Newer Kindles get a work-around for touchscreen page-turning in new software update

"Double tap to page turn" works on latest Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft.

See full article...

 

[darwinosx]

OK I actually like that idea, probably not enough to tempt me back from Team Kobo though.

I appreciate the faster chips and higher DPI of modern ereaders but miss the physical buttons of old ones, and the sharper screens when they didn't have a touch layer. I wish we could combine the two. I don't really think touch highlighting is a big enough benefit to justify the trade off.

Seen the new Paperwhite screen? I doubt the old non touch screens were as sharp.

 

[noteonleaf]

In past use Kindle and kobo for reading. But all screens loss it's contrast after several years. Then phone getting Amoled screen.... After several adjustments, I never buy eReader again.

Yes.... I miss e-ink Reader, really comfort for reading. For now, only 1 gadget in my pocket to anywhere far more comfortable in daily life.

 

[Frodo Douchebaggins]

I use a phone with an ebook reader and no drm to take my books away.

I've tried 2 cheapo tablets that sucked and will get one eventually.

Can anyone tell me the advantages of a reader over a similar sized tablet? E paper?

e-ink >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "normal" displays for reading, especially if you read anywhere besides a room with light sources other than the device itself.

 

[Frodo Douchebaggins]

OK I actually like that idea, probably not enough to tempt me back from Team Kobo though.

I appreciate the faster chips and higher DPI of modern ereaders but miss the physical buttons of old ones, and the sharper screens when they didn't have a touch layer. I wish we could combine the two. I don't really think touch highlighting is a big enough benefit to justify the trade off.

Lamentably I don't have my 2009 Kindle anymore to compare but FWIW this is my 2020 Kindle Oasis (touch AND buttons) vs a gen 4 iPad Pro. I'm pretty sure this display is substantially better than my first Kindle was.


EDIT: looks like compression destroyed these photos, lemme do alternate hosting

Edit: better quality here
View: https://imgur.com/a/3nwNpxz

 

[mkellis]

Our family has had Kindles for well over a decade, and I purchased a Kobo Libra Color when they first came out as a step towards a non-Amazon option. Some considerations:

• If you get the color Kobo, your black and white text will not be quite as sharp as without the color overlay. It's sufficiently sharp, but if you want razor crisp text, don't get the color overlay. The color overlay is also insufficiently good to read full color comics. The color covers and occasional color photograph are nice, but I wouldn't buy it again until a newer generation of e-ink shows a marked improvement.
• The Kobo system software isn't as good as Amazon, and like Amazon, they still really, really want to present you with their store rather than your library. I've purchased exactly one (1) book from the Kobo store since I purchased the unit, mostly as a test.
• The test was to see if native Kobo books did ligatures correctly. They do not. All ebooks on the Kobo, either native, through Libby, or side loaded, don't have ligatures. Kindles do. If you're very picky about your typesetting (and I'm picky) this will annoy you. Amazon still has better typesetting.
• 'Direct' borrowing books through Libby/Overdrive works, but not as well as it should. More than once I've had the Libby/Overdrive connection freeze when trying to directly borrow a book on the unit. As such, I almost always now borrow through the app on my phone rather than directly from the unit, then force a sync to get the book to the Kobo.
• That said, it's still a smoother experience than having to deliberately target a checked-out book to a Kindle
• The best feature of the Kobo software is the swipe down from the top for the three most current books you've been reading, making it a snap to switch between them
• The worst feature of the Kobo software is hiding the 'Dark Mode' switch two screens deep in the settings menu, instead of making it at least as easy to switch as Amazon does. I use my unit both during the day and at night, and switching between the two is my second least favorite thing about using the unit.
• My least favorite thing about using the unit is that the soft cover, while nice and foldable to make a sort of stand, does not sufficiently protect the touchscreen to keep it from presses through the cover (if you, say, put it in the back pocket of your pants) changing your reading location. I've noticed this happening a lot, and more recently. It's not clear if the unit isn't noticing the cover closing and then suspending paying attention to touch input, or still paying attention to touch input when the screen is 'off', or what, but it's maddening. None of my kindles with the Amazon covers have ever had this problem.
• The physical unit, with cover, is also slightly wider and thicker than a Paperwhite. A Paperwhite will comfortably fit into the back pocket of every pair of trousers/jeans that I am likely to wear, and in the front pockets of shorts. The Kobo is just that much bigger, and has trouble fitting into pockets, sometimes requiring alternate carry methods. This is mostly a guy problem. My spouse carries her Kindle in her purse almost all of the time. The screen size on both my Kobo and my next-from-current Paperwhite is the same. (My daughter's new Kindle passes the 'guy pockets' test just fine, by the way.)
• The extra width from the buttons and the slightly larger and asymmetrical design do make for a better physical reading experience
• With all of my ebook content loaded in from Calibre, the Kobo works great. This is one reason why I have only one book from the Kobo store, and until I figure out how to remove the DRM from any of my other purchases, I'm unlikely to purchase more. Except...
• I do hope bookshop.org and Kobo come to some sort of agreement to allow loading ebooks purchased through bookshop.org to be directly loaded and read on Kobo devices. In my case, if I'm in a situation where I can't strip the DRM from new Amazon purchases, it's far more likely to get me to purchase an ebook on bookshop.org (with my local bookshop getting a cut) and then load it onto a Kobo, rather than going back to Amazon.

