Kindle Oasis 2 has a bigger screen, but with a shorter battery life, is it worth the money?
E-reader’s bigger screen, waterproofing and faster page turns are offset by a slow wake-up time, reduced battery life and an uncomfortable one-handed reading position, but overall it is an improvement over older models
For those tired of staring at bright liquid crystal displays for hours, an e-book reader offers a respite not just for weary eyes, but also from distracting smartphone social media notifications. What does Amazon.com’s latest iteration of the Kindle Oasis e-reader bring to the table?
Design and hardware
The Kindle Oasis 2 has an expansive 7-inch display. Reading felt much roomier thanks to the extra screen real-estate, making older 6-inch models feel cramped in comparison. The larger display doesn’t come at the expense of sharpness, as it contains more pixels to maintain the 300 pixel-per-inch count. On the flip side, the device has a slightly wider body and will no longer fit into the back pocket of your jeans like older Kindle models.
Review: Kindle Oasis aimed at avid readers, but pricey for others
The Oasis 2 adopts the tapered design of the original Oasis model, and is also slightly thinner. This contoured back shrinks to a slim 3.4mm along two-thirds of the device, delivering an ergonomic handgrip when gripped against the palm of one hand. An anodised aluminium back completes the remodel, along with IPX8 waterproofing rated to survive complete immersion in two metres of water for up to an hour.