Certified Refurbished Kindle Voyage E-reader with Special Offers, Wi-Fi

' UPDATE 3/8/15:After 4 1/2 months of using my new Kindle Voyage daily, I have a few comments to make:- the screen continues to be sharp, clear, and flawless. I see other reviewers who have experienced problems with their Voyage. Mine has been perfect from the beginning.- size and comfort in using it is terrific. I prefer it to my earlier Paperwhite, which may also be due to the cover I'm using (Amazon's 'origami' folding cover) which is less bulky than the Amazon cover I had on my Paperwhite. The only slight inconvenience is that to reach the on/off button, with the device in use and the cover opened, you have to fold the cover away from the back of the Voyage a bit in order to reach the switch.- capacity is superb. I keep all of my Kindle purchases on the Kindle, not something really necessary but simply the way I do things, and at this point I have 461 books on the Kindle and memory usage is only 30%. I had filled up my PaperWhite and it had become slow in responding when I finally replaced it with the Voyage, and my guess was that the slowness was at least partly due to the fact that the memory was used up. I don't know if I'll ever reach that point on the Voyage, but it is certainly going to be much less of a concern.- the page turning 'buttons' are kind of a mixed blessing although I do like them. It is also easy to accidentally turn pages simply by holding the Kindle or shifting it in your hands.I am 100% satisfied with this new Kindle and would purchase it again without hesitation.My original review follows.SUMMARY:------------' Pros:- display quality and brightness is greatly improved over the Paperwhite (some users have reported problems, however)- overall quality appearance- slightly smaller, thinner, lighter (to the point where adding a cover can now almost double the weight of the Kindle!)' Cons:- higher price. May not be worth the difference for many Kindle users- some users report problems with display- no text to speech or headphone jack (none of Amazon's current e-ink models offer audio capability)' Overall: A premium Kindle with an exceptionally good display, at a premium price. Initially I felt this Kindle merited a 5-star rating, but after more consideration I've decided to revise my rating to 4-star, only because the higher cost does mean that this is a luxury purchase for most people, and I think that a rating should reflect quality and performance of the product as well as value for the money spent.ADDED COMMENT 2/17/15: After using the Voyage for several months, I am very satisfied. I see that many customers have had problems with the display of their units, but mine is absolutely perfect, bright and clear corner-to-corner. I like everything about it, but I will say one thing - the page turn buttons are a mixed blessing. It is easy to inadvertently turn pages when you simply pick up the device or shift it in your hands. You have to be careful to not press those particular areas of the bezel, and it's hard to avoid doing that sometimes. But the page turn buttons are also very handy, and they are what I now use 90% of the time to turn pages. So you take the good with the bad. Overall I'm very happy with the Voyage, and I'd buy it again.DETAILED REVIEW:----------------------I've been using the  Kindle Paperwhite (first generation)  for just over two years, and this new model came along at the perfect time for me, not because my current Kindle is worn out or broken, but after using it every day for two years and really loving it I was ready for an upgrade.The Voyage is a Seventh Generation Kindle: Amazon released the original Kindle in November of 2007 and a total of 15 different Kindle e-ink models have been released since then, an impressive evolution (the original Kindle was priced at $399 in 2007!)Amazon's e-reader product lineup now has three models, all with 6" touch screens. I'm going to mostly address the differences between the Voyage and the Paperwhite, because I think that most prospective Voyage owners will be familiar with the Kindle already, and the main comparison for the Voyage will be the Paperwhite since both have illuminated displays.The main thing I wanted to find out for myself was this - are the improvements and differences enough to justify the higher price?' AppearanceFrom a distance of a couple feet or more, the new Voyage seems to be almost identical to the Paperwhite. Up close, however, differences become more apparent:- The Voyage case is made from magnesium rather than plastic. It looks great and feels good to hold. (It does show fingerprints, though)- Dimensions: the Voyage is very slightly smaller than the Paperwhite, even though the display sizes are identical. Height and width are just slightly less, and the thickness is noticeably different - it's been slimmed down from 0.36" (Paperwhite) to 0.30" (Voyage). When you pick it up, you immediately notice how thin it is and that the rear of the Voyage is sculpted rather than flat.- Weight: the Voyage is a full ounce lighter than the Paperwhite, 6.3 oz vs 7.3 oz (which doesn't sound like much, but for something that light in the first place, that's a significant difference, almost 13 % lighter).