I never really got into Kindle when they were released. At first I just preferred using real books, but when I finally tried the Kindle, something about the page layout and tablet layout turned me off. While I knew I could use an app on my phone to read books, I never really considered that option—at least until I had to.
I recently started reading the Horus Heresy series from Warhammer 40K and ran into a bit of a snag. One of the biggest problems with this series is that many of the Horus Heresy books are no longer published, and most copies in circulation can easily cost upwards of £100.
Fortunately, one option remained open to me, because all the books are available on Amazon Kindle. With that in mind, I downloaded the app and prepared to see if this was a more viable option to continue this series. Here’s what I found over the past week using the app on the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Buying books is more of a hassle than it should be
The basic premise of finding and buying a Kindle book is surprisingly simplistic. You buy a book on your Amazon account and it’s linked to any Kindle app you sign into. It’s the same process with your progression through the books you read as well. However, that’s where the simplicity ends and there’s one minor aspect that’s quite frustrating because, for whatever reason, you can’t buy books in the actual app on either Apple or Android phones.
I was quite surprised when I opened my app, went to the library and tried to buy the book I wanted to read. However, there were no funds for this; instead, all I could do was download the sample. This meant that, instead of immediately starting the application, I had to go to the computer, buy the book there and then return to the application. While this is not the end of the world, it is surprisingly tiring.
It should be noted that Kindle versions of books are usually significantly cheaper than buying a paper book, and there is also Kindle Unlimited, a subscription-based service. However, books purchased this way are linked to an Amazon account, so if you lose that, you lose the books.
Using the phone was less of a daily hassle
I live in London, which means I take the train a lot. As many of you may know, there isn’t much WIFI on the London Underground, so people will either be reading or listening to music. I was one of those people who liked to read while on the train, but that came with its complications. First and foremost, this means I have to have some form of bag to carry the book. This isn’t the worst thing in the world, but sometimes you don’t want a backpack, especially for one book.
Another question is how much space you can reasonably have around you and whether you have to stand up. If you’re standing on a crowded train, you don’t have a lot of room to move and you need one hand to hold onto something to keep from falling over. However, having a book on your phone mitigates both of these problems.
First and foremost, the phone fits in your pocket, and it’s not like you wouldn’t have a phone with you anyway. It’s also much easier to hold in your hand and turn the page with just your thumb, which books don’t allow. I could stand on a crowded train with my phone in hand and continue reading without accidentally elbowing people or risking a fall when I had to take my hand off the rail to turn the page.
I surprised myself to find that I prefer reading a book on the iPhone to the Galaxy Z Fold 5. I originally thought the bigger screen would be an improvement and I can see how a foldable phone might work for some, but I wondered why it wasn’t just reading real books because I still needed both hands to hold the unfolded phone.
Actually reading the book on screen went better than I thought
The real question is “How does it feel to read a book?” The answer is a bit complicated. First, I was always aware that I was reading the phone. I don’t think it would be possible to change that fact, and the page layouts are still weird. Turning the pages also took some getting used to despite being simpler overall. Some of those feelings lessened when I changed the overall theme of the app, which was set to black, but it still felt a bit off at first.
The other problem was that I had to clean the screen more than usual at first because smudges and fingerprints got in the way. This was a problem because you had to tap the page to turn it. However, the spots were much less noticeable when I changed the page color to white. For reference, you can do this by pressing the Aa button and selecting the Appearance tab.
I also found the paragraph structure to be a bit weird on the phone as it tends to cram everything in a bit. However, there are a few options that allow you to mess around with the screen layout, so this may help. I also like the little timer at the bottom that tells me how many minutes are left in the chapter.
All in all, reading the book started out a little strange, but I got used to it over time. I also found that the wealth of options to customize what I was watching made the experience much more enjoyable. I think you need to tweak them a bit to get the best capabilities, but otherwise it’s a lot better than I thought it would be.
Conclusion: Would I recommend using your phone as an e-reader?
Honestly, depending on the book, yes, I would recommend it. While I still think there’s something special about having a real book, I can see the benefits of an app and using a phone. However, I would still not recommend using pills. Their size means you still have to carry them in your bag, and you need both hands to use them. However, if you’re short on space or, like me, have a series that’s a nightmare to either find or afford, then go for it. I know I’ll keep reading on my phone.
I didn’t expect to be convinced this thoroughly and I’m excited to finish the Horus Heresy series…eventually… There are about fifty books. However, let me know if you want to use your phone or tablet as an e-reader. Do you prefer a real book and would never consider using an app, or do you see apps and the Kindle as the wave of the future?