Amazon Kindle (2022)
MSRP $100.00
“Amazon’s base-model Kindle gets some big upgrades this yr, making it a worthy option to select up for a mere $100.”
Pros
- Lightweight and compact size
- 6-inch e-ink screen with 300 ppi
- Dark mode and backlight display
- USB-C charging and great battery life
- Very inexpensive
Cons
- No ambient light sensor
- Not waterproof
While our smartphones can do almost all the pieces, it’s probably not the most effective device for reading e-books — I do know I definitely don’t use my iPhone 14 Pro for book reading. That’s since you’ll get incoming notifications from messages, apps, and games, all of which may ultimately deter you from reading. For those who plan to read, it’s best to rid yourself of all possible distractions — including your smartphone — and use a dedicated e-book reader device just like the Amazon Kindle.
I like the texture and experience of flipping through pages in book, but at the moment, it’s all about convenience. With a dedicated e-book reader, you may have something that’s compact, lightweight, and may hold just about a whole library at your fingertips. It’s quite a bit higher than simply a single book. And should you are available in the market for a straightforward e-book reader that gets the job done for not more than $100, then look no further than the brand new Amazon Kindle (2022).
Amazon Kindle (2022) design
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The last time I had a Kindle was a couple of decade ago — I remember it may need had some buttons on the front, and it was taller than Kindles are nowadays. The brand new Amazon Kindle is a mere 6.2 x 4.3 x 0.32 inches and is as light as a feather at only 5.56 ounces — it sure has come a good distance for the reason that last time I used one! The Kindle’s lightweight design is as a result of the body, which consists of between 30% and 75% recycled plastics and 90% recycled magnesium materials. You’ll be able to get this latest Kindle in the normal black color, or go for an attention grabbing latest denim blue hue.
Being so small and light-weight , the Kindle easily slips into the pocket of a hoodie or coat. Or should you’re like me and still going through warm “fall” weather in Southern California and will not have jacket pockets to make use of, fret not! Just toss the Kindle into your purse or tech bag. This compact Kindle can slot in my Tom Bihn small café bag or Loungefly mini backpack that I exploit each day, and since it weighs lower than six ounces, I often forget that it’s with me.
The plastic is pretty smooth without much grip, so I like to recommend using one in every of Amazon’s fabric covers. These are fairly inexpensive at $30 a pop and are available in quite a lot of colours. I used to be sent the usual black cover with my review unit, however the rose color is definitely catching my eye, and I’m debating if I can buy it.
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The material is nicely textured, making it easier to carry your Kindle, and the front cover has a microfiber lining to wash and protect the screen. It also works like an iPad Smart Cover, in that it securely closes with magnets and wakes or puts the Kindle to sleep. Plus, the quilt folds back for one-handed use, and opening it makes the Kindle feel like an actual book.
Since that is the bottom model Kindle, it isn’t anything too fancy. You have got the e-ink screen with plastic bezels surrounding it, though the underside bezel is thicker than the remaining, and easily emblazoned with the Kindle logo. Nevertheless, it seems the thicker bottom bezel is purposely designed this strategy to offer you more room to carry the device like you’d a physical book. I personally would have preferred page-turning buttons as an alternative of all of the screen-tapping that’s required.
This can also be the primary base model Kindle that uses USB-C, which is positioned at the underside next to the facility button. Though this is just not the primary Kindle to make use of USB-C charging (that honor goes to the Kindle Paperwhite from last yr), its inclusion on the bottom model Kindle makes this device a powerful contender.
Kindle (2022) e-ink screen
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The brand new Kindle boasts a 6-inch e-ink display that uses capacitive touchscreen technology. While the previous-generation Kindle had a low resolution, 167 pixels-per-inch (ppi) screen, the Eleventh-generation Kindle has been upgraded to a formidable 300 ppi — similar to the Kindle Paperwhite. The upper ppi signifies that book covers will now look higher, but it surely also needs to be good enough for reading. Text looks similar to ink on paper, especially when the backlight is off.
The previous iteration of the Kindle finally added a backlight to the display, allowing you to manually adjust the brightness. The backlight returns on this new edition of the bottom model Kindle. When you find yourself indoors, it looks best with the sunshine off, but when outdoors, having the brightness up permits you to see it higher in direct sunlight. So, should you wish to take your Kindle with you in every single place, the backlight is bound to assist regardless of what environment you’re in. Those that want an ambient light sensor that adjusts mechanically should look into the Kindle Oasis as an alternative.
One other latest feature for the e-ink display on the entry-level Kindle is dark mode. Once that is toggled on, it inverts the colours, in order that you may have white text on a black background. For those who prefer to read at night, dark mode is useful. Again, it’s not a brand latest feature, because it was first introduced with the Kindle Oasis 2 in 2017. Still, having this on the bottom Kindle makes it rather more accessible to the masses, considering the worth point.
Kindle (2022) performance and user interface
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For those who’ve used a Kindle before, then you definitely’re probably already acquainted with the performance and interface. I discussed earlier that my last experience with a Kindle was about 10 years ago, and it really hasn’t modified an excessive amount of from what I can see.
Since that is the baseline Kindle, it’s fairly basic in performance. It connects to Wi-Fi and has 16GB of storage in your books, which ought to be good enough — the previous iteration only had 4GB. It uses 4 LEDs to power the backlighting, the screen is 6 inches and glare-free, and the resolution is 300 ppi. Again, nothing too impressive while you compare it to the opposite Kindle models which might be available, but for easy reading, it gets the job done.
