Kindle Paperwhite vs iPad vs Physical Book?
- Andrea Mapua
- Apr 30, 2022
- 8 min read
Updated: May 7, 2022
I used to be a long time physical book kind of reader, but have recently ventured out into the e-reader world. There are many pros and cons to each type, but read more to get my feedback and personal opinions of each.
Reasons why I love Physical Books...
1. Turning a physical page
There is just something so refreshing behind that feeling of finishing a page in a book and being able to physically turn it to the next one. It's a unique and satisfying experience that only a real book can offer. However, e-readers and iPads are designed with such a user-friendly focus that they have found ways to replicate the experience, as well as add on additional features that come with new technology. But physical books will always have that x-factor over that of e-readers and iPads, the unique and ranging weight of a novel in one's hands, the hundreds of loose pages that lie ahead awaiting to be flipped, and even the sound that is emitted when a page is in transition. All things that although can be replicated, are still characteristics all in their own when it comes to that of a physical book.
2. Shopping at a bookstore
Physical books are also found within bookshops, as well as online stores. I just love the anticipation of stepping into a large bookshop, not knowing which books are waiting for me to choose them and take them home. The feeling of wandering down each aisle browsing through the array of colorful covers, reading the summaries of each on the back. For me, it reminds me of when my father would take me to the bookshop as a reward. Or when my mother would give me money to buy a book at the Book Fair. It is a unique experience shopping and browsing for books. However, with that being said, there have also been many times where I go to a book shop looking to purchase a specific book, only to find that it's completely sold out, or available, but at limited stock at a store farther from town. Again: the unknown. This issue of course is not an issue when it comes to an e-reader or a reading app on the iPad. With a click of a button, any novel I want can be easily purchased and immediately downloaded to my library ready to read.
3. Physical book vs E-Book pricing
Associated to book shopping, I am also intrigued by the fact that many e-books are the same price or even more expensive than the physical book copy. So mentally, I initially thought that was silly.
"A physical book is the same price as a virtual one? The right move is to just get the physical book then." ^ thoughts from Andrea
However, after doing some research, I realized why the values are so competitive. Did you know physical books are actually not as expensive to produce as we consumers think? In fact, each book comes down to costing about $1 - $2 per book after production. Most of the costs when it comes to book production derive from editing, designing, formatting, and of course paying all those who complete such work. Adding onto that, e-books also use a different pricing model than that of physical books and are completely set up by the publishers, who get to decide the final cost for the e-book. Also, if you purchase your books on Amazon, you'll find that this is a common dilemma. For instance, a paperback copy make cost $9 but the e-book version costs $10. In this scenario, Amazon highly discounts their books whereas the $10 is completely out of Amazon's hands.
4. A book collection
Last but not least, the final benefit of a physical book is that: a physical book. All book lovers dream of a dreamy bookshelf; one that holds all of their novels, organized alphabetically, or for most, aesthetically. Technically, when you download an e-book, this book, aka file, forever belongs to you and your "collection," however, it is not as appeasing nor appealing to admire one's digital bookshelf AKA list of files. You can't store your e-book on your physical bookshelf to admire every time you step into a room. Rather, unless a book is truly profound and significant to me, or if a film is being created based on it, I often find myself downloading an e-book, reading it once, and then removing it from my local data, and forgetting about it until the end of time.
PROS | CONS |
satisfaction of turning a page | books can be heavy |
aesthetically pleasing | books can be easily damaged |
a collection item for your home | difficult to travel with, especially if you are a quicker reader and need multiple books |
a unique shopping experience that only a bookshop can provide | need light to read when it gets dark |
| not waterproof (duh but still a reason) |
| more difficult to read when laying down, etc. |
Reasons why I love my Kindle Paperwhite and why I think it is better than reading on my iPad...
1. Ease of Travel
I have owned my Kindle Paperwhite for only about a whole week now, but have absolutely loved it and have used it daily since purchasing! As someone who is often on the go, I always bring a book with me. Bringing my physical books wasn't necessarily difficult, but depending on the size of my book, I'd either need to leave the book in the car or carry a larger purse so it could come with me. Traveling with a physical book too often put some wear and tear on my book copies, which isn't so fun. However, with my Kindle Paperwhite, nearly every purse I own easily fits it, even with a protective case. The Kindle Paperwhite (2021) measures around 6.8" X 4.9" in size, making it so easy to travel with and bring along with you wherever you need to go.
