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Kindle Voyage Review

Review Date: November 2014 - Review unit purchased from Amazon

The Kindle Voyage is Amazon's latest ebook reader and is their first attempt at what would be considered a premium ereader when compared to other Kindles. It has a new thinner design and is the first Kindle to have a flush glass screen, page turning sensors, and a 300 ppi E Ink display.

The Kindle Voyage sells for $199 in the US for the Wi-Fi model with Special Offers. It costs $219 without ads. There's also the option to add 3G wireless for $70 more. Amazon continues to offer the Kindle Paperwhite as well, in addition to the new entry-level $79 Kindle .

Quick Review: Kindle Voyage

• Text looks super sharp and clear thanks to the 300 ppi E Ink screen.
• Best contrast of any Kindle yet, has the darkest text and the whitest background.
• The PagePress sensors give a nice alternative to swiping the screen.
• The flush screen and new overall design is an upgrade over other Kindles, and gives it more of a premium feel.
• Possibility of subtle tone variations with the frontlight from the top of the screen to the bottom.
• No added software benefits or improved performance over the cheaper Kindle Paperwhite or $79 Kindle—all have the same 1GHz processor and offer the exact same reading features.
• High price for an ebook reader, especially the 3G model at $289 without ads.

In my first impressions review , I mentioned how I wasn't as impressed with the Kindle Voyage as I thought I would be. The screen is absolutely spectacular but the frontlight isn't perfect, the page sensor buttons take some getting used to and the feedback they give off is downright annoying. But there's a reason that I don't post full reviews a couple of days after getting a new device to test (like most tech review sites). I think it's better to actually use the device regularly for at least 2 weeks before finishing a review.

After using the Kindle Voyage as my main ebook reader over the past few weeks, my overall opinion about it has changed. It does have its flaws—the device isn't perfect—but that doesn't stop it from being one of the best ebook readers on the planet. The clarity of the E Ink screen is truly spectacular, the whiter background and darker text really stand out, and the page sensors are quite pleasant once you get accustomed to using them. Overall the device offers an outstanding reading experience.

In my opinion, the biggest problem with the Kindle Voyage is the price. A lot of people think it is too overpriced , and I still think that myself after using it, especially when you add the price of a cover and the cost to remove the ads. Unless you really want the super high resolution screen and page sensor buttons, the Kindle Paperwhite provides a better overall value and offers all the exact same software features. It’s priced $80 lower and sometimes goes on sale for $99. It's hard to recommend paying twice as much for the Voyage just to get a slightly better screen and page sensor buttons.

Kindle Voyage Video Review

Comparison Review : Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite »

Hardware and Design

With the Kindle Voyage Amazon introduced a completely new design. On the surface it kind of looks like other Kindles at first. But when it's in your hand you can really tell how different it is from previous Kindles. The front has a flush glass layer like a tablet. The device is exceptionally light and thin, almost too thin to hold at the edges that taper down to about an eight of an inch. The thinness really makes the Kindle Voyage perfect to hold in a cover, however, which all ebook readers should have anyway because of the fragility of E Ink screens.

The overall thickness of the Voyage is 1.5 mm less than the Paperwhite, and the overall weight is one ounce less. That doesn't sound like a lot but you can really feel the difference in person.

Aside from the aesthetic upgrades, the Kindle Voyage offers its own unique set of hardware features that aren't offered on any other ebook readers. It's the only E Ink ereader with a 300 ppi screen, an auto-brightness sensor, and page turn sensors that cause the device to give off feedback when pressed.

When it comes to the processor and available storage space, the Voyage is exactly the same as the lower-priced Kindles, so there is no benefit in that regard. The early video reviews from CNET said that the Kindle Voyage has double the RAM. If so, there's no noticeable difference with overall speed or loading times whatsoever when compared to the Paperwhite and $79 Kindle.

There's no question that the screen is the best thing about the Kindle Voyage. The clarity of the 300 ppi E Ink Carta display is indeed impressive, better than anything else on the market right now. Text is noticeably darker and the background is noticeably whiter than any other ebook reader. Fine details in images and small fonts are especially clear. That being said, the difference isn't that noticeable unless you have two devices side-by-side. It's not like the Paperwhite with it's 212 ppi screen is any harder to read, fonts are just a little fuzzier.

The Frontlight

The only disappointing thing about the Kindle Voyage for me is the frontlight. When paying a premium amount for an ereader you expect it to be perfect. And unfortunately the frontlight isn't perfect. In fact it's not even as uniform as the frontlight on my Kindle Paperwhite 2. The Voyage has sort of an orange gradient at the top of the screen. Ninety percent of the time it's virtually undetectable, especially when using auto brightness and on lower brightness settings, so it's really not as big of an issue as it would seem.

But there are times when it is distracting and takes away from the reading experience. The gradient is more apparent with the brightness turned up high, and when reading at night in a dark room. It's especially noticeable when using landscape mode to read because each line goes from light to dark.

Frontlights vary a lot from one device to the next, however, so it's always hard to know what you're going to get. The Kindle Voyage has been getting complaints about the uneven lighting and different-colored hues from reviews on Amazon as well, so it's not an isolated issue. The variance it subtle enough that most people don't even notice it unless it is pointed out to them, so for most it's not a problem at all. But if you're super picky about screens and notice details like that it might bother you enough to return it.

