The Kindle Oasis is Amazon’s flagship e-reader, designed for the ultimate reading experience. It stands out from other Kindles with its unique asymmetrical design, premium build materials, and advanced features. Launched in 2019, the 10th-generation Kindle Oasis remains a top choice for dedicated readers who prioritize comfort, quality, and a feature-rich device. While it hasn’t seen a new model since its last release, its ergonomic design, crisp display, and waterproof build continue to make it a compelling device in the e-reader market.

What Makes the Kindle Oasis Unique?

The Kindle Oasis is distinguished by several key features that set it apart from its siblings, the Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite. Its design is both functional and elegant, and it includes advanced features that enhance the reading experience.

Key Features and Design

The Oasis has a 7-inch, 300 PPI (pixels per inch) E Ink display, which provides a sharp, paper-like reading surface. What truly makes it special is its design. It features a thin, lightweight aluminum body with a wider “ergonomic grip” on one side. This grip houses a battery and dedicated physical page-turn buttons, making it easy to hold with a single hand and navigate through your book without touching the screen. The device’s built-in accelerometer automatically rotates the screen’s orientation when you switch hands, ensuring a comfortable reading experience for both left- and right-handed users.

The display also boasts a front light with 25 LEDs, more than any other Kindle model. This provides a more uniform and consistent light distribution across the screen. Additionally, the Kindle Oasis has an adjustable warm light feature that allows you to shift the screen’s color from a bright white to a warm amber. This is particularly useful for nighttime reading, as the warmer light reduces blue light exposure, which can help with eye strain and sleep patterns. The device also has an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the screen’s brightness based on your surroundings.

An essential feature for many readers is the Kindle Oasis’s IPX8 waterproof rating. This means it can withstand immersion in up to two meters of fresh water for up to 60 minutes, making it safe to use at the beach, by the pool, or in the bath.

Technical Specifications

The Kindle Oasis is available with either 8GB or 32GB of storage. While 8GB is sufficient for thousands of books, the larger 32GB model is ideal for those who download large files like graphic novels, manga, or Audible audiobooks. It connects via Wi-Fi and, in some models, has a free cellular connection for on-the-go book downloads without a Wi-Fi network. The Oasis uses a Micro-USB port for charging.

Kindle Oasis vs. Other Kindle Models

When deciding on an e-reader, it’s helpful to compare the Kindle Oasis to the other popular models in Amazon’s lineup: the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Scribe.

Kindle Oasis vs. Kindle Paperwhite

The Kindle Paperwhite is often considered the “sweet spot” in the Kindle family, offering many premium features at a more accessible price.

Screen Size and Resolution: The Oasis has a 7-inch display, while the latest Paperwhite model has a 6.8-inch display. Both have a sharp 300 PPI resolution.

Design and Ergonomics: This is the most significant difference. The Oasis has a distinct asymmetrical design with physical page-turn buttons and an aluminum body, while the Paperwhite has a symmetrical, all-plastic design with no physical buttons. The Oasis is thinner on one side, making it easier to grip.

Lighting: Both devices feature an adjustable warm light and auto-adjusting brightness. However, the Oasis has more LEDs, providing a more uniform light.

Waterproofing: Both the Oasis and Paperwhite are rated IPX8 for waterproofing.

Charging: The Kindle Oasis uses a Micro-USB port, while the newer Kindle Paperwhite uses the more modern and universal USB-C.

Battery Life: Both Kindles are rated for up to six weeks of battery life based on 30 minutes of reading per day. However, some users report that the Oasis’s battery life is slightly shorter due to its more advanced features.

Price: The Kindle Oasis is significantly more expensive than the Kindle Paperwhite.

Kindle Oasis vs. Kindle Scribe

The Kindle Scribe is a newer model that serves a different purpose entirely: note-taking and journaling.

Display: The Kindle Scribe has a much larger 10.2-inch screen and includes a stylus for writing and drawing. The Oasis’s 7-inch screen is optimized purely for reading.

Functionality: The Scribe is designed for both reading and writing, with features like sticky notes, notebooks, and the ability to mark up PDFs. The Oasis is a dedicated reading device with no note-taking functionality beyond on-screen highlights and notes.

Portability: The Scribe is larger and heavier than the Oasis, making it less ideal for one-handed reading on the go. The Oasis, with its ergonomic grip, is built for portability and comfort.

Price: The Kindle Scribe is the most expensive Kindle model.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Kindle Oasis

Using the Kindle Oasis is intuitive, but a few tips and tricks can help you maximize your reading experience.

Setting Up Your Kindle Oasis

Power On: Press the power button on the top edge of the device.

