PRICE DROP!
Small Print: If you already purchased, that money will hop back into your pockets soonish.
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I’ve mentioned all of this before, but it all certainly bears repeating:
For as much as I adore and use my Kindle Paperwhites (I have two), I cannot recommend the Oasis. I purchased one from Woot a few years ago because I wanted a Kindle that was water resistant (before the Paperwhite had that feature), but the design of the Oasis is not user-friendly.
First and foremost, the Oasis is “one-sided”, meaning the page buttons are on only one side of the screen and the case is thicker and heavier on that side as well. While the screen does flip automatically as you rotate it I found it to be a hassle to flip the device around every time I switched hands, which got to be annoying very quickly.
The Oasis is also noticeably heavier than the Paperwhite and it’s overall size is on the brink of being inconvenient for carrying in a pants pocket or a small bag like a backpack or carry-on. Another glaring issue is the (lack of) battery life. In spite of the larger/heavier form factor, with the Oasis I had to recharge it every other day while the Paperwhites can go 2 weeks or more on a charge. I initially thought my Oasis’s battery was going bad, but it turns out to be the norm.
As for ergonomics, even with my larger hands the width of the Oasis was just too wide to comfortably hold with one hand from behind, forcing my to pinch it by the edge which became tiring and uncomfortable. Plus it is slightly heavier than a paperwhite. I’m sorry, but the slightly larger screen than the Paperwhite and waterproofing (which the Paperwhite now offers standard) don’t make up for the extra weight and poor ergonomics at a $100+ addition in price. I can certainly see why the Oasis model never became very popular.
Frankly, you have to really want what the Oasis offers but for all practical purposes the Paperwhite is a much superior device. I my view, any value that is added with the features it offers is quickly offset by the poor ergonomics, added weight, and needlessly larger size.
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Totally agree the current Oasis just doesn’t quite hit the mark. As an owner of the OG Oasis from 2016 Amazon had a pretty awesome product on their hands that they tossed away in subsequent versions. Mine isn’t waterproof and the batteries are getting weaker and weaker but I just keep holding onto it because the form factor was just so much better than the current Oasis. I’ll probably get forced back into the paperwhite family when it finally gives out on me.
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PRICE DROP!
Small Print: If you already purchased, that money will hop back into your pockets soonish.
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I have to disagree with the previous comments. I have this Oasis, and I love it. I understand t is personal preference. for me, the Oasis is easier to hold and feels more solid, more quality materials. When I bought it, it had more light and the real great thing was the warm light - the new paperwhite has caught up to it, though. The Oasis just seems to be easier to read for long periods, and with the large bezel on the button side it is easier for me to hold for longer times. And I do like having the buttons available when I want to use them. And yeah, they’re on one side only but you can just flip it over. Also, I have never had any issues with battery life, although I know some did early on. I would have a tougher time now choosing between it and the latest paperwhite, partly because of cost, but the price offered here is great.
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Interesting observations. I have the 2018 waterproof model and I like it well enough. It slips into my purse easily and I do enjoy that I can program the buttons to turn the page as I want (I flipped them from their default setting). I don’t find it heavy to hold, but I often read on the couch or in bed, where my hand is leaned against something. Bought my version a couple of years back for $95, so this is a good deal to me if someone is in the market for an Oasis.
As a note, I carry nothing in my pockets because the world decided women don’t get pockets, so I’ve never thought much about portability. I also have a case on mine so it’s bigger and heavier than it would be without, but this doesn’t cause me any issues. The page turning buttons are critical to me, so even if I don’t like the bump-out section, it’s worth it for the feature it provides.
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I was hoping a new Oasis would be introduced as part of the Amazon announcements yesterday. The fact that it hasn’t been updated since 2019 doesn’t bode well for a new version. I guess they want everybody to buy a Scribe.
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What size pants do you owear that you think you can fit a 6x6" device in one of it’s pockets?
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As nice as the Kindle Oasis is, it has terrible ergonomics. I love the backlight and it feels very premium, but because of the way it’s designed, I end up kinda claw gripping the protrusion I assume is designed to be held, which makes my carpel tunnel act up. I would not buy it again.
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With this being the ad supported version, does anyone know if it I interrupts reading. For example, if I read 10 pages, will my next page turn show me sheets, or underwear, or whatever Amazon is pimping?
I know it says lockscreen ads, I’m just curious how intrusive it is.
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It’s only on the lock screen, as I recall, it’s no big deal. And you can pay $20 to remove it I believe. But go check with Amazon to be sure.
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I had an Oasis, I tried it for a year, gave it to my daughter and went back to my Voyage. The Voyage in a case fits in both pants and shirt pocket, the Oasis doesn’t, open cargo pockets only. The metal chassis means it’s very cold in your hands in a cold room, in a way the Voyage and the Paperwhite Signature isn’t. I have a Paperwhite Signature now, without a case it’s small enough to fit in a shirt pocket, which is good enough. I’d rather have an updated Voyage though. I do like the adaptive brightness and screen tint, less blue at night.
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Have 2 Oasis and a few paperwhites…I prefer the Oasis for the buttons. My battery life seems fine and my second Oasis stays in my beach chair full time so it sees boiling summer heat in my car and on the beach often getting wet as I like t get my chair right at edge of water. In winter it is in the shed in the chair. i wouldnt upgrade any time soon for my beach reader…I am considering the new Kindles as they have wireless charging and the all important USB C
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No interruption!!! The ads only pop up on the lock-screen.
So if you put it down long enough to for the screen to go to sleep, then when you swipe to reopen it, that’s when the add appears.
The ads don’t bother me, as usually it’s an offer for a book for half off or something I would actually consider.
Love love my oasis but the battery is truly not nearly as good as the paperwhite.
If I’m reading a novel in one go, I’ll have to charge it once halfway through. Not a biggie for me, as the buttons make my fingers not resent me.
Although I do tend to take my paperwhite when I’m out and about- it’s thinner and fits in my bag better
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I agree, but as soon as you put some sillicone grip tape on the back so it isn’s so slippery, it’s pretty awesome
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looking at all the comments, complaints, and preferences
Y’all read too much. I wish I had that problem.
I wear normal size pants. 36x32 jeans and size large athletic shorts and I’ve never had an issue fitting my oasis in my pockets. I’ve carried it in my back pocket and in my front pocket when I worried I would sit on it. I basically took it everywhere with me until the battery stopped holding a charge and I switched to the Paperwhite because of how much cheaper it was.
Maybe you should just stop wearing tiny pants.
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Wow. I never said it was IMPOSSIBLE to put into a pocket, but rather “borderline inconvenient”. If I wanted something this size weighing down a pants pocket I have a Kindle Fire HD8 that is the same width and MUCH more capable with a larger color screen, several more days of battery life, and is less than half the price.
Originally I actually wanted the larger screen of the Oasis - along with the water resistance - but it just has too many other ergonomic drawbacks that drag it down to justify the price tag.
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Pockets arent 6" wide so you just are not telling the truth. Maybe you should stop trying to make your life larger than it it.
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Right, because there would be any reason to lie. That being said, I didn’t realize that they increased the size vs my oasis but I still don’t think it would change. I’m fat so I mostly wear athletic shorts and sweat pants and I just verified that I can put my kindle paperwhite signature in my pocket horizontally which I am assuming is bigger than the dimension of this oasis.