2. Read literally ANYWHERE
Another major appealing factor of the Kindle Paperwhite is the fact that it is completely waterproof and IPX8 rated! In fact, for freshwater, the Kindle Paperwhite can survive an accidental immersion of 2 meters for up to 60 minutes, and up to 0.25 meters for 3 minutes in seawater. So, beachside, poolside, bath tub side, the Kindle Paperwhite can take on all of them! Adding onto that, the screen of the Kindle Paperwhite does not glare and it truly feels like I am looking at a physical book when I look at this screen. The battery life on this thing is amazing too. I charged it to full when first opening my Kindle Paperwhite, but since then have not charged at all and I am still only at 78% battery life. When reading, I also find myself rearranging into various comfortable positions. This could often be difficult with a physical book, but the Kindle Paperwhite is so lightweight and portable that i can easily hold it with one hand or prop it up. When it comes to reading on my 10.5" iPad, I also run into similar issues with my iPad being way larger and difficult to maneuver in certain reading positions.
3. Lighting
Something I often ran into with my physical books with as well is lighting, whether that just be overall poor lighting in my environment or being dependent on a nearby lamp to read at night. With the Kindle Paperwhite, I don't have to worry about this because I can easily adjust the lighting to my liking, and there is even an option to adjust the warmth of the lighting. On top of that, the Kindle Paperwhite emits much lower blue light levels than that of our mobile phone, iPad, or computer. With it being front-lit, the light is also directed at the screen and not at our eyes. Being able to adjust this, and even being able to utilize a dark mode feature, is a factor that is super beneficial.
4. Multiple books in one place!
Adding onto my previous argument of traveling with books and book shopping, the Kindle Paperwhite is a one stop shop. With one click, you can easily purchase any book you would like. E-books are never sold out and are highly reliable. You can easily finish one book and download another one into your library. Or, like me, you could have your TBR pile already downloaded and ready in your Kindle Library! Kindle Unlimited is also a great option for avid readers. They have a huge library to choose from and often have free lengthy trials for first time users. After the free trial is over, the Kindle Unlimited membership charges about $9.99/month. My sister has also shared with me that if you wait for Prime Week, Amazon often runs specials on all their Kindle devices, as well as a highly discounted Kindle Unlimited yearly membership.
You can even connect your Kindle to your local public library to check out books for FREE using the Libby app. However, upon my initial research on this, you do have to wait on others if a copy of an e-book you are wanting is all booked, but I am unsure how book copies work with a library when it comes to e-books. I am sure it is at a much higher quantity that that of physical copies in the library itself. I have yet to try this out, but will be setting this up with my local library and sharing my experience with that on a future blog post :)
*Note: The standard Kindle Paperwhite comes with 8 gb of storage (there is also a 32 gb option), however, when it comes to downloading e-books, this is plenty of space to hold multiple books. If you are more of an audio book kind of person though, it is suggested that the 32 gb option might be a more suitable option. I have the latest 2021 model and purchased it during the Mother's Day Sale for $104 versus its original price of $139.99. If you are reading this in the future and it is no longer on sale, Amazon often places their Kindle devices on sale during Prime Week and during Black Friday. Other than that, their sales are often sporadic, but if you follow me on Instagram, I share the sales on my stories when I see them occurring.
PROS | CONS |
ease of travel | can't place e-books on physical bookshelves |
super lightweight & portable | e-books are pretty competitive with Amazon paperback prices |
waterproof and glare-free | |
low blue light emissions | |
great battery life | |
no distractions or notifications that would occur on an iPad | |
easy to read in any reading position ; even read easily one-handed | |
so many books in one portable device | |
Overall Feedback
With me constantly being on the go and traveling, I have absolutely loved my Kindle Paperwhite. I have been on trips where I have had to bring 2-3 physical books with me because I spent most of the trip reading, and although I will always love my physical books, they take up much needed travel space and can often be heavy and bulky to lug around. With that being said, I will still be purchasing physical books, but mostly will purchase physical over e-book if it's a cover I absolutely adore, a book I really want on my shelf, or one of my favorite authors (Colleen Hoover books especially!).
When it comes to comparing reading on the Kindle app on my iPad versus my Kindle Paperwhite, I still choose my Kindle Paperwhite. When I read on my Kindle Paperwhite, it is just like I am picking up my physical book to read. With my iPad, my mind often wanders to doodling, or social media, or checking my email, all simply because I can swipe over to another screen and do so. Knowing my Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof also removes another concerning factor of somehow damaging my iPad Pro.
Overall, I hope you enjoyed this blog post and that it helped you out if you are determining to get a Kindle or not. Again, I have only had it for a week, but I can already tell how much I will be using this, especially as summer is right around the corner and I will be spending my time at the pool and/or traveling. No matter which type of reading you take part in, I hope books brings you the same joy and escape they provide for me.
If you have any questions or even just want to chat about books, feel free to DM me on Instagram or Contact Me through my website.
Happy Reading y'all!
xoxo Andrea Mapua
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