Thinking of getting a Kindle. I have a very old Paperwhite. Should I go for the Oasis? It’s very expensive and is it worth it?
What “problem” are you trying to fix with the upgrade? Does Oasis fix that problem? Or does another model do it?
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That is a difficult question. I have been using an Oasis for about 2 years now. I had been using the Paperwhite before that.
I prefer the Oasis over the Paperwhite. I like the form factor, I love the physical buttons for turning the pages.
There are loads of comparisons online:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=kindle+oasis+vs+paperwhite&t=osx&ia=web
One of them, that I like:
The author comes to the conclusion that the Paperwhite is the winner. I beg to differ. But I do not use add-supported versions which might be one of the reasons why the Paperwhite is winning in this article (allegedly, the Oasis adds are more intrusive).
My answer would be: if you are fine with your Paperwhite, there are not many reasons to go for a new Paperwhite. Stick to the old one. If it lacks something, ok. If you want to have the Oasis form factor with the keys and if you are willing to spend the money: the Oasis is a nice device. But the Paperwhite is not bad, either!
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For me it’s a no brainer, I picked up the Gen 1 Oasis back in Jan 2017, and have loved it ever since. Physical buttons, the form factor, extended battery life. With the even better screens and water proofing for the later models it’s even better.
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My PW is too old. Battery doesn’t last as long. It’s just a good time to upgrade. Question is, do I go for a new PW or an Oasis?
Thanks. Ideally if I’m changing to a newer model, I’d like to try a new form factor and experience. Unfortunately, I do not have a way to physically test an Oasis. And I will.be importing this to Malaysia, so I have no way to return it. It’s a one-way chance and that’s why I would like some opinion. I’m familiar with PW, I’m really curious about the Oasis but not 2x the price curious unless I’m pretty sure of it.
I’ve had my 9th generation Oasis for three years – ad free version. I like the larger display and the controls, and it sits well in the hand. I use it a lot, and have never had a software or hardware glitch with it. I have a MoKo hard case, which I prefer to a sleeve case.
OTOH, a Kindle is a Kindle – its about having enough affordable space for your books and other content and enjoying the reading experience. If I am reading a book that I want to highlight, or take notes, I’ll use the Kindle app on an iPad instead of the Oasis because that is a better platform, for me, for Kindle note taking. (Although the iPad app has the annoying shortcoming that it often fails to sync to and from the last page read.)
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Excellent. All those problems fixed by both your options. Just wanted to check you weren’t longing for some other feature.
I read 3-4 books a week now and refer to many others in my Library.
I have a Voyage and someday I’ll have the same problems as you have or will want to let one of my kids inherit it. I of course have looked at Paperwhite vs. Oasis and haven’t jumped. I like high resolution (both Paperwhite and Oasis same as Voyage), I like the larger screen (Oasis wins) but notice the larger physical size (downgrades that win) for travelling. If I want large screen for technical books I use iPad and/or Mac which are both really great).
So when the time comes to change, based on current versions of everything, I’d probably go for the Paperwhite with max memory, no ads, and mobile connectivity.
But at the same time, I notice that Amazon, at intervals, puts the prices down significantly for a day or so as they are right now in my country. Can get a high end Oasis for just a bit more than the high-end Paperwhite, which is unusual.
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I have both so I will give you my thoughts outside of the reading experience. The form factor of the Oasis is problematic as a “carry around” kindle. I cannot just slip it into my pants pocket like a PW. The “holding it by the hump” becomes tiresome. The Oasis buttons are convenient for one handed reading. They are both water resistant so good there. The extra money you pay for the Oasis is not proportional to how much better it is than the PW. My PW is my carry around kindle, the Oasis is relegated to nightstand duty.
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Thanks. I guess this is important. I think Oasis with a case would have been “huge” and probably tiring to the hands for long-term reading, wouldn’t it?
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I don’t use cases. I like the feel of a naked kindle.
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I don’t find the Oasis + case unwieldy. It’s about the size of two iPhone 12’s side by side, FWIW. But I don’t pocket it either. I use a case because scratches.
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The other thing I’d like to know is dark mode. How is the reading experience in bed at night with all the lights off, Kindle in dark mode. Is it comfortable to the eyes? I do a lot of reading before bed and the light disturbed the missus, so dark mode is a plus.
My current PW can’t do that and I read that newer PW also have dark mode. How does this compare to Oasis?
I’m in the camp that doesn’t particularly like the Oasis family, and I’ve owned and/or reviewed essentially every modern Kindle device along with most of their competitors from Kobo.
Fundamentally, I don’t believe that the Oasis provides enough of an upgrade over the modern Paperwhite experience to justify its cost. Before the Oasis, going from Paperwhite to Voyage was a meaningful upgrade—and it cost less money. The Voyage remains my all-time favourite Kindle, for whatever that’s worth.
In any case, I wrote more about this in my Oasis review but as much as I love these devices (and I really do), I can’t bring myself to recommend the Oasis to anyone unless 1" of extra screen real estate is your single most important criteria and you don’t care about any of the other trade-offs.
As for dark mode, I find that light mode with amber lighting and a dim brightness is vastly more comfortable for my eyes, but then I’ve never enjoyed light text on dark backgrounds for anything long-form so I’m probably not the right person to comment.
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I have both, my wife uses my paperwhite primarily now because I found an Oasis that somebody won at a company christmas party and they were selling it for very cheap due to them not really being a reader.
I don’t think personally I would pay full price for the device, it’s just expensive for not that many upgrades vs the paperwhite. I love the page turn buttons however and the bigger screen.
I looked at both when replacing an older Paperwhite last year. Decided on new PW for the waterproofing. If that’s not important to you I believe the Oasis may be a slightly better reading experience.
I have a pretty old paperwhite too. I wouldn’t be interested in a much larger device, especially at twice the price. When I need to replace it, I’ll probably get another PW.
The dark mode is crisp and easy to read. Kindles provide adjustments for fonts, font size, brightness (in dark and light modes), so it is easy to set up the way you wish. This is not unique to Oasis.
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I’m someone who reads for 2+ hours a day on an e-ink Kindle. I absolutely adore my Oasis (9th gen). I love the size and clarity of the screen, and I find the wedge shape makes it easy to hold. I have this case for it in a color that’s apparently no longer available. I actually read with the case off, since I can have it on or off in about two seconds.
I’ve not for one second regretted the purchase.
That said, the only way that I could justify buying it when I did was that I got good trade-in value for my old Voyage + Amazon often gives a 20% discount on a new Kindle when you trade + the Oasis was on sale at the time. That meant I could get the 32 GB Oasis for just under $155 (just a few dollars less than what the 32 GB Paperwhite goes for).
If I had to replace the Oasis tomorrow, paying full retail for whatever I was getting, I’d replace it with the Paperwhite. The Oasis is nicer, but not $100+ nicer.
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This is my experience too. It feels a bit more comfortable to me than the Paperwhite, with a more positive grip (fingers can curl around the bump). The fact that the screen reorients depending on which way you’re holding it means you can use it in either hand and be able to reach the physical buttons. Which are my other favorite feature. 
If I were buying a brand new Kindle tomorrow, would I get the Oasis? Probably not as I don’t use it as much as I’d like, so it would be hard to cost-justify. But if I used it every day? Absolutely. The reading experience, including backlighting, is much better.
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I had a Paperwhite and switched to an Oasis. I like the screen better and find it more comfortable to hold. But most importantly, I love the physical page-turn buttons!
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