Auto-Brightness Sensor

When it comes to the auto-brightness sensor, nothing has changed from my initial review. I really like the sensor when it works. It automatically adjusts the frontlight under different lighting conditions, and does so slowly enough not to be jarring. I never like auto-brightness on tablets because they over adjust and are usually too bright. But the Voyage keeps the level nice and dim, perhaps too dim for some, however.

The thing with the auto-brightness sensor is that it doesn't always seem to work. I don't know if it's a software bug or a defective sensor, but sometimes I sit there waiting for it to adjust and it does nothing. After a few minutes I get annoyed and adjust it myself. I don't know what the deal is with it but it's not 100% consistent.

PagePress Sensors

In my first impressions review, I talked about how I was on the fence with the PagePress sensors because I found them somewhat difficult to use. With large hands, it's hard to hold the Kindle Voyage in such a way to make using the sensors comfortable. This is mainly because the edges are so thin there's not enough to hold onto. But I've found that using a cover cures this with the added thickness, and makes using the page sensors a lot more pleasant, at least for me personally. I still think the page back sensor is too high to comfortably reach, however, and find swiping the screen to be more convenient for paging back.

After you get used to them, the page turn sensors do work well and are a nice alternative to moving your thumb over and swiping the screen, but when it comes right down to it I think that real buttons like on the Onyx Boox T68 are more functional and pleasant to use. With a sensor, there is no give or feel of a button; it's no different than pressing anywhere on the screen, and at night you can't see the sensors or feel them.

One good thing about the sensors is it's hard to accidently activate them. There are three pressure settings you can select in the settings menu. Even on the lowest pressure, you still have to physically press the sensor for it to activate. Simply tapping it or brushing over it does not activate the sensor like when using the touchscreen.

In addition to the PagePress sensors, the Kindle Voyage has the option to give off feedback when pressing the sensors. There are three levels of feedback you can select from in the settings menu, and it can also be turned off. When you press a page sensor, it makes it so the Kindle vibrates slightly. Personally I find it completely distracting. It's even jarring on the lowest setting and takes me immediately out of a book. I don't understand why you'd need to feel a vibration while pressing a sensor when you can see the page turning. But to each their own...

Software Features

The thing with the Kindle Voyage is the software is exactly the same as the Kindle Paperwhite and $79 Kindle. So for all the extra money it costs, you're not getting a single extra software-related feature that's not offered on the $79 Kindle. The only difference is a couple subtle variations to things like the menu bar and settings menu for the added hardware features to adjust things like the page sensor pressure and frontlight brightness.

The only other difference software-wise with the Kindle Voyage is that it doesn't support Active Content (games and apps). Amazon has decided to drop support for Active Content on newer Kindles, so only the Kindle Paperwhite and older Kindles can display Kindle games and apps.

The homescreen displays content using cover view. You can also switch to classic list view from the settings menu. Like all Kindles there are two sections: one for cloud content and one for on-device content. Sorting options include by title, recent, author, and collections, and there are sub categories for books, periodicals, personal documents, and collections. There's a recommend reading section that displays on the homescreen by default, but it can be turned off in settings.

Kindle Reading Features

Notes and Highlights: While reading, holding down on a word or holding and dragging across multiple words brings up the option to add highlights as well as text notes using the onscreen keyboard. Annotations can be viewed from the menu , and from the clippings file on the Kindle. They can also be viewed and edited online at Amazon, and the clippings file can be exported and edited using 3rd party programs. Additionally, the Kindle has a feature called public notes and highlights that displays the most frequently highlighted passages within ebooks, along with notes. This can be toggled on and off in settings.

Font Choices : The Kindle offers six different font choices: Baskerville, Caecilia, Caecilia Condensed, Futura, Helvetica, and Palatino.

Text Adjustment: All Kindle devices and apps have the same three line spacing and margin settings. And there are 8 font sizes to choose from.

Bookmarks: Tap in the upper right hand corner when reading to add and remove bookmarks. A list pops up that shows other bookmarks in the ebook, and tapping on them opens a second window to view the bookmarked page without leaving the current page.

Dictionary: Holding down on a word opens the dictionary window. From there you can scroll through the definition and select which dictionary to use in the lower right. You can also choose to open the full dictionary. The Kindle comes with two English dictionaries pre-loaded. More dictionaries can be added from the Kindle Store, several foreign language dictionaries automatically get added to the cloud after purchasing a Kindle.

Instant Translations: The Kindle has a translation feature that can translate single words or entire sentences into a number of languages without leaving the ebook. It uses Bing Translator so an internet connection is required. Languages include Chinese (simplified and traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

Reading Progress Indicator: The Kindle has an estimated reading speed timer that displays in the lower left corner that gives an estimate of how long it will take to finish a chapter or the rest of the book based on your reading speed. Tapping the lower left corner switches from chapter to book to location. It can also be toggled off.

Table of Contents: The Kindle has a "go to" function that open a book's table of contents to easily jump around the different parts of a book. You can also select to jump to the beginning or a specific page or location.

