Amazon Kindle Paperwhite review: The $119 e-reader by Amazon has been pioneering in its category and it’s deemed the “best e-book reader” until today according to numerous sources.

UPDATE: This review focuses on the second-gen version of the unit, but it has been reported earlier this week that the first-yen version of the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite has received a free software update by Amazon.

In a review by The Verge, it described the Kindle Paperwhite as “still the first and last eBook reader you’ll shop for.” The tech site compared the Kindle Paperwhite to the iPod, Swiffer, Jell-O, when you buy the item just for what it does.

The Kindle Paperwhite is very much the same as its predecessor. Dimensions of the unit is 6.7 x 4.6 x .36 and is super light at less than half a pound, 0.47 lbs to be exact. It has a 212 ppi and 16 screen shades and powered by the E Ink technology by Amazon. It has a 2GB internal storage and WiFI support. It also comes with free cloud storage for all Amazon content.

The Kindle Paperwhite also boasts an eight-week battery life and fully wireless connectivity. It doesn’t require a computer to download content.

According to The Verge, the e-reader is comfortable and easy to use in one hand. It’s also sturdy enough that you don’t need the case like the $59 OtterBox case or $39.99 leather cover by Amazon.

The updated Paperwhite also has new, slightly more even frontlight as well as a faster processor. The Verge notes that the light is certainly better and a little whiter; it’s spread more evenly around the screen with fewer dark patches. The light is also versatile, dim enough to work in a totally dark room and bright enough to to eliminate most of the glare in a well-lit room.

The reading experience with the device is also deemed exceptional. Page turns seems slightly faster, thanks to a faster processor and more receptive touchscreen. The Vegre review says that other activities like typing, scrolling through the store and turning the device on and off, feel the same but a tad speedier when compared with the 2012 model.

Compared to usual tablet or even mobile speeds, the Kindle Paperwhite is slow because E Ink technology takes time, but it’s rarely a problem for an e-reader.

The experience in using Kindle Paperwhite, The Verge notes, remains the same. The UI is still simple and self-explanatory. The file support, however, is still lacking. You’re able to read PDFs and word documents but it doesn’t support EPUB, therefore keeping you from reading anything not purchased from Amazon.

The $139 Kindle Paperwhite is offers-free, meaning you won’t see any ads in your Kindle. It’s $20 more expensive than the $119 entry-level variant of the e-reader. Overall, the experience and value derived from the tablet is worth a bang for your every buck.