Amazon Kindle review

The basic Kindle has been redesigned to be thinner and lighter, with edge-to-edge color on the body and a 6-inch glare-free 300 ppi display. Amazon says books open 30% faster than on the previous Kindle, and battery life is rated at up to 6 weeks because the screen only draws power when a page turns or the light is on. Like the new Paperwhite, it has a replaceable battery behind a back panel that opens along the display edge. Storage is 16GB, and the Kindle Store and Kindle+ subscription are built in. Accessibility options include bigger text, bold fonts and a built-in screen reader, and the new Kindle Click remote, sold separately, turns pages without touching the screen. US readers can borrow library Kindle Books through Libby, per OverDrive. Amazon's comparison chart shows no adjustable warm light and no waterproof rating on this model, and an ad-supported version is sold. Its US price could not be checked from our location.

Who it is for

Kindle Store readers who want the smallest, simplest Kindle and do not need waterproofing.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• 6-inch glare-free 300 ppi display with adjustable brightness
• Books open 30% faster than the previous Kindle, per Amazon
• Up to 6 weeks per charge
• Replaceable battery behind an opening back panel
• Built-in screen reader, bigger text and bold font options

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Thinner and lighter than the previous model
• Strength: Works with the Kindle Click page-turn remote, sold separately
• Strength: Graphite and Ube colors
• Weakness: Not waterproof
• Weakness: No adjustable warm light, per Amazon's comparison
• Weakness: Sold in a lockscreen ad-supported version

Key facts

• Display: 6 in glare-free, 300 ppi
• Storage: 16GB
• Battery: Up to 6 weeks
• Waterproof: No
• Battery design: Replaceable

Where it ranks

Amazon Kindle is No. 5 in our Best E Readers verdict.