Fast Page Scan: Aside from the TOC window, another way to navigate an ebook is to tap on the top of the screen to open the menu bar, and then tap on the tab at the bottom of the page. This opens a second window where you can use a quick page scan feature to skim through a book. There are also buttons to move forward and back by chapter, along with a page dial to jump around parts of a book quickly.

X-Ray: This feature analyzes the "bones of the book" and shows passages about common themes, characters, historical figures, and specific places or topics in a book. X-Ray then offers descriptions about them from Wikipedia and Shelfari.

Search: The Kindle has an advanced search feature that is always accessible from the menu bar. It uses predictive search so you usually only have to type the first few letters when searching ebooks. You can choose a number of places to search, including this book, my items, all text, Kindle store, Goodreads, dictionary and Wikipedia.

Sharing: You can share passages and messages on Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter.

Goodreads Integration: The Kindle has the option to connect with your Goodreads account to see what your friends are reading, share highlights, and rate the books you read. You can add books to your "Want to Read" shelf, update reading status, and more.

Landscape Mode: The Kindle has the option to switch to landscape mode for ebooks and PDFs, but not other parts of the interface.

Language Support: The following languages are available in the settings menu: English (US or UK), German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Brazilian Portuguese..

Parental Controls: There are parental control settings to restrict access to the Kindle Store, Cloud items, Goodreads, and web browser.

Kindle FreeTime: This lets parents setup profiles for kids where parents can choose specific books for their kids to read. Parents can set reading goals and track progress while kids earn badges and awards for reading. This can be used with books you own as well as books through the subscription-based Kindle FreeTime Unlimited program with kid-friendly books.

About the Author: Within a book you can select to learn more about the author, which loads a page with a description about the author along with a list of their published work.

Whispersync: This keeps your last page read, bookmarks, notes and everything else in sync across multiple Kindle devices and apps.

In-line Footnotes: Opens a second window when tapped instead of leaving the page.

Word Wise: A new feature that makes it easier to read more challenging books. Short and simple definitions automatically appear above difficult words. Tap on a word to bring up a simple card with definitions, synonyms, and more. You can adjust the number of hints you see with a slider bar.

Vocabulary Builder: Whenever you lookup a word in the dictionary, it automatically gets added to a vocabulary builder list where you can study the words and definitions along with flashcards. This feature can be turned on and off in settings.

Partial Page Refresh: In the settings menu there's the option to turn on and off partial page refresh. Partial refresh is faster but it can lead to more ghosting and afterimage effects. Full page refresh flashes more but it helps make the text appear sharper and darker.

Web Browser: The Kindle has an "experimental" web browser. It is very basic but it can be used for things like reading news sites, referencing Wikipedia, and downloading DRM-free ebooks from websites and Dropbox. The browser offers an article mode that looks nice. Overall the Kindle's web browser is difficult to use because it loads slow, scrolling is wonky, and it crashes frequently.

Non-Amazon Content: The Kindle connects to Amazon's ebook store for ebooks and periodicals. You can also borrow library ebooks for the Kindle , get lots of free ebooks , and shop for DRM-free ebooks from various websites too. Epub formatted ebooks can even be easily converted to Kindle format.

Additional Kindle Voyage Reviews

• Kindle Voyage PDF Review
• Kindle Voyage vs Kobo Aura H2O Comparison
• Kindle Paperwhite vs Kindle Voyage Comparison

Kindle Comparison Table »

Kindle Voyage Specs

• 6" E Ink Carta display.
• 1448 x 1072 pixel resolution (300 ppi).
• Adaptive frontlight that adjusts automatically.
• Capacitive touchscreen, flush with the bezel.
• PagePress page turning sensors.
• 1 GHz processor, 512MB RAM.
• 4GB internal memory.
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n.
• Optional 3G.
• Supported formats: Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), AZW, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion.
• Battery Life: up to 6 weeks.
• Weight: 6.3 oz – 180 grams.
• Dimensions: 6.4″ x 4.5″ x 0.30″ (162 mm x 115 mm x 7.6 mm).
• Price: $199-$289 at Amazon .

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• Tips & Tricks

Amazon announces the new Kindle Voyage with PagePress, Bumps the processing power and storage on other models

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 18 Sep 2014

Amazon has just announced a refresh for its Kindle line-up of eReaders, which brings with them some much needed generational improvements. First in line is the new $79 Kindle that comes with a 20% faster processor, double the storage compared to its predecessor, and most importantly, a touch interface.

Next in line is the Kindle Paperwhite — the best-selling Kindle since it was introduced — which now comes with double the storage space as well while retaining its price point of $119. Last but not the least is a new addition to the Kindle line-up — the Voyage.

The Kindle Voyage uses a new generation of Paperwhite display allowing it to deliver the highest resolution (300ppi), contrast and brightness (29% brighter) ever seen in a Kindle. Amazon has also included a new way to turn pages in Voyage dubbed the PagePress. You will simply need to rest your thumb on the bezel and then turn the page by lightly by pressing it, which will then provide a tactile feedback from the haptic actuator.

Amazon says that the vibration intensity is subtle enough to only let users know that the page has turned without distracting them from their reading. Nevertheless, the company still offers an option to customize the pressure level and the haptic feedback level.

