Tech Review: Kindle Oasis 2017 Edition (aka My Precious)

For Christmas 2017 I was fortunate enough to be gifted the second generation of the Kindle Oasis.
After using the device for 3.5 months, completing about 15 books on it, and reading other people's concerns here are my thoughts on the device.

My Kindle History:

This is actually my first true Kindle e-reader. I have had the first generation Kindle Fire for about six years now and I do love reading on it. If you are looking for an inexpensive device that you can use for watching movies and TV shows as well as reading and some web surfing I would definitely recommend checking out the Fire.

Despite my love of the device it wasn't great for my daily reading. I work on computers all day and am prone to migraines which the bright Fire screen just made worse. In the struggle to increase my reading time without hurting my head I began hunting for the perfect Kindle for me.

Which One Do I Have?

My Kindle is the 2017 second generation of the Oasis. Mine is the color Graphite and they will be releasing the color Champagne Gold soon. Mine is also the 32 GB storage with both wifi and free cellular connectivity model. I went with this option since I do travel often and do not always have easy access to wifi. I also opted for no ads on my lock screen

Design:

This Kindle is gorgeous and just about everyone who has seen me reading it doesn't even realize it is a Kindle. The groove on the back fits perfectly into my hands for a secure grip. I really enjoy the larger 7" screen compared to the 6" screen of all the other Kindles.

The buttons for the page turn work well though I will admit about once a week I have noticed having to push the button multiple times to get a reaction from the device. This is rare though and has not ever truly bothered me enough to call it a true problem. Some people did complain that the buttons are a bit on the loud side. I can agree with this. There is a definite sound when you push for the next page. While I have used it successfully next to a sleeping baby without waking him up I do get a bit self conscious using the buttons in crowded waiting rooms. In that instance I just tap the screen which works perfectly. If you're worried about this I would recommend stopping by a store to test one for yourself.

As far as the weight goes, this is great if your wrists get tired easily. My Kindle Fire always required both hands or to be propped up on something if I was going to be reading for more than a few minutes. The 6.7 ounces were startlingly light when I first removed mine from its box and reading for up to five hours has caused no wrist or hand strain. The screen flips easily so that you can hold with the groove either fitting into your right or left hand as well. I was surprised to find that even though I am right handed I tend to read with the Kindle in my left hand most comfortably.

Last the concern I read a lot in the reviews, people said the device is slippery and cold. It is true that the back of the Kindle is a metal design rather than the rubberized backing of most Kindles, but in over three months of daily use the device has only slipped in my hand once. For reference I am a fairly petite person with smaller hands and frequently read with only one hand holding the Kindle. This device may be too big for a smaller child to hold comfortably with one hand but should not be a problem with two.  If you live in a colder climate, then yes the aluminum back will be cold to the touch. I used this during a very snowy winter and can say that the longer I held the reader the cold faded fairly quickly and was not an issue for me. In hot climates I have not noticed the device getting overly warm to the touch. It actually stays fairly cool in my experience.

Is it really waterproof?

While I have not fully submerged my Oasis, I can say that it has shown itself to be waterproof. A drooling dog or two, spilled V-8 juice, bath time, and splashes from cooking in the kitchen haven't slowed this device down one bit. If you want to see the device fully submerged there are several videos on YouTube showing that the device is perfectly water friendly.

Battery Life:

I am an avid reader. At minimum I read an hour a day every single day. At the maximum I have read for about 14 hours straight. This is the one spot where the Oasis struggles to compete with other Kindles that I have heard can last up to a month without being charged.

When I am on vacation and reading voraciously the battery only lasts about a day and a half. When I am working full time and have a bit less free time going for me I can usually get a week and some change out of a single charge. Most of the books I read are minimum 400 pages and up to 900 pages. I have not been able to get through an entire book without needing to charge the battery so far unless it was a very short novella (<100 pages). Keep in mind that if you are listening to audiobooks on your Oasis the battery is going to drain even faster.

Despite this there is a bright side. To go from completely drained to full power again the Kindle charges is less than an hour. Mine usually only takes 40-45 minutes. So keep this in mind when you're despairing about the somewhat lackluster battery performance.

Cellular Connectivity:

So far this has worked for me fairly well. It is slower than when connected to wifi and the reliability depends on the strength of your cell signal. When I was living in the middle of nowhere farmland, this option did not work at all. When I am in cities and larger towns though or even on road trips it works great.

Outdoor Reading:

This screen works so much better if you plan on reading in direct sunlight or outside. There is at worst minimal glare and no reflecting when in especially bright situations, though most of the time you will have a perfectly clear screen. I have found that turning up the brightness one or two levels
usually fixes any issues I've had.

Inverted Text:

In the accessibility setting of your Kindle there is an option to make the text white and the background black. At first this seemed odd to me, but if you plan on reading in especially dim lighting or have a headache this has actually been a great option for me.

Do I need a case?

I bought the Fintie case for my Oasis and keep it in the case when I am traveling or going out for the
day. It has done a great job of protecting my reader as well as it looks and feels nice. For the first month my Kindle survived naked in a school backpack with an assortment of loose pens, notebooks, computer equipment, and other potentially damaging supplies. It survived with only the tiniest scratch on the corner.

The Kindle Oasis is tough and can probably survive without a case but if you want to protect it a bit more (and maybe individualize your Kindle a bit more) then I would recommend picking up a case. It does make it a bit heavier but the Kindle is easy to pop in and out of the case for while you're reading and even in the case it still fits perfectly into my small cross body purse.



Who do I recommend the Kindle Oasis 2017 for?

If you are an occasional reader who might use an e-reader a few times a week or month and is not necessarily into audiobooks then I would recommend looking at the Paperwhite ($119.99) or Voyage ($199.99). They have the same screen quality as the Oasis. The main difference is that they have 6" screens, are a bit heavier, no true page turn buttons, are not Audible compatible as of yet, and are not waterproof. If you don't need a back lit screen on your Kindle and want something really simple then look into the basic Kindle ($79.99). It is Audible compatible like the Oasis but is not meant for reading in the dark by any means. If you wait until around certain holidays or Prime Day the Kindle and the Paperwhite drop their price by usually $20.

Now, who should venture towards the oddly shaped and pricey Oasis? Here is a list:

1. If you have a lifestyle where water or dog drool or clumsy people spilling things could damage and electronic device you should check out the Oasis. 
2. If reading is your passion/hobby/greatest joy check out the Oasis
3. If you have at least an extra $249.99 and rather enjoy reading then check out the Oasis
4. If you pick up the Voyage and find yourself thinking "This is nice but there's just something missing..." check out the Oasis
5. And finally if you want the Oasis check out the Oasis

I love my Kindle Oasis and do not regret getting it at all. I use it daily and it works fantastically. Don't let the bad reviews scare you. Stop by a store near you that sells Kindles (I checked out Best Buy for mine) and test them out. Watch a ridiculous number of YouTube videos of people unboxing them and setting them up like I did. Maybe even make a pro and con list. Either way at least consider the Oasis and whether or not it fits with your reading style. If you have any questions comment below!