BackReview: Amazon Kindle Oasis
An entirely new Kindle e-reader generation
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For those who travel a lot, carrying multiple books can be inconvenient. The Kindle Oasis has tried to bring the e-reader experience closer to that of reading an actual book. And it has managed to, to a certain extent.
While the Oasis retains the 6-inch display, like the rest of the Kindle line-up, what you’ll notice immediately is the squarish design and asymmetrical shape. The idea is to make it nestle better in your hand—it’s thicker on one side because of the handgrip and thinner on the other. The moulded polymer chassis is lightweight (131g), but does not feel like it will fall apart with rough use. There are just three buttons: one for power and two for page-turning. The advantage is that you can hold the Kindle Oasis and use the page-turn buttons with the same hand. Amazon is bundling a smart cover too, which not only protects the screen but also has a battery that complements the Oasis’ internal battery.
The screen does look smaller than the screens on Kindle Voyage and Kindle Paperwhite, but that is just an optical illusion. The e-ink screen of the Oasis has 300 pixels per inch, which, on paper, is the same as the latest-generation Paperwhite. The text looks better on the Oasis because it is sharper, and the brightness seems to be spread more evenly, as does the purity of the white colour. The display illumination setting of 7-9 is ideal for reading in the dark, while 13-14 is adequate for a brightly lit room. The Oasis, however, lacks one feature that the Voyage has—an ambient light sensor that automatically manages the screen light intensity.
Page-turn on the Oasis is smoother and faster than on any other Kindle so far; the Oasis also responds quicker when you tap an option. But if you are reading something with animation, such as comics, there is still a rather annoying page-turn lag.
This Kindle has 4 GB of internal storage, and can hold at least 1,000 books. The Oasis is available in Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi+3G versions, the latter allowing you to download books while travelling—you do not have to pay additional charges.
This flagship Kindle is costly, but for someone who genuinely loves to read, it’s a small price to pay for a unique experience. For others, the Paperwhite remains the best bargain.
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