The Voyage also comes with free 3G in over 100 countries allowing you to download and read books anytime and anywhere. Amazon will be paying for this 3G connection so you don’t have to worry about any monthly charges.

Amazon is also launching a new origami-style cover that comes with a portrait as well as landscape stand for the Voyage starting from $44.99.

All the three new Kindles will also be coming with Kindle unlimited that will provide users with 700,000 books for just $9.99 a month, Family Library so that you can read books from the Amazon account of your partner, Deeper Goodreads integration, Enhanced Search and an expanded X-Ray for books.

All the new Kindles are already up for pre-order on Amazon’s website and will start shipping in October.

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Good e-Reader

Everything You want to Know about the Kindle Voyage

19 September 2014 By Michael Kozlowski 20 Comments

Many companies involved in the e-reader sector are paying attention to what Amazon has created with the new Kindle Voyage. This new device has a number of innovative hardware features such as Page Press and the front-lite controlled by an ambient light sensor. Amazon has also developed exciting new software that even allows you share content with family members. Has Amazon set the bar so high now that no one else can compete?

The Kindle Voyage features a six inch e-ink carta display with a resolution of 1430 x 1080. It has 300 PPI, which is the highest we have ever seen for an e-reader. The upcoming Kobo H20 has a 6.8 inch screen with the same resolution but a lower 265ppi. The Barnes and Noble Nook Glowlight is the most affordable one, but only has a resolution of 1024 x 758 and 212 PPI.

Lets face it, people are used to interacting with touhscreen smartphones and tablets on a daily basis. All prior Kindle models had a sunken screen and employed infrared touch. The Voyage has the screen completely flush with the bezel, which is the same sort of tech that the Kobo Aura and Tolino Shine used. A capacitive touchscreen allows for better interaction and better pinch and zoom capabilities.

Instead of physical page turn buttons, the new Kindle Voyage has a feature called PagePress. This is a custom-designed force sensor made of carbon and silver, which reacts to a subtle increase of pressure, triggers a page-turn, and provides a haptic response only your thumb can perceive. Because PagePress has no moving parts, the haptics provide you with the most minimal indication that you have pressed the button, to reduce distraction from reading.

The Kindle Paperwhite 2 had one of the best illuminated screens in the world. Unlike tablets and smartphones that have light emitting from behind the screen, most e-readers have five small LED lights on the bottom of the bezel that project light evenly access the screen. Many companies got this technology wrong, by having splotches all over the screen, or by a pale blue hue, as seen on the Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight. The new adaptive front light automatically adjusts the brightness of the display based on your environment, and can even be fine-tuned further to your personal preferences. When reading in the dark, the adaptive front light slowly lowers the display’s brightness over time to match the way the eye responds to darkness.”

According to The Verge “The ambient setting is actually smarter than you’d expect. If it detects you’re reading in the dark — say, in bed — it will slowly lower the brightness. The idea is that your eyes naturally adjust to darkness over time, so what seems bright enough at first will be too bright once your pupils dilate. It’s a thoughtful, clever feature, and Amazon also says that you can fine tune the behavior if you don’t like the default.”

Sure, the hardware is really good on the new Voyage, but what improvements has Amazon made on software front? Likely the most important one is the Kindle Family Library, which allows users connect their Amazon accounts to share content with family members. The new feature “links your Amazon account to that of your spouse or partner so you can easily share apps, games, audiobooks, books, and Prime Instant Video content,” according to the company. What is even better about the sharing program is that Amazon says it will work across Amazon devices and Amazon’s third-party apps for platforms including iOS and Android. It can link the accounts of two adults, who can, in turn, manage up to four child accounts.

Amazon has also improved their internal searching feature to work smoother when browsing the Kindle Store to discover new books. It previews results based on your past purchases and GoodReads. In addition Amazon has added a small timer on the books you are reading. Based on your reading habits it will let you know how long it will take you to complete the chapter or the book itself. Take THAT traditional page numbers! I really like the About the Book function, which tells you all about the author and if the eBook apart of an established series.

Amazon has many advantages over their competitors. Apple sees the iBooks business as an afterthought. During their entire iPhone event they never mentioned their bookstore once. Barnes and Noble is floundering, continuing to lose money and is still piggy backing technology from late last year. Kobo is going to release their H20 e-reader very soon and is likely going to generate strong revenue. Many of the smaller companies such as Onyx, Ectaco, Tolino, Bookeen and Pocketbook are very hard to come by. They are mainly sold by small websites in Poland, France or Russia. Shipping alone to the US or UK is enough to frighten off any prospective buyers.

When you buy the Voyage e-reader you are going to have access to over 600,000 titles, by legitimate bestselling authors and indie ones. It has arguably the best eBook social networking site, in the form of GoodReads firmly integrated into the entire eBook discovery experience. I think one of the big strengths of Amazon, that no one really talks about is their user review system. Whenever someone leaves a written review, its automatically populated in their e-readers, tablets, apps or websites. Companies like Kobo fetch their reviews from 3rd parties, and even their Android app is comprised of reviews left just on that specific platform.

Michael Kozlowski

Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

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The Kindle Voyage is Still the Best 6-inch Kindle

September 19, 2020 by Nathan 38 Comments

Amazon released the Kindle Voyage back in November 2014, and to this day it’s still the best 6-inch ebook reader that Amazon has released. It has the best screen and the nicest design. Some even consider it the best Kindle ever because they don’t like the asymmetrical design of the Kindle Oasis.