 

[somechar]

e-ink >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "normal" displays for reading, especially if you read anywhere besides a room with light sources other than the device itself.

Not for everyone. I’ve bounced off of every Kindle and Kobo I’ve ever tried and prefer reading on a regular-ass computer monitor. And I don’t really know why, there’s just something about e-ink my eyes/brain can’t get used to.

 

[Frodo Douchebaggins]

Not for everyone. I’ve bounced off of every Kindle and Kobo I’ve ever tried and prefer reading on a regular-ass computer monitor. And I don’t really know why, there’s just something about e-ink my eyes/brain can’t get used to.

I'll be goddamned. Is nothing in life objective anymore

 

[Marlor_AU]

Kobo Libra Color and Kobo Sage both have physical buttons. The Kobo e-readers are a really good product.

I just wish they still had a non-colour Libra on offer. The colour screen has noticeably worse contrast (unless you crank up the LED lighting).

While the contrast isn’t terrible (it’s on-par with older mono e-readers), settling for a lower-contrast screen seems undesirable when I have no need at all for a colour display.

I‘m hoping either the second-gen colour displays will see an improvement in contrast, or Kobo will return to making mono e-readers with page-turn buttons.

 

[DanielTheManual]

Seen the new Paperwhite screen? I doubt the old non touch screens were as sharp.

Newer screens definitely have a higher DPI which is one contributor to sharpness. But my wife still uses a Kindle 4 and there's something about that screen - I probably mean higher contrast rather than higher sharpness, but the text 'pops'. It looks surprisingly good given it's less than half the resolution of new models and has no lighting.

 

[Sulis]

Kindles have always been frustrating devices. I had an Oasis until the screen broke - the physical buttons, auto-dimming and screen rotation were brilliant, but the battery life was appalling. Now I have an 11th gen Paperwhite, and it often suffers from page-skipping when tapping the screen (sent the first one back and replacement exactly the same). Why they don’t release a version with buttons and screen rotation feels like money left on the table… but I stick with Kindles for one main reason: Kindle Unlimited. That’s been a fantastic way to read authors I’d have otherwise missed, and to afford to read as much as I do. If there was a reasonable alternative I’d happily switch ecosystems.

 

[Gazmeister]

I got dubious when It didn't work, I also didn't have an update on my kindle and the date was suspiciously close to April 1st.

n.b. edit/update
It also works with the Amazon leather case on it as well. (for those wondering)

 

[Gazmeister]

What's the opposite of Enshittification?

I forgot the word, haven't used it in so long..

 

[Gazmeister]

+1

I had to do a manual software update from Amazon..

Also I had mine jail broken so had to undo that first...

 

[Hichung]

Our family has had Kindles for well over a decade, and I purchased a Kobo Libra Color when they first came out as a step towards a non-Amazon option. Some considerations:

