Everyone has a smartphone these days, so at this point the Kindle is for one very particular audience: people who want to read a lot of books, and read them with a minimum of distractions. With this version, Amazon has refined the Kindle to the point where it's just about ideal for this purpose. I've owned several previous Kindles, including an early Paperwhite, and currently own a couple of iPads, an iPhone, and a MacBook. For the purposes of long, immersive reading sessions, this Kindle is my best option. The battery life is long enough so that even with constant reading you only have to recharge once or twice a week (you can extend that by turning off wireless). The Kindle also has by far the best screen for immersive reading: it's sharp and clear, with many options for different lighting conditions ranging from bright sunlight (Kindles leave tablets in the dust as far as bright-sun reading is concerned) to pitch black (the dark mode format is ideal for this). You can choose whether to read with a vertical orientation or a horizontal one -- and this option of a horizontal orientation allows you (among other things) to read poetry on a Kindle without imposing premature line breaks. This Kindle is also extremely light and easy to hold for hours on end (my iPad mini is too heavy for that). And as with all Kindles, you can adjust the type size and font so that reading is comfortable for you - I love paper books, I really do, but I need bigger type.
In a way, though, what's best about this Kindle is what it doesn't have. You can't read your email. You can't go on social media. Amazon's Kindle browser is perpetually "experimental" -- good! I pick up the Kindle when I want to read books, not when I want to lose my afternoon down an internet rabbit hole. That said, you do get just enough of the internet to assist in your reading. From within any book you can look up unfamiliar names/places on Wikipedia, and there's a great built-in dictionary too. (You can download dictionaries for any language you read, and set them as your default in settings). But apart from those features, the internet might as well be on Mars. Fine by me. If I want to look at videos of puppies or lose my temper about politics, I have my phone (and several other machines, unfortunately). When I look at my Kindle, I can feel my blood pressure go down. More to the point, I can hide my phone under a cat and read books for hours and hours.
That might not be your idea of an ideal afternoon. If it is, and you know who you are, this Kindle is pretty inexpensive and much lighter and easier to carry than tablets or physical books. It allows you to carry thousands of books around with you and then sit and read them without distractions. It's limited in its other functions - and that's exactly what makes it ideal.
As you can probably tell from the above review, I have the patience of a gnat when it comes to content I don't want to see, and for that reason I opted for the ad-free version. This allows me to have the lock screen be the cover of the current book I'm reading, which is extremely endearing. That said, the version with ads does not insert ads into your books; they're not obtrusive in that way. So you can definitely save a few bucks by getting the version with ads - it won't mess with your reading experience.
Amazon Kindle – The lightest and most compact Kindle, with extended battery life, adjustable front light, and 16 GB storage –
4.6 | 22,405 ratings
Price: 99.99
Last update: 09-10-2024
About this item
The lightest and most compact Kindle, now with a 300 ppi high-resolution display for sharp text and images.
Read comfortably with a glare-free, paper-like display. The adjustable front light and dark mode make reading effortless, day and night.
Get lost in your story. Tune out messages, emails, and social media with a distraction-free device specifically made for reading.
Now with extended battery life – A single charge via USB-C lasts up to 6 weeks.
Now with 16 GB to store thousands of books – Double the storage capacity of the previous generation.
Find new stories – With Kindle Unlimited, get unlimited access to over 2 million titles, thousands of audiobooks, and more.
Designed with sustainability in mind. This Kindle uses 30-75% recycled plastics and 90% recycled magnesium and has 100% recyclable device packaging.
Read comfortably with a glare-free, paper-like display. The adjustable front light and dark mode make reading effortless, day and night.
Get lost in your story. Tune out messages, emails, and social media with a distraction-free device specifically made for reading.
Now with extended battery life – A single charge via USB-C lasts up to 6 weeks.
Now with 16 GB to store thousands of books – Double the storage capacity of the previous generation.
Find new stories – With Kindle Unlimited, get unlimited access to over 2 million titles, thousands of audiobooks, and more.
Designed with sustainability in mind. This Kindle uses 30-75% recycled plastics and 90% recycled magnesium and has 100% recyclable device packaging.
Top reviews from the United States
TC
A device with a single purpose: reading
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2022Kym St Claire
Perfect purse-sized reader.
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2024
Kym St Claire
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2024
Kindle: this little ereader is so convenient, I keep it in my purse and pull it out any time I’m waiting in line, riding a train, sitting in the backseat for a boring 3 hour ride. The print is great, the screen can be brightened for reading in dark rooms and in planes without disturbing anyone with an overhead or book light. Keep it on airplane mode when you’re not downloading new content and the battery will last for days and days. I read 3.5 books during a two week trip, had 30% battery remaining, that was keeping the light between 10-15. Airplane mode is key to prolonging battery life and it’s easy to access by swiping down from the top of the screen.
I have an iPad that I could use as a ereader, but I find this one is better for my eyes and way more portable because it’s so lightweight.
Images in this review
Nate
I LOVE This Thing!
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2024DX Victor
Lightweight with crisp clear text
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2024