- The screen now fits flush with the bezel, and this looks considerably better. The black color, around the sides of the display, is also a deeper black than the Paperwhite, which looks a bit grayish in comparison.- The power button on the reverse of the Voyage, more convenient than the power button location of the Paperwhite. The charging outlet is at the center bottom and the amber/green light which illuminates when the Kindle is plugged into a charger is now set into the bottom in such a way that it is invisible when it is not illuminated.' Display quality and illuminationThe Voyage display is probably the main attraction of this new model, and it is terrific. I have been satisfied with my Paperwhite display (and the Paperwhite display itself has been improved in the latest design, from the original Paperwhite I have and which had received complaints from some users), but I can already tell that after using the Voyage, going back to the Paperwhite will be less satisfying.The display is higher resolution, 300 ppi, the best of any e-reader currently available. Comparisons with selected other devices:- Kindle Voyage: 300 ppi, 1448 x 1072- Kindle Paperwhite: 212 ppi, 1024 x 758- basic Kindle: 167 ppi- Apple iPad Retina: 264 ppi- Apple iPad mini-Retina: 326 ppi- Kindle Fire HDX (7"): 323 ppi- Kindle Fire HDX (8.9"): 339 ppiText is crisp and sharp, with the background much whiter than the Paperwhite which now looks rather gray in comparison. The feel of the display surface is smoother than the Paperwhite: it is 'micro-etched' glass and non-reflective, and the fit is flush with the bezel of the Kindle.The lighting of the display is also improved: it has an ambient light sensor to adjust the level of lighting automatically (this can be switched off if desired), and there is a clever feature that will automatically and slowly reduce the level of illumination over time, similarly to how your eyes will adjust to the darkness (also adjustable). Uniformity of illumination across the screen is excellent. I cannot tell where the illumination is originating (the Paperwhite has the light source at the bottom, and it can be seen from an angle). The highest level of illumination is very considerably brighter than the Paperwhite (one of the articles I read said Amazon says it is 39 percent brighter and I believe it).Taken all together, the resulting display quality is a considerable (positive) step from the Paperwhite to the Voyage, and for someone who has used the Kindle daily for the past two years (i.e., me), this is a difference that is immediately apparent and appreciated.' Page-turningOne of the things Kindle users have been looking forward to with the Voyage is the incorporation of press sensors on both sides of the display, so that pages can be turned either by touching the screen, same as the Paperwhite, or by slightly squeezing the Kindle itself. There is a very slight 'haptic' feedback provided when the page is turned in this manner, and the amount of pressure required to turn a page is adjustable (or can be turned off). The buttons on both sides of the display can be used to either page forward (lower and larger control), or back (higher). The location of the sensor areas for page turning are indicated on the front of the Voyage so that you know where they are.This works well and is nice to have in addition to the touch screen page turning; either or both can be used.Comment added 12/4/14: After using the Voyage daily since first receiving it, I have mixed feelings about the page turn sensors. I find that I often will accidentally turn pages depending on how I am holding the Kindle, and if I'm reading a book and then shift positions or move the Kindle from one hand to another, it is very easy to inadvertently turn pages, sometimes multiple pages. It is also difficult when reading in bed, in low light or in the dark, to get the correct spot to select the page 'back' sensor, which is much smaller than the page 'forward' sensor. These are minor nuisances, and as an alternative you can always use the touch screen to change pages, just like the older Paperwhite, and I've even thought about turning off the page turn sensors to eliminate this occasional frustration. All in all, it's a nice feature to have, but it is just like anything else, it comes with its pros and cons.' ResponsivenessAs far as I can tell, the processor used in the Voyage is the same as the current Paperwhite model (1 GHz), however I believe that the Voyage has 1 GB of RAM compared with 512MB RAM in both the Paperwhite and regular Kindle. I am finding it to be slightly but noticeably faster than responding, compared to my original Paperwhite. It is still not as responsive as a new iPad or Android tablet, which I think may be characteristic of readers using e-ink displays.Comment added 12/4/14: See comments to this review for further discussion on the responsiveness of the display, particularly with regard to highlighting words or phrases in books.' Storage capacity- All Kindle e-readers now come with 4 GB of storage. That is double the 2 GB provided in both Paperwhite models until this latest upgrade, and results in more than double the space available for books (because the firmware and operating system take up the same amount of space as before, so the remaining space is all available for books or other documents).