Nook GlowLight 4e Vs Kindle Paperwhite: Which eReader Is Best For You?
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While it may not seem as flashy as a new smartphone or a tablet, an eReader can be one of the most useful gadgets you own, as it can quite literally fit a library's worth of books into the palm of your hand. Two of the biggest brands on the eReader market (produced and sold by two of the biggest names in bookselling, not coincidentally) are the Kindle and the Nook. They're also two of the oldest; Amazon debuted its first Kindle in 2007, while Barnes & Noble released the first Nook just two years later. Since then, many different models and generations of each eReader have been released, with various different features as well as improvements in staples such as battery life and display resolution.
If you're looking for an eReader with a backlit display, which can greatly increase when and where you can use the device, two popular options are the Nook GlowLight 4e and Kindle Paperwhite. The GlowLight 4e, which gives the Kindle some affordable competition, is the most affordable new model of the Nook available. The Paperwhite, on other hand, is a step up from the most basic Kindle model, so there is an interesting trade off when it comes to the pros and cons of the two devices.
Which eReader is best for you may come down to which features are most important to you. To help decide, here is a detailed breakdown of the Nook GlowLight 4e vs the Kindle Paperwhite. In addition to the listed specs and details from their respective manufacturers, reviews from customers and reputable publications were sourced to deliver the most accurate comparison possible. More information on how these products were evaluated can be found at the end of this breakdown.
What is the Nook GlowLight 4e?
The Nook GlowLight 4e debuted in 2022 and is an offshoot model of the fourth-generation Nook, which introduced a dynamic lighting system to the eReader's display. Its 6-inch screen sports a 212-dpi resolution, which is a little less than what's considered industry-standard for a high-quality dots-per-inch resolution. In addition to being scratch and fingerprint-resistant, the display also has built-in glare protection, making it feel more like reading actual paper — especially when under a strong light source such as an overhead lamp or the sun. The device comes with built-in Wi-Fi and 8 GB of storage, which can hold thousands of e-books. Plus, it can also read PDFs.
The Nook Glowlight 4e is available from Barnes & Noble for $119.99. While there are plenty of third-party covers made to fit the Glowlight 4 and 4e that you can find online, such as on Etsy (or even Amazon), Barnes & Noble also sells an official cover accessory for $19.99. It's water-resistant and has a soft, comfortable feel to it, and uses a magnetic tab to securely close. The official Glowlight 4e cover is available in several different colors with classy names, including red rose, black sparkle, silver sparkle, gold sparkle, violet, daffodil, chocolate, cognac, wine, and midnight.
What is the Kindle Paperwhite?
Amazon makes several Kindle models that offer its customers a wide range of features, so that readers can choose the Kindle that suits them best. In between its most basic model and more advanced eReaders like the Kindle Oasis sits the Paperwhite, which is currently in its fifth generation. The Paperwhite has a larger and richer display than the Nook Glowlight 4e, as it's capable of 300 dpi with its 6.8-inch screen. It's also scratch-resistant, glare–free, and rated IPX8, which means it's somewhat waterproof and can survive accidental immersion in up to 6 feet of fresh water for up to an hour, or 0.25 meters of saltwater for up to three minutes.
The Kindle Paperwhite comes with 16 GB of storage, which is twice that of the GlowLight 4e (the Paperwhite Signature Edition is equipped with 32 GB). However, it's pricier than the latter. Like other Kindles, Amazon offers two versions of the Paperwhite — one that includes print-ads on the device's lock screen and a slightly more expensive ad-free option. The ad-supported Paperwhite costs $149.99, while the ad-free version is an additional $20. The Paperwhite comes in three different colors (black, denim blue, and agave green), and can be paired with numerous covers either made by Amazon or third-party manufacturers. On average, official covers made by Amazon for the Paperwhite can cost between $35 and $50, depending on the material, which includes fabric, leather, and cork.
How does the battery life of each eReader compare?
One theoretical disadvantage to using an eReader over a traditional paper book is that, if you fail to keep your device charged, at some point you won't be able to actually continue reading your story. However, e-ink devices typically last a lot longer than products with full-color digital displays like phones or tablets. Barnes & Noble boasts that you can "read for weeks on a single charge," though that's assuming you're reading one page per minute for 30 minutes per day, with the brightness at just 10% and the Wi-Fi turned completely off. Even without all these caveats, you'll still get a lot more battery life than if you were to use the Nook app on your smartphone.