How often does a company release a product that was better 6 years ago than what they offer today? It’s pretty strange when you think about it.

I’ll admit, I didn’t love the Kindle Voyage when it first came out. The first one I got had a really blotchy frontlight with a distracting gradient. But some years back I picked up a used Kindle Voyage on eBay that was in like new condition and it has a much better frontlight than the first one I had.

Of all the ebook readers that have been released since 2014, I still choose to use the Kindle Voyage when I’m away from the house because the streamlined design fits in a pocket easier than the Kindle Oasis, and the reason I like the Kindle Voyage better than other 6-inch ereaders is the fact that the screen is super crisp and clear—something that hasn’t been replicated since frontlight and capacitive touchscreen layers started degrading the clarity of E Ink screens.

Back before frontlights and capacitive touchscreens were a common feature on ebook readers, E Ink screens had an exceptionally clear quality to them, where the text almost appeared to float above the background, even on lower resolution screens. Unfortunately those days are long gone now that everything has touchscreens and frontlights, but something about the Kindle Voyage’s screen made it appear clearer than others, despite having a glass layer over the screen.

Another thing I like about the Kindle Voyage is the page sensor buttons along each side of the screen. I don’t like having to readjust my thumb with every page turn so having a button to press down on is essential for me.

The only thing I don’t like about the Voyage is the bezels are so narrow it’s impossible for my thumb not to inadvertently interact with the touchscreen. Luckily when using a cover it adds just enough thickness to the side so I can use the buttons without activating the touchscreen (it would be nice if the Voyage had the ability to disable the touchscreen like newer models).

I find it odd that I’d still rather use a Kindle Voyage that’s six years old over any of the newer 6-inch Kindles and other 6-inch models. I do like the physical page buttons on the Kindle Oasis better, and I do find it a bit more comfortable to hold with the asymmetrical design, but the portability factor takes a hit because it’s too wide to comfortably fit in a pocket, and the Voyage still has slightly better contrast and better battery life.

Who else still prefers using a Kindle Voyage after all these years? It’s a shame Amazon never released a newer version, and it’s been so long since the Voyage was produced they can only be found used these days. Even all the refurbished stock has dried up.

Reader Interactions

September 19, 2020 at 9:27 am

My Voyage’s battery is getting weaker after almost 6 years. Nothing bad, it will last for another 4-5 years with a bit of luck. That butterfly cover, as you said, add just enough on the sides. And it’s the best thing to have to put your Kindle on the table on an airplane. I actually don’t appreciate the buttons on the sides. I still automatically touch the screen to turn a page. Overall I totally agree with you and I even wrote to Amazon: it is the best Kindle of all!

September 20, 2020 at 6:04 pm

There is a YouTube video on replacing the battery on the Kindle Voyage. https://youtu.be/zFqBrIE4mT0

September 20, 2020 at 6:05 pm

I still have the Voyage and is still great.

September 19, 2020 at 11:13 am

I think it’s the best 6 inch Kindle when the light is turned off. Deep pitch black inky fonts, slim sexy design with nice curves. Light in the handle yet with a premium feel. However, the lack of uniformity with the lighting was what destroyed it’s potential. Throughout the years I’ve had 13 voyages, and they all had terrible lighting.

September 19, 2020 at 10:18 pm

Interesting. I have only had one Kindle Voyage. The lighting and screen were perfect from the start and it’s still great six years later. I have had no problems at all with it.

September 21, 2020 at 2:55 am

“Throughout the years I’ve had 13 voyages, and they all had terrible lighting.”

That’s persistence.

September 19, 2020 at 12:33 pm

I agree with everything you said. Unfortunately I managed to break my glass, so it’s basically a beautiful brick now. I would likely have replaced it with another Voyage if I could have, using the $5+20% trade-in. But since the Voyage was no longer available, I moved to a Kobo Libra specifically because of what you said about the narrow bezel and I did also want the orange light.

September 19, 2020 at 5:55 pm

I have three of them in various parts of my house and vastly prefer the Voyage over the Oasis.

September 19, 2020 at 2:24 pm

This is why I’ve not replaced my voyage. Some of the features on newer kindles are tempting (especially the waterproofing), bit they just don’t have the same form factor and functionality of the voyage with its ‘buttons’ and slim size.

September 19, 2020 at 2:36 pm

It really was nice. That said, it’s also the only kindle I’ve owned that ever randomly died (annoyingly out of warranty). Along with the risky light situation, it seems like the design had its issues.

September 19, 2020 at 5:52 pm

love my voyage. bought it used from amazon for about $60 when i lost my kobo clara. wish they’d do a re-release

September 21, 2020 at 1:14 am

In 2014 I bought my son a lightly used 7th generation Kindle. For his 11th birthday this summer I upgraded him to the current 2018 Paperwhite since he wore out the old one. He loves the upgrade. I expected to envy him that shiny new device since my beloved Voyage is indeed 5 years old. However, I find I just don’t and much prefer my “dinosaur” with its beautifully clear text and page turn buttons. I hope it lasts many more years!

