[Ann in Arlington]

CAR -- sorry you felt you had to return it. 

I figure I'll need some time to thoroughly get used to the size but I haven't had the lighting or touch response issues you describe.

Everyone gets to decide for themselves of course. My feeling is: I've got 30 days to decide whether I like it, so I'm going to use a bunch of them before giving up. (Not that I'm even leaning that way yet, personally.) And before giving up I'd definitely contact Kindle CS about the concerns I have. That said: it's not cheap, so everyone certainly has a right to be completely satisfied.

 

[KimberlyinMN]

I noticed the uneven color on the screen on my Voyage during the setup process in a fairly well-lit office. However, once I turned the brightness down to where I normally read at (11), the discoloration wasn't noticeable. I can't make a final judgement until I am reading in a totally dark room. It's definitely not as noticeable as the 9+ PW1 units I exchanged.

 

[WilliamG]

For those wondering the differences between the 3 Kindle Voyage units I have opened (I refuse to open the 4th one...). The one on the right is indeed the coolest color temperature of the three, but all three suffer the same issue in the same places.

Brightness set to 13. Auto-brightness off.

 

[lindnet]

I thought I had no interest in a V, but now . . . . Well . . . . I don't like covers -- I like sleeves. So when Oberon stopped making sleeves, I bought three. At that time, the Touch was the latest Kindle. Touch just, I mean just, fit in the sleeve. Both PWs also fit in sleeves perfectly. It looks like V will also. So now I probably will get it. Should read through this thread first. End of November? I'm waiting until mid November for my iPhone 6 Plus.

Yes, it does fit in the Oberon sleeves. I also bought a couple when they were being discontinued.

I may end up sending mine back, too, though. I agree with some of CAR's reasons. Mostly I'm just not sure I can justify spending the money when I don't think it's noticeably better than my PW2. Try as I might, I can't really see that the text is darker/better or that the device is any faster. I do like how small and light it is, but I really can't stand fingerprints. They really distract me when I'm reading, and the Voyage shows every print. If it were just the back of it, it wouldn't be so bad and I would get a skin, but all of the black areas on the front show where you hold it and touch it.

I have a buyer for my PW2, but I may have to back out of the deal now.

Oh, and if look at it long enough, I can see the same screen discolorations WilliamG is talking about. Cool blue at bottom and warm yellow/peachy at the top. I have to have it at a medium brightness setting to see it.

 

[larryb52]

well day 2 I am still satisfied and I have looked for bad lighting but no I don't have this and I had real problems with the pw1 so yes I can tell a bad screen when I see one. On that issue I returned 6 of them. I don't always get the haptic feel on the buttons but like Ann this is not going back because of that. Still impressed so far and like the speed of the page turns. Its still the best e reader I have seen. I understand WilliamG's issues and I do understand his feelings all I can say is I feel bad for him that he has had such bad luck...

 

[ezzkmo]

I may end up sending mine back, too, though. I agree with some of CAR's reasons. Mostly I'm just not sure I can justify spending the money when I don't think it's noticeably better than my PW2. Try as I might, I can't really see that the text is darker/better or that the device is any faster. I do like how small and light it is, but I really can't stand fingerprints. They really distract me when I'm reading, and the Voyage shows every print. If it were just the back of it, it wouldn't be so bad and I would get a skin, but all of the black areas on the front show where you hold it and touch it.

My thoughts are exactly the same. The Voyage is a fantastic device, but since my PW2 is so good, I'm not sure I can justify another $250 (including case). While I love most everything about the Voyage, here are my own concerns:

-Very slightly orange coloration near the top
-The display feels smoother than the PW2, which I think had a nicer paper feel to it
-Pagepress buttons are hard to find (especially the back ones) in the dark, since you can't actually feel them (muscle memory will remedy that!)
-Autobrightness is hit or miss (can be fixed in firmware update though I'm sure)
-No Active Content (chess game, etc.) works at this time, and I'm unsure if they will later
-I'm sure the battery will last a long time, but there's no way it will match the PW2 (Amazon even says it's less)
-Missing features still that I kind of hoped for: speakers and waterproof. Although definately not needed.
-And again, the cost, especially when I have a good PW2.

