When you think of “e-reader” you think of “Kindle”. And it’s no wonder why: Amazon has really cornered the market with its Kindle e-reader devices. But was what once just a line of a single model or two, the Kindle line now includes four different devices.
The latest of these is the Kindle Oasis, which Amazon first unveiled in 2016. The Oasis was the most radical redesign to the Kindle line in years thanks to its new handgrip design and it took its place as the flagship Kindle, displacing the Kindle Voyage the company introduced in 2015 (and has kept around). It’s no surprise then that Amazon has decided to update the Oasis with a 2017 model.
This edition is more than an iterative update too–there are a ton of differences. So just how do the Oasis (2016) and Oasis (2017) compare? We took a look to find out.
Kindle Oasis (2016) vs Kindle Oasis (2017): Specs
As always, let’s get started with the specs first.
Kindle Oasis (2016)
Screen: 6-inch glare-free, 300ppi
Built-in Light: Yes
Weight: Wi-Fi: 131 grams, Wi-Fi + 3G: 133 grams
Dimensions: 143 mm x 122 mm x 3.4-8.5 mm
Page Turns: Touchscreen + Page turn buttons
Battery Life: “months” based on 30 minutes reading a day
Storage: 4GB total (3GB usable) – enough for 1000’s of books
Connectivity: Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + free 3G
Waterproof: No
Kindle Oasis (2017)
- Screen: 7-inch glare-free, 300ppi
- Built-in Light: 12 LEDs + Adaptive light sensor
- Weight: 194 grams
- Dimensions: 159mm x 141 mm x 3.4–8.3 mm
- Page Turns: Touchscreen + page-turn buttons
- Battery Life: “weeks” based on 30 minutes reading a day
- Storage: 8 GB or 32 GB
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + free 3G
- Waterproof: Yes
Kindle Oasis (2016) vs Kindle Oasis (2017): Display
The most noticeable change is Amazon made the screen bigger in the 2017 Oasis. The device now features a 7in display versus the 6in display it had last year. The 2017 model also adds an adaptive light sensor to its built-in light. The adaptive light sensor allows the 2017 Oasis to automatically adjust the brightness of the display based on your surroundings–making it easier to read from both indoors and out. However, despite its larger size and the new adaptive light sensor, the display is otherwise identical to the 2016 model. Both have a 300ppi screen and both are anti-glare.
Kindle Oasis (2016) vs Kindle Oasis (2017): Design
The new Oasis continues to use the main design principles of the original one. It still features a tapered design with a handgrip built into the side of it. Amazon says this hand grip mimics the spine of a physical book, shifting the center of gravity to your hand, which makes it the easiest Kindle to hold for long stretches of time. The hand grip also features “page turn buttons”—buttons you can physically touch to turn the page. Because of the hand grip design, the body of the Oasis tapers off. On the 2017 model, Amazon has reduced the maximum thickness of the handgrip by 0.2mm, however, the 2017 Oasis is larger overall due to its larger screen. Another plus: the 2017 model is waterproof.
Kindle Oasis (2016) vs Kindle Oasis (2017): Battery, Storage, and Connectivity
As for the battery, the 2017 Oasis actually last less on a single charge than last year’s model. We suspect this has to do with the larger display and the adaptive light sensor. Amazon said the 2016 model would last “months” based on 30 minutes reading a day, but it says the 2017 model only lasts “weeks” based on 30 minutes reading a day. Still, that should be more than enough time to read an entire series of books.
The 2017 model gets a huge storage boost. It now comes in two models: 8 GB or 32 GB. That’s a massive improvement over the 4 GB of storage the 2016 model had. As for connectivity, both the 2016 and 2017 model offer Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + free 3G options.
Kindle Oasis (2016) vs Kindle Oasis (2017): Price and Verdict
The Oasis is the flagship Kindle, with the bigger display, the better lighting, and more storage, the 2017 model is definitely an improvement over the 2016 model. So should you upgrade if you already own the 2016 model? Not necessarily.
Unless you are just dying for a larger display and more storage (4 GB can already hold thousands of books) there’s little reason to upgrade if you own last year’s Oasis. The Wi-Fi model of the 2017 Oasis is £229 for the 8GB model and £259 for the 32GB model. The Wi-Fi+3G is £319.
by michaelg via Featured Articles
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