I do suggest to anyone who has loves their Voyage and has considered getting a new case that they do so sooner than later. My choices were surprisingly slim compared to when I last looked.

September 19, 2020 at 5:59 pm

I loved my kindle voyage.. I used it constantly – – I read 10 hours a night at least. However, just a couple of months ago I could no longer charge it. The charger wouldn’t make a connection to charge it up. So I’m now back to my original paperwhite, which I’ve not used since I bought my Voyage – – when it first came out. (I do keep all devices charged up whether being used or not).

September 20, 2020 at 2:31 am

10 hours a night? Do you have a job? 😂

September 20, 2020 at 12:53 pm

I am retired! I climb into bed at 10 and usually read til at least 6. But I read some during the day. Sleep in the morning. Retirement, quarantine, and living alone mean my own schedule!

November 17, 2020 at 10:22 pm

Sign me up! This is the life I want :).

April 28, 2021 at 2:38 pm

I love my Voyage. I’ve had it since 2014…. I do not want physical buttons, that’s one of the things I love about it. Also the Oasis being asymmetrical drives me crazy to look at. Not sure if it would be super distracting to me…..

September 19, 2020 at 9:20 pm

Best ebook reader made for sure. Great size. Great battery. Love the haptic feedback on page turn. Love the forward and back buttons on both sides of bezel. Just an outstanding design.

Love mine. Use it everyday. Considered getting a larger screen but the clarity of text is impossible to beat on the voyager.

September 19, 2020 at 10:13 pm

I still prefer the Kindle Voyage as well.

September 19, 2020 at 11:57 pm

I wonder why Amazon cannot consider producing an 8 or 10 inch voyage kindle with buttons on. That would be my dream cone true….

September 19, 2020 at 11:58 pm

a typo – come not cone.

September 20, 2020 at 2:11 am

I loved my Voyage too but I lent it to my sister so my nephew could use it and they still have it. I was trying the new basic Kindle at the time and didn’t go back. I would love if Amazon brought it back out I much prefer either the page turn sensors or the buttons. The Oasis is a bit pricey for me to upgrade just to have the buttons but I would consider it on the cheaper Kindles.

September 20, 2020 at 4:29 am

Own two Kindle Voyage, and still use them, swapping with a Tolino Epos (V1). Would like to see both an updated Voyage and an updated Voyage with a bigger screen.

The newer, higher end Tolinos epos 2 and vision 5 are also both asymmetric, which I hate. And the epos 2 is way to expensive. They are Kobos with a different firmware. It is ok, with some nice touches, but for normal reading there is not much difference. The bigger screen is ok for PDF, but I would prefer the Sony PRS-T1 for PDF (better software). This is also true for the Kindle Voyage.

September 20, 2020 at 5:25 am

I will leave my Voyage to the Science Museum. It is a national treasure.

Best screen of any ereader by far.

It was my first Kindle with nearly perfect lighting. There was a single bright spot. The replacement from Amazon is perfect. I just wish it was a bit warmer now that I have an Oasis to play with.

September 20, 2020 at 8:10 am

There’s a hack to turn off the touchscreen, if that’s your thing.

September 20, 2020 at 9:12 am

Agree with most here that the Kindle Voyage is the best ereader Amazon has made to-date. including the Oasis. Strongly prefer it over all the others, even newer models, and await a worthy successor. Amazon folks, I hope you’re tuned in.

September 20, 2020 at 11:01 am

I bought a Voyage for myself when I decided to make the plunge into the Kindle world. I’d gotten my wife a Paperwhite a year or two earlier and she’d loved it, but I wanted the better specs (especially lighting and screen res) of the Voyage. Loved my new reader!!! When the Oasis came out, my wife was wanting a new Kindle – and was envious of my lighting and screen res – so I got her an Oasis. I found I was envious of the larger screen … and interestingly, she didn’t like the larger screen … so we traded. We both love our respective devices. I think anyone who complains about either (other than pricing) must’ve gotten a bad unit!!!

September 20, 2020 at 12:07 pm

The voyage had light uniformity problems. I believe Nathan has also mentioned it throughout the years and on YouTube videos. Very sleek device and aesthetically pleasing. They should do a re-release in an 8 inch form factor. Hopefully they could get the lighting right this time.

September 20, 2020 at 3:17 pm

Kindle Voyage that I have is my “go to” e reader. Love the portability.

September 20, 2020 at 8:30 pm

I’m hanging on to my Voyage as long as possible. It is my favorite also.

September 21, 2020 at 2:47 am

Nice to get your points of view.

September 22, 2020 at 9:38 pm

I love my Kindle Voyage!

September 23, 2020 at 10:33 am

I have and still use Kindle Voyage. I would really like a larger screen and no glass screen for an updated model. Or perhaps a new e-reader with a larger screen and symmetrical buttons. I doubt Amazon will do this, though.

November 5, 2020 at 7:27 am

I still use a Voyage everyday. Battery life is still much better than my Oasis, and as others mentioned the portability makes it my travelling reader. But most of all, the Voyage does really have the best screen; ?I bought one in 2016, 2 years after its release and I think all the kinks in its initial production runs were smoothed over to provide a flawless screen and excellent lighting.