So those are MY personal reasons for more than likely returning the Voyage. Half these issues may be ironed out, and the other ones are so minor and specific to me. If there is a sale in a few months, and I hear of some good firmware updates, I'll definately pick one up again.

But I do want to stress that aside from my gripes, this is hands down one of the best e-readers I've used! The size of the device and the display really are amazing.

 

[CAR]

CAR -- sorry you felt you had to return it.

I figure I'll need some time to thoroughly get used to the size but I haven't had the lighting or touch response issues you describe.

Everyone gets to decide for themselves of course. My feeling is: I've got 30 days to decide whether I like it, so I'm going to use a bunch of them before giving up. (Not that I'm even leaning that way yet, personally.) And before giving up I'd definitely contact Kindle CS about the concerns I have. That said: it's not cheap, so everyone certainly has a right to be completely satisfied.

Yes Ann I agree about giving 30 days. But I think it was the too small feeling for "my" hands that really did it. If we did not already have PW2's that we are happy with, it might have been a different story.

I can already see three improvements for the Voyage 2

1. Bumps at the Page Press sensors.
2. Ability to personalize the auto brightness feature brightness at different levels of room light. ( This could come as a software update)
3. Bring back the official book style cover.

 

[ezzkmo]

1. Bumps at the Page Press sensors.
2. Ability to personalize the auto brightness feature brightness at different levels of room light. ( This could come as a software update)
3. Bring back the official book style cover.

Great suggestions! I'll be sure to email suggestions like this to [email protected]

 

[Susan J]

As someone who has eagerly grabbed every upgrade, I am so happy that I got this one.  While I agree that the change in readability from the PW2 is subtle, it is still very important to me since reading is my favorite activity.  For me, it is comparable to getting a new pair of eyeglasses.  I always think that I am seeing as clearly as possible until I get a new pair. 

After reading about possible problems with looseness in the USB charging port, I checked my PW2 and noticed that it does have wiggle room but that has never given me a problem.  I compared the Voyage and see that it does seem tighter so I have no worries there.  The only Kindle that I thought has a blotchy screen was the PW1 but even with that, I found it an improvement over the booklights and resulting shadows that I needed on previous models.  It's also nice to have the page turn options.

I love my Voyage. 

 

[crisandria]

I'm liking my new Kindle Voyage.  I do have a slight more yellow at the top of the screen issue, but for the most part I don't notice it, and what little it does stand out I'm sure I will become used to it after a short while.  My right page press does sometimes seem to offer no feedback, but still turns the page.  Neither issue is one that I'm willing to send it back and try and see if the next one is better.

Have not been able to read that much on it yet, but I do like it.

 

[Crodley]

Reading these posts has caused me to cancel my Kindle voyage order.  Let me preface this with my history.

I had a Kindle 2 and loved it. When I got an iPad, I started reading my Kindle books on there and gave my Kindle to my granddaughter. After all this time I thought I'd go back to reading on a Kindle and ordered the new Voyage.  The difference between the paperwhite is there but doesn't seem like a huge leap forward. With the complaints here about the lighting an the page turn buttons, I cancelled and ordered the paperwhite.
I'm assuming amazon doesn't sell the paperwhite 1 anymore? The one I ordered on Amazon just says high resolution paperwhite which I assume is the paperwhite 2? Anyway, it should be here Friday and I think going from the Kindle 2 to this will likely make me smile all day.  😄

 

[Vicki G.]

I had no intention of getting the Voyage. I had bought the Basic Kindle but was finding that I had trouble finding enough light to read with. My old Basic 5 had a lighter screen, not much but apparently enough to make a difference and I didn't want a clip-on light. I'm one of the ones who loved the boldness and contrast of the text on the Basic but...

