Nook Glowlight vs Kindle Paperwhite: Pros, Cons & Verdict

In 2023, the Nook Glowlight vs Kindle Paperwhite dilemma is hard to solve despite the fact that Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite outperforms Barnes and Noble’s Nook Glowlight in many aspects, whereas the latter one is better compared to the Kindle in some aspects. And at the end of the day, you are the boss and you decide on which one you bet your money on.

For instance, if the dual-screen of the Nook is interesting to you then you should go for it. But do not forget to weigh it against the charisma of a lighter Kindle that gives you the ultimate convenience of marathon reading sessions? Let us take a good look at the most prominent Nook Glowlight vs Kindle Paperwhite features.

Nook Glowlight standout features

The Nook Glowlight is a great device with several standout features that make it a top choice for avid readers. Here are a few of its most noteworthy features:

Firstly, the Nook Glowlight boasts an impressive 6-inch e-ink touchscreen display, which is perfect for reading in any lighting condition. The screen has a high resolution, making text crisp and clear, and it’s also glare-free, so you can read comfortably in direct sunlight.

Another standout feature of the Nook Glowlight is its long battery life. You can use the device for weeks on a single charge, making it an ideal choice for people who like to read for extended periods of time.

The device is also lightweight and portable, making it easy to take with you wherever you go. It’s slim and compact, so it can easily slip into a bag or pocket, and it’s also comfortable to hold in one hand while reading.

In terms of software, the Nook Glowlight has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate and find the books you want to read. It also supports a wide range of file formats, including EPUB, PDF, and MOBI, so you can read virtually any book on the device.

Finally, the Nook Glowlight has built-in Wi-Fi, which allows you to purchase and download books directly from the device. You can also access the Nook bookstore, which has a vast selection of e-books, magazines, and newspapers to choose from.

Overall, the Nook Glowlight is a great device for anyone who loves to read. Its high-quality display, long battery life, and user-friendly interface make it a standout choice in the e-reader market.

Kindle Paperwhite standout features

The Kindle Paperwhite has an impressive high-resolution display that makes reading a pleasure. The 6-inch e-ink touchscreen is crisp and clear, making text easy to read in any lighting condition. Plus, it has adjustable backlighting, so you can customize the brightness to suit your preferences.

Another standout feature of the Kindle Paperwhite is its waterproof design. You can take it to the beach, pool, or bathtub without worrying about water damage. It’s also designed to withstand accidental drops, making it a durable choice for on-the-go reading.

The device is lightweight and easy to hold, making it comfortable to read for extended periods of time. It’s also thin and compact, so you can easily slip it into a bag or pocket.

In terms of software, the Kindle Paperwhite has an intuitive interface that makes it easy to navigate and find the books you want to read. It also has built-in Wi-Fi, so you can easily purchase and download books from Amazon’s vast library of e-books, magazines, and newspapers.

The Kindle Paperwhite also has a few additional features that set it apart from other e-readers. For example, it has a vocabulary builder that lets you look up words as you read, and it also has a built-in dictionary that makes it easy to learn new words. It also has Goodreads integration, so you can connect with other readers and see what they’re reading and recommending.

Nook Glowlight vs Kindle Paperwhite: Key Differences

Nook is manufactured by the book giants from Barnes and Noble and is the E-reader that provides you with the liberty of having a colored screen. The colorful display keeps the interest of the user while reading. In addition, the downloaded books from the Nook can be easily shared with others which makes it easier for the researchers to go through the collected and viewed material.

You can have a look at all the available literature in a short period of time. This is because of the fact that the store of Barnes and Nobel allows you to browse your favorite books. The books can be viewed in one go absolutely free of charge.

Moreover, there is a feature of memory expansion. The books are saved in the memory of the E-reader and can be accessed at some later point in time. Therefore, there is no need to keep reminding yourself about the books you have already viewed. This not only saves you time and hassle but keeps the track of your required books.

On the other hand, Kindle is manufactured by the Giants from Amazon and it comes with the unique feature of a built-in browser that can be used free of charge in the USA.

Even if you are out of the States, you can still enjoy the reading of your books but they charge you a nominal fee for that. The Kindle provides a user-friendly interface that allows the fastest possible processing. The speed of navigation is enviable which is definitely a plus for all those out there who want to read the books on the go. As compared to Nook, the Kindle Paperwhite is relatively lighter but has a longer battery time.

Design

• The Nook Glowlight, the device is designed to be lightweight and portable, with a soft-touch finish that provides a comfortable grip. It has a plastic body with a rubberized coating on the back, which helps to prevent scratches and provides a nice texture for gripping. The front of the device is covered by durable, scratch-resistant plastic, and the screen is flush with the bezel for a seamless look.
• Kindle Paperwhite, it has a more minimalistic design with a matte black plastic body. The device measures 6.6 x 4.6 x 0.3 inches and weighs 6.4 ounces, making it slightly larger and heavier than the Nook Glowlight. The front of the device is flush with the bezel, and the back has a soft, grippy texture that provides a comfortable hold.

Screen & Display

The most important category of them all, so we put this first. You need to be able to read what’s on the screen. Since they are dedicated e-readers, and we want to be able to read in the best conditions, it is very important that the screens of both devices should protect your eyes. And for the most part, the Nook has caught up to the Kindle in this respect. Comparing Nook Glowlight vs Kindle Paperwhite both use the same technology–”E-ink”–and both provide very nice, colorless, print-like text on the screen.

• Starting with the Nook Glowlight, it features a 6-inch E Ink Carta touchscreen display with a resolution of 300 ppi. The display is designed to be glare-free, making it easy to read in direct sunlight. The text is sharp and clear, and the font can be adjusted to your liking. The device also has a Night Mode option, which reduces blue light emissions and makes it easier to read in low light conditions.

One unique feature of the Nook Glowlight is its ComfortLight technology, which evenly distributes light across the screen for a more uniform reading experience. The ComfortLight technology also adjusts the color temperature of the screen based on the time of day, reducing eye strain and making it easier to fall asleep after reading.

• Moving on to the Kindle Paperwhite, it also features a 6-inch E Ink Carta touchscreen display with a resolution of 300 ppi. The display is backlit and features adjustable lighting, which allows you to read in any lighting conditions. The text is sharp and clear, and the font can also be adjusted to your liking. The Kindle Paperwhite also has a Night Mode option, which reduces blue light emissions and makes it easier to read in low light conditions.

Like the Nook Glowlight, the Kindle Paperwhite has a feature called “Page Flip,” which allows you to skim through a book without losing your place. It also has a Vocabulary Builder that allows you to look up words in the dictionary, and it keeps a list of words you have looked up for later reference.

Speed & Hardware

Let’s compare the speed and hardware of the Nook Glowlight and Kindle Paperwhite.

• The Nook Glowlight, it is powered by a 1 GHz Freescale i.MX6 SoloLite processor with 512 MB of RAM. It has 8GB of internal storage, which can hold thousands of eBooks. The device also has Wi-Fi connectivity for downloading new books and syncing your reading progress across devices.
•  Nook Glowlight has a fairly snappy performance, with smooth page turns and responsive touch controls. However, some users have reported that the device can be slow to start up or respond to touch commands at times.
• The Kindle Paperwhite, it is powered by a 1 GHz NXP i.MX7D processor with 512 MB of RAM. It comes with either 8GB or 32GB of internal storage, depending on the model you choose. The device also has Wi-Fi and optional 4G LTE connectivity, which allows you to download books and access the internet from anywhere.
• Kindle Paperwhite has a very responsive performance, with quick page turns and snappy touch controls. The device also features “Whispersync,” which automatically syncs your reading progress, bookmarks, and notes across all your Kindle devices and apps.

In terms of hardware, Nook Glowlight vs Kindle Paperwhite has no real winner. Both devices have similar features. They both have a micro-USB port for charging and connecting to a computer, and they both have long battery lives that can last for weeks on a single charge.

Battery life

As an offshoot of the usage of eInk, both devices get tremendous battery life. It’s not uncommon to see people using either of these eReaders for weeks before they need to recharge it.

Both devices claim to have the longest battery life in the town. Battery life is a very murky thing. How can you really know which is best? Race the two I suppose–but then one will claim that the other is glitchy. Battery life can vary from device to device.

Amazon claims that its device lasts two months on a single charge. The BarnesNoble claims to go the same distance (based on one hour a day reading).

In any case, our own testing has shown the difference in battery life between the two are too close to really make a big difference. Make sure you take a charger along with you on long trips if you do use the Wi-Fi!

*Keep in mind, when using 3G or WiFi, the battery drain will be MUCH faster.