• If you get the color Kobo, your black and white text will not be quite as sharp as without the color overlay. It's sufficiently sharp, but if you want razor crisp text, don't get the color overlay. The color overlay is also insufficiently good to read full color comics. The color covers and occasional color photograph are nice, but I wouldn't buy it again until a newer generation of e-ink shows a marked improvement.
• The Kobo system software isn't as good as Amazon, and like Amazon, they still really, really want to present you with their store rather than your library. I've purchased exactly one (1) book from the Kobo store since I purchased the unit, mostly as a test.
• The test was to see if native Kobo books did ligatures correctly. They do not. All ebooks on the Kobo, either native, through Libby, or side loaded, don't have ligatures. Kindles do. If you're very picky about your typesetting (and I'm picky) this will annoy you. Amazon still has better typesetting.
• 'Direct' borrowing books through Libby/Overdrive works, but not as well as it should. More than once I've had the Libby/Overdrive connection freeze when trying to directly borrow a book on the unit. As such, I almost always now borrow through the app on my phone rather than directly from the unit, then force a sync to get the book to the Kobo.
• That said, it's still a smoother experience than having to deliberately target a checked-out book to a Kindle
• The best feature of the Kobo software is the swipe down from the top for the three most current books you've been reading, making it a snap to switch between them
• The worst feature of the Kobo software is hiding the 'Dark Mode' switch two screens deep in the settings menu, instead of making it at least as easy to switch as Amazon does. I use my unit both during the day and at night, and switching between the two is my second least favorite thing about using the unit.
• My least favorite thing about using the unit is that the soft cover, while nice and foldable to make a sort of stand, does not sufficiently protect the touchscreen to keep it from presses through the cover (if you, say, put it in the back pocket of your pants) changing your reading location. I've noticed this happening a lot, and more recently. It's not clear if the unit isn't noticing the cover closing and then suspending paying attention to touch input, or still paying attention to touch input when the screen is 'off', or what, but it's maddening. None of my kindles with the Amazon covers have ever had this problem.
• The physical unit, with cover, is also slightly wider and thicker than a Paperwhite. A Paperwhite will comfortably fit into the back pocket of every pair of trousers/jeans that I am likely to wear, and in the front pockets of shorts. The Kobo is just that much bigger, and has trouble fitting into pockets, sometimes requiring alternate carry methods. This is mostly a guy problem. My spouse carries her Kindle in her purse almost all of the time. The screen size on both my Kobo and my next-from-current Paperwhite is the same. (My daughter's new Kindle passes the 'guy pockets' test just fine, by the way.)
• The extra width from the buttons and the slightly larger and asymmetrical design do make for a better physical reading experience
• With all of my ebook content loaded in from Calibre, the Kobo works great. This is one reason why I have only one book from the Kobo store, and until I figure out how to remove the DRM from any of my other purchases, I'm unlikely to purchase more. Except...
• I do hope bookshop.org and Kobo come to some sort of agreement to allow loading ebooks purchased through bookshop.org to be directly loaded and read on Kobo devices. In my case, if I'm in a situation where I can't strip the DRM from new Amazon purchases, it's far more likely to get me to purchase an ebook on bookshop.org (with my local bookshop getting a cut) and then load it onto a Kobo, rather than going back to Amazon.

It’s pretty easy to remove drm from books purchased from the kobo store. I’ve purchased 20 or so (that had drm) and the first thing I do is strip it.

There’s guides out there that can assist with initial setup (found the one I used on Reddit). After that there isn’t much to it.

 

[sl0th]

I don't know how Amazon even manages to compete with Kobo. With Kobo, everything they do makes Kindle look cheap and obsolete.

Pretty obvious - convenience. How easy is it to transfer Amazon purchased ebooks to the Kobo vs the Kindle?

 

[PoweredBySoy]

I was a diehard Oasis user. I primarily read with one hand was constantly doing accidental page turns with the touch screens. I need the buttons - and the larger bezel. Last year I bought a Kobo Libra 2 and love it as much if not more than the old Oasis.

 

[StuBeck]

I'd imagine it's only on the new ones because they have to include a sensor to read this tapping, right?

More likely they just want to have people get new ones. There hasn't been a hugely compelling feature in a while. Its essentially industry standard now to do this anyway, so I can't really fault them too harshly.

 

[torp]

Not for everyone. I’ve bounced off of every Kindle and Kobo I’ve ever tried and prefer reading on a regular-ass computer monitor. And I don’t really know why, there’s just something about e-ink my eyes/brain can’t get used to.

Tried a regular-ass tablet? It's hard to use the regular-ass monitor in bed

I read on an iPad and on a Kindle and I frankly don't care which. Except on a beach. On a beach, e-ink is the only usable solution.

 

[NZSteel]

I use a phone with an ebook reader and no drm to take my books away.

I've tried 2 cheapo tablets that sucked and will get one eventually.

Can anyone tell me the advantages of a reader over a similar sized tablet? E paper?

Because it’s epaper it’s much nicer on the eyes, especially in full sun and just before sleeps

 

[Statistical]

They need to support Bluetooth remotes for page turning at some point.

Yes so much this. The annoying thing is they have bluetooth. The hardware is already there. Just support third party clickers or make your own or ideally both.

 

[Statistical]

Newer screens definitely have a higher DPI which is one contributor to sharpness. But my wife still uses a Kindle 4 and there's something about that screen - I probably mean higher contrast rather than higher sharpness, but the text 'pops'. It looks surprisingly good given it's less than half the resolution of new models and has no lighting.

