Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024) vs. Kindle Paperwhite (2024): Which wins out?

Amazon has just launched a range of new Kindle devices, including the first Kindle with a color screen, a new Kindle Paperwhite, and an improved Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition.

If you’re looking at one of Amazon’s new Kindles, which is the better e-ink device to buy? What’s the difference between the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) and the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024), and is the Signature Edition worth the small increase in price? Also, should you buy the ad-supported version of your Kindle of choice, or the more expensive, but less intrusive version without lock screen ads? Let’s dive into the details and find out.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024) vs. Kindle Paperwhite (2024): specs

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition vs. Kindle Paperwhite (2024): design and display

Both Kindles follow the same design philosophy, with the major changes being under the hood rather than visual. Part of the magic of the Kindle range is that they are thin and ergonomically friendly, and Amazon’s latest devices continue this trend. Both Kindles measure 176.7mm in height, 127.6mm in width, and 7.8mm in depth. They weigh nearly identical amounts, but the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition weighs 3 grams more than the Kindle Paperwhite at 214 grams.

Both e-readers are designed to handle everything you throw at them. Their IPX8 rating offers water resistance of up to2 meters for 60 minutes, making them perfect for use in the bath, the pool, or by the beach. At the bottom, both have a USB-C port and a single physical button. Previous Kindles have the same power button, which proved too easy to press accidentally, so it remains to be seen if it’s been improved on either of these.

Both feature a 7-inch glare-free display that’s flush with the body of the display, compared to the recessed display used by earlier Kindle models. Both displays offer 300 pixels-per-inch density and a 16-level grayscale for a great reading experience. The Kindle Paperwhite has an adjustable warm display, while the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition has an auto-adjusting front light that can take the display from a white light to a warm amber.

Both devices also come in three colors: Black, Jade (green), and Raspberry (pink), but the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition has a slightly different finish as denoted by the Metallic name of each color option.

The display is the same, but the Signature’s auto-adjusting light makes all the difference.

Winner: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition vs Kindle Paperwhite (2024): reading experience

Both offer the same reading experience, but the auto-adjusting display light does make the display and reading experience more comfortable on the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition.

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition has double the storage at 32GB, which means it can hold almost double the amount of books as the Kindle Paperwhite. If you’re planning to keep your Amazon Kindle Paperwhite for a long period, the additional premium for the Signature Edition will future-proof your purchase — though it is worth pointing out that this applies much more if you’re an audiobook fan, as those files take up a lot more space than a simple e-book.

One of the biggest improvements is under the hood, where Amazon has improved the page turn speed by 25%. There was a momentary lag when turning pages in previous generations, and the new display stack in this year’s displays ensures that page turns are now much faster.

The automatically adjusting display light on the Signature Edition improves the overall reading experience to ensure it’s dynamically suitable for every environment without needing your input. However, if this and double the storage isn’t important to you, both of these devices have the same fundamental reading experience.

Winner: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition vs Kindle Paperwhite (2024): battery and charging

Alongside the display, one of the big reasons to buy the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition over the regular Kindle Paperwhite (2024) is the addition of wireless charging. Instead of needing to plug in via the USB-C port, you can simply charge your new Kindle wirelessly with the Made for Amazon charging dock or a regular wireless charging pad.

If you read in bed, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is likely ideal as you’ll be able to leave it to charge wirelessly overnight, and you’ll always have a charged battery. However, even if you forget to charge them for a few days, both devices will definitely still have battery life remaining, as battery life on these devices is measured in weeks, rather than days.

Speaking of longevity, both are rated as offering the same battery life: up to 12 days of battery life with wireless turned off and 30 minutes of reading per day. Both also take up to two-and-a-half hours to charge to full via 9W wired charging, but it’s unclear how long the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition will take to recharge fully using wireless charging.

There’s no difference in the expected battery life between these two devices, but the ease with which you can charge the Signature Edition wirelessly means it just wins out here. If you don’t want to buy a separate dock or wireless charger or don’t care about wireless charging, the Kindle Paperwhite (2024) offers the same endurance.

Winner: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition vs Kindle Paperwhite (2024): price and availability

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) starts at $159 — an increase of $10 over the previous generation — while the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024) costs $40 more at $199.

However, it’s worth noting that there are two versions of the regular Kindle Paperwhite: one with lock screen ads and one without. The latter is the most streamlined experience, but costs $179, while the ad-supported version effectively adds an extra swipe every time you wake your device.

If you’re considering buying the ad-free version, there’s just a $20 difference between it and the Signature Edition, which has more features and doesn’t have lock-screen ads.

Overall winner: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024)

Like the previous generation, the difference between the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024) and Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) is minimal. There’s an auto-adjusting front display, wireless charging with a compatible dock or charger, and double the storage on the Signature Edition.

It costs $40 more than the ad-supported version of the regular Paperwhite (and just $20 more than the version without ads), but it comes with a few key improvements that do ultimately improve your overall Kindle experience. If your budget can stretch to it, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is a no-brainer upgrade. However, it’s worth pointing out that you can easily live without the Signature’s upgrades, and that extra $40 could easily be spent on more books.

Regardless of which you buy, you’ll get the latest Amazon Kindle experience. The Signature Edition adds a little more polish, but both give you blazing-fast page turns, an outstanding e-ink display with 16 levels of grayscale, and access to the full suite of Amazon Kindle services, including the optional Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription.