The Rise of Kindle Paperwhite: Amazon’s Top-Rated eBook Reader
It’s no secret that the Kindle Paperwhite is among the best eBook readers on the market right now. With its second edition, Amazon made all the right changes to the illuminated eReader and undoubtedly brought an excellent device to the market. However, the story began quite differently.
In 2012, the first Kindle Paperwhite was launched, and it didn’t quite fit the otherwise spotless Amazon image. The eBook reader struggled with various issues, which was initially reflected in the customer reviews on Amazon.de. Shortly after release, the Paperwhite only managed to secure 3.7 stars — a relatively poor result for a product line that had been accustomed to success.
In early December 2012, the first generation Paperwhite still had a 3.7-star rating
Over time, however, the critical voices became fewer, and the positive reviews increased. Amazon seemed to have fixed the biggest issue with the color blobs. As a result, the first Paperwhite eventually climbed to 4.5 stars — a rating that fits much better with the Kindle image. When the Kindle Paperwhite 2 hit the market, the anticipation was high, as Amazon announced not only the use of a previously unknown display technology (E-Ink Carta) but also an improvement in the built-in lighting.
New Model with Better Technology and Quality Control
This time, Amazon delivered: The “paper-white” eBook reader started off with a 4.2-star rating and quickly climbed to 4.5 stars. Recently, the device managed to surpass the next hurdle and reach an average rating of 4.6 stars. This makes the current Paperwhite (at least in Germany) the best-rated Amazon eReader to date. The model also impressed in the US, UK, and French markets, though the Kindle Keyboard achieved a better rating in the UK.
Here’s how the ratings of the other Kindle eBook readers stack up:
- Kindle 3 (Keyboard): 4.3 stars (1,195 votes) [USA: 4.4; UK: 4.6; F: -]
- Kindle 4: 4.5 stars (7,833 votes) [USA: 4.4; UK: 4.4; F: 4.2]
- Kindle Touch: 4.5 stars (1,350 votes) [USA: 4.0; UK: 4.3; F: 4.2]
- Kindle Paperwhite 1: 4.5 stars (4,979 votes) [USA: 4.3; UK: 4.4; F: 4.3]
- Kindle Paperwhite 2: 4.6 stars (3,334 votes) [USA: 4.5; UK: 4.5; F: 4.4]
For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that the 4.6-star rating is (still) on relatively shaky ground, as it actually amounts to 4.555 stars (and a few more decimal places). It’s also worth considering that not every buyer expresses their opinion by submitting a review. However, the large number of submitted reviews does provide some insights.
Whether the Kindle Paperwhite 2 will ultimately garner a similar large number of reviews as its predecessor is doubtful — at least, assuming the device is replaced by another one in late summer/fall 2014. If the Kindle Ice Wine doesn’t act as a successor but is offered in addition, it’s possible for the missing reviews to be made up over time.