I still like the amber glow of the Oasis for nighttime reading and keep it handy near my bed, and as both devices synch flawlessly, I really enjoy reading from both.

January 14, 2021 at 1:56 pm

Yep, I prefer Kindle Voyage. Just bought a used one in very good condition when mine died. Text is sharper on this screen than on the Oasis.

January 8, 2022 at 9:02 am

If my Voyage ever dies I’ll strongly consider an Oasis but when my 2014 one died suddenly in 2017 I tried a Kindle non voyage again and within weeks was looking for another Voyage . I found a “used like new ” one and have been averaging about 2 hours a week since then. I only get about 2 weeks of battery life before I need to charge it but for being getting on 5 years old AND was used prior I’m ecstatic . The leather vertical flip cover (igadgitz brand ) is well worn but still does the trick with its hand hold on the back . With the new paperwhite and paperwhite signature being released with just about all the bells and whistles hopefully the next paperwhite will have side buttons like my Voyage , the biggest reason I prefer it over all others .

May 13, 2023 at 11:33 pm

In 2023, the Kindle Voyage still has the sharpest, best screen of all e-book readers manufactured since 2014. Especially reading at night, Kindle Voyage is simply the clearest screen. All the others, even 5 times more expensive, are fuzzy compared to Voyage. I can live without buttons or other bells, but when you mess up the screen sharpness to acomodate the useless yellow light technology… that is a dealbreaker for me.

May 26, 2023 at 7:40 pm

What a cool little support forum for the Voyage! Maybe if someone could tell Amazon to check out this thread, we’d have a new Voyage soon! Anyway, ditto everyone- I love my Voyage (although I might try to install a new battery- fingers crossed). I’ve never had issues with the light, I love the side buttons, and my little leather cover makes it the perfect portable hand-hold! Seriously- if Amazon saw this and used our feedback, they’d have a brand new 6″ winner to sell.

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Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Which Amazon e-reader should you buy?

Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Voyage: They’re both great, but which one is right for you?

It’s fair to say that Amazon dominates the e-reader market. Yes, it does have some competition from Kobo, Nook and a few others, but the online shopping giant is still the one to beat when it comes to digital books.

To prove that point even further, we’ve pitched easily the two best e-readers on the market against each other – the Kindle Voyage and the Kindle Paperwhite .

The Voyage stands atop Amazon’s line-up, while the Paperwhite takes the mid-range spot. There’s of course a difference in price, but both devices come with really fantastic displays that impress whether your reading in the day or the night.

If you want to know which Kindle to buy, read on.

Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Design

Kindle Voyage: 180g, 7.6mm thick, magnesium back, PagePress buttons Kindle Paperwhite: 205g, 9.1mm thick, plastic body with soft touch back

The Kindle Voyage is definitely a step forward from the Paperwhite in design terms, though you have to really go hands-on with it to feel, rather than see, the difference.

The plastic back is gone, replaced with a premium-feeling magnesium material that’s sliced up with some sharp lines to give an angular design. This forms a rather unique design, and one we really like. The sides nestle nicely in your hands, while the slim form-factor and minimal weight (a mere 180g) make this thing a pleasure to hold.

Related: Best e-reader to buy

That’s not to say the Paperwhite is heavy. Unless you’re holding both together, you won’t notice the difference. You can hold either just like a normal book for extended periods of time without feeling any arm ache, and even if you decide to add a case they’re still perfectly holdable with one hand.

We particularly love how the display on the Voyage sits flush with the bezels rather than recessed within them, as with the Paperwhite. The obvious plus side here is you won’t get anything stuck in the corners – a small, but constant irritation we have – but it also makes it look so much sleeker.

Finally, the Voyage also attempted to reintroduce physical buttons into the Kindle line. Something, which was phased out when earlier models switched to touchscreens. Instead of proper buttons, the Voyage uses a combination of haptic feedback and page turn sensors to give you a slight vibration every time you push down on either bezel.

It’s called PagePress, and at first we found the feeling a bit odd. You’re not quite sure how hard to press down and the feedback is a little jarring, especially if you’ve been used to proper physical buttons or just tapping the display. But, we got used to it very quickly and if sacrificing the buttons and using these as a replacement helped keep the weight down, we’re all for it.

The Voyage wins out in the design stakes, that’s clear. It’s the sleekest Kindle yet and easily the best-looking e-reader on the market. From the flush display, to the magnesium back, to the ultra-thin design it just screams precision and quality. But, there’s something about the durable nature of the Paperwhite that still has us interested. You can chuck it in your bag and it’ll survive, give it to the kids and the damages seems to be kept to a minimum. For a device like this, that’s meant to be more durable than delicate, that’s a big bonus.

Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Screen

Kindle Voyage: 6-inch, 300ppi, micro-etched glass, adaptive front light

Kindle Paperwhite: 6-inch, 300ppi, plastic Paperwhite Carta e-paper display

The biggest upgrade to the latest Paperwhite is the display, which now matches the 300 ppi (pixels per inch) resolution that was introduced with the Voyage. This means text is far crisper and clearer, which is always going to be better for the reading experience. It’s not exactly the same as the Voyage though, which is something we’ve realised after spending a lot of time with both devices.

