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The Amazon Kindle devices are some of the most popular eBook readers with electronic paper displays due to ease of use, tight integration with the world’s most popular eBook store, and probably most importantly, their relatively affordable price tags.
Starting prices range from $100 for an entry-level Kindle to $350 for a Kindle Scribe with a large screen, pen support, and special features like automatic screen rotation. Amazon also tends to run sales several times each year that lowers the prices on at least some of these models.
The current-gen Kindle has some features that used to be reserved for higher-priced models like the Paperwhite, including 16GB of storage and a front-lit display with a pixel density of 300 pixels per inch.
Amazon’s new 11th-gen Kindle Paperwhite, introduced in 2021, has a bigger, brighter, and more pixel-dense display, among other things. It also supports adjustable color temperature. And the Signature Edition model has 32GB of storage, support for wireless charging, and an ambient light sensor for automatic brightness adjustments.
The Kindle Oasis, meanwhile, is a premium model for folks willing to pay extra for a more ergonomic design and features like physical page turn buttons and automatic screen rotation. But since the latest Kindle Oasis is two years old, folks who don’t need those features may get more bang for their buck from the Kindle Paperwhite models, which offer longer battery life, faster charging, and USB-C ports.
And the brand new Kindle Scribe rounds out the family with a 10.2 inch display and an emphasis on writing as well as reading.
Here’s a run-down of key specs for every current member of the Kindle family:
Kindle (2022) | Kindle Paperwhite (2021) | Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2021) | Kindle Oasis (2019) | Kindle Scribe (2022) | |
Starting Price | $100 | $140 | $190 | $250 | $340 |
Display | 6 inch, 300 ppi recessed | 6.8 inch, 300 ppi flush-front | 6.8 inch, 300 ppi flush-front | 7 inch, 300 ppi flush-front | 10.2 inch, 300 ppi |
Storage | 16GB | 8GB or 16GB | 32GB | 8GB or 32GB | 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB |
Front light | 4 LEDs | 17 LEDs | 17 LEDs | 25 LEDs | 32 LEDs |
Writing support | ✓ | ||||
Pen included | ✓ | ||||
Adjustable warm light | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Flush-front | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
IPX8 waterproof | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Adjustable warm light | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Auto light sensor | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Page Turn buttons | ✓ | ||||
Automatic page rotation | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Bluetooth/Audible | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
WiFi | WiFi 5 | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz | WiFi 4 | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz |
Charging & battery | USB-C 9W 6 weeks battery life 2 hours full charge | USB-C 9W 10 weeks battery life 2.5 hours full charge | USB-C 9W (wired) Qi wireless charging 10 weeks battery life 2.5 hours full charge | micro USB 5W 6-weeks battery life 3 hours for full charge | USB-C 9W Up to 12 weeks battery life (reading) Up to 3 weeks (writing) 2.5 hours full charge |
Dimensions | 108.6 x 157.8 x 8mm 4.3″ x 6.2″ x 0.33″ | 124.6 x 174.2 x 8.1mm 4.9″ x 6.9″ x .32″ | 125 x 174 x 8.1mm 4.9″ x 6.9″ x .32″ | 159 x 141 x 3.4 – 8.4mm 6.3″ x 5.6″ x 0.13″ – .33″ | 196 x 230 x 5.8mm 7.7″ x 9″ x .22″ |
Weight | 158 grams 5.56 ounces | 205 grams 7.23 ounces | 208 grams 7.34 ounces | 188 grams 6.6 ounces | 433 grams 15.3 ounces |
Color | Black or Denim (blue) | Black | Black | Graphite or Champaign Gold | Tungston |
Amazon also sells Kindle Kids ($120) and Kindle Paperwhite Kids ($160) edition devices. These feature hardware that’s nearly identical to the entry-level Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite, but Amazon throws in a few perks including:
- Colorful cover options
- No ads on the lock screen
- 2-year worry-free guarantee
- 1 year Amazon Kids+ subscription
This article was first published September 21, 2021 and most recently updated September 28, 2022.Â
Still exporting you to pay $150 extra for page turning buttons. And then they’ll slap another $20 on there to take their trashy ads off.
Once again, Kindle devices do not support Immersion Reading for who knows what reason. It is available on the iOS app and Fire Tablets. I happen to love the feature. I will not buy a Kindle until that feature is enabled.
Typo:
“The current-gen Kindle has some features that used to be reserved for higher-priced models like the Paperwhite, including 8GB of RAM and a frontlit display.”
8GB of storage, flash, not RAM. It has 512 MB RAM, which isn’t of much interest as there’s a not a ton you can do with it even if you jailbreak it.
Whoops, slip of the finger there. I’ve fixed that line.
When are they going to make one with support for using a connected device for page turns like a bluetooth keyboard or mouse?