The Kindle Oasis 32Gb version represents Amazon’s foray into the premium e-reader market, a device that blends sophisticated design and top-tier features. With a price tag of £259.99, it’s a serious contender for those looking for a high-quality reading experience. In this detailed review, we’ll look at what sets the Oasis apart and assess whether it justifies its premium price point.
Design & Build
Aesthetically, the Kindle Oasis is a standout in the world of e-readers. It’s available in two distinct colours – Grey and Gold – which cater to diverse aesthetic preferences. Weighing in at 188g and with a thickness of 8.4mm, the device strikes an appealing balance between portability and solidity. The standout aspect of its design, however, is its waterproof capability, a feature that allows for worry-free reading by the pool or in the bath.
Display & Readability
The Oasis sports a 7″ screen, providing a generous display for a comfortable reading experience. With a flush screen, it boasts a sleek appearance that further contributes to its premium look and feel. The display resolution of 300ppi ensures crisp and clear text, comparable to that of a printed page.
One of the Oasis’ greatest strengths is its advanced lighting features. The device includes both a frontlight and a warmlight. The former ensures readability under any lighting condition, while the latter introduces a warm hue to the screen that can be easier on the eyes during long reading sessions. The auto-brightness feature intelligently adjusts screen brightness to match the ambient lighting, ensuring an optimal reading experience at all times.
Operating System & Compatibility
Running on KindleOS, the Oasis is specifically optimised for reading. While the lack of the Google Play Store may seem restrictive, it’s important to note that Amazon’s extensive digital library offers millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines.
The Oasis also supports an impressive array of file formats. This includes common ebook formats such as KFX, EPUB, PDF, AZW, AZW3, MOBI, along with other document formats like DOC, DOCX, HTML, RTF, and TXT. Image files such as JPG, PNG, GIF, and BMP are also supported, making the Oasis a versatile e-reader capable of handling diverse digital content.
Storage & Connectivity
With a whopping 32GB storage capacity, the Kindle Oasis offers more than enough room for an extensive digital library (there is also an 8Gb version of the Oasis available). While the lack of a Micro-SD slot may disappoint some, the device’s built-in storage should be more than sufficient for most users’ needs.
The Oasis also offers Bluetooth connectivity, which allows users to pair headphones for listening to audiobooks or using the text-to-speech feature. However, it’s worth noting that, unlike the 32Gb Mobile edition, this version of the Oasis does not offer mobile connectivity.
Additional Features
A feature that sets the Oasis apart is its physical page-turn buttons. These offer a tactile option for navigation, enhancing the reading experience. In addition to touchscreen navigation, the Oasis also boasts an auto-rotation feature, which effortlessly adapts to left or right-handed reading.
Though it lacks wireless charging, the device compensates with a suite of features such as text-to-speech and waterproofing.
Conclusion
The Kindle Oasis 32Gb version distinguishes itself as a top-tier e-reader with its luxurious design and impressive features. Its large screen, dual lighting options, and high storage capacity place it firmly in the premium bracket.
While the lack of wireless charging and a Micro-SD slot might be minor disappointments, the overall offering of the Oasis overshadows these small oversights. For dedicated readers seeking a device that can store an extensive digital library, deliver an unmatched reading experience, and look great doing it, the Kindle Oasis 32Gb is worth every penny.
Check out our fully searchable e-reader comparison table here.
Full Specs
Product The name of the product/model | Kindle Oasis |
---|---|
Version The version of the product | 32Gb |
Buy Click on the button to buy | |
Image A picture of the product | ![]() |
Price The price of the product (in USD) | $299.99 |
Brand The brand/manufacturer of the product | Kindle |
Screen size The size of the screen (measured diagonally) | 7" |
PPI The number of pixels per inch (PPI) NOTE: on colour devices, this is the monochrome PPI | 300ppi |
Storage capacity The storage space of the e-reader | 32Gb |
Operating System Which O/S the device runs by default | KindleOS |
Writing Whether the e-reader has writing/note-taking capabilities | ⨯ |
Frontlight Whether the product has a frontlight | ✓ |
Warmlight Whether there is temperature control for the frontlight | ✓ |
Auto brightness Whether the brightness of the e-reader changes automatically based on the exterior ambient light | ✓ |
Bluetooth Whether the e-reader support audio via Bluetooth headphones/speaker | ✓ |
Speakers Whether the e-reader support audio via an onboard speaker | ⨯ |
Touchscreen Whether the e-reader has a capacitive touchscreen | ✓ |
Waterproof Whether the e-reader is waterproof to IPX8 rating | ✓ |
Play store Whether you can install apps from the Google Play Store (e.g. Kindle, Koreader etc.) | ⨯ |
Flush screen Whether the screen is flush with the casing of the e-reader | ✓ |
Page-turn buttons Whether the e-reader has physical buttons for turning pages | ✓ |
Auto-rotation Whether the e-reader automatically changes the screen orientation | ✓ |
Text-to-speech Whether the e-reader can convert text to speech | ✓ |
Micro-SD slot Whether the e-reader has a slot for a MicroSD card | ⨯ |
Colour screen Whether the e-reader has a colour screen | ⨯ |
Ads Whether the e-reader shows ads on the sleep screen | ⨯ |
Wireless charging Whether the e-reader supports wireless charging | ⨯ |
Mobile connectivity Whether the e-reader can connect to the cloud over the cellular network | ⨯ |
Weight The weight of the product | 188g |
Thickness The thickness of the e-reader | 8.4mm |
Height The height of the e-reader | 159mm |
Width The width of the e-reader | 141mm |
File formats The file formats that are supported | KFX, EPUB, PDF, AZW, AZW3, MOBI, DOC, DOCX, HTML, RTF, TXT, JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, AAX |
Colours Which colours this e-reader is available in | Grey, Gold |
Buy Click on the button to buy |