So I went to Best Buy yesterday and got the Voyage. This screen is amazing! Yes, true, there isn't a huge amount of difference in the boldness/contrast but it is enough that it seems to work for me. I don't have any of the screen discoloration problems, thank goodness! I have noticed the sluggishness of the touch screen at times and in different places, Settings being one and Location/Page No./Reading Time another but also I did manage to recall the quick touch rule for iThingies and that seems to work with the Voyage. In fact, I just went through the Location/Page No./Reading Time 2 times without a hesitation. Not sure exactly what is making this work for me, maybe just a combination of a little bit darker fonts, a lot more resolution, screen light seems to be softer even when as bright as PW. The speed is awesome, I have no problems with the page turn thingies and if I do momentarily have a problem, the screen is oh so close. Love the flat screen, love everything about it! Oh, and I'm using it naked and really doubt I will want a cover for it. It's kinda like putting a cover on the Basic 5. I do have one of the old Amazon zip sleeves that I bought used and it works great! Voyage is about 1/2" smaller horizontally and vertically but since it's a zippered sleeve, that doesn't cause any problems. <keeping fingers crossed that things stay as they are>

FWIW, forgot to say I'm returning the Basic 7th Generation.

 

[Gone 9/21/18]

I ordered my Voyage primarily for the page turn buttons (and I agree something tactile along those buttons would be great), but what I'm most impressed with so far is the screen. The clarity is amazing. It makes my PW1 look very passé. I admit to being disappointed in the auto brightness feature. It just wants to keep everything much dimmer than where I would set it. If a software update comes along that allows me to set it to start higher in a bright room, I'll make the effort to get to a wifi hookup to update.

I have had the experience of the page turning when I didn't press the button. What I'm pretty sure is happening is I'm rolling my thumb just enough it's touching the screen and causing the page turn. I'm sure it will stop happening once I've used the Voyage more.

Mine has SO, and I bet it will be just like the PW, the day will come when I just can't stand it any longer and pay to get rid of them. What did it on the PW was a cover on some book that must have been horror that I found so offensive I couldn't stand it, and the thing just sat there and didn't change to something else for several days and that was it.

As to screens - some years ago a friend who was very interested in music bought some very expensive speakers. When I couldn't tell the difference in the sound from them and the sound from more ordinary speakers, he was disgusted with me and said I had "Donald Duck ears." I freely admit that's probably the case.

I have often wondered if my PW went to someone with more discerning eyes if they'd have been unhappy with it. I can see where the lights come from at the bottom and some little spots of shadows, but it never bothered me. The same is true with my Voyage. To me the screen is an almost startling pure white and crystal clear. I love it. I can't see what the problem is with the pictures WilliamG posted. But I bet I have Donald Duck eyes.

 

[CAR]

But I bet I have Donald Duck eyes.

I have Donald Duck Eyes too!

 

[bordercollielady]

I have Donald Duck Eyes too!

Me too.. I don't see any difference in the photos posted online. My Voyage is perfect, no variation in color at all. At least to my eyes.

 

[Vicki G.]

I thought I had no interest in a V, but now . . . . Well . . . . I don't like covers -- I like sleeves. So when Oberon stopped making sleeves, I bought three. At that time, the Touch was the latest Kindle. Touch just, I mean just, fit in the sleeve. Both PWs also fit in sleeves perfectly. It looks like V will also. So now I probably will get it. Should read through this thread first. End of November? I'm waiting until mid November for my iPhone 6 Plus.

I got mine at Best Buy yesterday. No waiting, no shipping charges!

 

[KimberlyinMN]

Okay, now that I am at home, the Voyage screen lighting looks pretty dang good. After cycling the brightness up and down a little, I can't see a shade difference at all. I don't know if it was the fluorescent lighting at work or if the screen just needed to "warm up" or something. I am HAPPY!! (I can hear that "Happy" song running through my head.)