However, the BIG PLUS on the Nook ereader is that the battery is replaceable (as opposed to the one in the Paperwhite, as you will need to send it back to Amazon to have the battery replaced). This makes sure that the Nooks has a few points in its favor in this comparison.

Storage Space

Both the ENTRY-LEVEL e-readers have 4GB of memory, in which you can store whatever you like. The devices on the higher rungs of the Kindle ladder (the Paperwhite) have up to 32 GB of memory that you can use. Big difference; that comes down to more than 8 times. If you do shell out for a Paperwhite, believe us–it makes a difference–especially if you put files other than books (pictures, MP3 Audiobooks, etc.).

By the way, for those who don’t own either of these devices yet, 2GB can hold approximately 1000 regular books, so if you’re just into books–you should be fine either way!

Reading Content

Of course one of the important things you would want in your Ereader is good content and it is only possible if you choose and pick the right eReader which provides the readers with what they want.

If you are looking for quality content then the best bet for you is Amazon’s kindle because it you get quick and easy access to Amazon’s Ebook stores with more than 6 million book titles. However, Barnes and Noble’s book store is also great with a few million book titles also. So, we think that this shouldn’t be an issue when you try to choose the best one because users will have more than enough to read.

Understand these key features and you will be able to determine on your own who is winning the Kindle vs. Nook vs. Kobo comparison and ultimately it will lead you to choose the best one out of the two.

Library

Both B&N and Amazon have a huge selection of free and not-free books. Millions!

B&N seems to have a much larger selection (at the time of writing) but many have praised the amount of free and low-cost books on the Amazon site. Take a look and browse the two if you have some time. Amazon carries all the big-name books and popular stuff, as well as providing a lot of low-cost and free classics. Perfect for the kids!

Both Amazon and BarnesNoble ebook readers allow users to read samples of the book for free, before purchasing.

The Nook, however, DOES allow its users to download nearly ANY type of e-book or similar materials, due to it’s reliance on Adobe for its digital rights management software. Adobe DRM is what most e-book publishers use. And of course–Amazon has installed a very similar (identical?) feature to the Kindle. So, now BOTH devices can download books from the library (for a set amount of time). Of course, that means no late fees!

However, we’ve mentioned above the LendMe problems with the Nook? Well, the same thing applies to borrowing books from the library. A lot of users have reported problems with borrowing books from the library–which is, in our opinion, a HUGE disadvantage. Restrictive LendMe and a glitchy library download service? Can’t recommend it.

Lend Me – Borrow Books

Nook Glowlight and Kindle Paperwhite e-readers have their own systems of “e-book lending.” This is like having your own personal library in the palm of your hands if utilized correctly. Both have their limitations.

Kindle’s lending system allows you to “borrow” or “lend” a book for just 14 days. We found this definitely to be a bit short. This is one of the major gripes with Kindle’s “Lendle” (what a horrible name) program. Nook’s “LendMe” is quite similar–allowing one book to be lent out to one user, once, for 14 days.

We found Nook’s LendMe a bit more restrictive in the sense that a LOT of the books we own on the NooK are NOT lendable to our network!

However, if interested in borrowing books, there are quite a few groups out there on Facebook (for both rivals ) that you can join, and share your library with like-minded folks. Though the lending systems ARE restrictive, they are understandable, as they have been put in place due to the overwhelming amount of piracy out there in the digital world. So–we’re going to have to deal with it. And read faster.

Both e-readers allow you to transfer any purchased e-books to your other e-book capable devices.

Size & Weight

As for the kindle not only does it has a 6-inch screen but also it involves a larger tad of 8×5.3 inches while the Nook has a relatively smaller tad of about 7.7×4,9 inches. As for the thickness of the gadget, the Kindl is much thinner. The Amazon ereader has about a depth of 0.36 while BarnesNoble’s one is thicker at 0.5 inches. Again Amazon’s ebook reader comes across as a winner in terms of weight since it is much lighter.

Connectivity

Both devices are fully WI-FI capable, which means that as long as you are within accessible wireless network range (bookstores, your home, your office, airports, the list goes on…) then you will have access to the internet. So, you will be able to download and purchase books, share your books, upload books, and your devices will have full functionality

The Nook allows free accessibility via Wi-Fi at all their Barnes and Noble stores. On the other hand, Amazon’s device can be used in more than 100 countries. Also, does not charge for accessibility to the internet in a large number of geographical locations which makes it a better choice for most of the users.