Comparatively, Amazon says that the Kindle Paperwhite can last 10 weeks on a single charge under similar use and with the brightness setting at 13. Of course, using the device to play audio from Audible audiobooks and other uses will drain the battery faster. One great thing about both products is that, unlike most previous generations, they come with a USB-C port for quicker and more convenient charging. Both eReaders can fully charge in under three hours.
What special features does each eReader offer?
Both the Nook Glowlight and Kindle Paperwhite offer always-on, backlit screens that make seeing the display a lot easier in any lighting conditions, whether you're reading in a dark bedroom at night or under the midday sun at the beach. While both devices allow you to manually adjust the brightness, only the latest Paperwhite allows you to also choose the color temperature and adjust how warm or cool you'd like the light to be. For those looking to avoid blue light in the evening, this is a huge plus.
If you like to use physical buttons to turn the pages of your eBook for a more visceral and traditional reading experience, then you might prefer the Nook GlowLight 4e, as the Paperwhite lacks this feature. However, for the most part, Amazon outclasses Barnes & Noble when it comes to special features on the brand's respective devices, especially when it comes to software. The Paperwhite includes some of the best perks that all Kindles have had for many years now, including X-Ray and Word Wise. Word Wise allows you to quickly look up the definition of an unfamiliar word without having to leave the page. It also includes integration with book-friendly social media platform Goodreads.
The Paperwhite is also easy to use with Amazon Kindle Unlimited, which you can bundle together with the device for a discount. The service, for which there is no Barnes & Noble equivalent, is like a Netflix-for-books, allowing you to read an unlimited amount of licensed titles when subscribed. Both Amazon and Barnes & Noble allow for cross-platform continuity with its titles, so you can use the companies' respective apps to read a book across the Paperwhite/GlowLight 4e, your phone, and your tablet.
How do the reviews of each eReader compare?
The Kindle Paperwhite has a solid 4.7 user score, averaged from the ratings of over 54,400 customers. That's significantly more reassuring than the user score for the Nook GlowLight 4e that can be found on Barnes & Noble's own site, which is just 3.1 out of 5. For what it's worth, though, that customer score is based on just over 70 ratings, which is not surprising considering how many more customers shop online with Amazon. A smaller base of user reviews is less reliable than one with tens of thousands of ratings, as it's more likely to be influenced by outlier scores that may have been made, positively or negatively, in bad faith.
That's one reason why it's always a good idea to check out professional reviews from reputable sources that have had hands-on experience with a given product. In this case, however, it seems that expert reviews are more-or-less in agreement with customers. In its mixed review of the GlowLight 4e, The Verge rated the device a five out of 10, saying that its cons are "hard to ignore." These downsides include slow-to-respond touch controls and the lack of adjustable color temperature. However, the review notes that the physical buttons make the eReader worth purchasing if that feature is important to you.
The Paperwhite, on the other hand, has very positive reviews from major publications, including Wirecutter and Mashable. In our own hands-on review of the device, SlashGear scored the Kindle Paperwhite a nine out of 10. We found that the product has a lot going for it, but some drawbacks include its lack of cellular connectivity or a headphone jack. Also, its ad-free option puts it in a price range that may be too high for a mid-tier eReader.
How these products were evaluated
Based on both the listed specs and general reviews, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite seems to have the edge on the Nook GlowLight 4e. The comparison might be more fair when the 4e is compared with the more basic Kindle. But if you're looking for a backlit eReader that can be used in any location at any time of day or night, you'll want to start with these two options. There are a few reasons you might opt for the GlowLight 4e over the Paperwhite. One big thing going for it is its physical buttons, which the Paperwhite lacks. Another reason may be if you prefer to shop from Barnes & Noble rather than Amazon, especially if you have a membership to the former that includes discounts on eBooks.
Whichever option you buy, you'll want to be confident you're getting your money's worth. To ensure that both products are actually reliable and work as advertised, both professional reviews and the customer ratings from Amazon and Barnes & Noble's websites were referenced. Some of the reputable publications known for their tech reviews that were consulted include Mashable, The Verge, and The New York Times Wirecutter. Plus, a detailed and insightful hands-on review by one of my colleagues at SlashGear was also referenced. Finally, personal experience was also employed, as I have been in possession of the same Kindle Paperwhite for more than a decade. While the battery life isn't what it once was, it's still a high-performing, useful device that I get a lot out of, despite it being relatively ancient for a tech device.