Amazon Kindle Voyage: First Impressions
The Kindle Voyage is Amazon’s most expensive e-reader yet. At £169, or £229 if you go for the 3G model, it’s more than the Kindle Paperwhite (£109) and the basic Kindle (£59) by some distance. So what are you paying the extra money for exactly? Well, it doesn’t take very long to realise that it’s the brighter, sharper screen that’s going to give Amazon's new flagship ereader real appeal.
Screen aside, the Voyage’s design is quite a departure from the Kindle Paperwhite. The back is clearly inspired by Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet range. There's the same glossy angular top and predominantly matte black body with just the single standby button breaking things up. Much like the Fire tablets and as the image below shows, it can be a haven for fingerprints and I'm not totally convinced of the merits of this angular approach in a device you'll always hold in portrait.
Kindle Voyage (left) and Kindle 2014 edition (right)
What’s more appealing is just how portable the Voyage is. It’s small enough to grip comfortably in one hand and measures in about the same size as a small, albeit stumpy paperback book. You should be able to fit this inside a bag easily and even skinny jeans wearers might have better luck squeezing this into a pocket.
At 7.6mm thick it’s thinner than the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone and weighing in at 180g it’s lighter than the Paperwhite. That has a lot to do with the decision to use the same magnesium alloy unibody as the Kindle Fire HDX. That means the Voyage is light but doesn't compromise on the attractive design.
Up front is where the most dramatic hardware changes can be found. Buttons are replaced with a new 'PagePress' system. This is essentially two pressure-sensitive sensors positioned either side of the screen bezel. They allow you to press to flick back and forth between book pages and they have a nice satisfying feel with some gentle haptic feedback to let you know that presses have been registered.
You are not restricted to using PagePress and the capacitive touchscreen means you can still tap on the screen to navigate and turn pages.
The 6-inch high resolution display is the major talking point here, though. It uses the same screen technology as the Paperwhite and now sits flush with the screen bezel, creating a more aesthetically appealing design. Amazon employs scratch-resistant glass instead of plastic, although you wouldn’t think it when you glide your finger across it. That has something to do with the coating used to reduce glare and means you don't have that glossy finish you'd find on a smartphone touchscreen.
It’s a screen that's noticeably sharper and brighter than previous Kindles. It packs a 300 ppi pixel density, surpassing the Paperwhite’s still decent 212 ppi. Viewing angles are strong and while the improved contrast is not exactly identical to reading an actual book, it’s the best you are going to find on an ereader at the moment.
The front-facing light won't be something new to Paperwhite owners, but Amazon has added a new adaptive technology that's based on how your eyes respond to changes in reading conditions. So when you are going to bed, for example, the light emitted will differ after you have been reading for a while. The dimly lit room we had time to play with the Voyage certainly showed that it delivers good visibility, but I'd like to spend more time with it to see how well it works long term.
Powering the Voyage is a 1GHz processor and there's 4GB storage. Amazon claims a six-week battery life and the Kindle software still offers features like X-Ray, Whispersync to resume ebooks on other devices and Goodreads integration for more social reading.
Most importantly, it still has access to the comprehensive Kindle catalogue of books magazines, newspapers and comics, which sets Amazon's ecosystem apart from the rest.
Initial Verdict
The Kindle Voyage is an ereader for someone who wants the very best reading experience. It's as portable as the basic Kindle and has one of the best screens we've seen on an ereader. But price is a major stumbling block for the more casual reader. The Paperwhite is still a great ereader and is £40-50 cheaper, so an upgrade seems unwise. If you you're serious Kindle fanatic, however, the Kindle Voyage is without the doubt the best one yet.
Next, read What is Kindle First? Amazon's new service explained