- to be specific, the actual capacity as shown on my computer when I plug the two in using the USB cable:--- Voyage: 3.27 GB total available for storage of books and files (as of 5/2/15, I've used 1.48 GB to hold 675 books, many of which are free epub or Project Gutenberg books and use very little storage space)--- Paperwhite: 1.47 GB total available for storage of books and files (it was completely full with 372 books however that is a different selection of books, several quite large file sizes)' Battery lifePer Amazon's specs the Voyage will have slightly less battery life than the Paperwhite:- Voyage: "A single charge lasts up to six weeks, based on a half hour of reading per day with wireless off and the light setting at 10."- Paperwhite: "A single charge lasts up to eight weeks, based on a half hour of reading per day with wireless off and the light setting at 10."The most important thing to keep in mind with respect to battery life is this - the wi-fi should be turned off unless you need it active for syncing the device or downloading new content.' MiscThe Voyage comes with a black USB charging cable but does not include a charger. The recommended Amazon charger is this one:  Amazon Kindle 5W USB Power Adapter , and it will work with most USB phone or tablet chargers.Amazon also offers a higher-output charger ( Amazon Kindle 9W PowerFast Adapter for Accelerated Charging ) for it's Kindle products.Amazon has decided to not include text to speech capability in their e-ink readers any longer. Those who have made use of this capability to listen to audio books and sync the audio book with the text version, will not be able to do that with any of the current e-readers.' ProblemsOn my first day with the Voyage, it would not dismount from my computer properly so that I could use it while it remained connected and charging by usb. That problem seems to have gone away since that time. (EDIT: as of 3/8/15 this has not reoccurred and it must have simply been a one-time glitch).I have not had any of the display issues reported by other Voyage owners.CONCLUSION:----------------Functionally, the Voyage works exactly the same as the Paperwhite, with the exception of the haptic page turn capability. The display and overall appearance, though, are greatly improved. The result is that the Voyage is clearly a higher end e-reader, and the differences - in particular, the display - are significant enough that I personally am completely satisfied that it is worth the extra cost.Still, the Voyage is the 'platinum' level Kindle, and not everyone will feel that the extra features are necessary, or affordable. It costs $80 more than the Paperwhite, which is considerable. And the Paperwhite is still an exceptionally good e-reader. If the Voyage was not being produced, I'd still be using my Paperwhite and I'd be perfectly happy. And some users, who do not need an illuminated display, can get the base Kindle model for even less.That's the problem with progress - things do get better! For me, the Voyage is the best Kindle e-reader yet, and I'm delighted to have one.

[ASIN:B00IOY8XWQ Kindle Voyage E-reader, 6" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Adaptive Built-in Light, PagePress Sensors, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers]UPDATE 6/6/2016: I’ve been reading late at night when all other lights are turned off and the text is crisp and clear in the Voyage, unlike the Paperwhite with 300ppi. While the light is adequate in the Paperwhite there is a distinct yellowish cast that decreases the brightness and clarity if the text. Now I even notice the tint when the light is dim and I find I have to increase the brightness level to a higher number than on the Voyage. I know that the light is "adaptive" and decreases over time but I have to readjust it on my Paperwhites and I don't on the Voyage.UPDATE 3/17/2016: With the release of the 2015 Paperwhite (7th generation) I can no longer justify additional $80.00 since the only difference is the pagepress that is offered on the Voyage. Like the Voyage the 7th generation PW now has 300 ppi and the crisper, bolder text on both devices is probably a result of Amazon’s manufacturer in Taiwan using E-Ink's new "Carta" displays instead of the previously used "Pearl" displays that was used on previous versions of the Kindle I love that and have been waiting for years for this has made a much needed improvement in the look of the screen. All of Amazon’s readers now have 4GB of storage.UPDATE: 6/12/15: Recently, I’ve been afflicted with Bell ’s palsy which has affected my right eye significantly and the Voyage is mush easier to read from than the last Paperwhite, although I still use it as a backup since I have to charge so much because of usage. The lighting is better, especially at night and the contrast outside during the days is much better. I have a top of the line UV screen in my glasses which helps with reading outdoors and does improve glare indoors but since this latest illness I’ve noticed that my glasses are