Software
So here’s the deal: whether you’re paying $80 for a Kindle 2019 or $290 for a Kindle Oasis, the software remains the same across all devices. So don’t worry about missing out on the Kindle experience; it’s still the same flawless reading experience you’re about to know and love.
Ecosystem
Amazon’s famous for its unbeatable eBook store. It’s a self-sustaining thing, with readers flocking to Amazon for the sheer amount of available titles and publishers going out of their way to release their work to such a large market. Despite this, it’s not always a rosy process.
Aside from ePub, companies in the eReading game don’t follow a standard format. If America refuses to normalize the Celsius, Amazon fails to support the widespread use of ePub and Adobe DRM files.
Because of the lack of a standardized format in the eBook industry, choosing an eBook reader from a company also decides what ecosystem you’ll be working with. Buying a book with a Kindle now would mean that there’s a good chance it won’t be supported by any Kobo eBook readers you pick up later on.
Converting formats is possible, but there are several hoops you have to jump through, risking the quality of your files while you’re at it.
It’s only really Amazon that doesn’t support ePub files directly. But if you’re set on staying with the Kindle family, they have plenty of books under their belt to keep you satisfied. The strength of the store also assures you that they’re here to stay—you won’t have to worry about your Kindle no longer having a company to support it with, such as the case with smaller eBook companies.
4th Place8.5 out of 10Readability
Reading is made pleasant by the Kindle Voyage in all aspects—including aesthetics. Amazon understands that it can be a pain to make out a particular beast of a paragraph because of the cramped font you’re reading it in, so in 2015 they set forth to design the best font faces to read in, prefacing the birth of the Bookerly and Ember font faces.
User Interface
Amazon cleans up its home screen and gives it a dash of modernity. It showcases your current book prominently on the side and gives you a healthy helping of Goodreads recommendations to feed your appetite for reading.
Kindle Voyage’s overall software experience is also one of the many reasons why avid readers are enamored by the devices. Tapping on a word will prompt a well-designed window that pulls up the dictionary, Wikipedia, or the Kindle’s very own “X-Ray” feature so you’re never lost while reading a particularly confusing passage.
The X-Ray feature in itself can be enough to sway anyone to switch to a Kindle Voyage – or any other Kindle that supports it, for that matter.. It reminds you of what you’ve learned so far, pulling up character sheets and definition in time with how much of the book you’ve already read. Never accidentally spoil yourself again on Google!
Bugs/Issues
Sadly, the Kindle Voyage’s free 3G connectivity offer is only truly feasible in America. It’s also pretty limited, considering that access to Goodreads and websites outside the Amazon store requires a WiFi connection. Forget downloading books over their free 3G if you live outside the American borders.
Hardware
As said before, there’s not a lot of major differences between each Kindle. The entry-level Kindle (2019), for starters, gives the reader a taste of the Kindle experience. It has the darkest screen out of all the Kindles and has no integrated lights, which means you can’t read in the dark. Bummer.
This is why most go up $40 for a Kindle Paperwhite, which sports a bright, white, paper-like quality to its screen. Those who sorely miss physical page turn buttons (or just dislike touchscreens), however, lay down $80 more for the Kindle Voyage. Its PagePress “buttons” aren’t actual buttons, but it does just as well. The Voyage’s lighting system, meanwhile, also adapts to your surroundings much like how your eyes adjust to the darkness, so it’s also aimed toward healthy reading.
That said, the Voyage is just a slight step up from the Paperwhite, so the $200 base price of the former compared to the $119.99 of the latter is a bit hard to justify. The Kindle Voyage’s performance isn’t a monumental leap from the Paperwhite’s, after all.
| KINDLE VOYAGE | |
|---|---|
| Price | $199.99 (with ads) |
| Storage | 4GB |
| Built-in Light | 6 LEDs + adaptive light sensor |
| Page Turns | Touchscreen + PagePress |
| Resolution | 1448 x 1072 (300 ppi) |
| Waterproof/Dustproof | – |
| Charging cover | – |
| Advertised Battery Life | Weeks |
| Connectivity | WiFi / 3G |
| Supported Formats | PDF, MOBI, Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), PRC |
| Weight |
|
| Dimensions | 6.4″ x 4.5″ x 0.30″ |
| Screen size | 6” |
| Storage (on board) | 4GB |
| Connectors | Micro USB |
| Cloud Storage | Yes |
Display
Compared to the Paperwhite, the Kindle Voyage has more LEDs on its side, which accounts for a brighter, more evenly-lit screen. At 1448 x 1072, the Kindle Voyage’s screen resolution is on par with most mid-range tablets. It also offers a pixel density of 300ppi, which translates to crisp text and sharper images. In short, the Voyage’s display is one of the highlights of the device.
Ergonomics
The Voyage has a nice casing. Previous and lower-priced Kindles all share the same plastic, sort of budget-like casing. The Voyage, in contrast, has tapered edges on its magnesium back that deviates from the classic, boxy look of its predecessors. It also has a flush-front bezel and a reinforced glass front, adding durability to its sleek design.
Before you get excited about the PagePress “buttons”, you should know that these aren’t actual physical buttons that you’re imagining. They’re sensors on the sides that you squeeze to turn pages. Don’t fuss about it too much, though. Against what most fear, the PagePress doesn’t respond to touch accidentally, such as what you’d expect from a touchscreen device.
What's the Verdict on Kindle Voyage?
Kindle Voyage Review 2020 – Conclusion
Between the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Oasis, the Kindle Voyage still makes a solid stand as a good eBook reader. It’s durable and well-designed, even making for a serious contender against the Oasis despite being cheaper. Though it offers better casing, screen, and page turns than the Kindle Paperwhite, the improvement isn’t monumental. Considering its price, those on a budget would be better off with lower-priced Kindles. Those with more cash to spare, on the other hand, might want to take a look at their most premium offering. However, if you fall somewhere in between, the Kindle Voyage is still a worthy option despite its shortcomings.
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