Audio

The Kindle has a text-to-speech feature, that WILL read your books for you, if you are so inclined. People tend to make fun of the “voice” that does the reading (your typical Mr. Roboto voice), but we find it to be charming. Like someone from a foreign country reading to you. Especially good if you read a lot of science fiction 🙂 .

The Nook has since gotten rid of this feature. God knows why.

Customer Support

The two devices are very similar. Portable e-readers. But here’s where choosing between the two becomes a bit easier–in our opinion. We’ve had NUMEROUS complaints about Barnes and Nobles customer support. This is a fact–we’re not trying to be biased. The N00K has more bugs, and worse service, which is not a happy combination for customers. Customers have emailed us about problems with connectivity, with downloading from the library, with lending, but most of all, about the lack of support.

Not to mention, the financial problems Barnes and Nobles have been having.

Let’s face it, along with Apple and Google, Amazon is a company very well-prepared for the future (which in this era, amounts to nothing more than a couple years). Amazon upgrades their devices more often provides more options and is at the cutting edge of technology.

Price

the Nook Glowlight, it is currently priced at $119.99 on the Barnes & Noble website. The device comes with 8GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a 6-inch E Ink display.

On the other hand, the Kindle Paperwhite is priced at $139.99 for the 8GB model and $189.99 for the 32GB model with 4G LTE connectivity. The device comes with a 6-inch E Ink display, Wi-Fi connectivity, and optional 4G LTE connectivity. The Kindle Paperwhite also offers more features, such as a waterproof design, adjustable front light, and support for Audible audiobooks.

While the Nook Glowlight is more affordable than the Kindle Paperwhite, it does not offer as many features or storage options. However, if you’re looking for a basic e-reader for reading eBooks, the Nook Glowlight is a good choice at a lower price point.

Overall, the price difference between the two devices may not be significant for some users, and it ultimately comes down to which features and specifications are most important to you.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Pros & Cons

• 1. Highly Advanced Design – You get a sleek and trimmed look with highly enhanced ergonomics. You also enjoy the benefits of the novel five-way controller, which is easy to use and there is no need for a computer here.
• 2. Longer Battery Life – The new Amazon ereader comes with a 25 percent longer and stronger battery life. You can keep reading for many days and there is no question of recharging, and when you do, just charge it up using the USB.

• 3. Wireless Accessibility With Whispernet – The fast working latest generation network rocks. You can get eBooks in a matter of one minute. This is coupled with long-drawn-out nationwide coverage and you won’t be bothered with any wireless bills.
• 4. Freedom Of Carrying The Library – Just imagine the power it comes with as it has the capacity of holding 1,500+ Books and an Automated Library Backup. You also enjoy the liberty of re-downloading the books for absolutely no cost.
• 5. Outstanding Experimental Features – There are many excellent features in this ereader like the Read-to-Me, Basic Web Browser, PDF Doc Converter, or Text to Speech. There is another one called Listen to Music and Podcasts. Well, sounds like a great lot, but do not make a decision without looking at the strong sides of the Nook.

Barnes Noble Nook Glowlight Pros & Cons

• 1. Lend e-books to your friends for free – Whenever you want, lend interesting e-books to your friends – absolutely free of cost.
• 2. Style seeker – If you are a style seeker, you should love those nice looking designer covers.
• 3. Android Apps – The Nook runs on the Android OS, so you have ease of accessibility to many Android Apps and you get to use the USB port.
• 4. EPub format compatible

Verdict

Well–we’ve taken a look at both devices, their faults, and advantages, and did we emerge with a clear-cut winner? Yes–as a matter of fact.

In our eyes, the Nook didn’t win in a single category. We (and a lot of our readers) still don’t know why so many people go with the Nook. The Kindle is a product that is insured for the future. It gets great upgrades, is constantly updating its library, and has a great company backing it. However, it all comes down to personal preference and what you need on a day-to-day basis. If you love Barnes and Noble, feel free to support them! If you’re looking for a straight e-reader, which is easy to read, has great battery life, and a wide selection of books, the Kindle is the way to go.

In the end, the two devices are very similar, in all the areas that matter at least. Many prospective buyers will make their choice based upon who they like to source their content from. And both B&N and Amazon have plenty of e-books to choose from these days.

It’s good that B&N are still in the game and supporting their e-book sales with their own reader. Hopefully, they will make enough sales over the Christmas period to stiffen their resolve for their ongoing struggle with Amazon.