(Voyage display)

The text is, to our eyes anyway, certainly more vivid on the Voyage. It’s darker and has more of a ‘pop’ to it, we prefer it to the slightly duller text on the Paperwhite.

It’s also worth reiterating that the Voyage’s display is the first in the Kindle line to be constructed from a toughened glass rather than plastic. This means that it’s more resistant of scuffs, thus allowing the aforementioned sleeker design, and it’s also smoother to the touch. That’s despite the fact that the Voyage’s display has been micro-etched to avoid reflections.

The Voyage’s display also benefits from an adaptive front light that adjusts the brightness more subtly than the Paperwhite when moving to a darker environment. When you’re reading in bed the light will slowly darker as your eyes adjust, just like you’d normally see on a smartphone.

Related: iPad Air 2 review

(Voyage: left / Paperwhite: right)

Actually, the backlight in general is far better on the Voyage. The light is far more even – so you won’t get a brighter bottom half, something we’ve always found the Paperwhite – and it seems to have a wider spectrum of levels. Jack both devices up to max brightness and the Voyage far outshines the Paperwhite.

Both displays are very crisp though and this year’s Paperwhite is a massive step forward from the last iteration. The Voyage does have some extra features and better contrast, but it doesn’t outclass the Paperwhite. The latter also has access to Amazon’s brand-new Bookerly font, which improves character spacing with hyphenation, justification and ligatures. It does look really nice, but we take a guess that this will come to the Voyage via software update soon enough.

Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Storage and Connectivity

Kindle Voyage: 4GB on device storage, free cloud storage, 3G and Wi-Fi options

Kindle Paperwhite: 2GB on device storage, free cloud storage, 3G and Wi-Fi options

Amazon has added loads more internal storage for the Kindle Voyage. You now get 4GB, which might not sound like a lot if you’re coming from the world of smartphones and tablets, but it’s loads in the world of e-books – the figure usually given is 1,000 ebooks per 1GB of storage.

It’s also, more pertinently, around double the capacity of the Kindle Paperwhite.

Other than that, both e-readers have similar options. Both have access to Amazon’s free cloud storage, and both come in 3G and Wi-Fi-only options.

Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Content, Stores and Pricing

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that both tablets have identical access to Amazon’s vast ebook store. We’re talking three million ebooks, newspapers, and magazines.

Amazon’s offering is pretty much the most comprehensive in the business, especially now that it’s settled its ugly differences with some of the publishers who dared to hold out for a better deal. If you’re a Prime subscriber you’ll have access to the Lending Library, while the Kindle Unlimited service has positioned itself as a ’Netflix for books’ with all-you-can-eat reading.

Related: Nexus 9 review

Where the two devices really differ is in pricing. We’ve established that the Kindle Voyage is a much more advanced e-reader in many ways, but then you have to pay £60 more for than for the Paperwhite equivalents. Buy Now:  Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon.com from $139.99

To illustrate that, the £169 price of the Wi-Fi Voyage would get you a 3G Paperwhite. That might be worth considering if you’re on a budget and are likely to find yourself away from a Wi-Fi hotspot for much of the time.

We thought the price difference was a big factor last year, but it’s even greater this time around as the Paperwhite now packs a gorgeous display that rivals the Voyage.

Buy Now: Kindle Voyage at Amazon.com from $199.99

Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Battery life

Kindle Voyage: 6 weeks

Kindle Paperwhite: 6 weeks

Both e-readers last a good spell longer than your average tablet on a single charge, as is the way with ebook readers. But, the Kindle’s switch to a sharper, brighter display has clearly taken a toll on its stamina.

Amazon quotes six weeks of life from a single charge for both Kindle Voyage and Paperwhite, that means the newly-announced Paperwhite has lost two weeks of juice from the previous model. We’d take that any day for the improved display and we have to say that six weeks of battery life is more than enough. Especially when they both only take a couple of hours to full recharge.

Related: iPad Air 2 vs Sony Xperia Tablet Z4

We haven’t had the new Paperwhite in our hands for six weeks yet, so we can’t really tell you how it’ll cope accurately. But we’ve been using it pretty solidly for the past five days and the battery indicator has barely nudged all, so that’s a good sign. If it’s anything like the Voyage, we’d say you’ll get a month of everyday use before even the idea of searching out the charger will enter your mind. Use it less frequently and yes, six weeks is very accurate.

Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Verdict

The Kindle Voyage is a better e-reader than the Kindle Paperwhite in almost every way. It’s got a slightly better screen with improved backlighting; a nicer, more compact, more tactile design; and double the internal storage. For these reasons it is the clear winner of this contest.

But, we’d still recommend the Paperwhite as the one that most people should buy. The Voyage seems like a luxury and if you want to splash out that extra £60, and have the ability to, then you’ll be getting the best e-reader on the market. Thing is, the Paperwhite is still a fantastic device and you don’t lose out on any ‘massive’ features by choosing it over the Voyage. Both have the same access to Amazon’s store, both have great displays and both can last well over a month without needing a recharge. If you’re an e-reader die-hard, the Voyage is the way to go. For everyone else, we’d say the Paperwhite is the perfect pick.

Max is the Editor of Trusted Reviews, and has been a mobile phone and technology specialist for over nine years. Max started his career at T3 straight after graduating from Kingston University. Max ha…

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