Kindle Oasis Review
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- The Good
- High-end resolution
- Extensive book collection
- Comfortable design
- Lightweight
- Included leather case
- The Bad
- Higher price point
- No adaptive front light
- 3G unavailable outside of the United States
Kindle Oasis is a good option for anyone who wants an e-book reader with the best resolution and a good amount of features. However, one interesting omission on the Oasis is the lack of an adaptive light, first introduced on the Voyage. Similar to the auto-brightness feature on phones, adaptive light alters the backlight depending on your environment (for instance, if you moved from a bright room to a dark one, it would slowly lower the light displayed by the device to better suit your eyes in the new environment).
- Price
- $289
The Kindle Oasis is expensive. Running at the high price of $289, it is often labeled the “Rolls-Royce of Kindles.” A standard Kindle is $60, and the backlit Paperwhite model is $100. The Oasis’ high price often makes other Kindle models such as the Voyage a much more affordable option.
- Specs
- Resolution
- 1448×1072, 300 ppi
- Display Size
- 6 inches
- Lighting
- Front-lit display
- Capacity
- Holds up to 2,000 books
- Battery Life
- 9-week battery life with case attached
- Weight
- 131 grams (4.6 ounces)
The front light system has been updated to include 60 percent more LEDs for a brighter display and more even light. The Oasis is 30 percent lighter than any other Kindle model, with the Voyage coming in at 6.3 ounces and the Paperwhite at 7.2 ounces, the equivalent of a standard paperback book. The Oasis is also 20 percent thinner than other Kindle devices. In fact, the Kindle Oasis is only 3.4 mm and thickens only slightly at the base. Kindle Oasis is easily the most lightweight of all other devices of its kind, and is also smaller. Visually, there is better contrast, and light is evenly spread; with 300 pixels per inch, the text looks as good as any printed word. The Kindle Oasis has more impressive specs than any other e-book reader. It is one of only two Kindle products to offer 300 ppi resolution, is one of the lightest eReaders, and has an extended battery life as well as a large storage capacity.
- Features
- 3G data connectivity
- E-ink display
- Landscape mode
- Physical page-turning buttons
- In-book dictionary option
- Easy-to-hold shape
- Leather case
The biggest advantage of the Oasis is that the asymmetrical shape puts all the weight in your palm, making this the best Kindle yet for one-handed reading. Instead of the on-screen buttons of the Voyage or the swiping capability of the Paperwhite, the Oasis features two physical buttons on the side of the display. The top one advances the page, while the bottom one turns it back, which feels very natural. The leather case (available in three colors) is not only stylish but adheres magnetically to the device, bumping battery life up to 9 weeks if Wi-Fi is not turned on.
- Book Selection
- Access Amazon's book library
- Borrow books from local library
- Share books with friends
- Download free public domain books
Kindle products offer Amazon’s entire library of e-books, which is an extensive selection of hundreds of thousands of books. You also have the ability to “borrow” books from local libraries that have programs with Amazon, as well as lend your own books to friends and borrow books from them. Free public domain books also add to the already impressive free book collection.
Kindle Oasis: User Reviews
Kindle Oasis: Comments
Amazon has done amazing things with its suite of Kindle products, and the Kindle Oasis is the best of its kind. While the Kindle Oasis is expensive, if you’re one of those who want the top-of-the-line product, the Oasis is for you.
How Does the Kindle Oasis Work?
The Kindle Oasis works like most other e-book readers. After downloading a book to the reader, you can instantly access and browse through it as if it were an actual book. The home screen shows the most recent books you’ve been reading on the top left, a selection of titles added to your wish list, and some suggested books on the bottom. There are also settings like airplane mode, which significantly saves battery life, and data syncing from the Oasis’ toolbar.
Amazon’s library, with hundreds of thousands of books available, can be accessed straight from the Kindle Oasis. If your payment information is already set up in your Amazon account, you can buy books faster and easier. You then download the book to your personal library, which exists both on your Kindle and in your Amazon account, so you can access your books on other devices as long as you have a Kindle Reader app.
One of the best features is that you can access e-books from your local library and borrow them to your Kindle Oasis. You can also lend e-books you have bought to your friends, and they can do the same for you. This, along with the large library of free public domain books that Amazon has, means you can read thousands of books for free.
Kindle Oasis also comes with great features that can make reading easier. It has great LED lights that will make it easier to read both in direct sunshine and in the dark.
The Oasis is charged via micro-USB, and if the case is connected, then it, too, will automatically charge at the same time.
What Can You Read on a Kindle Oasis?
Books are not the only things you can read on your Kindle Oasis. Here’s a good breakdown of all the other publication options that you can buy and access:
Newspapers: You can buy a newspaper subscription straight from your Kindle or Amazon account, and it includes a 14-day free trial. You also have access to the 14 most recent issues of the newspaper, as well as the current issue.
Magazines: Magazine subscriptions work the same way as newspaper subscriptions, and they also include a 14-day free trial. With magazines, you actually have access to the 40 most recent issues of the publication, as well as the current issue. You can also link current subscriptions to newspapers and magazines to your Amazon account to get access to them on your Kindle.
Comic Books: Amazon also has a wide range of comic books that you can download and read on your Kindle Oasis. From graphic novels to standard comic books, the 300 ppi gives an almost “inky” quality to illustrations.
PDFs: You can upload your own PDFs to your Kindle to add to your library so you can access them when you need them. You can either use a USB port to transfer the files or use the Send to Kindle app. Since e-readers do better with black and white text, complex PDFs might not convert as well.
Common Kindle Oasis Reviews
Kindle is one of the top eReader brands, and Kindle Oasis is one of the top products in the line; however, the price has remained a deterring factor to some.
In almost every professional consumer product review of eReaders, a Kindle product ends up on top. It’s usually the Kindle Oasis, which has more options and features than the Kindle Voyage, but many argue that at $100 more, the features are not worth the money.
The Oasis, for all of its flash design, isn’t that much better than Amazon’s current batch of Kindles. Most argue that it is not worth a $90 premium over the Kindle Voyage, which was already overpriced ever since it launched at $199. With the Kindle Paperwhite available for $100, there’s simply no reason for most people to even consider the Oasis.
Is Kindle Oasis Right for You?
The Kindle Oasis would work best for die-hard Kindle fans who want the top-of-the-line Kindle experience and don’t mind paying extra for it.
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