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Amazon is updating its entry-level Kindle for the first time since 2019, and the new model brings some major updates… and a small price hike.

The 2022 Amazon Kindle has a higher-resolution display, more storage, and a USB-C port. It’s up for pre-order now and ships October 12, 2022. Prices start at $100 for the new Kindle or $120 for a Kindle Kids Edition.

Both models feature a 6 inch E Ink display with LED front lights to illuminate the display, support for dark mode (with white text on a black background), and up to 6 weeks of battery life.

Changes since the previous-gen include:

  • 300 ppi display (3X more pixels than the older 167 ppi display)
  • 16GB of built-in storage (up from 8GB)
  • USB Type-C port (replaces the micro USB port from the 2019 model)
  • Support for WiFi 5 (up from WiFi 4)

Amazon notes that the new Kindle and Kindle Kids also ship with 100% recycled (and recyclable) packaging, and the eReaders themselves use 90% recycled magnesium.

One final change? The new Kindle is a little smaller than the previous-gen, although you’d probably be hard-pressed to tell the difference. This year’s model measures 157.8 x 108.6 x 8mm and weighs 158 grams. The 2019 version was 160 x 113 x 8.7mm and 174 grams.

Customers who pay the extra $20 for the Kids Edition model will also get a cover, a 1-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, a 2-year worry-free guarantee (Amazon will repair or replace broken hardware, no questions asked), and no ads on the lock-screen. Honestly, it’s a ridiculously good deal, even if you don’t have kids.

Now that Amazon’s entry-level Kindle has a 300ppi display, front light, 16GB of storage, Bluetooth audio support, and a USB Type-C port, the line between the Kindle and the pricier Kindle Paperwhite (which starts at $140) is starting to look a little thinner.

But the Paperwhite does still have some advantages. It has a larger 6.8 inch display that’s illuminated by 17 LED lights with adjustable color temperature, allowing you to choose warmer or cooler light settings. It also has a “flush-front” design, which means the display is not recessed behind the bezels the way it is on the basic Kindle. And the Kindle Paperwhite is rated IPX8 for water resistance.

The new entry-level Kindle, meanwhile, is not waterproof and has just 4 LED lights with support for brightness adjustments, but no support for adjusting the amount of blue light emitted.

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  1. I tried to get one of my kids Fire Tablets replaced with the “worry-free guarantee” once (broken charging port), they had it for about a month, and when I asked for the status they just sent back the broken one. So I don’t believe them anymore

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