The 4th generation kindle used EInk's (name of company) Pearl display which has about half the contrast ratio of the latest gen Eink Carta 1300 display used in the 12th generation kindle. If you are comparing a display with side lights to one without you likely are comparing apples and oranges. The reflected light will have an impact on perceived contrast.

I have owned a four or five Kindles over the years including the most recent one because I left my otherwise perfectly good 2021 Kindle on a plane. The current gen one is from a screen quality standpoint the best that has ever been available. I just wish the chopped the battery in half and made in 20g lighter but that it picking nits.

 

[Statistical]

More likely they just want to have people get new ones. There hasn't been a hugely compelling feature in a while. Its essentially industry standard now to do this anyway, so I can't really fault them too harshly.

To be clear by "new ones" it us twelve different products going back to 2018 most of which aren't even produced anymore. That likely means it is hardware limitation. The newer SoC likely has a cheap built in accelerometer which the older ones did not. Not intentionally picked for that it just is an off the shelf part and so it had it. They never used the capability until an engineer said hey we could use it to detect double taps.

On edit: I can't read. It is only 2024 and later models with double tap.

 

[Tagbert]

I just wish that they would let me rotate the Paperwhite 180 degrees so I am not resting the rough-edged USB port and the "screen off" button on my fingers while holding it. It is way too easy to turn the screen off as you shift your grip while reading. Why can't those things be on the top of the device or let the device rotate so they aren't pressed against your fingers.

 

[withak]

To be clear by new it twelve different products going back to 2018 most of which aren't even produced anymore. That likely means it is hardware limitation. The newer SoC likely has a built in cheap accelerometer which the older ones did not. Not intentionally picked for that it just is an off the shelf part and so it had it. They never used the capability until an engineer said hey we could use it to detect double taps.

Instead of assuming malice lets consider this is a never promised feature being added to products up to seven years after they were purchased instead of the typical corporate "solution" of launching an all new 13th generation Kindle in 2025 and locking this feature to only the new model via firmware. That is pretty damn cool. Wish more companies did stuff like that.

My 11th gen Paperwhite can pick up double-taps. I can tell because I just double-tapped the screen and it turned the page twice. Maybe Amazon could hire a programming consultant to help figure out a way for the software to ignore that first tap and only turn the page on the 2nd one?

 

[Tagbert]

I'd imagine it's only on the new ones because they have to include a sensor to read this tapping, right?

This is supported on Kindles as old as 2018. 7 years back is pretty good. There might be hardware differences in the newer models which could have an accelerometer included in the chipset and the older ones might not.

 

[Kanator]

OK I actually like that idea, probably not enough to tempt me back from Team Kobo though.

I appreciate the faster chips and higher DPI of modern ereaders but miss the physical buttons of old ones, and the sharper screens when they didn't have a touch layer. I wish we could combine the two. I don't really think touch highlighting is a big enough benefit to justify the trade off.

I didn't realize how much the touch layer (and stylus layer, and glass layer) harm the display quality until I compared my 2024 ereader with the latest high-contrast e-ink display to my Kindle 4 from 2011, which doesn't have those layers. The Kindle 4 is visibly higher contrast.

 

[mikeschr]

To be clear by "new ones" it us twelve different products going back to 2018 most of which aren't even produced anymore. That likely means it is hardware limitation. The newer SoC likely has a cheap built in accelerometer which the older ones did not. Not intentionally picked for that it just is an off the shelf part and so it had it. They never used the capability until an engineer said hey we could use it to detect double taps.

Instead of assuming malice lets consider this is a never promised feature being added to products up to seven years after they were purchased instead of the typical corporate "solution" of launching an all new 13th generation Kindle in 2025 and locking this feature to only the new model via firmware despite 12 existing models having the required hardware. That is pretty damn cool. Wish more companies did stuff like that.

The software update is available on models going back to 2018, but if you're tallking about the double-tap feature, that's only available on two of the newest models.

 

[Statistical]

The software update is available on models going back to 2018, but if you're tallking about the double-tap feature, that's only available on two of the newest models.

Ah reading fail on my part. Ok significantly less cool.

 

[Agitation]

This might be okay for us Oasis diehards. But can anyone tell me if this double tap feature also allows me to disable the touchscreen?

It might sound weird but turning off the touchscreen is a great feature of the oasis for when you’re lounging or lying down while reading. You can hold the thing like I’d hold a book without worrying about having to avoid the screen/page.

UPDATE: judging from the release notes there’s probably no “disable touchscreen” option.

(Mostly*) disabling the touchscreen was already an option.

