I tossed it under the sink for a rinse and the only minor issue was the same one I encountered with my Skagen Falster 3 smartwatch - it registered the running water as inputs, resulting in flipped pages, but this isn’t really an average use case. On the plus side, it’s nice knowing that the Paperwhite is waterproof. It’s impossible to keep clean, and even as little as five minutes of use made the screen look smudged and filthy. Every single time I touched the screen, bezel area included, my fingerprints leave enough marks on the display that I want to douse my hands and the e-reader in hand sanitizer and Lysol. The flush screen lacks fingerprint smudge resistance as far as I can tell. These are all minor quibbles, but there is one big downside to the new design. In my travels, even an extra inch of space will make or break my carry-on-only packing, so this is something to consider if you value portability. However, if you’re used to an e-reader with a smaller footprint like the affordable 2019 Kindle, the Paperwhite is noticeably larger both in terms of screen real estate and overall size. I pulled out my old Nook GlowLight 3 and found that these devices were about the same size, despite the new Paperwhite having a bigger screen. I stand by this belief since I still find it more difficult to grip than the thicker bezel of the Barnes & Noble Nook Glowlight 3, but I realize this is a minority opinion. The 6.8-inch screen with the slimmer bezels is a great improvement for most people, though I’ll confess that when Amazon announced it, I slammed the design for removing bezel space that offered a better grip. Just one thing to note: This model doesn’t support wireless charging, so you will have to invest in the higher-tier Signature Edition if you want that feature. The latest model brings USB-C, which gives it faster and better compatibility with chargers, cables, and devices you already have. USB-C ports are becoming more universal and having to carry multiple charging cords around is a hassle. The latter has been one of the biggest asks from Kindle users for a long time. The new Paperwhite comes with two major design improvements: A bigger, better screen, and a USB-C charging port.

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