not working as well as the did. I am planning on getting a new RX, I just want to wait a little to make sure that everything is as stable as it can be and when I do I will ask the doctor, not the optometrists who unfortunately are on commission so will try to up-sell on products won’t work and aren’t needed if there is a lens that helps decrease eye strain in indoor lighting. I’ve seen ads for the new Foster Grant readers that say they have a lens that does, if there are any users that have used the product, please email and give your opinion, I’d really appreciate it.UPDATE: MAY 18,2015: I've been using the Voyage as my primary device for a few months and I am still happy with the purchase. I love being able to integrate collections between devices, but there are still a few kinks that need to be worked out. Since I read so much I find the battery life is the pits, even with WI-FI turned off and turning the off the light if I am outdoors or in a well lit room and setting it between 12 & 14 when I read in bed without any other light source I am having to charge it every other day.There are many others that have written excellent reviews that are very detailed; some include videos and I am not going to repeat what they have done. These are a few reviews that helped me decide to purchase my Voyage; MG Furmann, Sarah E, J Chambers, Phil in Magnolia, Randall, Michael Gallagher, Brad V, Bichon Mom, R Song and Court G. This review will be what I like and what I don’t..I've now gotten use to the adaptive pagepress sensors and can usually locate them in the dark, however, occasionally I have my hand placed differently and I have trouble locating the sensor to page backwards. It would be nice if the sensors had a very soft glow (a very soft blue would unobtrusive and easy on the eyes) that lit the forward press at the bottom or in the center and lit the back press sensor dot. The lights could be different colors but I don't think that would be necessary and could possibly be distracting, particularly if the forward sensor was not lit completely. Amazon could have a control in the settings menu to turn it off for users that don’t want or need this option; it would be wonderful if they would provide users with the option to light both or just one (I’d turn the back senor on and leave the forward off).I'd like to see a way to enlarge maps more than they do currently. I read a lot of fantasy and even using the magnification provided and a magnifying glass viewing maps is difficult. I'm not asking for color, just a clearer, larger, crisper view for maps. I had the Kindle Fire at one point and while maps looked great, the device is not suitable for long-term reading (there is not a tablet that is IMO) and there were other problems that made me decides that Kindle Fire was not the tablet for me.I review for authors and sometimes they do not have a MOBI file so I have to use another type which I then convert to MOBI is it doesn’t have DRM and the quality leaves a lot to be desired and it’s worse if I can’t convert. A smoother, better integration for other file types would be a great addition. There are other devices that I could use for these types of file but Kindle is the only one that does not strain my eyes and the only device that is suitable for reading outdoors.I am, and have always been an avid reader and my bedside and home has always had too many books. (My husband is grateful that I am no longer frequently bringing more bags of books home). I do “pay many books forward”, donate and trade others, but there were always so many I wanted to keep for one reason or another.Overall I am glad that I took the plunge because of the increased, marked difference in the clarity of the fonts. (I did the same test that other reviewers did, I opened the same book on the Touch, Paperwhite and Voyage and it is significantly clearer on Voyage). I am a voracious reader, I read for several hours every day and I can tell the difference in the clarity and crispness of the print. Like many others, as I have aged my eyesight has diminished and this improvement has helped decrease the strain and fatigue that I experience. The crisper and bolder text is probably the result of Amazon’s manufacturer in Taiwan they are using E-Ink's new "Carta" displays instead of the previously used "Pearl" displays that was used on previous versions of the Kindle I love that and have been waiting for years for this has made a much needed improvement in the look of the screen. That being said, there is still the same six fonts (this has now been increased to eight), and other settings there have been since I bought my first 4th Gen device. I had hoped for a wider selection of fonts and at least two more font sizes (4 would be fantastic), with the size increases starting after the second font. I don't find the new Bookerly font to be better as Amazon claims and I still find the Caecilia Condensed to be the best font for me to read with on all my devices.I'd like to see a way to enlarge maps more than they do currently. I read a lot of fantasy and even using the magnification provided and a magnifying glass viewing maps is difficult. I'm not asking for color, just a clearer, larger, crisper