Between hefty prices and often confusing product specs, tech purchases can be confusing and shouldn’t be made lightly. And we’re not just talking about laptops and smartphones. Buying an e-reader is a weighty decision too.
So before you trust an e-reader with your time, money and favorite books, check out our side-by-side comparison of two popular models: the Kindle Voyage and the Kindle Paperwhite.
The e-readers: At a glance
What we found: The Kindle Voyage and Kindle Paperwhite have the same screen size, battery life, resolution and on-device storage.
What you’ll learn: For $80 more than the Paperwhite, the Voyage allows you to turn the pages of your virtual book without even lifting your finger.
| Kindle Voyage | Kindle Paperwhite | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.99 | $119.99 |
| Size | 6.4 inches x 4.5 inches x 0.30 inches | 6.7 inches x 4.6 inches x 0.36 inches |
| Screen size | 6 inches | 6 inches |
| Resolution | 330 ppi | 330 ppi |
| Battery life | Up to 6 weeks on a single charge | Up to 6 weeks on a single charge |
| Built-in light | Yes (plus adaptive light sensor) | Yes |
| PagePress | Yes | No |
| Wi-Fi connectivity | Yes | Yes |
| Buy on Amazon |
The e-readers: Up close
Design
From a design standpoint, these two Kindle e-readers are on equal footing.
Both the Voyage and the Paperwhite feature 6-inch, high-resolution, 330-ppi displays housed in sleek, slim, tablet-like black casings. The Voyage is slimmer, but by just a fraction of an inch.
Each e-reader has 4GB of on-device storage, allowing users to download and store thousands of books. They’ll also enjoy free cloud storage of all Amazon content.
These Kindles have a battery life of up to six weeks on a single charge, depending on the light setting and wireless usage. The Voyage takes three hours to charge, while the Paperwhite takes four.
Features
But appearances are only superficial. What’s on the inside?
Amazon calls the Voyage “our most advanced Kindle ever,” while the Paperwhite is Amazon’s self-described best-selling Kindle model.
From a features standpoint, each boasts compelling functionality. Lightweight and small enough to hold in one hand, these e-readers offer sharp text for easy reading, estimates of how long it will take to read a specific chapter, footnotes, the ability to pick up where you left off, and Family Library sharing of books.
Consumers can choose from millions of books, newspapers, magazines and more. If you’re looking for affordability, more than 1 million titles are priced at $2.99 or less.
The real difference between these two Kindles comes down to user experience. The Voyage offers two standout features that the Paperwhite doesn’t: an adaptive front light and new page-turning technology.
The adaptive front light is designed to “more closely resemble reading on real paper.” Thanks to this automatically adjusting light sensor, readers can trust that their e-reader’s brightness is always at the optimal level for their surroundings.
The second feature, the force-activated PagePress, allows users to turn a page by simply increasing the pressure of their thumb on the e-reader.
Price
Still not sure which e-reader to cozy up with next to the fire while you catch up on the latest Nicholas Sparks novel? Let your wallet do the choosing.
The more advanced Voyage has a regular price of $199.99. Buyers can choose this one-time payment or five monthly payments of $40. The Paperwhite is a considerable $80 less: a one-time payment of $119.99 or five monthly payments of $24.
Plenty of accessories, including covers and screen protectors, are available for your new device. In general, the accessories for the Voyage are more expensive than those for the Paperwhite. For instance, the Amazon Premium Leather Cover is $84.99 for the Voyage but $59.99 for the Paperwhite.
Read between the lines
If you’re ready to trade in your paperbacks for an e-reader, either the Voyage or the Paperwhite would be a suitable choice.
For more casual readers, we recommend the Paperwhite. You’ll get many of the staple features without the price tag of the Voyage. But if you plan on using your new e-reader faithfully, the adaptive front light and PagePress might be worth the extra $80.
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Courtney Jespersen is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: courtney@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @courtneynerd.
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