readers that last a long time.

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Got an Old Kindle? It Might Not Work Anymore”

17. I now use a PW5 and the text is flawless.

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you”

18. My 2013 Paperwhite keeps soldiering on.

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Amazon rewards loyal Kindle devotees by closing the book on old e-readers”

19. only my wife's device has dark mode

    Mixed · Jul 2026 · in “More Tailscale tricks for your jailbroken Kindle”

20. My PW1 had stellar text rendering.

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you”

21. The problem is UI lag. Reading a book once opened is fine. Everything up to the point of starting to read is lag lag lag.

    Criticizes · Oct 2026 · in “Amazon introduces a redesigned Kindle family”

22. Went through three of them with permanently lit pixels right in the middle of the screen until I gave up.

    Criticizes · Apr 2026 · in “Amazon rewards loyal Kindle devotees by closing the book on old e-readers”

23. on the kindle that works a lot less reliably (especially due to the ~500ms latency on the paperwhite)

    Criticizes · May 2026 · in “Kindle loyalists scramble as Amazon turns page on old e-readers”

24. I really didn't like how Amazon was locking down getting your own epubs onto the device

    Criticizes · Aug 2026 · in “Rakuten Kobo returns to U.S. retail as sales double”

25. I hadn't even realized how frustrating the UX of the kindle OS was

    Criticizes · Jul 2026 · in “KOReader”

26. Because Amazon were increasingly locking-down their systems

    Criticizes · Dec 2025 · in “Amazon will allow ePub and PDF downloads for DRM-free eBooks”

27. I simply never logged in or even connected it to wifi, so I get no ads and I don't buy DRM-laden books from Amazon.

    Mixed · Dec 2025 · in “Quill OS: An open-source OS for Kobo's eReaders”

28. I already had a Paperwhite and I was pretty sure I could just default to e-book reading and get a decent value

    Recommends · May 2026 · in “Screenshots of Old Desktop OSes”

29. The waterproof seal around the screen has degraded too, but I very rarely read in the rain these days.

    Mixed · May 2026 · in “Kindle loyalists scramble as Amazon turns page on old e-readers”

30. The only thing I miss from the Amazon shut down is Wikipedia lookup and highlight/note syncing.

    Mixed · Apr 2026 · in “I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you”

31. Went for the latest Kindle Paperwhite as it can adjust the colour temperature as well.

    Recommends · Aug 2026 · in “Less Coffee, Better Sleep”

32. nothing else seems to be quite up to the level of my existing device for my use case

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you”

33. I can't believe I have to jailbreak a reader to get that simple functionality

    Mixed · Aug 2026 · in “Kobo can run apps now”

34. Better use than letting amazon decide when your device stops working

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Kindle users in uproar re: latest update, old devices now unusable: 'Fuck You '”

35. make the glass screen flush with the front like the Paperwhite

    Recommends · Aug 2026 · in “Rakuten Kobo returns to U.S. retail as sales double”

36. It does refresh the lockscreen ads for a month or so, though.

    Mixed · Jul 2026 · in “More Tailscale tricks for your jailbroken Kindle”

37. 1st gen Paperwhite + the few Kobo's we have in the family

    Recommends · Aug 2026 · in “Rakuten Kobo returns to U.S. retail as sales double”

38. I haven't had any issues or "distractions" pop up ever.

    Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “More Tailscale tricks for your jailbroken Kindle”

39. I like the warmth setting of more current paperwhites.

    Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “Amazon introduces a redesigned Kindle family”

40. the 11th gen handles them surprisingly well

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “I'm never buying another Kindle, and neither should you”