view for maps. I had the Kindle Fire at one point and while maps looked great, the device is not suitable for long-term reading (there is not a tablet that is IMO) and there were other problems that made me decides that Kindle Fire was not the tablet for me.I review for authors and sometimes they do not have a MOBI file so I have to use another type which I then convert to MOBI is it doesn’t have DRM and the quality leaves a lot to be desired and it’s worse if I can’t convert. A smoother, better integration for other file types would be a great addition. There are other devices that I could use for these types of file but Kindle is the only one that does not strain my eyes and the only device that is suitable for reading outdoors. I also find that the interface on both the Paerwhite and Voyage is extremely slow and it also lock up frequently meaning that you to restart it and cannot just turn it off and back on. Also, there are issues where they sometimes the books are not synched between devices which is a hassle.I like the smooth bezel on the glass that goes from edge to edge; it prevents dust, dirt sand, etc., from collecting in the edges as it did on the Touch and Paperwhite. The glass has also been hardened and is non-reflective (make sure you protect with a screen protector and cover). The new magnesium shell also provides additional protection and it easy to hold; but is does show fingerprints. (Note: The previous sentence is if using with or without a cover). The shell on my 2014 Paperwhite, (which I am keeping as a backup) is slicker and attracted a little dust; since both the dust and fingerprints are easily cleaned I don’t have a problem with either shell, I found them both easy to hold since they are always in a cover. (Note: The origami cover Amazon offers is much too expensive! You can find this case and many of the others that they sale for much better prices elsewhere. I did purchase the ORES My Favorite Book 5, Kindle Voyage case from an Amazon retailer that was reasonably priced because it was so beautiful and the same price as other sites).The Voyage weighs less and is a little smaller but I thought that the 2014 Paperwhite was fine in this area. I wasn’t one of the users that missed the buttons; I never had a problem with either the Touch or Paperwhite and never felt like they were needed. My husband hated the buttons and that was the reason we originally purchased the Touch which made him happy. Once I get through the learning curve I think I’ll like the page-press sensors; I like the response. They need to be easier to see if you are reading just using the built in, adaptive light. (This is an issue that I know cannot be addressed with a software update but will probably happen when the come out with a newer version. I won’t be buying a newer version for at least 3 years. I’ve always given family members the older version when we’ve purchased answer ones, but the Voyage costs too much just to replace just so I can have the latest edition. I did not buy the original Kindle because you could buy a new laptop for almost the same amount and I could not justify spending that much just to read).I was fortunate that I don’t have the “screen issues” that too many buyers experienced. I agree that file transferring, lag, etc., which I am experiencing) should have been fixed before it was released. Like the 2014 Paperwhite, the Voyage seems to lag when you are moving books from the cloud to the device. Also, the interface with the collections is incomplete; some of the books aren’t even shown in the cloud until you go into the Manage Your Settings & Devices and manually add them to Voyage. It is much easier, than it was on either the Touch or Paperwhite, but not as flawless as Amazon makes it appears in their promos. (See Randall’s review on November 15, 2014 for more detailed information about this issue). I hope to see the addressed in software updates that will not require us to shell out more than the 200.+ that we’ve already spent, for this device and accessories to protect them. These are the reasons are why I’ve deducted points.Amazon still does not include an AC charger for their readers. I feel that the prices for the Paperwhite, Voyage and now the Oasis have enough of a profit margin to include the $20.00 9W charger that can be purchased at less than half the cost on EBAY. I realize that they also doubled the storage from 2GB to 4GB, but this is what Amazon uses for all their readers and considering the quantity that they purchase for their devices I doubt that they are paying 1% of $20.00 for the larger chip. By making all the readers use the same storage chip they no longer have to purchase two different sizes for them which also saves them money.Amazon’s e-Readers are the only device that I would recommend for reading. Unlike tablets, computer, phones and other readers it is the only one that has the same quality as reading a printed book. I have tried reading outside with other devices, but the glare makes it almost impossible unlike the Kindle e-Readers. I have owned almost every generation since the 4th generation and I am very happy with this device and I have recommended to many people.4.5/5 STARS