Expert Insights on The Newly Released 201^Th Kindle Oasis - A Comprehensive Evaluation

All-New Kindle Oasis 2 (2017) Review

Posted by Sisi Liu on 2/11/2018 11:58:12 AM.

Amazon released its high-end eReader Kindle Oasis 2 on October 31, 2017 as a token of 10th anniversary since Amazon released its first Kindle. As a flagship Kindle eReader, it’s very pricey that Amazon puts a price tag of $249.99 for the standard 8GB version and $279.99 for the substantial 32GB version. As the successor of the first generation Kindle Oasis introduced in April 2016, the all new Kindle Oasis 2 is the first waterproof Kindle eReader and arguably the most technologically advanced eReader on market currently. In this article, I’ll make a brief review of Kindle Oasis 2 from three aspects: overall design, waterproof feature, and Audible integration.

1. Sneak a peek of the All-New Kindle Oasis 2
2. Water resistance feature of Kindle Oasis 2
3. Kindle Oasis 2 integrated with Audible

Sneak a peek of the All-New Kindle Oasis 2

When you unpack Kindle Oasis 2 and hold it for the first time, you’ll be amazed and exclaim: “It’s truly unlike any Kindle I’ve ever experienced”. You’ll be impressed by every feature of the Oasis: This is the smoothest, fastest, smartest eReader Amazon’s ever made.

Unlike the first generation of Kindle Oasis, the all new Oasis 2 has an asymmetric design on which the side with page buttons is much thicker than the other side, and this makes it a lot more like an actual book. It is also in line with ergonomic design, thus it shifts the center of gravity to your palm, to reset in your hand like the spine of the book. A visually difference to its predecessor is that the new Oasis is made with all-metal, it has an aluminum backing which makes it’s much more solid than other Kindle devices with hard plastics. The metal backing and flush bezel make it looks cool, elegant, superior to its counterparts, but in the meantime it makes you feel chilly when holding it in winter and a little bit slippery to grasp it tightly. Speaking of the built-in light, the new Oasis has 12 LEDs, which in comparison the Kindle Paperwhite 3 has 4 LEDs and Kindle Voyage has 6 LEDs. What’s more, the new Oasis is saddled with adaptive light sensor that adjusts the brightness as you move from room to room, or from outdoors to indoors. In addition, it’s processed with microetch so as to take on a glare-free effect which enhances the reading experience in bright sunlight.

The unique 7 inch display of the new Oasis is larger than any of the previous 6 inch Kindle E Ink screen which increases 30% content in one page. Most people like how text lays out on the larger screen. As a practical matter, the bigger screen decreases the frequency of turning pages. You can read over 30% more content in one page for fewer page turns. And it’s easier to read manga on larger screen as a matter of course. But it’s still not friendly to read PDFs especially the scanned PDFs on the 7 inch display even in landscape mode since you need to tap and scroll the screen to zoom in and zoom out from time to time. Kobo Aura One with 7.8 inch display is a better choice for reading PDFs.

One surprise is that the new Oasis has actual page turn buttons, a feature only came with the original Kindles. What a vintage and considerate design! It feels much more natural and comfortable with the physical page turn buttons than touchscreen. While with the largest display, this eReader is ultra-thin and only weighs 194 grams which is 10 grams less than Kindle Paperwhite 3. Although it’s a little bit larger than a phone which doesn’t allow you to put it into your pocket when you take it on the road, the light weight and ergonomic design allows you to hold your new Oasis during the 30-minute commute in the subway effortlessly without tiring your arms.

Water resistance feature of Kindle Oasis 2

Now it comes to the most innovative design ever that Amazon utilized in Kindle eReaders for the first time – waterproof! The water resistance feature appeals a lot of people. Over the years, many people have longed to have a Kindle that can be taken to the beach and happily left by the pool without fear of it becoming damaged by water splashes. According to Amazon’s official introduction, with IPX8 rating waterproof the new Oasis can withstand immersion in up to 2 meters of fresh water for up to 60 minutes.

If your Oasis 2 gets accidentally dropped in a bath tub, hot tub, the pool, splashed by the ocean at the beach, or otherwise exposed to water, quickly retrieve it and follow the care instructions below.

What should I do if my Kindle gets wet?
If your Kindle is splashed with water, wipe it off with a soft cloth and keep on reading. If your Kindle is immersed in water, remove its cover, make sure no cables are plugged into the device, and do not attempt to charge your Kindle until it is completely dry. If your Kindle is immersed in salt water, chlorinated water, soapy water, or liquids other than fresh water, make sure you rinse that liquid out of the device with fresh water such as cold tap water. Then dry your Kindle.

What steps should I take to dry my Kindle?
To dry your Kindle, let the water drain out through the micro-USB port, gently tapping the side of the device as necessary. We recommend you also let your Kindle dry fully in a well-ventilated location, with it standing upright so that any excess water can continue to drain from the micro-USB port. Do not attempt to dry your Kindle with an external heat source, such as a microwave oven or hair dryer. Do not insert a foreign object, such as a cotton swab or paper towel, into the micro-USB port to dry it.

What can I do to reduce the likelihood of water damage?
We recommend not exposing your Kindle to pressurized water, high velocity water, extremely humid conditions (such as a steam room) or food, oil, lotion, or abrasive substances.

Kindle Oasis 2 integrated with Audible

One of the best tweaks made in the new Oasis is that Amazon brings back Audible support to the Kindle eReader. Audiobook functionality is integrated to the new Oasis, so you’re able to listen to audiobooks on this Kindle over Bluetooth. It can play audiobooks directly from your library or explore the Audible store to discover new ones. There’re no headphone jack or built-in speaker on the Oasis which means you have to pair your Oasis with a wireless headphone or speak via Bluetooth. I think the lack of headphone jack is a sacrifice for the sake of waterproof design.

If you own both the Kindle book and Audible audiobook, you can switch between the two with a single touch of a button. It works seamlessly from reading to listening without losing your place. When you’re tired of reading a title with your eyes, you can easily pair with Bluetooth headphones or speakers to continue listen to the companion audiobook. When you’re good to hold the Oasis to read the ebook, it’s easily to switch back and pick up from where you left off when listening to the audiobook.

Sounds fabulously right? However, there’s one downside that Oasis 2 doesn’t support immersion reading. You can’t listen to the Audible version and read the text at the same time. You have to choose one or the other. It’ll cut out the audio if you try to go back to the book text, and it’ll hide the book text with full-screen play/pause controls when you try to start the audible narration. Immersion reading is available in Amazon’s fire tablets and Kindle App for iOS/Android, we hope that someday Kindle eReaders support immersion reading too. We look forward to listening to our Audible books and reading along on the same Kindle eReader.

In conclusion, 7 inch larger disaply, waterproof design, and Audible integration have been three of the biggest features missing from previous Kindles. These new features make the new Oasis arguably the most competitive product in current eReader market. However, with prices at £249.99 for an 8GB model and £279.99 for 32GB, it seems pricey and not everyone can afford it. If you’re a hardcore book worm or an obsessive Kindle fan, you must be willing to invest in this fantastic Kindle Oasis. If you’re a regular reader who doesn’t require too much custom or innovative design, the Kindle Paperwhite at a price of $119.99 is more affordable and is sufficient to meet your basic reading needs.

P.S. If you’re interested in converting DRM protected Audible audiobooks into mp3 or other compatible DRM free formats, please download and install Epubor Audible Converter to accomplish it without making an effort!

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Expert Insights on The Newly Released 201^Th Kindle Oasis - A Comprehensive Evaluation