We all know people who are hardcore book readers.
They used to be easy to spot. If you were in their home, the overflowing bookshelves would give them away. You can also check for multiple pairs of reading glasses around the house or a really good reading lamp/comfy chair setup in the living room.
But now all those full bookshelves can be replaced by a very small e-reader.
Alas, I am not a hardcore reader. I wish I were.
The internet has ruined me for book reading, and these days I’m lucky to read two or three books per year.
I have half a dozen books sitting around my house waiting to be picked up, but I never seem to get around to it, which is why I was interested when Amazon asked if I’d like to review its top-tier e-reader, the Kindle Oasis.
Amazon has been in the book business since it started in 1994, and it began selling Kindle e-readers in 2007.
The original Kindle sold for $399, and Amazon sold out of the first production run in less than six hours.
That first Kindle had 250 megabytes of storage (enough for about 200 books) plus an SD card slot for expanded storage. It had a speaker and headphone jack for listening to audiobooks. You could access the Amazon bookstore via a 3G cellular connection that was free to use.
Things have changed.
Kindle Oasis
Amazon has released dozens of Kindles, all of them feature a screen technology called E Ink, which is a crisp and very battery-friendly display with black text on a white background.
The screens are known for being very sharp and easy to read.
I certainly agree.
I’d much rather read on a Kindle than on an iPad or other tablet with a traditional backlit LED display.
In 2016, Amazon introduced the Kindle Oasis. The one I’m reviewing is the third version, introduced in 2019. It remains Amazon’s highest-priced e-reader, starting at $249.99.
In the beginning, most Kindle models looked alike — they had a vertical screen with a quarter to half-inch bezel around the top and sides with a larger bezel below the screen to hold.
The Oasis changed that with a nearly square design. The screen is still vertically oriented (also called portrait mode).
The Oasis has very thin bezels on the top, bottom and left side, but the right side bezel is about an inch wide with two buttons to advance forward or back in your book.
The side with the wider bezel also has a thicker case, which is just right to help you keep a good grip on it.
That thicker side of the case houses the Kindle’s electronics and battery.
The Oasis can be held in either hand. You can turn it over (so the buttons are on the left) and the screen rotates automatically. You can even use the screen in landscape mode if you enable the setting.
You can also assign which button is used for page forward or page back, as you like.
The Oasis is the only Kindle with a metal body — all the others are plastic. It is also IPX8 waterproof, so you can use it in a bathtub or pool without worrying about dropping it.
Screen
The Oasis’ 7-inch Paperwhite display has a resolution of 300 dots per inch. The screen has 25 LED backlights for even illumination. The screen’s backlighting color can be adjusted from cool (bluish light) to warm (yellowish light). My favorite was somewhere in the middle. You can also adjust the brightness and set a daily schedule to adjust the screen color as day turns to night.
The font and font size are also customizable.
Storage and ads
Amazon Kindles are all available in two configurations — with or without ads, which appear on the screen as a sort of “screensaver” when you’re not reading.
The Oasis’ $249 version has ads and 8 gigabytes of storage for your content.
You can upgrade to the ad-supported 32 GB model for an extra $30 (this is a good deal).
You can also upgrade to an ad-free version for $20 more.
The ad-free 32 GB version costs $299.99. These Oasis models use Wi-Fi only to connect to the internet to download or sync books from your Amazon library.
There is a higher-end 32 GB model with Wi-Fi plus free cellular so you can download new content wherever you get cell signal. That Oasis costs $349.99.
All of the Oasis models include free cloud storage for all your Amazon purchases.
Amazon and Audible
If you have an internet connection (or cellular with the top model), you can search and buy from Amazon’s massive bookstore.
You can also buy or sync your Audible audiobooks.
You’ll want the 32 GB Oasis models if you listen to audiobooks.
Speaking of audio, the Oasis has Bluetooth so you can listen with your favorite Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. There’s no headphone jack.
You can also load your own content, like PDFs, by emailing them to your Kindle. All Kindles have their own email addresses.
Battery and charging
Amazon says the Oasis’ battery will last for up to six weeks of reading 30 minutes per day, and it takes about five hours to charge.
The Oasis charges from a microUSB port, which really reminds me that the Oasis is using 2019 technology.
Amazon released a new model Kindle Paperwhite in 2021 with a USB-C port for charging and the ability to charge wirelessly. Neither of these features have made it to the Oasis yet.
While we’re talking about the 32 GB ad-free Paperwhite Signature Edition ($189.99), it has a 6.8-inch E Ink screen with 17 LED backlights, USB-C and Qi wireless charging. The Paperwhite is also IPX8 waterproof, but it lacks a cellular option.
Instead of buttons to navigate pages, the Paperwhite Signature page navigation is done by touching the screen.
Should you buy?
After reviewing the Oasis, I can say it is a great reader, but it’s way overdue for an update.
The Paperwhite Signature is two years newer with a screen with the same resolution and the same storage as the Oasis. It has USB-C and wireless charging that will certainly be included on the next Oasis.
Are a metal case and physical buttons worth the higher price for the Oasis?
Not for me.
I’d recommend waiting for the next Oasis or opting for the cheaper Paperwhite Signature (or the even cheaper $139.99 Paperwhite) if you want to buy a Kindle right away.
Kindle Oasis
Pros: Metal body, great screen with color adjustment, cellular option.
Cons: MicroUSB port screams 2019. No wireless charging.
Bottom line: Still a very nice Kindle, but I’d wait for the next model.
