SCREEN (surface):
I was indifferent to the idea of a flush bezel and glass screen -- until I picked up my Voyage. That flat front is really, really nice. The texture of the glass is satiny smooth, and I'm surprised by just how much I'm enjoying the feel of it. Similarly, the flush bezel has proven to be an unexpected luxury. It's difficult to describe, but something about the seamless integration of bezel and screen has made me less aware of the fact that I'm reading on a device. Maybe because I'm less aware of its constituent parts? I don't know. It's a funny, subtle thing that I never anticipated.
SCREEN (resolution):
Excellent. The page is whiter, and the print is darker and crisper. I've always loved my Paperwhite for the simple fact that I can read without my glasses or contacts, and this makes it even more so. It's like switching from DVD to Blu-ray. There's nothing "wrong" with reading on my old Paperwhite, just like there's nothing wrong with watching a DVD. But now that I've upgraded, it's tough to imagine going back.
As others have noted, the text looks like it's part of the glass, rather than printed beneath it. It's as if the words are right there, on the surface, like a piece of paper. This aspect, coupled with the flush bezel, further blurs the distinction between device and printed page -- another luxury I didn't anticipate.
PAGE PRESS:
This was the biggest selling point for me, and it works exactly the way I'd hoped. In my case not having to move my thumb onto the screen is mostly a matter of laziness/convenience, but for those who are left-handed and/or have limited dexterity, this feature could be a godsend. Just a little squeeze, and the page turns effortlessly. Even with Page Press adjusted for the lowest amount of pressure, I can still rest my thumb on the sensor without triggering a page turn. This makes it so much easier to read one-handed, particularly when holding the Kindle in my left hand: since I don't have to lift my thumb, I don't have to re-adjust my grip every time I need to turn the page. (Also, my origami case has not impacted Page Press's effectiveness at all.) I personally see no need for haptic feedback, so I've disabled it.
The positioning of the sensors is pretty much ideal for me, allowing my thumbs to rest naturally on the page-forawrd sensors. (My hands are long-fingered, and measure approximately 3.75 x 6.75") I disagree with those who find the positioning non-intuitive. It does take a little bit of getting used to if you're accustomed to touching the left side of the Paperwhite's screen to page backward, but the Voyage's ambidextrous setup makes the device much more flexible for reading. Yes, I have to move my hand to reach the page-back sensors, but that's not something I do often enough to find inconvenient.
Although I'm not left-handed myself, there are plenty of moments when I appreciate that the device is ambidextrous. When I'm eating, for example, I don't have to put down my fork, or stretch my left thumb across the screen to turn the page. A squeeze on the left size of the bezel does the trick instead. A minuscule, possibly laughable convenience, obviously, but I love it.
Now that I have Page Press, I've realized that for me, having to touch the screen to trigger a page turn on my Paperwhite kept some small part of my mind constantly aware that I was in fact reading on a screen, rather than on paper. Having to poke my finger or thumb into the printed area also constituted another similar reminder. I know it sounds ridiculous, but when these infinitesimal interruptions suddenly vanish, you really do sink even deeper into your book.
ADAPTIVE LIGHT:
I use my Kindle on a very low setting (usually 5-7) in all lighting conditions, so the automatic brightness isn't necessary for me. When the brightness is turned all the way up I do see a minor difference in coloration from the top to the bottom of the screen, but in all honesty I'm not sure whether I would have noticed it if I hadn't read others' complaints about it. I restarted the device and the issue appeared to decrease significantly, and may have entirely disappeared. (I've been scrutinizing the screen too closely to be sure anymore.) Since I keep my brightness turned down so low, it's really a moot point in my case. Consequently, I can't comment on the Nightlight feature, either.
SIZE/WEIGHT:
No complaints. Light, thin, sturdy, and easy to read one-handed.
BATTERY:
No complaints so far. I keep wifi off and use a very low light setting, which conserves battery, but I also favor a fairly large font size, which leads to more page turns and battery usage. I've been monkeying with my new Voyage all weekend - playing with the various settings as well as just reading - and have probably used 20-25% of the battery. (Update 11/7/14: After two weeks, my battery is now down by 75%.)
BOTTOM LINE:
Of course you don't NEED it, just like you don't NEED to read To Kill a Mockingbird in a leather-bound hardback instead of a paperback off the rack at Target. This is a luxury, pure and simple, and if you can afford it, I absolutely recommend treating yourself.
There is indeed a persistent issue with the screen lighting/coloring, and according to Amazon customer service, it's to be expected. I'm annoyed on principle that Amazon didn't correct this issue before releasing the Voyage (c'mon, it's the flagship of your fleet -- it deserves to be perfect!) but in reality it's not a significant problem for me. When I'm reading in complete darkness, the top inch or so of my display is faintly parchment-colored. It's a subtle gradation that I don't find distracting unless I'm consciously looking at the screen as a whole rather than reading the individual lines of print. Again, this is ONLY noticeable on my device while reading in complete darkness. I absolutely cannot detect the difference in hue in normal daylight. And as I said in my original review, I don't know whether I'd have noticed this at all if I hadn't read others' complaints. In retrospect I'd maybe knock my rating down to 4.5 stars if that were possible. While I can't say I wish I'd waited for Voyage 2 (I'm still completely smitten with Page Press and never want to be without it) next time I'll try my best to resist becoming an early adopter.
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