The Amazon Kindle Voyage is the best E-Reader you can buy. It's that simple. Or rather it would be if there wasn't the small matter of its main rival, the Kindle Paperwhite.
As you can see this is a win win situation for Amazon, it doesn't matter which one you choose, you're still buying a Kindle.
What you should be asking yourself then is 'what can the Voyage offer me that the Paperwhite can't?'
Key Features:
- 7.6mm thin
- 300dpi display
- PagePress haptic buttons
- Worldwide 3G access (WiFi+3G version only)
- Six week battery life
For starters there's the design, the Voyage is drastically thinner than the Paperwhite. At 7.6mm and weighing just 180g this thing has almost no footprint making it effortless to hold during long periods.
That's always been one of the big selling points over trying to hold an iPad all day and once again Amazon has created something small enough and light enough that it'll fit in any back pocket.
Next up is the screen. According to Amazon this is their finest E-Ink display yet, with a 300ppi display that uses front-lighting and a flush screen.
The screen has -- according to Amazon -- been micro etched giving the display the appearance of actual paper while reducing the glare.
Look really closely and it's true, the screen does look incredibly natural but if we had to compare it with the Paperwhite we wouldn't have said this was a ground-breaking step up.
The actual design of the screen however is a different story. Using a plush screen might not sound like much but it makes a huge difference, not only to the feel of the Kindle but also how easy it is to use.
It's just easier to use the screen over the last one and for something you'll potentially be using as much as your phone, that can make all the difference.
The front-lit display is now automatic, again, a small change but one that over the Paperwhite, means that Voyage is much easier to use and far less taxing on the eyes.
On either side of the screen are the PagePress buttons. These have been given plenty of attention by Amazon as being a game changer for E-Readers and while they certainly have their uses we wouldn't go that far.
The long line turns the page forward, the little one goes back, the idea being that you shouldn't have to ever move your holding stance.
Maybe we just have tiny hands but we didn't find this was the case, and finding the right position can be a bit fiddly. It's a neat idea though which when you're used to it, becomes easy to maintain.
Of course if you hate it altogether you can just turn it off.
Finally there's connectivity, Amazon is once again offering you a WiFi-only Kindle or a WiFi+3G Kindle.
The second of those two will be an absolute godsend for those who like to travel as Amazon's 3G agreements mean that pretty much anywhere in the world you can turn it on and download a book without having to worry about roaming charges or data allowances. Sure it'll cost you an extra £70 but for some the convenience will be more than worth the cost.
Amazon's been making Kindle's for years now and so it shouldn't come as a surprise that on its own, this is by far the best eReader we've ever used.
The rest of us however will be more than happy with the WiFi model which costs £169, for a Kindle.
Make no mistake, this is the best Kindle Amazon has ever made: it's light, fast and that screen is the best E-Ink display we've ever seen.
That's pretty much where our point reaches its conclusion, this is the very best that Amazon can offer, and for the reading purists this is the eReader we'd recommend, but for everyone else, we'd honestly say stick with the Paperwhite. As we said at the beginning, either way, it's a win win for you and Amazon.