The capacitive touchscreen is conscious of touch, and the device itself wakes up fast when you open the quilt or press the button. After I’m turning pages in a book, it’s quick. Because the Kindle uses e-ink technology, there’s a flicker every time you do something, especially going through menus, but that’s to assist remove ghost images (this can be a thing with any e-ink screen). Nevertheless, when reading, the flickering is far less noticeable.
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Once you may have the Kindle arrange along with your Amazon account, the principal screen is split into two sections: Home and Library. House is your portal to the Kindle Store, allowing you to flick through carousels of featured and really helpful books (including those available through Prime Reading or Kindle Unlimited). You too can seek for specific titles here. At the highest of the Home page, you’ll find your Library, though there’s also a tab at the underside of the screen to go to your Library (which could also be easier to succeed in along with your thumbs).
When you add a book to your Amazon account, you possibly can download it directly on the Kindle and begin reading. The usual reader settings are nice, but I are likely to prefer more text on the screen directly (less page turning), so I adjusted the settings to suit my needs. The Kindle allows you to easily change the theme, font, layout, and more with a couple of taps, so you possibly can really create your individual personalized reading experience. The menu panel for systemwide device settings (including dark mode and the backlight intensity) is one other few taps away.
More Kindle (2022) features and advantages
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Kindle sure has come a good distance for the reason that last time I used one. Though it’s not completely latest to this generation, Bluetooth is an amazing addition that permits you to connect wireless earbuds and hearken to audiobook versions of books through Audible. There’s also the X-ray feature, which brings up supplementary information in regards to the current characters and places which might be on the page in your book.
Don’t know what a word means? Just do a protracted press on it to look up the definition, and even highlight or make notes a couple of passage you’re . For those who are a Goodreads user, you possibly can link your account and share progress, notes, and more there.
Your Kindle purchase nets you three free months of Kindle Unlimited. This service offered by Amazon allows you to borrow as much as 20 books every month from a select catalog of titles. Once the trial is over, it costs $10 a month. Amazon Prime members even have access to Prime Reading, one other pool of select books and magazines to pick from. One other Prime perk is First Reads, which offers free early access to editor’s picks for the month (otherwise, it’s $29 for every book).
Amazon also has its own version of Apple’s Family Sharing. Because of this if you may have relations associated along with your Amazon account, you possibly can access a “family library,” so that you don’t have to make multiple purchases of a single book. Those with young kids also can get unlimited access to a catalog of select kid-friendly books with Amazon Kids+ for $5 a month.
Kindle (2022) battery life and USB-C
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For the longest time, the bottom model Kindle has been using the traditional Micro-USB cable for charging. Excellent news, everyone! Amazon has finally ditched Micro-USB for USB-C, so though it features a cable (but no charging brick), you possibly can charge your Kindle with any old USB-C cable you may have laying across the house.
Once your Kindle is fully charged, it’s best to get several weeks of use out of it. In keeping with Amazon’s spec sheet, one charge should last around six full weeks. In fact, your mileage may vary depending on how often you read and whether you may have the backlight on on a regular basis or not, amongst other aspects.
I received the device with around 60% battery, and after just five days with it, the Kindle held regular at a solid 30%. I even have yet to charge the thing since getting it. I even have been tinkering around quite a bit with the backlighting and other settings, so this may increasingly not fully reflect what would develop into my regular use. Regardless, it’s still excellent battery life, all things considered.
Amazon Kindle (2022) price and availability
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The brand new Kindle will set you back a mere $100 ($10 greater than its predecessor), and you possibly can buy one immediately on Amazon. It is available in the usual black color, or a reasonably latest denim blue. Amazon’s own Kindle Fabric Cover will set you back one other $30, and it is available in 4 colours: black, dark emerald, denim, and rose.
The Kindle has a one-year limited warranty, but it’s also possible to get an prolonged warranty for just one other $15.
The Kindle (2022) is straightforward, effective, and makes reading fun
Christine Romero-Chan/Digital Trends
Though I write for a living, I haven’t made time to read an actual book in years. Sure, I read the news and other things online day-after-day, but that’s completely different from finding yourself engrossed in book. Ever since I got the Kindle (2022), I’ve been setting aside a small chunk of time day-after-day to read a book. Why? Since the Kindle has made me love reading again.
I absolutely love the incredibly small and light-weight design of the newest Kindle, and it’s compact enough for me to bring in every single place. The e-ink screen is now a generous 300 ppi and has a dark mode and a backlight to provide you the most effective possible reading experience — all at an amazing price. Plus, with 16GB of storage, there’s loads of room for your whole favorite books.
For a bit of bit extra cash, you possibly can go for other great e-readers just like the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, which is waterproof, has a bigger 6.8-inch flush screen with 17 LEDs and auto-adjusting backlight, and double the storage at 32GB. There are also e-readers from Kobo, which has a $100 base model as well. But again, chances are high you may have an Amazon account already, which is one less thing to fret about. Or, you possibly can go all-out with a Kindle Scribe, which is more like an e-ink tablet, allowing you to read and scribble with a stylus.
Still, should you’re like me and haven’t read a book in years, the baseline Kindle is straightforward enough while also making reading books an absolute joy again.
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