Amazon’s new Kindle lineup isn’t just a simple refresh, as the company’s famous e-readers pack a slew of new and long-awaited updates. These include thinner and lighter builds, aluminum chassis variants, and a repositioned power button. While the new Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle Colorsoft are now pricier, the upgrades are meaningful.
I got to check out the new Kindles firsthand during a recent event and was impressed by what I saw. Updating Kindles can be tricky as the devices are darn near perfect e-readers already, but some of the additions do make for a more pleasing reading experience. I’ve been an avid Kindle user for the better part of a decade, so the upgrades are certainly worth getting excited about.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new Kindles.
Price and availability
Amazon is releasing three new Kindles, with the basic Kindle available right now, and the Paperwhite and Colorsoft arriving on October 28 — right in time for the busy holiday season.
The entry-level 6-inch Kindle starts at $149, comes with 16GB of storage, and includes lock screen ads. The aluminum model starts at $189, packs 32GB of storage, and is ad-free. It also supports magnetic accessories, such as covers. The entry-level model comes in Ube and Graphite colors, while the aluminum version comes in Alpine Sky Aluminum and Seaglass.
Next up is the 7-inch Kindle Paperwhite, which now starts at $199 with 16GB of storage and ads. The $249 Signature Edition features an aluminum chassis, 32GB of storage, an auto-adjusting light sensor, and a built-in accelerometer. It replaces standard Qi wireless charging with a pogo pin dock system, but you can also charge it via the USB-C port. The starting color is Graphite, and the aluminum colors are Graphite and Seaglass Green.
Last but not least in the lineup is the 7-inch Kindle Colorsoft, which starts at $289 with 16GB of RAM. Like the other models, there will also be an aluminum model, which will cost $319 and pack 32GB of storage. Colors are the same as the Paperwhite, though the aluminum also comes in Fig instead of Seaglass Green.
Expect new accessories as well. This includes the $34 Wireless Remote, which works with all the new models and current-generation Kindles. It has assignable page forward/backward buttons and a dedicated volume-style wheel for brightness controls. And for you Kindle Oasis fans, the $79 Page-Turn Button Case (which is exclusive to Signature Series devices) features physical, tactile page-turn buttons directly on the case bezel.
Hands-on with the new Kindles
All of the new Kindles are now thinner and lighter than their respective predecessors. You won’t notice that at a glance, but when I held the new basic Kindle against the previous model, the difference wasn’t stark but certainly noticeable. The aluminum versions are naturally heavier, but not by much. Thanks to the new design, you should be able to read more comfortably for longer.
Each model comes with an assortment of new colors, engineered so the device’s color doesn’t bleed onto the display. That’s why prior Kindles had black bezels that absorb light. Page turns are now about 30% faster across the board, and I instantly noticed the difference since I use Kindles so much. Your smartphone still refreshes faster, but I appreciate the speedier page turns.
Except for the basic Kindle, the Paperwhite and Colorsoft are both fully waterproof (IP68). So if you want to read while taking a bath, you can do so without worrying if the Kindle falls into the water.
The aluminum models are my favorites since they feel like holding a smartphone (which Amazon deliberately wanted). Even the basic Kindle feels more premium thanks to the smooth and sturdy aluminum chassis. That’s not to say the non-aluminum models feel bad to hold, but the aluminum Kindles just step things up. I typically keep Kindles in cases, but I might not with the aluminum models.
Speaking of cases, there are the standard Kindle cases that the e-reader slots into. They’re also color-coded to the Kindle’s specific color, which is a nice touch. The ones I liked most were the new magnetic cases for the aluminum models, since they magnetically snap into place.
The biggest game-changer for me is the power button, which, like with the Kindle Scribe, is now located on the right-hand side instead of at the bottom. This is something many users like myself have long asked for, as accidentally turning the Kindle off has always been frustrating. You might not think this is a big deal, but trust me, it absolutely is.
Outlook
Kindles are my favorite way to read novels, so I’m glad that Amazon is continuing to improve on a device that is already excellent at what it does. The aluminum models look and feel great, and I love the repositioned power button. Again, I’m not enamored with the higher prices, but it’s hard to complain much thanks to these upgrades.
We’ll have full reviews of the new Kindles for you soon, so stay tuned!
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