Hands-on review: Updated: Kindle Voyage

Is the ereader dying? It appears not if Amazon's latest punt, and the reactions to it I've had, are anything to go by.

This is an expensive device indeed, coming in at £170 compared to the sub £100 options from rivals (and Amazon itself, with the basic Kindle range).

But the Kindle Voyage isn't meant to compete - it's there to lead and be an attractive option for those that love their reading on a commute and are willing to invest a little more.

I have to say that in my early days of use with the Voyage, I'm already loathe to give it up. It's still just an ereader at the heart, and I had not problem with my Paperwhite at all. The brighter screen was clear and crisp, and the response time.

But Amazon has made the Voyage clearer, brighter and faster to interact with, and I've enjoyed all those elements.

The smaller size is nice too, enabling me to slip into a front pocket even with a cover on. (The origami cover, which annoyingly isn't bundled for the cost, is brilliant as a little stand / smart cover to unlock the ereader).

It's a little on the small side if I had any criticism, but the screen is so legible I had no issue day to day. I also really like that the display and frame are now one single pane of strengthened glass, making a very clean and smooth front to the Voyage.

The other big change is the ability to turn the page using the bezel once more, although this time it's through touch-sensitivity rather than a physical button.

You'll need to press harder than you might think to activate these - they're pressure, rather than touch, sensitive. The range isn't massive, and it's a little easy to hit the screen and go forward / back unintentionally, but once you've settled your digits it's a great way to use the Voyage one-handed.

There are myriad new features coming to the interface that make the Kindle Voyage more powerful for reading than ever before, but they'll be coming to the Paperwhite and family too soon, so aren't really key selling points.

I'll dig into these more in the full review to see if they really enhance the reading experience, or are just gimmicks to make it seem like Amazon 'gets' reading more than you do.

Early verdict

The Kindle Voyage is a premium device with a higher cost associated. However, like the smartwatches it shares a price tag with, you can make a real case for this as a Christmas gift. It makes reading nicer.

No matter how easy it is to read on a tablet or smartphone, there's no substitute for the feel of a real book. But the Amazon Kindle Voyage comes much closer than anything before, and it's much nicer to hold and carry around.