 

[KindleGirl]

1. Bumps at the Page Press sensors.
2. Ability to personalize the auto brightness feature brightness at different levels of room light. ( This could come as a software update)
3. Bring back the official book style cover.

Regarding #2 and being able to personalize the auto brightness:

On page 9 of the Voyage user's guide, it has this posted. The way I read this is that you can personalize it at each light level and it will remember it.

Screen Light: Tap to access screen light controls. There are several ways to adjust screen brightness:
 Drag your finger along the slider until you reach the desired setting.
 Tap anywhere on the slider to select a specific setting.
 Tap the + sign to use a higher light setting, and tap the - sign to use a lower light setting.
Press and hold the "+" sign to select the maximum brightness setting. Press and hold the "-" sign to choose the minimum brightness setting.
Select Auto Brightness to enable the screen light to automatically adjust based on surrounding light. When Auto Brightness is enabled, you can still adjust the light using the slider and your Kindle uses that adjustment in the future. When reading or using your Kindle in the dark, use the Nightlight feature to gradually reduce the screen brightness over time as your eyes adjust. To enable Nightlight, go to Settings, Device Options then Screen Light.

 

[CAR]

Regarding #2 and being able to personalize the auto brightness:

On page 9 of the Voyage user's guide, it has this posted. The way I read this is that you can personalize it at each light level and it will remember it.

Screen Light: Tap to access screen light controls. There are several ways to adjust screen brightness:
 Drag your finger along the slider until you reach the desired setting.
 Tap anywhere on the slider to select a specific setting.
 Tap the + sign to use a higher light setting, and tap the - sign to use a lower light setting.
Press and hold the "+" sign to select the maximum brightness setting. Press and hold the "-" sign to choose the minimum brightness setting.
Select Auto Brightness to enable the screen light to automatically adjust based on surrounding light. When Auto Brightness is enabled, you can still adjust the light using the slider and your Kindle uses that adjustment in the future. When reading or using your Kindle in the dark, use the Nightlight feature to gradually reduce the screen brightness over time as your eyes adjust. To enable Nightlight, go to Settings, Device Options then Screen Light.

Nice find! "When Auto Brightness is enabled, you can still adjust the light using the slider and your Kindle uses that adjustment in the future."
I am thinking now that may be the part that is not working correctly at the moment. But sure sounds like it will be fixable.

 

[geko29]

My screen is gorgeous, and I'm in love again, in a way I haven't been since my original Kindle showed up more than 6 years ago.  However, mine appears to be buggy.  The interface crashed once (repeatedly said "application has stopped" or something like that, with only an OK button, which then reappeared upon pushing OK or trying to do anything else), and twice has simply locked up.  In all cases it's required a hard restart (hold power button for 15 seconds).  In the initial instance, holding it for 5 seconds brought up a cancel/restart/screen off menu, but selecting any option did nothing.  I'm halfway through the book I started last night, so I'll keep an eye out to see if it's a media issue or a device issue, but this is definitely the most trouble I've had with a new kindle, out of 5 e-readers and 3 tablets.

I'll probably return this one either way, however, that's both good and bad.  If the problems I'm  having are book-related or a software-update away from being fixed, I'm actually thinking this is my long-term one, and I might want to swap out the wifi/SO for a 3G/no SO.  If it's bad it's just bad.  But if it's a sample defect, return to option 1.  The experience is just so good that going straight wifi might be a false economy in the long term.  We'll see how it shakes out.

Edit:  HA!  Literally 30 seconds after completing this post, it locked up again.  This time the "restart" option did respond after the 5-second press of the power button.  Unfortunately it just resulted in going permanently to a blank white (lit) screen.  Back to the 15-second hold and a full restart...deleted and re-downloaded the book to find out if that's the problem.