After being absent from the Indian market for over a year, Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite is finally back. The 12th-gen model of the e-reader makes notable upgrades. It has a bigger, 7-inch glare-free display, a slimmer form factor, and faster page turns. Priced at Rs 16,999, it is the only Kindle model available in India right now. The e-reader crossed our desk earlier this month, and we have been using it since. Here is our in-depth review of the 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite (2025).
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In This Article
Kindle Paperwhite 12th-Gen (2025) Review: Design and Display
Here’s what you get inside the Kindle Paperwhite’s retail box:
- E-reader
- USB Type-A to Type-C cable
- Safety information booklet
- User guide
The 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite sits at dimensions of 127.6mm x 176.7mm x 7.8mm (5” x 7” x 0.3”). Its plastic back panel has a soft touch finish. The Amazon arrow logo is engraved on the top section of this panel. The plastic back curves slightly along the edges, adding to its grip. The e-reader does not dig into the palm or cause any fatigue when it is held for multiple hours. It weighs 211g – about the same as an average smartphone. The bottom edge of the e-reader houses an LED indicator, a USB Type-C port, and the power button.
The 7-inch glare-free e-ink display is lit up by 12 white LEDs and 13 amber LEDs along the sides of the screen. You can adjust its brightness and warmth from the settings. There is an option to create a ‘warmth schedule’ if you want the display to automatically exude a warmer tone when the sun goes down. There is a nifty Dark Mode onboard as well.
Kindle Paperwhite’s 1,264 x 1,680p resolution and 300PPI pixel density remain unchanged from the previous generation model. The display renders crisp and clear text. There are no distracting blurs. The array of LEDs lights up the display perfectly. There is minimal to no eye fatigue even after continuous hours of reading. Since this is a larger display, it can fit more content compared to the previous model.
The display is surrounded by thick bezels on all sides. The bottom bezel is the thickest, allowing you to comfortably hold the e-reader without causing any accidental touches. This bezel is branded with the ‘Kindle’ lettering. There are no physical buttons for turning the page, something we miss from the previous-generation Kindles.
If you like reading in the bath or by a pool, you will be pleased to know that the 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite has an IPX8 rating. The device is completely waterproof. It can survive dips in the bathtub with absolute ease.
Kindle Paperwhite 12th-Gen (2025) Review: Performance
Setting up the 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite is an easy process. All you need to do is connect the device to your WiFi network, log in using your Amazon account, and you’re good to go! With 16GB internal storage, you can store thousands of titles on the device. You can also get a Kindle Unlimited subscription to get access to over 2 million ebooks. Amazon Prime members can choose titles from a selected library of rotating ebooks at no additional cost.
Powering the new Kindle Paperwhite is a dual-core processor. The bump in performance is immediately noticeable with faster page turns. Amazon claims that the new Paperwhite changes the page 25% faster than the previous model.
The software experience offered by Kindle Paperwhite makes it the best e-reader in its category. The reading interface is clean and free of any distractions. Tapping or swiping anywhere on the screen changes the page. There is an option to disable the touchscreen and lock the page turns to the swipe gesture. There is a good range of themes, fonts, and layouts onboard. These can be accessed by tapping the top of the screen.
The e-reader automatically syncs your reading progress with the Kindle app on your smartphone. You can jump to different chapters by using the menu that’s baked into the reading interface. If you’re logged into your Goodreads account, you can update your reading progress directly from your Kindle.
Long-pressing a word brings up its meaning in the dictionary pop-up. You can swipe left to read a brief summary of its Wikipedia entry in the pop-up itself. Swiping left one more time lets you translate the word to another language. Selecting the Vocabulary Builder from the menu displays all the words you’ve looked up in the dictionary.
X-Ray is one of our favourite features on the Kindle Paperwhite. On supported titles, this feature keeps a record of all the people, places, and images in the book. This comes in quite handy when you’re reading a fantasy book and need to reference the map quite frequently. In titles with multiple storylines, X-Ray helps you keep track of all the characters.
The native web browser on the device is pretty basic, but that is by design. The idea is to eliminate any distractions while reading. It is also the reason why Kindle does not support third-party apps. There is a dedicated option to access Goodreads if you want to go through your TBR titles, leave a review, or update your reading progress. The VoiceView screen reader is another cool feature that’s designed for users with visual disabilities. It provides spoken feedback over a TWS when you touch an item on the screen. It can also read books using text-to-speech.
Amazon claims a 12-week battery life on this device. This claim is applicable if your reading time is limited to 30 minutes per day with the WiFi disabled and the screen brightness set to 13. During the review period, we used the 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite at varying brightness and warmth for 40-60 minutes per day. We weren’t able to exhaust it after a week of use, reaching a 75% charge. Using a 9W power adapter, the device takes 2.5 hours to fully charge.
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Verdict
The 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite proves why Amazon’s e-reader is still the king of its category. Its brilliant 300ppi glare-free display renders crisp and clear text. To add to that, the reading interface is completely free of distractions. Tools like the dictionary, X-Ray, Highlights and more are seamlessly woven into this interface. The LED array does a great job of lighting up the display. The brightness and warmth options for the display ensure that it is perfectly readable at any point in the day. While Rs 16,999 is not a small sum of money to splash on an e-reader, the Kindle Paperwhite ensures that you get your money’s worth.
Kindle Paperwhite 12th-Gen (2025): Pros
- Brilliant display
- Brightness/warmth options
- Amazing reading interface
- X-Ray
- Great battery life
Kindle Paperwhite 12th-Gen (2025): Cons
- Slightly pricey
 for a week, here is our review of the e-reader. The Kindle Paperwhite is priced at Rs 16,999.){kind=link}