*(With it "disabled" you can still swipe to turn pages.)

 

[Ploroxide]

I don't know how Amazon even manages to compete with Kobo. With Kobo, everything they do makes Kindle look cheap and obsolete.

I’m not giving up my library, nor do I feel like taking the take the time and effort to convert a book when I get an urge to revisit something I read and enjoyed in the past.

Are Kobos (potentially) better? Maybe/yes.

Does that make Kindles aweful? No, they work as they always did.

 

[Ploroxide]

My boox page has physical buttons and runs the kindle android app perfectly... Pretty happy to have switched over from Kindle to Boox. (Boox runs a fairly stock android, so you can do almost anything you want with it, and rootable if you want for some reason). I've used a wirelss remote control with it as well

I’ve heard the longevity of these is not the greatest.

 

[goodmoose]

(Mostly*) disabling the touchscreen was already an option.

*(With it "disabled" you can still swipe to turn pages.)

Cool. I briefly tried out one of the new Paperwhites and didn’t even think to check that feature was still there. I figured it was something only on the Oasis. Well, that is another nudge pushing me to upgrade from my Oasis, which at this point gets iPad-level battery life.

 

[Strategos777]

The best features anyone ever removed:

iDevice:

Physical screen lock slider
Headphone Jack

Kindle:

Physical page forward/back buttons

 

[approximate_pi]

Wish my 11th gen paperwhite could get this, I still use a voyage for occasionally commuting on the train when I need to (rare these days, I work from home) because it fits in my back pocket on my jeans, and I deeply miss the page turn buttons every time I use it and switch back to the (much nicer otherwise) paperwhite at home

 

[Matthew J.]

I still don't understand why it's so hard to just put a couple of @#$!ng buttons on the side of the damned thing. They can be unobtrusive, for those who prefer the swipey-swipey.

 

[Socks Mingus]

I've never examined a Kobo in person but I'm a long-time Kindle user.


Reasons I'm still in the amazon ecosystem:

1. Global cellular connectivity/book downloads, with no data plan. To get in front of the inevitable "just use your phone as a hotspot" or "just find a wifi network" shit: I don't always buy an esim for my phone when I travel, and the Kindle often has coverage when my phone doesn't. Real world example: I was on a liveaboard dive boat off the great barrier reef and was able to buy and download a new book, my phone didn't see any networks I could use with my esim. Have had the same situation while camping.

2. I've always been able to buy any book I wanted to buy. Maybe this is the case for other stores, I genuinely don't know.

3. Laziness. This is a big one: I want something that just works when it comes to my leisure time. I'm not against change, but they've gotta offer something that I'm not getting with the current ecosystem… what's the selling point?



I'm on my 5th now, it appears.

First kindle purchase: 2009, the one with the keyboard and stuff. Included cellular.
2012: Upgraded to a paperwhite, which was wifi only. Periodically missed the cellular, but I wasn't traveling much then.
2014: upgraded to a newer paperwhite after damaging my old one. Still wasn't traveling much.
2018: Upgraded to even newer paperwhite for water resistance and because I was traveling more and missed the cellular function a decent bit by then.
2020: Upgraded to Oasis for turn buttons, adjustable white balance. Cellular, of course.

AFAIU, they no longer make cellular Kindles.

You probably lucked out on the timing, since IIRC only the last gen or two of Oasis were 4G and the old "whispernet"/3G network was likely to be shut down ~2022.

 

[tectiv3]

Only available on 12th gen signature edition…

 

[ripvlan]

It'll be interesting to see if it works. My phone had a double-tap feature and it rarely worked, it wasn't reliable, so much so that I gave up using it. As a matter of fact I no longer recall what it did.

I have a Paperwhite and my only complaint is the location of the power button - right on the bottom of the device. When I sit at a picnic bench I manage to press it - a most inconvenient location.

(although I'm considering whether the new subscription price is worth it)

 

[Frodo Douchebaggins]

AFAIU, they no longer make cellular Kindles.

You probably lucked out on the timing, since IIRC only the last gen or two of Oasis were 4G and the old "whispernet"/3G network was likely to be shut down ~2022.

Yeah if my Oasis dies IDK what the hell I'll do. Should probably buy another one used and tuck it somewhere safe.

 

[approximate_pi]

I still don't understand why it's so hard to just put a couple of @#$!ng buttons on the side of the damned thing. They can be unobtrusive, for those who prefer the swipey-swipey.

The pressure buttons with haptic feedback on the voyage were perfect, and they’d easily fit on the edges of the paperwhite, I legitimately do not understand why they arent included (penny pinching aside)