Connect to Wi-Fi: Follow the on-screen prompts to connect to a Wi-Fi network.

Register Your Device: Log in with your Amazon account. This will sync your library and content.

Explore the Home Screen: The home screen displays your most recent reads, a section for your library, and book recommendations.

Navigating and Reading

Page-Turn Buttons: Use the physical buttons on the side to flip pages. The top button turns the page forward by default, and the bottom one goes back. You can change this in the settings.

Adjusting Brightness and Warmth: Swipe down from the top of the screen to access the Quick Actions menu. Here, you can manually adjust the brightness and warmth settings or enable the auto-brightness feature.

Changing Fonts and Layout: While reading a book, tap the top of the screen, then select the “Aa” icon to change the font, size, and boldness, as well as the layout, margins, and line spacing.

Practical Tips

Enable Airplane Mode: To extend battery life, turn on Airplane Mode when you are not downloading new content.

Organize with Collections: Use collections to organize your digital library. This is especially helpful for large libraries or if you have different genres you want to keep separate.

Use X-Ray: This feature lets you explore the “bones of a book,” providing quick access to information about characters, places, and key ideas. Access it by tapping the top of the screen while reading and selecting the three-dot menu.

Connect to Bluetooth: The Kindle Oasis has Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to pair headphones or a speaker to listen to Audible audiobooks.

Recent Trends (As of 2025)

As of mid-2025, the Kindle Oasis remains the most premium e-reader in Amazon’s lineup, but it hasn’t seen an update since its 2019 release. This has led to some interesting trends in the e-reader market:

Rise of the Paperwhite: With recent updates to the Kindle Paperwhite, including a larger screen, warm light, and USB-C charging, it has become a very strong competitor. Many users are now opting for the Paperwhite, as it offers a similar feature set to the Oasis at a lower cost, leading to discussions about whether a new Oasis model is even necessary.

Focus on Note-Taking: The release of the Kindle Scribe in late 2022 signaled a new direction for Amazon’s e-readers, focusing on productivity and note-taking alongside reading. This has carved out a new, premium segment of the market that the Oasis doesn’t serve.

Third-Party Alternatives: The long wait for an updated Oasis has led to an increase in interest in third-party e-readers from companies like Kobo and Boox, which offer features like physical page-turn buttons, color E Ink displays, and more open file format support.

The Kindle Oasis is still being sold and supported by Amazon, but its lack of an update suggests that Amazon may be prioritizing other models or even discontinuing the Oasis line in the future. Despite this, its unique design continues to be highly praised by long-term users.

FAQs

Is the Kindle Oasis still worth buying in 2025?

Yes, the Kindle Oasis is still a worthwhile purchase in 2025 if you value its unique ergonomic design, physical page-turn buttons, and premium aluminum build. While its core features are now available on the more affordable Kindle Paperwhite, the Oasis’s design remains unparalleled for comfortable, one-handed reading.

What’s the difference between the Kindle Oasis and the Kindle Paperwhite?

The main differences are the design, materials, and features. The Kindle Oasis has a distinct asymmetrical design with physical page-turn buttons and an aluminum body. The Kindle Paperwhite has a plastic body and relies solely on the touchscreen for navigation. The Oasis also has more LEDs for its front light, offering a more uniform screen illumination.

Can the Kindle Oasis play Audible audiobooks?

Yes, the Kindle Oasis has Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to pair wireless headphones or a speaker to listen to audiobooks from Audible.

Is the Kindle Oasis waterproof?

Yes, the Kindle Oasis has an IPX8 rating, meaning it can be submerged in up to two meters of fresh water for up to 60 minutes without damage.

How do I transfer books to my Kindle Oasis?

You can transfer books to your Kindle Oasis in several ways. The simplest method is to buy them directly from the Kindle Store on the device or Amazon’s website. You can also use the “Send to Kindle” feature by emailing documents and files to your Kindle’s unique email address or using the Send to Kindle application on your computer.

Final Thoughts

The Kindle Oasis holds its ground as a premium e-reader, offering a superior reading experience through its ergonomic design, physical page-turn buttons, and high-quality display. It’s an excellent choice for those who spend many hours reading and are willing to invest in a device that prioritizes comfort and a premium feel. 

However, with the Kindle Paperwhite now offering many of the same key features—like a larger screen, warm light, and waterproofing—at a lower price point, the value proposition of the Oasis is a personal decision. 

If you value the unique design and physical buttons, the Oasis is still the best e-reader on the market for pure reading. If you’re looking for a more affordable, yet still highly capable, option, the Kindle Paperwhite is a fantastic alternative.

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