New Kindle Paperwhite is bringing some of the best features of the Oasis with a lower price tag

It’s been 11 years since the first Kindle hit Amazon’s shelves but the company promises its new Kindle Paperwhite is the best yet.

As the mid-range e-reader, the new 6-inch Paperwhite packs in some of the best features from the high-end Kindle Oasis, but in a slim, easy to hold design.

First up, the new device is waterproof for the rest time, with a IPX8 rating just like the Oasis so you can read your Kindle in the bath or by the pool and not worry about water-damage. It can be dropped in up to two meters of fresh water for up to an hour, but we don't recommend trying this feature out.

The Paperwhite has also been given a design update. It’s the thinnest and lightest Paperwhite yet, weighing in at only 182g and measuring 8.18mm thick so it’s easy on your hands, particularly during a long reading session.

That glare-free screen has been updated too; it now has five LEDs and an adjustable front light to make the device 10 per cent brighter. This will improve the reading experience in any setting, including direct sunlight.

Inside, the Paperwhite now comes with double the storage of its predecessor, starting at 8GB of storage and going up to 32GB, so the device can now fit large file sizes including audiobooks, newspapers and magazines.

One fun new feature sees the addition of Bluetooth to the new Paperwhite. If you’re into audiobooks, you can stream your favourite book via any Bluetooth-capable speaker or headphones. When you’re ready to switch back to reading, you can pick up the book in the same place you stopped listening to it. Amazon says it is seeing more people switch between audiobooks and actual books, so this is a way to make it easier for those customers.

Amazon is also adding “themes” capability to the new Kindle. Customers can customise the font, weight, and size of the text in one theme. For instance, if you use your Kindle to read alone, but also to read with a child, you can have a standard theme for when it’s you reading by yourself and a child-friendly theme with a bigger font for when you’re reading with kids.

You can also inverse the screen, going from a black font on white, to white font on black, in the new dark mode.

Despite all the new changes, Amazon is also keeping some of the best features from the Kindle that its customers know and love such as the battery-life, which is measurable in weeks not days, and the easy accessibility to the Amazon Store, complete with book recommendations on what to read next.

Prices from the new Kindle Paperwhite start at £119.99 for the 8GB model, which will start shipping on 7 November, and going up to £149.99 for the 32GB variant which will be available in the coming months. This means you’ll be able to pick up a brand new Kindle just in time for Black Friday.

Amazon said this year’s Prime Day was the single biggest day for Kindle device sales, proving that the e-reader is still very much alive and in demand.