Amazon just added front lighting to the basic Kindle (undiscounted price $90) and made it and the Paperwhite (undiscounted price $130) lighter in weight as well. The basic Kindle price presently includes three months of Kindle Unlimited which spreads the prices a bit further apart temporarily. However, the basic difference between the two models continues to be the clarity of the screen. 300ppi simply looks better, even to the naked eye, than 167ppi.
That’s why this article is representative of all the others that have taken a quick look at the changes say — Buy the Paperwhite instead of the basic.
Abycats' Thoughts 